Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

This morning 8 people were injured in an auto accident on the Northwest Side of Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The collision was between a car and an ambulance. The injured included two children and two Chicago firefighters.

The accident happened just after 9 a.m. at Addison Street and Menard Avenue when a woman driving an Acura northbound on Menard struck an eastbound Chicago Fire Department Ambulance. The ambulance was headed to Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center carrying two patients.

The Acura reportedly flipped over in the accident. A 3rd vehicle then hit the Acura, and then a 4th vehicle rear ended the 3rd. The fourth car fled the scene of the accident.

The injured children were taken to Children’s Memorial Hospital. The firefighters were taken to Swedish Covenant Hospital.

Click here to read the entire story and see accident photos.

On the North Side of Chicago one child and two adults were injured in an auto accident on Tuesday night, according to CBS News. The crash happened at Western Ave. & Roscoe and the child was reportedly critically injured.

The minor was taken to Children's Memorial Hospital, and the adults were taken to Thorek Memorial Hospital and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

The Chicago Police Department is investigating the accident, and what caused the accident has not yet been reported.

Click here to read the entire story.

A Chicago resident was killed and her passenger was badly injured in an auto accident near Kankakee, Illinois on Monday, according to WBBM News Radio. She reportedly lost control of her car after being distracted by a cell phone call.

The Chicago motorist was driving her 2000 Saturn northbound on Interstate 57 when she was distracted by her cell phone, lost control of her car, crossed the center median, and was struck by a southbound semi truck and another passing car.

The driver, age 20, was pronounced dead at the scene and her passenger, age 21, was taken to Riverside Healthcare in Kankakee. The southbound drivers were not injured. The Illinois State Police are handling the investigation.

Click here to read the entire story.

In Chicago, Illinois a pedestrian was fatally struck by a hit & run driver early this morning, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The pedestrian vs. auto accident happened on the West Side as a 43 year old woman was crossing the street at 4700 W. Chicago Avenue just after 1:30 a.m.

The pedestrian was hit by a blue and white conversion van. The vehicle continued eastbound on Chicago Ave. after the accident and did not stop.

She was taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

Anyone with information regarding the accident should contact the Chicago Police Department. The police department's Major Accident Investigation Unit and area detectives are investigating the collision.

Click here to read the entire story.

In LaSalle County, Illinois it is being reported that there were no serious injuries to the 22 children or the 2 drivers involved in Tuesday's school bus vs. truck accident, according to the Daily Chronicle. The accident happened near the intersection of 42nd and Hoxey Roads in Northville Township. All parties involved were treated and released from area hospitals by yesterday afternoon.

The students on the bus were from Serena High School. They were taken to Valley West Community Hospital in Sandwich and Ottawa Regional Hospital & Healthcare Center in Ottawa.

The bus vs. truck accident is being investigated by the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department. The driver of the truck has reportedly been ticketed with failure to yield at a stop/yield intersection.

Continue reading " LaSalle County, Illinois School Bus Accident Results In No Serious Injuries " »

CNN is reporting that a school bus has collided with a van in LaSalle County, Illinois. Video has been shown on the network of the bus on its side. They are reporting that 15 children were on board at the time of the school bus crash. No details have been reported of what caused the crash or the severity of the injuries.

Most of the students were taken to area hospitals in LaSalle and DeKalb Counties, according to CBS News. An emergency services box alarm was used after the accident that automatically sent fifteen ambulances to the crash site as a precaution.

In Elgin, Illinois a driver and his passenger were injured on Sunday when the driver of the car hit a utility pole, according to the Courier News. Both men were taken to Sherman Hospital in Elgin, Illinois. The accident happened on West Chicago Street near Liberty Street. One of the men was seriously injured.

The utility pole was seriously damaged and Elgin police closed off the intersection to investigate and re-construct the accident. Com Ed is also investigating and will be replacing the pole.

As far as an injury case is concerned, the passenger has the right to bring an injury claim against the driver that lost control and hit the pole.

Click here to read the entire story.

Illinois Injury Lawyers from Abels & Annes, P.C. have settled an uninsured motorist claim that arose out of an automobile accident which occurred on February 14, 2008. Our client was driving his vehicle eastbound on 167th St. in Orland Park, Illinois. Two of his family members were passengers in his car.

As our clients approached 167th and Wolf Road they had a green light for eastbound traffic and they entered the intersection. At that time an uninsured driver ran a red light for northbound traffic and hit the passenger side of the the plaintiffs' vehicle with the front end of his car.

Our clients were taken from the scene of the crash to Silver Cross Hospital in Joliet by ambulance. Our clients suffered multiple soft tissue injuries, including back and neck injuries. All three clients sought follow up treatment with local doctors in the Chicago Area.

Each of the three clients received several thousand dollars for their injuries from their own auto insurance company under the uninsured motorist claim we set up for them.

Accident attorneys from Abels & Annes, P.C. have reached a settlement from a claim that arose out of an automobile collision which took place on October 21, 2006. Our client was driving eastbound on Route 60, stopped in traffic at it’s intersection with Peterson Road in Round Lake Park, Illinois. At that time the defendant rear-ended the plaintiff. The impact was hard enough to push our client's car into a vehicle in front of her.

At the time of collision, our client struck her head on the seat cushion behind her. Following the collision she had head pain, and she believes she had a loss of consciousness. That evening she seemed confused and disoriented. She also had neck pain.

The following day she went to the ER at Good Shepard Hospital. There she complained of a severe headache and left sided neck pain. A CT scan was taken, which was negative. She was diagnosed with a closed head injury and a check wall contusion. She was also instructed to follow up with a doctor.

Our client did not follow up with a doctor, however over the next 2-3 weeks her headaches remained, and her neck pain lasted several weeks as well.

Even though she did not seek follow up treatment, we were able to obtain a good car accident settlement for her. After attorney's fees and costs are paid, she will receive several thousand dollars for her injuries.

The case was settled without having to file a lawsuit.

Friday afternoon on the Northwest Side of Chicago three people were injured when a police car collided with another car, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. One of the injured may have been a police officer.

The auto accident happened at Pulaski and Fullerton just after 2 p.m. Two people were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center with serious injuries and one person was taken to Resurrection Medical Center. The cause of the crash has not been reported.

Click here to read the entire story.

In West Chicago, Illinois one person was killed and four others were injured in a car crash Thursday afternoon, according to the Chicago Sun-Times, Inc. The accident happened in the 1200 block of West North Avenue near it's intersection with Conte Parkway. The person who died was reportedly ejected from a vehicle.

The crash involved four vehicles and the injured parties were taken to Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Illinois. Three of the injured only had minor injuries, and one person suffered more severe injuries.

North Avenue was closed for several hours due to the accident. The West Chicago Police Department is investigating the collision. The cause of the accident has not been reported.

Click here to read the entire story.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Marmol has been injured in car accident in the Dominican Republic, according to The Associated Press and ESPN. He reportedly suffered minor injuries in the crash. A truck hit a car that Marmol was riding in as a passenger. The air bag deployed and he sustained a cut that required seven stitches and a forehead contusion.

Marmol had just arrived in Santo Domingo after the Cubs were swept in LA. The car crash happened at around 2 a.m. on Tuesday.

Click here to read the entire story.

In the Chicago suburb of Burbank, Illinois a bicyclist has been killed in a hit-and-run accident. The accident happened on September 28, 2008 at about 3 a.m. in the 6300 block of West 87th Street.

The victim, Richard Horvath, 53, was struck while riding his bike just 3 doors away from his residence. A witness thought the offender was driving a white Chrysler, however, Burbank police have recovered pieces of what they believe is part of a white Dodge Ram pickup truck at the scene.

Horvath was rushed to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and when he arrived he had no vital signs. He was resuscitated and lived about 23 hours before passing away.

The Burbank Police Department is investigating the accident and anyone with information regarding the hit-and-run should contact them at (708) 924-7300.

Early Sunday morning a man who was changing a tire on the shoulder of the Ontario Street feeder ramp was hit by a car, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The driver that hit him then fled the scene of the accident without stopping.

The injured person, a 31 year old male, was the passenger in a Ford Explorer with a flat. The driver of the stopped car did not see the accident happen.

The Illinois State Police were the first to respond and reportedly the pedestrian was bleeding heavily when they arrived. He was taken by ambulance to Northwestern Hospital.

The police believe the vehicle that fled the scene was a black Mercedes. Apparently, the police found pieces of the car at the scene and they hope to match up the pieces to the offending vehicle. The Illinois State Police are investigating and anyone with information regarding the accident should call (217) 782-5423 or askisp@isp.state.il.us.

As far as an injury case is concerned, if the hit and run driver is not caught, the injured person will be able to make a hit and run, uninsured motorist claim against the insurance policy for the Ford Explorer or his own insurance policy.

Click here to read the entire story.

In Chicago, Illinois a woman lost control of her car, drove over a curb, and stuck and killed her sister who was standing on a nearby sidewalk, according to NBC news. The accident happened late Thursday night just after she started her car and tried to shift gears without removing a Club theft deterring device from the steering wheel, causing her to lose control of the vehicle.

The deadly collision happened in the 5400 block of West Ferdinand in front of the victim's home. The woman was pinned and dragged over 15 feet.

She was taken by ambulance to Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later. An autopsy is scheduled.

Click here to read entire story.

The City of Chicago is close to banning drivers from sending text messages while at the wheel, according to the Chicago Tribune. Drivers would also be banned from surfing the web. If caught, the driver would be fined $75, or $200 if involved in an accident.

Alderman Edward Burke is leading the way to get the law passed by the City Counsel. He believes that it would improve safety on the roads. Alderman Burke introduced the proposed text ban just days before the LA train crash, where the train's engineer reportedly was texting just 22 seconds before the deadly accident.

Eight States have laws that ban texting while driving. Washington was the first state to ban it, and several other states are considering similar legislation, according to seatlepi.com.

While the law is a good idea, and texting while driving seems very unsafe, in reality it may be hard law to enforce. In the first nine months the law was in effect in Washington, only 2 tickets were issued in Seattle Municipal Court. It could be that it is hard for law enforcement officers to spot offenders.