Illinois, USA. May 29th 2025 – Driver Defense Team, Chicagoland’s premier trial law firm for Illinois drivers, today announced the release of their new eBook, “How to Get Your License Back After DUIs: The Ultimate Guide to Illinois Secretary of State Reinstatement Hearings.”

This step-by-step guide combines the knowledge and experience of a 30-strong team of attorneys and legal professionals who have helped hundreds of Illinois residents get back on the road after having their license revoked — sometimes for years or even decades.

“I talk to people all the time who have gone 20, even 30, years without a license,” says Derek Martin, Partner and Co-Founder of the firm. “And we get why. The whole process poses a lot of questions with very few answers, and it’s usually a lot easier to put it off. For less than the cost of lunch, we give people the answers they need. We’ve held nothing back.”

In Illinois, driving is considered a privilege, not a right. This key distinction means the Secretary of State can take away a driver’s license if they pose a threat to public safety.

This can happen in many situations, including accumulating too many traffic violations, committing a serious offense, or neglecting financial responsibilities, such as failing to pay child support.

Just as the Secretary of State can take away someone’s license, they can give it back. But the process can be complicated. You’ll have to attend a formal or an informal hearing, answer questions, and prove you won’t threaten public safety if your driving privileges are reinstated. You might also need to meet additional requirements, such as completing a treatment program and drug and alcohol evaluation, and getting high-risk insurance.

But before you can even consider attending a hearing to get your license back, you must be eligible.

What many people don’t realize is that the Secretary of State will let you go through the entire process of gathering evidence and attending a hearing even if you’re not legally eligible.

By following the advice given in How to Get Your License Back, you can avoid the stress and wasted time of attending a reinstatement hearing when the only possible outcome is that your request will be denied.

The book covers every aspect of license reinstatement in Illinois, sharing all the secrets and tips from attorneys who exclusively deal with driving issues:

More Than an Inconvenience

Having your license revoked can affect a person’s entire life. For many, driving is essential for employment. Public transport and ridesharing services can be a short-term fix, but they’re not financially sustainable in the long run. Public transport isn’t even an option for those who transport tools or work across multiple locations.

Then, there’s the strain on family relationships. What begins as a spouse or older child being happy to help out turns into you becoming a burden.

Derek continues, “Many clients tell us about the strain their license revocation has placed on their spouses, children, or other family members who have been tasked with driving them everywhere. Over time, this can cause tension and resentment within a household. For many people, this is a key motivator to start the process of getting their license back.

“With this book, we’re putting the power back in drivers’ hands so they can get their licenses back — without the cost of hiring a lawyer.”

How to Get Your License Back After DUIs is available now through the Driver Defense Team website at http://ddt.driverdefenseteam.com/ebook for $7.00.

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MCALLEN, USA, 6 February 2024 – 2023 Texas crash data has revealed that motor vehicle fatalities have fallen for the second consecutive year.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) usually releases its Traffic Crash Facts document — compiling the previous year’s statistics on motor vehicle accidents in the state — in March.

But Texas personal injury law firm Patino Law has compiled data using TxDOT’s Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.) to present the latest auto accident statistics, yielding several insights.

According to C.R.I.S., 4,254 people suffered fatal injuries in Texas in 2023, down 3.5% from 4,407 in 2022.

A drop in auto accident fatalities should be a cause for celebration. It comes after the state department recently urged Texans to make safe decisions behind the wheel and outlined its plans to enhance safety on Texas roads, committing to investing $17 billion in safety improvements over the next 10 years — itself a response to the shocking fact that at least one fatality has occurred each day on Texas roads for the past 23 years.

But while fatalities have decreased, it’s clear Texas still has a long way to go.

Injuries from reportable crashes increased last year, from 248,731 in 2022 to 254,095, translating in one person being injured every two minutes and four seconds — down from two minutes and nine seconds in 2022.

While total fatalities fell, motorcycle accident deaths increased in 2023, up from 562 to 595, and the data on helmet use is particularly alarming.

In 2023, 265 of the 595 motorcyclists or motorcycle passengers killed in crashes were not wearing a helmet.

But as the research shows, wearing a helmet alone is not enough to prevent a fatality.

Notably, 300 individuals who died in these crashes wore a helmet, but it was damaged. In contrast, there were just 30 deaths of motorcyclists or passengers wearing undamaged helmets.

Wearing a helmet is optional for riders aged 21 or over with medical insurance coverage and who have completed an approved motorcycle operator course. However, these statistics could not better illustrate the life-saving impact of wearing head protection on the road.

Patino Law Firm also explored how many fatal and serious injury crashes involved drivers without insurance, which can have a massive impact on an injury victim’s ability to recover compensation.

The number of people who sustained suspected serious injuries in crashes where at least one party had expired or insufficient proof of financial security increased in 2023, from 5,443 to 5,664.

Dr. Louis “Doc” Patino, founder of the San Antonio and McAllen-based personal injury law firm and who compiled the data, said: “It’s positive to see fatalities fall again last year. Every decrease represents a life saved and a family prevented from mourning a loved one taken far too soon. But we must not lose sight of the end goal and the part we all have to play in making Texas roads safer.”

On the increase in serious injuries sustained in auto crashes, Dr. Patino continues: “We must also not underestimate the devastating effect of serious injuries. Incapacitating injuries like traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and burns can upend a survivor’s life, leaving them with staggering medical bills, severe emotional trauma, and unable to work, and the increase in injuries sustained in crashes where those involved do not have insurance is particularly concerning, as it can make it much more difficult for them to recover the compensation they’re rightfully owed.”

Patino Law Firm’s research also delves into crashes caused by drunk driving, speeding, and driver distraction and highlights when and where the most fatal and serious injury crashes occurred in 2023 versus 2022.

The full 2023 Guide to Auto Accidents in Texas — accompanied by a downloadable one-page Crash Facts sheet — can be found on the Patino Law Firm website.

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MCALLEN, USA, 20 NOVEMBER 2023 – 2023 crash data has revealed that Texas is on course for its worst-ever month for auto accident fatalities.

San Antonio and McAllen personal injury firm Patino Law analyzed reportable crashes from January to September 2023 using data from the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.).

The in-depth study reveals some shocking statistics. Total crashes increased from 464,555 from January to September 2022 to 468,850 in the same period this year. But more distressing is the surge in fatalities, up from 2,646 to 3,180, or 20%.

Each year in its Texas Motor Vehicle Traffic Crash Facts, TxDOT reports on injury severity and calculates the frequency of fatalities on Texas roads based on reportable crashes.

Recent years have seen auto accident deaths become increasingly prevalent. In 2012, one person was killed every two hours and 34 minutes. In 2022, this fell to one hour and 57 minutes.

Based on reported fatalities for the year so far, one person was killed in a Texas auto accident every one hour and 50 minutes. Traffic Crash Facts data calculates fatalities over the entire year, and this analysis looks at a shorter period, but historical data indicates that fatalities increase toward the end of the year. In 2022, fatalities averaged 370 per month. October and December exceeded this figure, reporting 392 and 418 deaths, respectively.

If the past is any indication of the future, fatalities are set to only increase over what is left of 2023.

This information could not be more timely, coinciding with the second anniversary of TxDOT’s #EndTheStreakTX campaign. This bold initiative started in 2021 to raise awareness of the tragedy that there has not been a single deathless day on Texas roads since November 7th, 2000.

On November 2nd, 2023, the TxDOT Pharr District held a mock funeral, where representatives from the Pharr Fire Department and Edinburg PD shared their experiences of responding to fatal accidents.

The event specifically highlighted the dangers of distracted and impaired driving, two of the most commonly cited contributing factors to Texas fatal crashes, but one factor proved more dangerous than any other.

Failure to control speed was the most commonly cited primary factor, responsible for 89,529 of the 468,850 accidents reported from January to September 2023. Add to that the 13,133 crashes attributed to “unsafe speed” and 688 collisions caused by speeding (over the limit), and speeding has contributed to a staggering 103,350 crashes in 2023 — or 22% of the state’s total.

Texas personal injury attorney and founder of Patino Law Firm Dr. Louis Patino, who led the research, said of the findings: “This data presents a sobering reality and highlights the urgent need for change if we are to address the increase in accident fatalities and finally break the streak of no deathless days on our roads.

“Initiatives can only achieve so much and government officials are not the only parties responsible. We all have our part to play as motorists, passengers, and pedestrians and must remember that our actions can have devastating consequences. It is far too easy to look at numbers and become detached, but we must never forget that every fatality represents a loss that leaves a permanent mark on the lives of families all across our state.”

Patino Law Firm’s research also presents key insights into the vehicle types most commonly involved in accidents, the most dangerous roads and counties in the state, the top charges filed against drivers, and more. The full Up-to-Date Guide to Auto Accidents in Texas can be found on the Patino Law Firm website.

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