Injured as a 1099 Construction Worker in Illinois: Are You Really Not Covered?
Key Takeaways A 1099 does not decide whether you are covered. The Act defines an employee as anyone “in the service of another under any contract of hire.” The phrase “independent contractor” appears nowhere in it (820 ILCS 305/1(b)(2)). Construction is an enterprise the Act calls extra hazardous, so it applies “automatically and without election” […]
Who Pays for a Dog Bite in Illinois?
Key Takeaways The bill almost never comes out of the owner’s pocket. Homeowners or renters liability coverage pays, typically up to $100,000 to $300,000. Dog bite claims are surging. Insurers paid $1.86 billion on 28,450 claims in 2025, and the average claim has risen 97 percent in a decade. “Owner” is far broader than the […]
How Much Uninsured Motorist Coverage Do You Need?
Key Takeaways Minimum UIM protects you against nobody who matters. This is the point of the article. A vehicle is only “underinsured” if its limits are below yours. Equal limits mean no claim. Coverage does not add together. UIM pays its limit less what you already recovered. Raise your own liability limits and UM follows, […]
Can You Sue an Uninsured Driver in Illinois?
Key Takeaways Yes, you can sue them. Having no insurance is not a defense to negligence. Winning and collecting are different problems. A judgment is not money. Uninsured motorist coverage is usually the better route, and often the only one that pays. Look for other defendants, especially a vehicle owner or an employer. The deadline […]
Uninsured Motorist Coverage in Illinois Explained
Key Takeaways Illinois requires it. Every policy must include uninsured motorist coverage. It covers hit-and-run drivers too, which is what the statute is actually titled. Your limits probably match your liability limits, unless you rejected the excess in writing. It pays for bodily injury, not for damage to your vehicle. Disputes go to arbitration, not […]
Comparative Negligence in Illinois Rideshare Claims
Key Takeaways As a passenger, comparative fault rarely touches you. The argument is between the drivers. It still decides your money, because it decides which policy pays and how much exists. Both drivers blaming each other can help you, not hurt you. Medical expenses are joint and several against every liable defendant. If you were […]
Evidence You Need After an Illinois Rideshare Crash
Key Takeaways App status is the single most valuable record, because it decides how much insurance exists. Screenshot your trip in the app immediately. Ride history can be harder to retrieve later. The company holds most of the evidence, not the driver and not you. As a passenger you are almost never at fault, which […]
Illinois Rideshare Insurance Requirements Explained
Key Takeaways What the driver was doing decides which cover applies, and the app status settles it. $1,000,000 applies from the moment the ride is accepted, not from when the passenger gets in. Coverage does not increase when you enter the car. What is added is $50,000 of UM/UIM. App on with no ride accepted […]
Can Pedestrians Recover If Partly at Fault in Illinois?
Key Takeaways Yes, usually. Recovery is barred only where your share is more than 50%. At exactly 50% you still recover half. The line is above half, not at it. Crossing outside a crosswalk is not a bar. The driver’s duty of due care survives it. That is in the statute expressly, and it applies […]
What to Do After Being Hit by a Car in Illinois
Key Takeaways Accept the ambulance. Declining it is used later to argue the injury was minor. Keep your clothing unwashed. It can carry paint transfer and shows the impact. Do not say you are fine, or that it was your fault. You do not yet know either. Get the details of anyone who stopped, not […]