Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

In Cook County, Illinois, injury lawyers from Abels & Annes have filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Chicago physician who was seriously injured in a car accident. The crash occurred on June 23, 2008 in the afternoon when the defendant rear-ended the plaintiff.

Our client had been driving northbound on Broadway in Chicago. When she arrived at Broadway’s intersection with Irving Park Road she stopped in the left turn lane with her left turn signal on to await her opportunity to make a left turn onto westbound Irving Park Rd. While she was stopped her vehicle was rear-ended. The lawsuit alleges the defendant failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop for stopped traffic, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area.

The doctor had an almost immediate onset of back and neck pain following the collision. She was transported by ambulance from the local police station to Thorek Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Upon arrival at the Emergency Department a history was taken, she was examined and diagnostic tests were performed. The doctor complained of head, neck and low back pain. She was initially diagnosed with a back strain, prescribed pain medication, muscle relaxants and instructed to seek follow up treatment after discharge.

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In one of the more boneheaded accidents I have heard about lately, an alleged DUI driver hit a Chicago cop car on Saturday night, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The accident happened in the 3800 block of West Lawrence Avenue around 8 pm when a man from the Northwest Side rear-ended an unmarked police car. The driver was later charged with driving while under the influence.

Two ambulances responded to the crash and the police officer was taken to Resurrection Medical Center in reportedly stable condition. The DUI driver refused treatment.

The hurt officer reportedly worked in the tactical unit. The exact nature of his injuries have not been reported. However, in a rear-end collision, back and neck injuries seem to be the most common in my experience.

A Chicago woman died last Monday from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash in Janesville, Wisconsin, according to the Gazette Xtra. The crash occurred last Saturday on a highway ramp connecting Interstate 90 & 39 to Highway 14 East.

The 42 year old woman was riding as a passenger on a motorcycle when the driver, also a Chicago resident, exited the interstate by mistake. When the driver braked and down shifted, he lost traction and the motorcycle hit the ground.

Both were taken by ambulance to an area hospital for medical treatment. The motorcycle driver was treated and released. Alcohol was not a factor in the accident. The Wisconsin State Police are handling the investigation.

In this type of case, the Estate of the passenger can make a claim against the motorcyclist and his liability insurance carrier. While the crash occurred in Wisconsin, it is likely that the lawsuit will be filed in Cook County, Illinois. Both people involved in the accident were from Chicago, and the personal injury lawyer that gets involved in the case will likely prefer to file suit here.

Train service on the Metra Union Pacific North Line was delayed for over two hours on Thursday evening after a train hit a pedestrian on the North Side of Chicago, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The accident occurred around 5 p.m. just South of the Rogers Park train station.

The train engineer on outbound train no. 339 reported the collision and then stopped the train. Emergency workers found the body near Ravenswood and Thome Avenue.

The man hit by the train appeared to be in his 20s and it has not been reported as to why he was on the tracks. An autopsy is scheduled for Friday by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

In the south suburbs of Chicago, several people were hurt on Monday morning in a multiple vehicle auto accident on Interstate 55, according to the Southtown Star. The car crash involved two semi trucks and four cars. Five motorists were reportedly injured.

The collision took place at Woodward Avenue and I-55 around 7:45 a.m. A vehicle reportedly lost control while moving southbound and crashed, and that caused a chain of subsequent collisions.

Darien-Woodridge Fire Department Paramedics rushed to the scene. The injured people were taken to three different hospitals in the area.

The crash blocked several lanes of traffic during the morning rush for over an hour. The Illinois State Police is handling the accident investigation.

In Chicago, Illinois, a two year old boy died Saturday afternoon after being hit by a car in an alley, according to the Chicago Tribune. The pedestrian accident took place in the block of 7200 South Sacramento Avenue around 4:45 p.m.

The child was taken by ambulance to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and was pronounced dead around 90 minutes after the accident.

The driver, a 40 year old Chicago woman, was ticketed by the Chicago Police Department for failing to keep a proper lookout for a pedestrian in the road. The exact facts as to how the accident occurred have not been reported.

The NHTSA reports that in 2007, children 14 and under accounted for seven percent of pedestrian fatalities in the United States (306 out of 4,654 deaths). Of those child fatalities, 187 (61%) were male children. Nearly 100 of the children killed were ages 1-3. Eighty percent of the child pedestrian deaths took place at at non-intersection locations. In the same year, around 70,000 pedestrians were injured nationwide, and 14,000 of those injured were children 14 and under.

Two people were killed on the Southeast Side of Chicago in an auto accident early Sunday morning, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The crash involved 3 cars moving eastbound in the 3200 block of 106th Street on the Cal City Bridge. One of the vehicles struck another vehicle while trying to pass it, lost control and hit a steel gate on the bridge.

The vehicle then caught fire and was engulfed in flames. Two males were killed in the fire. They were reportedly in their 20s and have not yet been identified.

The vehicle that was struck by the passing car then lost control and hit a 3rd vehicle. The driver of the second vehicle refused medical attention and the driver of the third car was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital for treatment.

A Naperville, Illinois couple has been seriously injured in a bizarre accident at a McDonald's in Eastern Arizona, according to the Daily Herald. A giant set of golden arches fell and crushed their SUV.

They were reportedly just sitting in the parking lot in a Chevy Trailblazer when high winds toppled the arches over. The winds were in excess of 55 m.p.h. The accident took place on Wednesday around 12:30 p.m. on the Navajo Nation reservation in Window Rock.

One occupant sustained a large laceration on his head. The other had to be freed from the vehicle by emergency personnel and had head, neck, back and arm injuries. They were taken to a local hospital by ambulance, however the female victim was later airlifted to a hospital in Phoenix, AZ and is reportedly in critical condition.

It has not been reported if the couple has retained a personal injury lawyer, but there is a good chance that they will. The couple has a strong premises liability case against McDonald's. Giant golden arches do not fall over in the wind unless someone was negligent.

In Chicago, Illinois, just days after an off-duty detective rear-ended and killed two people in a car accident on the Dan Ryan Expressway, Police Superintendent Jody Weis is saying that he is going to change how the department handles cops that drive while intoxicated, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. A new policy is now in place that notifies a watch commander whenever there is a possible cop DUI. The watch commander must then go out to the scene of the occurrence. The policy is to apply to both on duty and off duty officers.

Fifteen officers were arrested last year for DUI, compared with eight in 2007. Some of those arrests were well publicized. As for last week's accident, the detective's blood alcohol level was allegedly three times the legal limit. He has been charged with reckless homicide, DUI and leaving the scene of an accident.

Last week's accident received more unwanted attention this week when the Judge set bond in the amount of $500,000. There were protests at the Courthouse when this occurred, as family and friends of the victims felt the officer received preferential because of his employment. The detective has posted bail and will appear in Court again on May 1, 2009.

In Chicago, Illinois a deadly car crash early Friday morning has resulted in criminal charges against an off duty detective from the Chicago Police Department, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The auto accident happened on the Dan Ryan and resulted in the deaths of two people after their car burst into flames.

The collision occurred when Joseph Frugoli, 41, rear-ended a vehicle that was disabled on the side of the expressway. His blood alcohol content was allegedly three times the legal limit of .08. He has been charged with reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence, and leaving the scene of an accident. He is scheduled to appear for his bond hearing Sunday morning and in currently in police custody.

The police department has started an internal investigation and the detective has been relieved of his police powers. Reportedly, the detective was walking away from the crash scene when he was apprehended.

Andrew Cazares, 23, of Summit, Illinois and Fausto Manzera, 21, of Chicago were the victims in the accident. The crash took place around 3:30 a.m. near 18th Street in the southbound lanes of the Dan Ryan. Cazares had pulled his Dodge over to the side of the highway, possibly for a flat tire, when a Lexus SUV driven by the detective slammed into them.

Click here for an accident photo.

This is the second deadly hit-and-run car crash in the news over the past several days where the at fault driver tried to walk off from a deadly accident. In California, a minivan ran a red light and killed LA Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart. The defendant fled the scene on foot and was captured by police a short time later.