Personal Injury

July 8, 2025

Recent Dog Bite Decision Favors Victims

The personal injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have handled many dog bite injury cases and they almost always involve the Illinois Animal Control Act. A recent appellate decision in Scifo v. Haeger, 2025 IL App (2d) 240531, offers important clarification on the liability of dog owners under the Illinois Animal Control Act regarding the definition of “owner” under the act.

In Scifo, the plaintiff sued on behalf of her two-year-old son, M.S., who suffered a serious facial injury after being bitten by a German Shepherd named Walker in a public park. The dog had been brought to the park by Gary Haeger, who invited the toddler to pet the dog. Tragically, the dog responded by biting the child.

The lawsuit named both Gary and his wife, Sandra Haeger, as defendants, alleging that they were co-owners of the dog. Sandra, however, filed a motion to dismiss the claim against her, arguing that she could not be liable because she was not present at the park and had no control over the dog at the time of the attack.

June 27, 2025

The Dangers of Electric Bikes in Bike Lanes in Chicago

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Electric bicycles are booming in popularity, but their presence in Chicago’s bike lanes raises serious safety concerns. The bike injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have noted first had the increase of bike related injury victims that call our office.

E‑bikes can reach speeds up to 28 mph, significantly faster than most pedal bikes. Studies show:

E‑bike riders suffer more severe injuries, including fractures, internal trauma, and concussions.

June 21, 2025

Chicago Not Tracking E-Scooter Injuries

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

As anyone living in Chicago has noticed, the number of e-scooters on Chicago streets has grown drastically over the last few years. According to Chicago data, more than 3.7 million trips have been logged on rental scooters between 2022 and 2023 and this number is certainly growing. With this rapid growth have there been a corresponding increase of e-scooter injuries? The answer is unclear. Unlike some cities that maintain detailed injury reports, Chicago currently lacks centralized data tracking for scooter-related accidents. The Chicago Department of Transportation has confirmed it does not track the number of riders injured in e-scooter crashes, and scooter vendors like Bird and Lime don’t publish specific local statistics either (chicago.suntimes.com).

Although the 2020 CDPH pilot collected limited emergency department data, it remains partial at best—capturing only certain ED visits and lacking proper labeling of scooter injures. (chicago.gov).

The e-scooter injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have certainly noted a sharp increase of injured scooter riders contacting our office for legal representation.

December 17, 2024

Slip & Fall Injuries in Chicago

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Slip and fall accidents are among the most common types of personal injury cases in Illinois. They often occur in grocery stores, big box stores, Targets, Home Depot and all other stores open to the public. Injuries can be serious, such as broken bones, head trauma, or spinal injuries. These types of cases can be difficult to prove so it is important to hire experienced slip and fall lawyers such as Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. to handle your case.

Common Causes of Slip and Fall Accidents

Slip and fall accidents are often caused by dangers that could have been prevented with proper care. Common causes include:

December 12, 2024

Stairway Injuries Common in Chicago

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

The slip & fall attorneys of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. note that the most common premises injury cases are falls on stairs. Walking down stairs is inherently dangerous since a fall from heights creates the force necessary to cause serious sprains, fractures and head traumas. The act of walking downstairs requires balance, coordination and focus. If the stairs are slippery or if there are defects such as cracked cement or inadequate lighting, then falls become more likely.

The Dangers of Unsafe Stairs

Every year, thousands of people suffer injuries due to unsafe staircases. According to the National Safety Council, falls are the second leading cause of unintentional injury-related deaths in the United States. Stairs are particularly dangerous, with research from the American Journal of Emergency Medicine estimating over one million stair-related injuries annually.

November 26, 2024

Is There Liability in Chicago if I Slip and Fall on Icy Stairs? The Answer is “It Depends.”

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Written and reviewed by Peter Zneimer

You are visiting at a friend’s house and as you are walking down their front stairs, you slip and fall on ice and break your arm. Do you have a cause of action against your friend for your injuries? That is a common question that the personal injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. receive during winter months. The answer is: “it depends”.

In Illinois, landowners and occupiers have no common-law duty to remove natural accumulation of snow and ice from their property. Additionally, even if the landowner has made an attempt to clear ice and snow but did not clear it all, the landowner is not liable for any injuries caused by slipping and falling on that ice or snow. See the case of Murphy-Hylton v. Lieberman Management Services, Inc., 2016 IL 120394. This “natural-accumulation” rule was further codified for owners of residential units in the “Snow and Ice Removal Act” 745 ILCS 75/1 which states that the owner of a residential property who removes or attempts to remove ice and snow from his or her sidewalks shall not be liable for personal injuries caused by the icy or snowy condition.

September 13, 2024

Melbourne Bans E-Scooters for Safety Reasons

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Chicago has witnessed a dramatic increase of e-scooters riders on the roadways and bike paths in recent years propelled propelled by e-scooter ride share companies like Divvy and Lime setting up stations. With increased number of e-scooter riders, the e-scooter injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. has also observed a dramatic increase of people injured in e-scooter accidents. Driving around Chicago, one witnesses e-scooters everywhere. One sees people riding on the bike paths, riding on the sidewalk, riding with traffic and riding against traffic. To add to the confusion, e-scooter riders have a tendency not to follow traffic rules like stopping at stop signs and stopping for red lights.

The influx of e-scooter riders on the sidewalks and on roadways have not only lead to more accidents but also more complaints from pedestrians who must dodge e-scooters. With more complaints comes more regulations. Some cities have gone a step further and have banned e-scooters all together. The city of Melbourne has recently voted to end its contracts with e-scooter operators, Lime and Neuron ending a two year trial period. “I have heard in recent days from residents, from traders, from visitors to Melbourne, literally begging us to bring the trial to an end to make our city safe again” Melbourne Mayor Nicolas Reece was quoted in saying at a news conference.

Though the e-scooters were popular, averaging 6,800 daily trips according to city statistics, the popularity also came with a sharp rise in complaints from pedestrians on footpaths and a sharp rise in emergency room visits. The Royal Melbourne Hospital reported 256 e-scooter related injuries in 2023, including one death.

August 14, 2024

Motorists in Chicago Do Not Stop For Pedestrians in Crosswalks

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Written and Reviewed by Peter Zneimer

Chicago in recent year has invested heavily in improving cross walk safety. The city has added cross walk signs to many crosswalks. Some have included warnings that it is a violation of state law not to stop for pedestrians in a cross walk. The fanciest crosswalks have flashing lights that are activated by pushing a button that warn motorists that pedestrians are crossing. The City’s efforts to upgrade pedestrian safety should be commend given the rise of pedestrian injuries in Illinois. The personal injury injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. note that pedestrian accident cases typically have severe injuries because these accidents most often involve a motor vehicle striking a human body.

Given the steady rise of of pedestrian deaths in Cook County the money spent on improving pedestrian safety is wisely spent. According to the National Highway Traffic Administration (NHTSA) pedestrian accident fatalities in Cook County increased by 28% between 2016 and 2020. In another study done by the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) study showed that pedestrian deaths in Illinois rose 55% from 2005 to 2020.

July 3, 2024

Should Children Be Allowed to Ride Electric Scooters?

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

Electric scooter use has risen dramatically in Chicago over the last few years. The popularity of electric scooters is spurred by the introduction of shared services such as Divvy, Lime and Spin. These scooters are left on the on sidewalks and streets and can be unlocked with a smartphone app. When a user is done with their trip they can just leave the scooter at their destination. With this surge of e-scooter usage has been accompanied by a surge in e-scooter related emergency room visits.

It is easy to see how susceptible to injury scooter riders are. E-scooters travel up to 20 MPH and some travel even faster. E-Scooter injury lawyer, Peter Zneimer of Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C. was recently driving down Peterson Ave. in Chicago going about 25 MPH when he was passed by an e-scooter going at least 30 MPH. On top of that, e-scooters have small wheels that require smooth surfaces to ride on. As any resident of Chicago can attest, potholes and rough surfaces are everywhere on Chicago streets. When the small wheels of a e-scooter hit a pothole or rough surface, the rider is likely to be thrown hard on to the pavement. If a person falls off an e-scooter on to the pavement at these speeds it is almost guaranteed to be injuries. The most common injuries are cuts, scraps, bruises, fractures and head injuries.

There were approximately 42,200 emergency room visits in the United States in 2021 according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. This represents an increase of 66% over 2020. The increase in injures for children under 16. Because of the high risk of injury, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 16 should not be allowed to ride electric scooters.

June 27, 2024

What Are the Most Dangerous Bike-ways for Biking in Chicago?

by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C.

When biking in Chicago, at times it feels as if one is risking life and limb just to commute from one place to another. The statistics seem to bear out that riding a bike not only feels dangerous but actually is dangerous. From June 2023 to August 2023 there were 819 bike crashes with 75 of these leading to serious injuries according to CDOT. Everyone who bikes on a regular basis in Chicago has stories of being involved in crashes with motorists or close calls. The bicycle injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. have had many clients that have been injured in bicycle accidents where the motorists are simply not keeping a look-out for bicyclists, either when making a right turn, when opening a car door or when making a left turn in an intersection.

Chicago has made a concerted effort in recent years to improve the infrastructure for bicyclists in recent years, adding 400 miles of bike-ways between 2018 and 2022. Though that sounds like a lot, the reality is the vast majority of new bike-way lanes are simply painted on the roadway and offer little protection to bicyclists who are essentially still out in the traffic.

In Chicago, several intersections are notoriously dangerous for bicyclists due to a combination of heavy traffic, poor infrastructure, and the presence of multiple road users. Here are some of the most hazardous intersections and the reasons why they are considered risky: