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A recent Chicago Sun-Times article highlights the growing popularity, and growing dangers, of e-scooters in Chicago. According to the article, Chicago recorded more than 7 million e-scooter trips in 2025, a record for the city. Even more remarkably, riders had already taken more than 1 million Lime and Divvy e-scooter trips during the early months of 2026. As ridership continues to increase, so do serious accidents and injuries. (Chicago Sun-Times)

The Sun-Times article also reported two heartbreaking fatalities involving teenagers this year. A 17-year-old and a 15-year-old were both killed after being struck by motor vehicles while riding e-scooters on Chicago’s South Side. Those tragedies prompted the City of Chicago to launch a new e-scooter safety campaign. (Chicago Sun-Times)

E-Scooters Are Not Toys

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By Zneimer & Zneimer P.C.

A tragic bicycle fatality in Bridgeport has once again highlighted one of the most overlooked dangers facing Chicago cyclists: “dooring.”

According to recent reports, 35-year-old Riley O’Neil, a Chicago Department of Transportation employee and advocate for safer streets, was riding his bicycle in a marked bike lane when a parked vehicle’s door was opened directly into his path. The impact threw him into traffic, where he was struck by an oncoming truck and killed. (Chicago Sun-Times)

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Electric bikes have become increasingly popular throughout Illinois, providing a convenient and affordable transportation option for thousands of riders. But as e-bike technology has evolved, so have safety concerns. Some of today’s high-powered electric bikes and e-motos can travel at speeds exceeding 28 miles per hour—fast enough to cause catastrophic injuries when collisions occur.

Recognizing these dangers, Illinois lawmakers recently passed legislation that would establish new statewide regulations for high-speed electric bikes, electric scooters, and similar micromobility devices. If signed into law by Governor J.B. Pritzker, the new rules will take effect on January 1, 2027. The legislation creates important distinctions between traditional low-speed e-bikes and faster devices that operate more like motorcycles. Among other requirements, certain high-speed electric bikes will now require registration, insurance, and a valid driver’s license. They will also be prohibited from operating on bike paths and bicycle lanes.

For individuals injured in e-bike crashes, these changes could have a significant impact on liability claims and financial recovery.  The bike injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. on how devastating it is for a person who is seriously injured by a uninsured person on a high speed electric bike to also be burdened with medical bills and lost income from not being able to work

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Chicago’s streets are becoming increasingly crowded with cars, bicycles, delivery vehicles, buses, scooters, and pedestrians all competing for space. Unfortunately, bicycle accidents involving motor vehicles continue to happen throughout the city, often causing devastating injuries to cyclists.

The experienced bike injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer are often asked:

“What if the accident was partially my fault? Can I still recover compensation?”

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Dogs are beloved companions, and many people naturally approach friendly-looking dogs to pet them. But what happens if a dog suddenly bites you after you try to pet it? Many injured people assume they cannot recover compensation because they voluntarily approached the animal. Under Illinois law, however, that is not always true.

At Zneimer & Zneimer P.C., our Chicago dog bite injury lawyers help people understand their rights after serious dog bite injuries. Illinois law is generally favorable to dog bite victims, but there are important exceptions and defenses that may affect a case.

Illinois Dog Bite Law: The Animal Control Act

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In a busy city like Chicago, pedestrians do not always cross the street at an intersection or inside a marked crosswalk. People often cross “mid-block” — meaning they cross the street somewhere between intersections. Sometimes it happens because the nearest crosswalk is far away. Other times, a person may be walking to a parked car, a bus stop, a restaurant, or simply trying to save time.

But what happens if a pedestrian is hit by a car while crossing mid-block? Does the pedestrian automatically lose the right to bring a personal injury claim?

Under Illinois law, the answer is no.

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FePhoto-65-300x225deral trucking regulations define unsafe equipment with unusual specificity. The law does not merely instruct motor carriers to use “safe trucks” in general terms. It identifies particular components, defects, records, inspections, qualifications, and corrective duties. That specificity matters in trucking litigation because a crash often follows a sequence of preventable mechanical failures.

Part 396 of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations governs inspection, repair, and maintenance. It requires motor carriers to systematically inspect, repair, and maintain commercial motor vehicles under their control. It also requires parts and accessories to remain in safe and proper operating condition at all times.

At Zneimer & Zneimer P.C., our Chicago trucking attorneys evaluate unsafe equipment claims by asking a basic question: Did the carrier put a vehicle on the road that federal law required it to inspect, repair, or remove from service?

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Chicago has seen a sharp increase in e-scooter use, along with a rise in serious crashes and fatalities. The City recently launched a new e-scooter safety campaign following several deadly incidents involving scooters and motor vehicles. (FOX 32 Chicago) The e-scooter injury lawyers of Zneimer & Zneimer have seen a sharp rise in e-scooter cases in the last to years, most involving serious injuries.

For injured riders, one of the biggest questions is simple: If I was hit by a car while riding an e-scooter, do I have a case?

In many situations, the answer is yes.

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Photo-15-240x300The safety of a commercial motor vehicle does not begin when the driver enters the highway. It begins in the maintenance yard, in the inspection file, in the brake shop, in the driver vehicle inspection report, and in the motor carrier’s decision to either correct or ignore known defects. Federal trucking law recognizes this reality. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations impose an affirmative system of inspection, repair, maintenance, documentation, and correction because unsafe equipment can transform an ordinary trip into a catastrophic event.

Part 396 of Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations governs inspection, repair, and maintenance. Its scope reaches motor carriers, officers, drivers, agents, representatives, and employees directly concerned with the inspection or maintenance of commercial motor vehicles. It also reaches intermodal equipment providers and their relevant personnel. The regulation, therefore, frames maintenance as an institutional obligation, not merely a driver’s personal responsibility.

At Zneimer & Zneimer P.C., our Chicago trucking attorneys examine equipment safety as a central issue in serious trucking cases. A crash may appear, at first, to involve driver error. But the deeper question often asks whether the truck should have operated at all.

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Photo-3-240x300The modern trucking industry relies heavily on labor arrangements that often blur the line between employment and independent contracting. In many cases, trucking companies characterize drivers as independent contractors while retaining substantial control over the manner, timing, and economic terms of the work. This tension between contractual form and workplace reality carries serious consequences, particularly when a driver suffers a disabling injury.

The issue does not concern terminology alone. Worker classification determines access to fundamental protections, including workers’ compensation, wage replacement, unemployment insurance, employer-funded benefits, and other statutory remedies. When a company classifies a driver as an independent contractor, it may attempt to avoid obligations that the law imposes on employers. The injured driver then bears risks that the employment law system ordinarily allocates to the enterprise that controls and profits from the work.

At Zneimer & Zneimer P.C., our Chicago trucking attorneys litigate serious trucking cases and understand how classification disputes can affect injured drivers and their families. These cases require careful factual analysis, close attention to the governing legal standards, and a willingness to look beyond the words of a contract.

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