KATE REFINE DESIGNS: CREATIVE LANDSCAPES
The summer weather is winding down, and people will be making the most of our warm weather by spending time outdoors. If your backyard and your home’s landscape are not the space you desire, I would be happy to help this fall. As a landscape designer, I enjoy customizing garden landscapes for the unique needs of my clientele. From making modifications to boost a home’s curb appeal to doing a complete redesign of full-yard plans, anything is possible. I also offer garden coaching: helping people to identify what is in their existing gardens, how to care for them, and what new plants to include. Please give me at call at 630-712-4842 or send me an email at katerefinedesigns@gmail.com to make an appointment. – Kate Refine Kate worked at SLG for the last two years. Although we are sad to see her go, we are happy she has launched what will be the preeminent landscape design firm in Chicagoland.
IS YOUR CASE ACTUALLY A “TRUCKING CASE”?
When a fatigued semitrailer driver falls asleep and barrels through stopped traffic on a highway, it’s obvious to everyone that the case would be considered a “trucking case.” However, there are many situations where it might not be so obvious. Many cases require an attorney with specialized knowledge of the trucking and commercial transportation industry to determine whether the case needs to be treated as a trucking case or a standard motor vehicle crash case. Why does it matter whether a case is a “trucking case” or a standard car crash case? In short, the difference lies in the rules that truck drivers have to follow. Every company that operates commercial motor vehicles for interstate business (and in-state business in most states) is governed by a long list of specialized rules and regulations, known as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, aimed at ensuring these companies are operating safely.
A commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is a term of art within the transportation industry and legal community. The definition of what constitutes a CMV can be so confounding that some companies may not even realize they’re operating CMVs. The two vehicle photos below come from two different cases that we have had in the last few years. What do the pictures have in common? Though not obvious, both of them meet the definition of a CMV under the federal regulations. (The pickup truck shown was hauling a trailer carrying another pickup truck.) Moreover, the owners of each vehicle had ZERO clue that the vehicles were CMVs and subject to far more stringent rules than your average vehicle. Because they didn’t bother learning that their vehicles were CMVs, they never bothered to adequately vet or train the drivers of these vehicles. Both drivers broke the safety rules governing their driving operations and catastrophically injured our clients.
These real-life examples highlight why it’s essential to consult with an attorney familiar with trucking rules and regulations, including an understanding of what makes a vehicle a CMV. If you’re not sure whether your crash case may actually be a trucking case, do not hesitate to call us and ask.
– Pat Cummings
2 www.shannonlawgroup.com
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