Car Accidents

Five people, including three from central Illinois, are reported to have been killed in a truck crash on U.S. Highway 40 in Effingham County, Illinois. The tragedy occurred on September 29, 2023, when several vehicles were involved in a crash near Teutopolis, about 75 miles from the state’s capital, Springfield. At least five other people were injured and airlifted to area hospitals for treatment. Responders in hazmat suits tried to rescue those involved and clean…

Robert A. Clifford and James C. Pullos, partners at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a $19.3 million settlement on behalf of a driver and passenger who were killed when they were pushed off the road into oncoming traffic by a semi-truck on Interstate 80 in Grundy County, Illinois. Sofiane Bessai, 33, of Elgin, was driving a car westbound on Interstate 80 with Brayan Jimenez Velasquez, 26, of Lake County, Indiana, when they were rear-ended by a…

Investigators Need to Find Out if 72-Car Pileup in Downstate Illinois Could Have Been Avoided if Motor Vehicle Laws Were Followed As the investigation continues on a two-mile stretch of highway in downstate Illinois, it makes one pause to think if the 72-car pileup should have even happened at all. The Federal Motor Vehicle Carrier Administration and the Department of Transportation expect trucking companies and motor carriers to practice defensive driving – an industry term…

Clifford Law Offices has been awarded a place on several of Expertise.com’s 2023 lists identifying the top motor vehicle accident lawyers in Chicago. Expertise.com carefully selects the top lawyers in the city based on the following five criteria: Reputation, Credibility, Experience, Availability, and Professionalism. After reviewing 724 Car Accident Lawyers, Expertise listed Clifford Law Offices as one of the top 30 firms. Additionally, the firm was listed in the top 16 Motorcycle Accident Lawyers out…

Clifford Law Offices wrote an article published in the National Law Review titled, “The Potential Dangers of Driverless Cars,” that examines the potential dangers and common misconceptions of “driverless” car travel, alerting consumers to the legal, technical, and legislative complexities that loom over the industry’s advances. As our world continues to become more and more reliant on advanced technology, autonomous vehicles present a fascinating new approach to transportation. Nearly all car manufacturers are racing to…

Even with the help of rideshares and public transportation, drunk driving is still a significant issue in Illinois and the rest of the country. If you or a loved one has ever been in a collision with a drunk driver or lost a loved one from a crash, you are well aware of the life-altering physical and emotional injuries, as well as financial set back from medical bills and car repairs. This can be infuriating…

In one of the first civil trials since in-person jury trials resumed in Cook County Circuit Court, two partners at Clifford Law Offices on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, obtained an $18.15 million verdict on behalf of an Indiana teenager who was struck by a truck as he stood on the side of the road fixing his vehicle. A press conference with the teen’s mother was held on Monday, Dec. 6, 2021, at 3:30 p.m. at…

No two car crashes are the same, which can make for some complex litigation when it comes to filing a claim for damages. For starters, car accidents are rarely even accidents, despite their commonly used name. Someone is almost always at fault, even partially, and the possibility of negligent behavior usually needs to be investigated in the aftermath of a crash. At Clifford Law Offices, our Chicago car accident lawyers have decades of experience handling…

Despite all the hype, fully self-driving cars are not yet commercially available to the public. In limited geographical areas, individuals can sometimes be passengers in these vehicles. However, mastering the technology behind these cars has proven highly costly, and a wider rollout has taken much longer than expected. Even Tesla, who offers an “Autopilot” feature and boasts that their cars can run by themselves, admits (sometimes) that there needs to be a human at the…