Suppose you were involved in an Illinois motor vehicle accident involving a distracted driver. In that case, you and your distracted driving accident lawyer will have several options on how to prove liability (or fault) against a defendant. Like most personal injury cases, you will assert a cause of action (or claim) for negligence. Under procedural and pleading laws, you are allowed to assert several “theories” of negligence in your complaint. This is sometimes known as an alternative pleading, and it allows you to set forth different ways that the defendant may have been negligent.