Peoria Legal Blog

Illinois residents may be well aware that one of the reasons commonly put forward as to a benefit of autonomous vehicles is the potential to reduce or even eliminate vehicle accidents. With the large majority of crashes attributed to human error per some research, this makes sense. However, it has not yet been conclusively proven that rolling out self-driving cars on the roads will actually prevent wrecks from occurring. One question now being asked is who will be liable in the event that an accident does happen?

The recent incident in Arizona in which a self-driving vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian provides perhaps a classic case-in-point regarding this question. Multiple companies with technologies deployed in autonomous vehicles are said to have quickly claimed their lack of culpability for the accident. It is not known who the family of the pedestrian may request compensation from if they were so inclined.

People in Illinois who have been driving for many decades have seen the change in laws and penalties associated with drunk driving. The effort kicked into high gear when the advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving took up the charge. While too many innocent people continue to die in these terrible crashes, there have been some improvements since that time. Today, a new threat has been added on the roads in the form of distracted driving.

Despite clear statistics that show the risk and damage done by drivers who refuse to put their phones away while behind the wheel, penalties for distracted driving remain amazingly weak, especially in comparison to those for drunk driving. An example can be seen in a case in Minnesota where a texting driver hit and killed a pregnant woman who was also the mother of another young child.

When your family considers adopting a child in Illinois, you may not think about children from the foster care system. There are many children in foster care who need loving homes, though, and you likely have many questions about the process.

As you consider foster care adoption, you might wonder what this adoption means for your child's birth family. According to Today.com, you can usually decide how much contact you have with the birth family. Sometimes your child might have come from a dangerous family situation and it may not always be safe for you to stay in contact with this family. In some situations, your child may choose not to have a relationship with his or her birth family. You may want to let your child decide if he or she wants to stay in touch with relatives.

It can be difficult emotionally to see your parent put in a nursing home. You might be feeling sad that your parent is no longer independent, as well as a little guilty that you are not caring for your aging loved one yourself. However, sometimes it is necessary for Illinois residents to put their trust in nursing home caregivers. Your work schedule or inexperience with your relative’s specific needs might leave you no other choice.

Ideally, nursing home caregivers should treat your parent with dignity and respect while giving him or her the best care possible. Sadly, this is not always the case for many nursing home facilities across the country. It is not uncommon for caregivers to mistreat or neglect a very vulnerable segment of society. If you suspect your loved one is not receiving quality care at his or her nursing home, HelpGuide suggests you might look for the following signs:

• Sudden emotional withdrawal, fear and mistrust toward certain members of staff or signs of depression and anxiety
• Injuries that cannot be explained to your satisfaction, such as fractures, cuts, scratches or finger-shaped bruising
• Infected or untreated pressure sores
• Signs of malnourishment or dehydration
• Unhygienic conditions and unwashed bedding in your parent’s room