Chicago Injury Lawyer Blog

Snow and Ice Slip and Fall Accidents on Downtown Chicago Sidewalks

January 29, 2026 | John J. Malm

Chicago winters are iconic: lake-effect snowstorms, bitter winds, and icy sidewalks are part of everyday life from late November through early March. While Chicagoans are accustomed to navigating snowy streets and frozen lakeshore breezes, winter walking hazards present a serious risk of injury for pedestrians, especially in high-traffic areas like downtown Chicago where foot traffic mixes with uneven surfaces and variable snow removal. Sidewalk conditions that many people dismiss as an inconvenience can lead to life-altering injuries when ice and snow create slippery surfaces.

In Chicago, property owners are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks abutting their properties within specific deadlines. Yet inconsistent compliance, late removal, and rapidly refreezing conditions can leave dangerous patches of ice that cause slip and fall accidents. Understanding how and why these accidents occur, the injuries they cause, and the legal landscape for victims is crucial for residents, visitors, and business owners alike. Continue reading

Chicago Ranks Among the Top U.S. Cities for Dog Attacks

January 14, 2026 | John J. Malm

Dog attacks and bites are not rare occurrences in the United States. Every year, thousands of people are injured by dogs, often in situations that were preventable with responsible pet ownership and proper precautions. Recent data shows that Chicago ranked third among all U.S. cities for dog attacks on postal workers in 2024, underscoring how common and serious these incidents can be even in major urban centers.

This blog provides a detailed look at the statistics behind Chicago’s ranking, the broader context of dog attacks, contributing factors, and legal implications. Continue reading

What to Do After a Hit and Run in Chicago

January 8, 2026 | John J. Malm

Hit and run accidents are a troubling and unfortunately common occurrence in Chicago’s busy streets. A hit and run crash happens when a driver involved in a collision leaves the scene without stopping to provide contact information, rendering aid, or reporting the incident to law enforcement. Illinois law strictly prohibits leaving the scene of an accident, and doing so can carry both criminal penalties and civil liability. In 2021, Illinois saw a significant increase in fatal hit and run crashes, with 117 reported incidents statewide, nearly 48 percent occurring in Chicago alone, a clear indication of the disproportionate impact on the city’s roadways. Hit and runs often leave victims feeling shocked, vulnerable, and unsure where to turn next, especially when injuries, medical bills, and property damage are involved. The actions a victim takes immediately after the incident can deeply affect their health outcomes, insurance coverage, and ability to recover compensation. Continue reading

Rideshare Safety Tips

December 10, 2025 | John J. Malm

Rideshares (Uber, Lyft, and other Transportation Network Providers, or TNPs) are an entrenched part of Chicago’s transportation network. They offer convenience, reduced need for parking, and often a safer alternative to drunk driving. But rideshares also create unique safety and legal issues: from verifying that the vehicle picking you up is the right one, to understanding who’s liable if a crash or assault occurs. In this blog, we discuss practical, Chicago-specific safety tips for riders, summarize the legal and insurance landscape you should know, and explain what to do if you’re injured in a rideshare crash. Continue reading

Delayed Injury Symptoms After a Car Accident

December 4, 2025 | John J. Malm

Car accidents often look sudden and obvious: bent metal, airbags, broken glass, but many of the injuries caused by motor vehicle collisions don’t announce themselves right away. Some symptoms take hours, days, or even weeks to appear. That delay can affect your health and your ability to protect your legal rights. In this blog, we explain why symptoms can be delayed, the most common delayed injuries and warning signs, helpful statistics, and clear next steps you should take after a collision. Continue reading

The Hidden Danger of Driver Fatigue in Downtown Chicago

November 20, 2025 | John J. Malm

Driving downtown Chicago, whether you’re commuting into the Loop, delivering goods, or navigating crowded side streets after a late shift, demands constant attention. Congested intersections, pedestrians, bicyclists, streetcars, delivery vehicles, and unpredictable traffic patterns leave almost no margin for error. When a driver is tired, that small margin disappears. Fatigue slows reaction time, blurs judgment, and produces microsleeps, all of which create a real and immediate risk to everyone of a serious car accident. In this blog, we discuss why driver fatigue is especially dangerous in an urban environment like downtown Chicago and explain what to do if fatigue-related negligence causes you harm. Continue reading

What To Do If An Adjuster Underestimates Your Brain Injury After An Accident

November 13, 2025 | John J. Malm

When your life has been changed by a brain injury caused by a car accident, slip and fall, or work injury, the last thing you need is an insurance adjuster who minimizes your symptoms and offers a low settlement. Brain injuries, including concussions and more serious traumatic brain injuries (TBIs), are often “invisible” and can produce delayed, fluctuating, and wide-ranging physical, cognitive, and emotional problems. Because many effects aren’t immediately obvious on a scan or at the ER, adjusters sometimes under-value claims. In this blog, we provide a practical, step-by-step guide to protect your health, preserve evidence, and push back against a lowball offer. Continue reading

The Role of Nursing Homes in Preventing Falls and Injuries

November 6, 2025 | John J. Malm

Falls are among the most common and most serious health events affecting nursing home residents. Because residents are older, frailer, often living with multiple chronic conditions and cognitive impairment, a single slip or trip can lead to fractures, hospitalizations, loss of independence, or death. Nursing homes are on the front line: prevention requires consistent policies, training, environmental design, individualized care plans, and timely response when a resident is at risk. In this blog, we discuss how falls happen in long-term care, what evidence-based steps facilities should take to prevent injuries, key statistics families should know, and what to do if you suspect a nursing home facility is failing to protect a loved one. Continue reading

What is a Car “Black Box”?

October 30, 2025 | John J. Malm

When people talk about a car’s “black box,” they usually mean the vehicle’s event data recorder (EDR). An EDR is an electronic device built into a vehicle that captures short bursts of technical data immediately before, during, and after a car accident, things like vehicle speed, brake use, airbag deployment, and sometimes steering or accelerator inputs. EDRs don’t record conversations or continuous GPS history like a phone app, they capture a snapshot of the seconds surrounding an “event” such as a collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explains that EDRs are intended to improve traffic-safety research and crash investigation by providing objective, sensor-based records of a crash. Continue reading

Multi-Vehicle Pileups on the Dan Ryan Expressway

October 23, 2025 | John J. Malm

The Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/I-94) is one of Chicago’s busiest and most critical traffic corridors, funneling commuter, commercial, and long-distance traffic through the city’s south side. Its high volumes, complex interchanges, and frequent weather swings make the Dan Ryan a location where a single mistake or a sudden hazard can quickly cascade into a multi-vehicle pileup. These car accidents are not only disruptive, closing lanes for hours, they also cause major injuries and fatalities and complicate insurance and liability questions for victims. In this blog, we explain why pileups happen on the Dan Ryan, summarize what the data and news reports show, list common injuries and legal challenges, and provide practical steps crash victims should take after a car accident. Continue reading