Illinois Personal Injury Blog

Even though most dogs are friendly, this definitely doesn't hold true across the board. Some dogs, such as those that are raised in an inappropriate manner, are aggressive and always looking for trouble.

If you find yourself face-to-face with an aggressive dog, here are the steps you should take to protect yourself:

• Don't make eye contact: You want to keep a close eye on the dog, but don't stare into its eyes. This can cause the dog to become more aggressive and even attack, as they feel threatened.
• Cross your arms: This shows the dog that you are in command, which may cause it to back away.
• Slowly back away: With your arms crossed, slowly take steps away from the dog. The key here is that you act in a slow and steady manner, as moving quickly is likely to prompt the dog to attack.
• Find a barrier: For example, if you can get on the other side of a door or fence, it's the best thing you can do. Anything to keep the dog away from you will work. From there, you can decide what to do next.

You expect truck drivers to take special caution, but don't assume this will happen. These drivers are prone to many types of mistakes, all of which increase the risk of an accident.

Here are some of the most common mistakes:

• Driving drowsy: Truckers often assume they can "push it just a little bit longer." Unfortunately, when they push it too far, they risk falling asleep at the wheel.
• Distracted driving: There is no shortage of distractions in the cockpit of a commercial truck. From food and drinks to smartphones and GPS systems, there's always something to take the trucker's attention away from the road.
• Speeding: You don't typically have to look far to spot a trucker who is driving faster than the speed limit on the highway. Time is money for trucking professionals, so they often take risks with how fast they drive.
• Illegal passing: This often goes along with speeding, as truckers will pass slower moving vehicles in the right lane. Doing this puts everyone in close proximity at risk of an accident.

After a motor vehicle accident, it won't be long before you're digging up the contact information for your insurance company. While you hope the claims process goes as planned, you know that there are many challenges standing in your way.

These are the types of insurance claim mistakes that often come into play after a car crash:

• Neglecting to review your policy: This is mistake No. 1, as a lack of knowledge can make it difficult to obtain all the benefits due to you. Review the terms and conditions of your policy before you file a claim.
• Saying too much: Yes, you need to contact your agent or provider to file a claim. However, that doesn't mean you should provide an excessive amount of information or answer questions you don't understand. Your insurance company wants you to say something they can use against you.
• Accepting payment: Don't be surprised if your insurance company sends you a check marked as final payment at some point. This may happen when you least expect it, hoping to catch you off guard. If it does, put the check aside and contact your agent to let them know you won't be cashing it.

Nursing homes are supposed to provide a safe place for people who are too old to care for themselves. Unfortunately, this relationship often places the managers and owners of the home in a position of virtually uncontrolled power over the residents. A prime example of how this power imbalance can affect nursing home residents came to light last week when the Cook County Public Guardian's office filed a complaint seeking damages from the four entities that own a chain of nursing homes known as Symphony Residences.

The complaint alleges that when the owners and managers of the nursing home in question discovered that employees of the home stole $700,000 from a 98 year old resident who suffered from Alzheimer's disease, they attempted to hide the theft instead of reporting it to authorities. The complaint alleges that five nursing home employees routinely stole money from the victim's retirement and savings accounts. They allegedly used a combination of forged checks, illegal ATM withdrawals and other methods to virtually clean out the victim's accounts. The supervisors of these employees were not accused of any direct theft; instead, they have been charged with failing to report the crimes to the proper authorities.