Chicago Injury Attorney Blog

The second day of the US Department of Transportation’s Distracted Driving Summit is underway. Over 250 safety experts, lawmakers, industry representatives, and members of the public have come together to explore ways to end distracted driving. As US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood noted yesterday, every time a person takes their eyes off the road or talks on a cell phone, lives are placed at risk.

While distracted driving is not a new bad habit—people have found ways to distract themselves while on the road for years—the cell phone and text messaging era has turned distracted driving into a “menace to society," noted LaHood. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that distracted driving can be cited as a factor in 5,780 traffic deaths—that’s 16% of all motor vehicle deaths—and 515,000 auto injuries. In 2007, distracted driving was cited as a cause in 12% of all US traffic deaths.

Our Chicago injury law firm represents clients and the families of loved ones who died in car accidents, truck crashes, pedestrian accidents, motorcycle collisions, bus crashes, train accidents, and bicycle crashes throughout Will County, Cook County, Lake County, DuPage County, and the other counties of Illinois. We have represented many people whose lives were wrecked because another motorist was distracted behind the wheel.

More Distracted Driving Facts:
• According to the National Safety Council, on any day last year, over 800,000 drivers had conversations on handheld cell phones while driving.
• From the University of Utah: A person who is talking on any kind of cell phone has a delayed reaction time equivalent to a person whose blood alcohol concentration is .08%--the legal driving limit.
• Carnegie Mellon reports that brain activity linked to driving goes down by 37% when someone uses a cell phone and drives.

There is no excuse for distracted driving and tragedy can ensue. A person injured in a cell phone accident or text messaging crash can be held liable for Chicago personal injury or wrongful death.

Distracted Driving Summit Continues in the U.S., The Gov Monitor, October 1, 2009

Govt: Nearly 6,000 deaths from driver distraction, AP/Google, October 1, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Distracted Driving, Cyberdrive Illinois

Distracted Driving Summit, US Department of Transportation

A possible tire failure may have caused the van rollover accident that injured all six members of the Scotland Yard Gospel Choir. Initial reports indicate that the 1999 Chevrolet van was driving in the left lane on I-65 in Indiana when tire failure caused the van to go off the road and roll over a number of times. The van was totaled.

All of the band members are from Chicago. Mark Yoshizumi sustained major head trauma, internal injuries, and leg injuries. He was riding in the front passenger seat. Eliezer Santana Junior, who was driving the van, sustained a concussion and experienced minor bleeding. Alison Hinderliter, Elias Einhorn, Ethan Adelsman, and Mary Ralph also sustained head trauma. Ralph was not using a seat belt when the rollover accident happened and was ejected from the vehicle. She also has a shoulder injury and broke her collarbone and pelvis.

Examples of Tire Defects:
Tread separation: The treads on a tire gets separated from the rim. This can lead to loss of vehicle control and/or rollover accidents.
Tire failure: Overloaded tires and underinflated tires can lead to tire failure.
Tire blowout: A tire that blows out can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Tire or rim explosions: An exploding tire can blind, maim, or kill a bystander.

A person who is seriously injured in a Chicago rollover accident that occurred because of a tire defect or failure is likely entitled to sue the tire manufacture and/or the automaker for auto products liability.

A tire defect can cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle. It is at this point that the frightened motorist may fight to regain control of the auto by braking suddenly and/or turning while trying to get off the road. This is how many rollover accidents happen. Rollover crashes can result in serious injuries for the passengers who are tossed around inside the vehicle.

If you were injured in an Illinois auto accident involving a defective auto or a faulty auto part, is important that you retain the services of a Chicago injury lawyer that is experienced in successfully representing clients who were injured in auto accidents where products liability was a factor.

Band members injured in I-65 crash, Chesterton Tribune, September 25, 2009

Chicago's Scotland Yard Gospel Choir injured in van accident, Sun-Times, September 25, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Tire Blowouts on the Highway, Safety.com

Rollover Accidents Explained

Scotland Yard Gospel Choir

A man who became paralyzed in an Illinois motor vehicle accident after he attended an underage drinking party will receive a $2.5 million personal injury settlement for his catastrophic injuries. George Baldwin, now 22, was just 19 when the deadly accident happened.

Baldwin and his friend, William Klairmont, then 18, had gone to the home of Lauralee Pfeifer to visit her two teenage daughters, then 16 and 17. They drank beer in the girls’ bedroom.

After leaving Pfeifer’s home, Klairmont, who was drunk, lost control of his vehicle, which he crashed into a utility box. Baldwin suffered serious injuries that have left him paralyzed from the waist down. Klairmont was also injured in the Illinois auto crash.

By settling the case, Pfeifer, who did not provide the alcohol or even know the teens were drinking in her house, is not admitting to any wrongdoing for the tragic accident. However, Baldwin’s Illinois personal injury lawyer says that if she had been properly supervising the teenagers, she would have realized that they were drinking. Her daughters had been caught drinking alcohol in the past.

Baldwin also has filed an Illinois motor vehicle accident lawsuit against Klairmont for driving the vehicle while he was drunk. That case will go to trial next month.

Paralysis
Paralysis occurs when there is loss of muscle function in a part of the body. This can happen when the brain and muscles are unable to communicate with one another.

Kinds of Paralysis:
Paraplegia: Paralysis occurs in the lower half of the body.
Quadriplegia: Complete paralysis of the legs, arms, and trunk.

If you were seriously injured in an Illinois auto accident, there may be more than one party who can be held financially liable for your injuries.

Young man paralyzed in crash after underage drinking party settles lawsuit against Lake Forest homeowner, Chicago Tribune, February 12, 2009

N. Shore mom to pay $2.5 mil. for underage drinking party, Sun Times, February 12, 2009

Related Web Resource:
State Profiles of Underage Drinking Laws, Alcohol Policy Information System

With so many motorists using cell phones on US roads, the National Safety Council is calling on lawmakers in the District of Columbia and all 50 US states to ban the use of cell phones and messaging devices while people are driving. The Harvard Center of Risk Analysis reports that about 636,000 auto accidents a year occur because a driver was talking on the phone or text messaging. 2,600 people die and 330,000 people are injured annually as a result.

Contrary to popular belief, the NSC says that the University of Utah researchers have studies showing that talking on a hands-free device is not safer than talking on a hand-held cell phone. In Illinois, localities are allowed to come up with their own laws regarding cell phone use by motorists. Chicago has a ban on hand-held cell phones while driving. The entire state, however, prohibits drivers younger than 19 and school bus drivers from using any kind of cell phone when operating their vehicles.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, a driver’s ability to safely operate a vehicle is seriously impaired when talking on the phone or text messaging because not only do motorists take their eyes off the road when operating their devices, but they can get so involved in their conversations that their concentration is not where it should be—on the road. According to a Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. survey of 1,200 drivers, 73% of the participants use cell phones when operating their vehicles.

Text messaging while driving is also a common habit, especially for teen drivers. Nationwide also found in January 2007 that 19% of drivers admitted to texting while driving.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says that drivers who talk and text message on cell phones have a four times greater chance of becoming involved in an injury accident than motorists who don’t use these devices while driving.

National Safety Council Calls for Nationwide Ban on Cell Phone Use While Driving, NSC.org

Cell Phone Laws, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Related Web Resources:
Cellphones and Driving, Insurance Information Institute, October 2008

Illinois Cell Phone Laws, DMV.org

Continue reading "NSC Wants All US States to Ban Drivers from Using Cell Phones" »

A recent Allstate study ranks the Chicago area the 27th metro area (out of 50) with the safest teen drivers in the United States on New Year’s. The data was compiled over an 8-year period by Allstate and research firm Sperling’s BestPlaces. Among the findings was evidence that more deadly accidents involving teen drivers occurred in less densely populated rural areas where there was more room to engage in high speed driving.

Traffic crashes continue to be the leading cause of death among young drivers, ages 15 – 20. In 2007, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration:

• 6,982 young drivers died in deadly auto crashes.
• 3,174 young drivers died in these crashes.
• 252,000 others sustained injuries.
• 1,631,000 young drivers were involved in police-reported auto accidents, of which there were 10,524,000.
• 118 young drivers died in Illinois motor vehicle crashes.
• 80 traffic victims died while riding in vehicles operated by young drivers.
• 53 of the people that died in Illinois teen driving accidents were occupants of other vehicles.

Common Causes of Teen Car Crashes:

• Inexperience
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• Nighttime driving
• Speeding
• Teens riding in cars with teen drivers
• Reckless or careless driving

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drivers ages 16-19 are the age group most likely to be involved in a motor vehicle crashes. However, especially during the holiday season, they are not the only age group at high risk of getting involved in auto accidents.

The NHTSA says drivers in the 21-24 year old age group are more likely to be involved in deadly drunk driving accidents. 4 out of 10 fatal crashes involving alcohol that occur each year often happen during the holiday season leading up to New Year's.

Teen drivers safer in big cities, Allstate study suggests, Chicago Tribune, December 31, 2008

Allstate Holiday Teen Driving Hotspots Study Reveals Highest Rates of Deadly Teen Crashes on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Allstate Newsroom, December 29, 2008

Teen Drivers: Fact Sheet, CDC
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Continue reading "Chicago Area Ranks #27 out of 50 Major Metro Areas for Safest Teen Drivers on New Year’s, Says Allstate" »

In Illinois, the state appellate court has ruled that the owners of Diamonds Gentlemen’s Club, a DuPage County strip club located near West Chicago, must remain a co-defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit filed against a man who drank alcohol at the club before causing a deadly drunk driving accident.

The DUI crash occurred on January 4, 2006 on Illinois 25 and was caused by John Homatas, a 26-year-old Wayne resident, when his SUV crossed the center line and struck another vehicle.

The owners of the strip club had argued that it should be excluded from the Illinois wrongful death lawsuit because their business did not serve the alcohol that Homatas consumed while at the club.The club is a BYOB establishment.

However, the court ruled that the strip club owed the plaintiffs a duty of care because its workers made Homatas leave the premise after they found him throwing up in the bathroom. They also let him get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle even though they knew he was drunk.

Homatas, who was drunk and also took cocaine prior to the crash, was convicted for causing the deaths of Yorkville resident April Simmons, her 8-month old fetus, and Homatas's friend, St. Charles resident John A. Chiariello.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 12,998 victims who died in drunk driving accidents in 2007. 434 of those deaths occurred in Illinois.

Illinois Department of Transportation Drunk Driving Facts:

• Approximately 310,000 people are injured because they were involved in drunk driving accidents.
• In 2002, 51,649 people were arrested for DUI in Illinois.

Strip club can't escape lawsuit, Daily Herald, December 4, 2008

Illinois Drunk Driving Fact Sheet, Illinois Department of Transportation

Related Web Resource:

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

The Mt. Prospect Heights teen who has been charged in the Illinois hit-and-run collision that killed Hersey High School classmate Monika Skrzypkowski has admitted that he drank vodka and seven beers at a party before getting behind the wheel of his motor vehicle. Schuh is the school’s rugby team captain.

Following the tragic DUI accident on Saturday night, 17-year-old Kevin Schuh registered a .063% blood alcohol content. While this figure is lower than the .08% BAC legal limit for driving in Illinois, Schuh has admitted that he was too drunk to drive. He is accused of hitting Skrzypkowski as she crossed a Prospect Height street.

Skrzypkowski, 15, was struck by Schuh’s minivan on Elmhurst road after she and a few friends left her boyfriend’s birthday party. Following the crash, Schuh contacted police and at first claimed that someone vandalized his vehicle. He later admitted to driving the vehicle that killed the high school sophomore.

Schuh is charged with reckless homicide, aggravated DUI causing a death, and leaving an accident scene. In Cook County Circuit Court on Monday, a judge set his bail at $500,000.

Illinois Drunk Driving
• Every year, about 50,000 motorists in Illinois are charged with DUI.
• 4,000 of these drivers are underage drinkers.
• Since the state enacted its “Use It and Lose It” Provision in 1995 that enforces a zero-tolerance law for underage motorists who drive with any alcohol in their system, an additional 3,000 underage drivers are ticketed annually.
• In Illinois, DUI charges can be brought against a driver even if his or her BAC was less than .08% if prosecutors can prove that the drinking resulted in personal injury or wrongful death.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that the 21-year-old minimum drinking age has saved 4,441 lives in the last five years.

Teen in Prospect Heights crash that killed girl admitted drinking, Cook County prosecutors say, Chicago Tribune, December 9, 2008

$500K Bond For Teen Accused Of Fatal Hit-And-Run, CBS2Chicago.com, December 9, 2008

New Data Show Drinking Age Laws Saved 4,441 Lives Over 5 Years, NHTSA, November 6, 2008

Related Web Resource:

Facts about Use It & Lose It, CyberDrive Illinois

Continue reading "High School Rugby Star Involved in Illinois Hit-and Run Accident that Killed Classmate Admits He Drank Alcohol Before Getting in Minivan" »

One year after a deadly car crash involving State Trooper Matt Mitchell left two sisters dead and a man and his pregnant wife injured, a second Illinois personal injury lawsuit has been filed against him in St. Clair County Circuit Court. The motor vehicle crash occurred on November 23 when Mitchell, who was responding to a minor incident close to Mascoutah, lost control of his police-issued 2006 Chevrolet Impala while traveling at a speed of 126 mph.

His car crossed the I-64 median close to the Illinois 158 overpass before he drove head on into the car driven by 18-year-old Jessica Uhl. Jessica and her 13-year-old sister Kelli died from their injuries. Mitchell, who suffered serious leg injuries, was forced to use a wheelchair for a period of time.

Also injured in the deadly auto accident where Kelly Marler and his wife Christine. This latest Illinois personal injury lawsuit was filed by the couple. Kelly Marler says he sustained permanent wrist injuries. His wife Christine says she broke a leg and underwent surgery to repair a damaged knee.

The Uhl sisters’ mother filed her Illinois wrongful death lawsuit against Mitchell in May. According to Illinois State Police, this was Mitchell’s third auto accident in six years. Last March, Mitchell was indicted on charges of reckless homicide in connection with the deaths of the two girls.

Speeding Police Cars
Even when police officers are pursuing a suspect or heading to an accident scene, they are required to obey the rules of the road and exercise caution so that they do not involve pedestrians or other motorists in an Illinois traffic accident.

A second lawsuit filed against trooper involved in double-fatality crash on I-64, BND.com, November 20, 2008

Lawsuit against trooper about accountability, JG-TC Online, May 9, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Collinsville sisters' deaths spur road improvements on I-6, BND.com, November 14, 2008

Trooper cited in fatal crash relieved of duties, Newstin.com, March 19, 2008

Continue reading "Another Illinois Personal Injury Lawsuit Filed Against State Trooper Involved in Deadly Crash on I-64 that Claimed the Lives of Two Teenage Sisters" »

In Chicago on Friday night, 1 woman died and 11 were injured in two separate auto accidents. Eight of the injury victims were children.

The first accident involved a single vehicle, in which, according to the Illinois State Police, the motor vehicle rolled over a number of times before stopping near South Doty Avenue and 120th Street. The driver of the vehicle died at the crash scene. Five passengers, four children and one man, were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their injuries.

In another accident, six people sustained serious injuries in a two-vehicle collision that occurred at Western and Ogden Avenues. One of the vehicles left the accident scene. Four of the injury victims were children.

Car Accidents
There are many possible reasons why car accidents occur. Drunk driving, distracted driving, driver inattention, defective auto parts, road debris, faulty traffic lights, and poor weather conditions are just some of the causes.

Often, insurance companies will try to get you to settle your claim before you know how much it will cost for you to recover from your injuries. It is important that you speak with a Chicago car crash lawyer first before reaching an agreement with an insurer that could prevent you from receiving the maximum recovery that you are owed.

Motor vehicle collisions are a leading cause of wrongful death in the United States. If your loved one died in a Chicago car crash, truck accident, pedestrian accident, or motorcycle collision that was a result of someone else’s negligence, you are entitled to financial compensation for your tragic loss.

2 crashes in Chicago kill 1, hurt 8 kids, ChicagoTribune, October 14, 2008

Related Web Resources:

Rollover, Safercar.gov

National HIghway Traffic Safety Administration

Illinois Department of Transportation

Continue reading "2 Chicago Car Accidents Leave 1 Person Dead and 11 Others Injured" »

The Illinois Department of Transportation’s Division of Traffic Safety is reporting that there were 484 motor vehicle fatalities on state roads between January through June 2008. This figure is 19% lower than the 598 deaths that occurred in Illinois during the same time period last year.

Also down is the number of teen traffic fatalities, with 39 deaths from January through June 2008 compared to the 82 deaths for the same time period last year. Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich attributes this significant decrease to his administration’s new state teen driving laws, including Operation Teen Safe Driving (which promotes teens getting other teens to drive safely).

He also cited the state’s aggressive measures to enforce safety belt use as a reason that the number of traffic-related deaths in Illinois has decreased. Since the safety belt law allowing Illinois police to pull motorists over for their failure to wear seat belts came into effect in July 2003, safety belt use has risen—with 90.5% usage by motorists and passengers riding in the front seat for the second year in a row.

More IDOT Traffic Statistics for January – June 2008:

• 54 motorcycle deaths (compared to 65 fatalities during the first 6 months of 2007)
• 54 highway deaths (down from 72 deaths during the same time period the year prior)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says that there were 1,249 motor vehicle deaths in Illinois in 2007, a slight decrease from the 1,254 traffic deaths in 2006. 434 of these deaths involved alcohol.

Governor Blagojevich announces safety belt use tops 90 percent for second straight year, Dot.St.Ill.US, July 15, 2008

Governor Blagojevich and Ford Motor Co. launch statewide campaign to reduce teen
crashes and save lives, DrivingSkillsForLife.com

Related Web Resources:

lllinois Department of Transportation

Initiatives to Address Safety Belt Use, NHTSA (PDF)

Continue reading "Decrease in Illinois Traffic Accidents Attributed to Police Enforcement of Seat Belt Use" »

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, cell phone use while driving was a main cause of at least 1,357 motor vehicle accidents in the state in 2007 resulting in 351 injuries and eight deaths. Other behaviors exhibited by distracted drivers that can result in injury accidents include:

• Putting on make-up
• Knotting a necktie
• Reading a book

Now, Illinois officials and safety advocates are targeting drivers that neglect to focus when they are on the road. A new proposed offense of negligent vehicular homicide could lead to a $25,000 maximum fine, up to three years in prison, and a one-year driver’s license revocation if someone were convicted. Another proposal seeks to make text-messaging while driving Illegal in Illinois not just for drivers 18 years of age and under but also for adults.

Other new offenses proposed include:

• Negligent vehicular operation
• Aggravated negligent vehicular operation

Illinois Department of Transportation Traffic Safety Division Director Michael Stout says that stiffer penalties are necessary for when a seemingly inconsequential act by a distracted driver leads to serious injuries or deaths.

About 10% of all Illinois drivers use cell phones at any given moment while on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says reaching for an item while driving increases chances of a motor vehicle crash by nine times and that driver distraction is a main cause of 80% of motor vehicle accidents.

State officials, safety groups want to increase penalties for distracted driving, Chicago Tribune.com, August 7, 2008

Driving while distracted, Chicago Tribune.com, August 12, 2008

Related Web Resources

2008 Rules of the Road, CyberDriveIllinois.com
Proposed Illinois Bill Would Ban Street-Crossers from Text-Messaging, ABA Journal, July 28, 2008

Continue reading "Illinois Department of Transportation Says Cell Phone Use While Driving Caused 1,357 Auto Accidents in 2007" »

In Cook County, a jury awarded $7.5 million to the family of a man that died after being pinned to the back of a police car. 39-year-old Eduardo Godinez died in 2003 after he was pinned against the back of a Cicero police car in a motor vehicle crash involving a drunk driver. The Illinois wrongful death lawsuit named the city of Cicero as the defendant in the case.

Cicero police had arrived at the scene to break up an altercation that Godinez was involved in. The police officers told Godinez to step off the sidewalk, onto the street, and behind one of the police cars, but they did not turn on their vehicle's emergency lights.

Motorist Luis Contreras, who was drunk driving an SUV at a speed of about 74 mph, struck a jeep before hitting Godinez, who ended up pinned against the police car. Both of his legs were severed and he died the following day.

Wrongful Death
A death can qualify as a wrongful death if the victim would have been entitled to personal injury compensation had he or she survived the accident. In Illinois, the immediate family members of a decedent can file a wrongful death lawsuit if the person that died was killed because of another party’s negligence. Under the Illinois Wrongful Death Act, you have two years from the date of death to file a lawsuit.

Pedestrian Injuries
Pedestrians injured in motor vehicle accidents are prone to serious—even fatal—injuries, including severed limbs, burn injuries, broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and death.

Common causes of pedestrian accidents:

• Driver inattention
• Faulty traffic signs
• Drunk driving
• Speeding
• Defective motor vehicles

Cicero ordered to pay $7.5 million in wrongful-death suit, ChicagoTribune.com, July 11, 2008

Illinois Wrongful Death Act

Related Web Resource:

City of Cicero, Illinois

Continue reading "Cook County Jury Orders Illinois City of Cicero to Pay $7.5 Million for Laborer's Wrongful Death" »

In Illinois there are over 63,000 lawyers who can represent you. How do you choose the right lawyer for you? As a Chicago personal injury lawyer, I believe that with a little research you can find quality representation that will leave you feeling good about our legal system.

I feel that the most important characteristic in an attorney is experience handling the particular type of case that you have. For example, at Malman Law we represent the injured for automobile accidents, work injuries, nursing home abuse and neglect, slip and falls, medical malpractice and products liability. If you were injured in a car accident, many lawyers are happy to represent you. However, many of these attorneys are general practitioners or do not concentrate in injury law. They attempt to handle automobile accident cases because they think they are uncomplicated. Many lawyers are unaware of legal technicalities, insurance company policies, legal theories and case values. This can lead to long delays in your case or a poor result. Before you retain an attorney, confirm that he or she has handled many similar cases in the past.

Your lawyer should immediately able able to answer any of your legal questions concerning your case. We cannot give any guarantees or exact case values, but an experienced injury attorney has heard most questions many times and knows the answers. For example, if client was riding a bike and was injured in a hit and run collision, I know what to ask. First, I need to determine if the client has automobile insurance coverage. If he did, then the automobile insurance uninsured motorist provision would apply to a hit and run accident. If the client did not have any insurance, then I would inquire if you live with any relative who has automobile insurance. If the answer is yes, then that policy may also apply. Unfortunately, many lawyers are unaware of the available coverage contained in insurance policies. Only retain an attorney if he or she has answered all of your questions satisfactorily.

When you speak to an attorney, listen carefully to determine whether or not you can build a good working relationship with him or her. Some cases take several years to resolve and you will be speaking to your lawyer many times during the course of the case. Be sure that your personalities mesh.

Finally, confirm that your lawyer is licensed in Illinois and is in good standing. This process takes one minute and can save you from a nightmare.

Many people have the unfortunate experience of being involved in an automobile accident. In fact, in 2005 there were over 6,420,000 car accidents in the United States resulting in over 2,900,000 injuries. It is the leading cause of injury and death for people ages 3 to 33. Accordingly, at Malman Law we believe it is important to know what to do immediately after an accident to protect your rights. After an accident, we recommend doing the following:

First, seek medical treatment. Automobile collisions are traumatic and only trained medical personnel are qualified to diagnose your injuries. If you fail to seek immediate treatment an insurance company may later dispute the extent of your injuries based upon the lack of emergency medical care.

Second, preserve any evidence involved in the collision. Be sure to take photographs of your injuries, the vehicles involved and of the scene. Obtain witnesses names, addresses and telephone numbers. If you are unable to do this yourself, ask your spouse or a friend. This information may be invaluable to prove your case at a later date.

Third, do not give any statements or sign any papers. Insurance companies are notorious for taking statements in hospitals or at your home shortly after an accident. Insurance companies also often make very low cash offers to settle your case. Do not accept any offers until you have had an opportunity to think about the situation.

Finally, contact a lawyer. A lawyer is trained to determine your rights and is better qualified to determine the value of your case. Remember, the United States legal system works best when you stand up for your rights.