The New Year Brings New Laws - Many Relate To Personal Injury Law

12/30/2011 02:53 PM
January 1, 2012 will usher in a host of new legislation, including at the national, state, and city level. While every year invariably results in new laws, many that take effect this weekend are directly related to personal injury law, and are things that both the average citizen, and the experienced personal injury lawyer, need to be aware of.

  • Synthetic marijuana (a problem our firm is deeply committed to eradicating) will now be illegal -- to the point that it will be a felony to sell possess fake pot across the entire state. Similar laws took effect in cities and towns across the state this year, including one recently enacted in Chicago. This will go a long way to stopping this growing, dangerous problem, but sadly can do nothing for all the families who have already been through tragedies as a result of the dangerous effects of synthetic marijuana.
  • Commercial vehicle operators will now be prohibited from using handheld cell phones while operating commercial vehicles like trucks and buses. Distracted driving has caused an untold number of accidents over the years, and personal injury attorneys have already made it standard practice in car accident cases to subpoena cell phone records. This new law is aimed at being proactive in decreasing distracted driving, rather than simply being reactive.
  • Repeat offenders with respect to not having mandatory minimum car insurance are subject to heavier fines. This too is a proactive measure to help protect the public. While this may not prevent any car accidents, it will help compensate those who are victims of car accidents. This law will help to provide a means for people to recover for the injuries they suffer at the hands of negligent drivers. Personal injury attorneys have always pushed for legislation like this, as it ensures that lawyers handling car accident claims can do their jobs; meaning there is a way lawyers can actually recover compensation for their clients.
There are many other new laws that take effect January 1st. All citizens, attorneys and non-attorneys alike, should familiarize themselves with these laws, as, one way or another, everyone in Illinois will be effected in some way by at least one.

A summary of new laws can be found here.