A head-on collision may be the most frightening type of car crash you can be involved in. Seeing another vehicle coming at you in the same lane is startling, and you may not have the time or maneuverability to avoid the collision. The aftermath of a head-on collision can be just as scary for those involved, even if they were wearing safety belts and their airbags deployed. Head-on collisions are the most deadly type of crash because a collision between two vehicles heading opposite directions will have a greater force and cause more violent damage to the vehicles. If you are fortunate enough to survive the crash, you may suffer serious injuries with long-lasting effects on your life. Common injuries that people in head-on collisions sustain include:

1. Traumatic Brain Injuries: Your brain is an area of particular concern following a head-on collision. During the collision, your head likely jerked forward while the rest of your body was held in place by your safety belt. This can cause brain injuries if your head strikes a surface or if your brain is jostled against your skull. Brain injuries can take longer for you to notice than other injuries, but the consequences can have a profound effect on your ability to think and function.
2. Neck and Spine Injuries: Along with your head, your neck is not as secured as the rest of your body during a head-on collision, which can lead to whiplash. The collision can also potentially damage your spine through cracked vertebrae or a herniated disc. Spinal injuries can cause partial or total paralysis.
3. Chest and Abdomen Injuries: Though the safety belt and airbags protect you from being propelled forward during a head-on collision, the force with which you are stopped can cause damage to your chest and abdomen. You may suffer cracked or broken ribs or internal organ damage if they are pierced by your broken ribs or an instrument in your vehicle.
4. Lower Body Injuries: Your legs and feet will absorb much of the impact during a head-on collision, which can cause torn ligaments and broken bones. Those injuries may be worsened if your legs strike the instrument panel of your vehicle or are crushed in the vehicle wreckage.

Contact a McHenry County Personal Injury Lawyer

With the extensive injuries that can result from a head-on collision, it will be important to pursue compensation if another driver was at fault for the crash. A Crystal Lake, Illinois, personal injury lawyer at Botto Gilbert Lancaster, PC, can help you receive damages that will cover your medical expenses and compensate you for your pain and suffering. Schedule a free consultation by calling 815-338-3838.

Source:

If you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit, you would obviously prefer for the case to be heard in a court that is local to you. This should not be a concern if the defendant resides or does business in your home state. However, there may be a question of jurisdiction if you are dealing with a defendant who resides in a different state. State jurisdiction over product liability cases has become contentious because of a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that set stricter requirements for proving that a state has the authority to hear a case involving a non-resident defendant. The ruling has made it easier for corporate defendants to request a case dismissal due to lack of jurisdiction.

Personal Jurisdiction

Part of deciding whether a state has jurisdiction over a case is determining whether the state has authority over the defendant, known as personal jurisdiction. Many defendants in product liability cases are businesses that have headquarters in a different state from where the case is being heard. However, there are many ways to establish personal jurisdiction over a non-resident defendant. First of all, your jurisdiction claim is its strongest if you purchased the product and were injured in the same state where you are filing. You may also need to prove that the defendant had minimum contact with you in your state, such as:

• Operating a branch office or warehouse in your state that is related to the product that caused your injury
• Soliciting you to purchase the product by catalog, phone call, or other means of product marketing

Lack of Minimum Contact

The Supreme Court ruling emphasized that a state cannot claim personal jurisdiction over a defendant without minimum contact that is relevant to the case. For instance, a defendant may own property in your state where it conducts business or manufactures products that are unrelated to your case. Courts in many states had allowed jurisdiction over personal injury lawsuits based on this evidence, but some courts are now citing the Supreme Court ruling and saying that this evidence is not enough to prove minimum contact.

In most situations, your medical records are personal and confidential. In other words, unless you specifically allow another person to look at your medical records, your injuries, your diagnoses, your prescriptions, and your treatment history are not disclosed to strangers. This is not the case when you claim another person's careless or reckless behavior caused you to suffer injuries: in this context, your medical records are critical – and discoverable by the other party. Not only does this mean you must be prepared to provide certain access to your records to the attorney for the other, negligent party (or the other party, if the other party is not represented), but you should also be conscious of what you say and do when seeking treatment for your injuries.

Building a Better Medical Record for Your Personal Injury Case

Your medical records can make or break your personal injury case. Thorough and complete records can be conclusive evidence of the extent of harm you suffered at the hands of another, while incomplete records can be the reason a judge or jury refuses to award you compensation. These tips will assist you in building a better medical record for your case:

With the New Year, most people are concerned about filing their taxes. However, for an individual who has suffered an injury and received a settlement, there may be a concern about paying a large amount in taxes based on the settlement.

Generally speaking in Illinois, money received as a result of a judgment or settlement in Illinois is not taxable as gross income. This is because these funds are considered to be received by the injured person as compensation. Therefore, sums received to pay for medical care and other associated costs which directly address the underlying loss are not taxed. However, funds awarded as a punishment to the defendant, that is, punitive damages, are taxable because they do not directly affect the injured party's loss. Another notable exception is for funds received for lost income or wages because the injured party's regular income or wages would have been taxed.

Under federal law, whether or not you pay taxes on compensation received depends on the kind of injury sustained and on what the compensation is based. Compensation that stems from physical injuries or sickness is generally not taxable depending on whether or not the taxpayer previously deducted his or her medical expenses. If a person receives compensation for emotional distress as a result of a physical injury or sickness, the funds are not considered taxable income either.

Using a cellphone to talk or text while driving can be distracting and dangerous. In fact, Illinois has passed a law forbidding the use of electronic communication devices while driving. Yet, this law may be doing more harm than good—many people do not realize the dangers of driving hands-free.

A new study from the University of Utah's Psychology Department reveals that hands-free media use may not be that effective at preventing distractions. In some cases, it can even be more likely to cause a traffic accident than talking on a handheld cell phone.

The Study's Findings