Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

A 19 year old SIU college student from the West Side of Chicago has been killed in a downstate auto accident on Interstate 57, according to the Chicago Tribune. The crash occurred when the driver for the VH1 reality show "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels" allegedly fell asleep, crossed the highway median, and struck the student's SUV.

A passenger in the SUV, who was also a 19 year old student at Southern Illinois, and a Belleville resident, was also killed in the crash. The Illinois State Police are handling the crash investigation. The driver for the TV show was reportedly ticketed for driving with a suspended license and other traffic violations.

Click here to read the entire story.

On May 15, 2008 on Interstate 290 in Cook County, a client of Abels & Annes, P.C. was injured when a semi truck struck the rear of her vehicle. Our client was traveling westbound on Interstate 290 in the left center lane just north of Illinois 72. The semi was traveling on the same road directly behind my client.

The plaintiff client slowed for traffic in front of her, and as she was about to come to a complete stop the truck, struck her from behind at a high rate of speed. The impact was strong enough to knock my client into the car that was in front of her. Her car was totaled. The truck driver received tickets from the investigating Illinois State Trooper for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident and for following too close.

Our client suffered several injuries. She sustained cervical and lumbar strain/sprain, a concussion, chest pain, and severe headaches. Initial medical treatment was sought later the same day at Christ Medical Center. There she had complaints of neck and shoulder pain, chest pain, and left sided headaches.

Continue reading " Chicago Injury Lawyers Reach Semi Truck vs. Car Crash Settlement " »

En Chicago, Illinois nueve personas fueron heridas ayer cuando dos coches chocaron y entonces los dos le pegaron al Autobús de la Autoridad de Transito de Chicago, segun el Chicago Tribune. El accidente sucedio en el Sur de Chicago en el cruce de 63 y Artesian.

Los funcionarios del Cuerpo de bomberos de Chicago indicaron que ocho de los nueve heridos fueron llevados por ambulancia a hospitales locales. El conductor del autobús de CTA fue uno de las personas heridas.

No ha sido informado cuál de los conductores de los coches causó el accidente. Cuando la Policía de Chicago determine quién estuvo en el defecto, los pasajeros en el autobús podrán seguir un reclamo de la herida contra la compañía de seguro de esa persona.

El conductor del autobús de CTA realmente tiene dos casos. Tiene el caso contra el partido del defecto, y hay también caso de la compensación de trabajadores, como el conductor fue herido en el trabajo.

In Chicago, Illinois a car crash at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway has injured two people, according to CBS News. One of the two vehicles involved in the accident flipped over. The car crash took place late Wednesday night.

Two people that were injured in the car accident were taken to near by Northwestern Memorial Hospital by ambulance. The injuries are reportedly non-life threatening.

The Chicago Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Unit responded to the collision. One of the injured persons in the accident has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The name of the person charged with drunk driving has not yet been released.

As far as a civil case is concerned, DUI is very damaging evidence. It has been my experience in accidents that 9 out of 10 times, the drunk driver is the party at fault. However, our law firm has handled cases in the past where the DUI driver was not the cause of the accident. (This comment is in no way meant to defend drunk drivers. Don't drink and drive!)

Click here to read the entire story.

In Chicago, Illinois a bicycle rider has been injured as a result of a collision with a car in Logan Square. The accident happened when the bicyclist was southbound on California Avenue crossing Logan Blvd. on a green light. At that time the defendant, who was eastbound on Logan, ran the red light, hit the bicyclist, and then struck another southbound car. The driver was ticketed for failing to obey the red light.

The bike rider, who is a Chicago resident, was taken by ambulance to Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center. At the hospital she was diagnosed with a spinal fracture. The bicyclist is having further treatment with an orthopaedic surgeon in Chicago.

The injured bike rider has retained Abels & Annes, P.C. to pursue an injury claim against the at fault driver.

In Chicago, Illinois nine people were injured yesterday when two cars collided and then they both hit a Chicago Transit Authority Bus, according to the Chicago Tribune. The accident happened on the South Side at the intersection of 63rd and Artesian.

Chicago Fire Department officials stated that eight of the injured were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. The driver of the CTA bus was one of the persons injured.

It has not been reported which of the car drivers caused the accident. Once the Chicago Police Department determines who was at fault, the passengers on the bus will be able to pursue an injury claim against that person's insurance company.

The driver of the CTA bus actually has two cases. There is the case against the at fault party, and there is also a workers' compensation case, as the driver was injured on the job.

A woman from the South Side of Chicago was stuck and killed early this morning after being hit by a car, according to the Chicago Tribune. The pedestrian vs. car accident happened just after 2 a.m. at Stoney Island and 93rd Street. The victim was Jessica Newton, age 46, a resident of the 10000 block of South Rhodes.

Newton was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn after the accident. She was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

The Chicago Police Department is investigating the accident and no further details are available yet.

An airplane owned by Chicago-based BlueSky Taxi crashed Thursday evening in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin, killing all three people on board, according to the Lakeland Times. BlueSky is a charter plane company. The plane was a single engine Cirrus model SR22 that was carrying three Milwaukee residents from General Mitchell International Airport to Lakeland Airport.

The plane crashed just southwest of the Lakeland Airport at a time when there was a low cloud ceiling and rainy conditions. The cause of the crash is being investigated by the Federal Aviation Administration.

Click here to read the entire story.

In Chicago, Illinois a teenager has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after he struck a 73 year old pedestrian on the Northwest Side of Chicago this past Wednesday night, according to the Chicago Tribune. The pedestrian was crossing the street in the 6700 block of West Addison Street when he was hit by the teen who was driving a minivan. The driver fled the scene of the accident and was later pulled over after being involved in a second accident in the 3400 block of West Belmont.

The victim was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. He sustained fractured legs and ribs, and internal bleeding.

The teen driver was also ticketed with driving without insurance, driving without a driver's license, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, and leaving the scene of an accident.

From an injury lawyer's view, hopefully the 73 year old pedestrian had his own policy of auto insurance. Many clients I talk to do not realize that if you are a pedestrian, and you are hit by a driver that has no valid insurance, you can make an uninsured motorist claim on your own insurance policy.

Click here to read more about uninsured and under-insured motorist claims.

Illinois Injury Lawyers from Abels & Annes, P.C. have settled a car accident claim stemming from a collision which took place on February 8, 2008 in Will County. Our client was driving southbound on Route 59 approaching its intersection with 119th St. in Plainfield, Illinois. There she slowed and came to a stop for the red light and was struck hard from behind by the defendant who was also traveling southbound on Route 59. The at fault party was issued a traffic ticket for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Our client had an immediate onset of neck, back and right shoulder / arm pain. In the days following the collision her complaints of neck, back and right shoulder/arm pain continued to worsen. She sought treament with a medical doctor. The doctor ordered a cervical MRI which identified a central disc herniation at C6-7. Our client also underwent 39 physical therapy sessions under the direction of her doctor. She also, due to the severe and persistent nature of her symptoms, was prescribed to undergo three Manipulation Under Anesthesia procedures.

The case resolved for the defendant's insurance policy limits of $25,000. Unfortunately, our client did not carry a significant insurance policy of her own, so were are not able to pursue an under-insured motorist claim on her behalf.

Chicago Bike Injury Attorneys from Abels & Annes, P.C. have resolved a car vs. motorcycle crash case that arises out of an accident that occurred on October 9, 2007. Our client was traveling southbound on Greenbay Road approaching Chatfield Road, in Winnetka, Illinois. The defendant was traveling eastbound on Chatfield approaching Greenbay. The defendant had a stop sign and our driver had the right-of-way.

The at fault driver proceeded to attempt to turn left onto northbound Greenbay Road without waiting for a safe interval. As a result if the defendant's negligence, our client was forced to lay his motorcycle down on the roadway to avoid a collision. The defendant was issued a traffic citation for failure to yield when making a left turn pursuant to 625 ILCS 5/11-902. A finding of guilt was entered in the traffic court on the offense.

The plaintiff sustained cuts and abrasions on his left ankle as well as over his back. Initial medical treatment was administered on scene by paramedics who cleaned his wounds. The client sought follow up treatment with a medical doctor and a plastic surgeon, as he sustained scars on his back and ankle from the accident.

The case was resolved without having to go to court and Progressive Insurance is paying on the claim.