Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Earlier this week it was reported that a Chicago police officer was seriously injured when his SUV was involved in a three vehicle car accident on the South Side. It is now being reported by the Southtown Star that someone stole the officer's gun while he was unconscious at the scene.

Police are trying to determine who took the weapon, and they are reviewing cell phone video and surveillance video that may show what happened. The cell phone footage was taken by a person that happened to be passing by and it supposedly shows a person going through the officers possessions and taking the gun from his side while he was trapped in the police SUV.

It is also being reported that an elderly driver involved in the car crash has been ticketed with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to yield. The exact facts as to how the accident occurred have not been reported.

The elderly driver and passenger, and two teenagers were also injured in the collision. All four were taken to area hospitals.

Illinois auto accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have reached a $250,000 policy limits settlement in an uninsured motorist case. The claim stems from an auto accident that occurred October 9, 2008 at approximately 8:00 a.m. The plaintiff had been driving northbound on Fairview in Downers Grove, Illinois. Traffic in front of him came to a stop and he came to a complete stop for traffic. As our client was sitting at a stop he was hit in the rear end with great force by a vehicle being driven by an uninsured driver.

The defendant stated to the investigating police officers that he had looked away from the roadway before the collision and could not react in time to stop before hitting the plaintiff. The uninsured driver was issued tickets for driving too fast for conditions and for driving without insurance.

Following the collision our client began to experience pain and discomfort in his neck as well as numbness and tingling in his left arm. Over the next couple of days his pain worsened and the numbness and tingling in his left arm increased. As a result of his symptoms he sought treatment from an orthopedic specialist.

An MRI was performed on November 13, 2008 which revealed a disc herniation at C4-C5, posterior disk ridge complex at C4-C5 with central stenosis and bilateral neural foraminal narrowing.

Continue reading " Chicago Injury Lawyer Settles Uninsured Motorist Claim For $250,000 " »

A Chicago Police Officer has been charged with the hit and run death of a teenage bicycle rider, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The charges include reckless homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury, and aggravated DUI.

The car vs. bike accident occurred in the 8000 block of South Ashland on Friday at 1:30 am. The victim, 13 year old Trenton Booker, was riding his bicycle when he was hit by an off duty police officer who was driving his Dodge Charger the wrong way on a one-way street.

The officer has been relieved of his police powers and he was arrested after the accident. Further, a Chicago Police Department internal investigation has begun. The officer is a 39 year old narcotics officer who has been with the police department for 17 years.

The victim was going to graduate from 8th grade in June.

In Chicago, Illinois a bicycle rider that was hit by a cab near Grant Park opened his eyes today as his family looked on at Northwestern Hospital. The bike vs. taxi accident happened at the intersection of Balbo & Columbus just after 10 pm on Tuesday night.

A witness to the accident states that the collision occurred when a speeding cab ran a red light. The witness says the victim was eastbound on Balbo and had almost made it across Columbus when he was hit. He also states that the taxicab was going at least 10 mph over the posted limit.

The bicyclist was critically injured and taken by ambulance to Northwestern. He suffered a subdural hematoma, and surgeons had to remove a large piece of his skull to relieve the swelling. The bone is frozen at the hospital will be reinserted at a later date.

The family of the victim has retained Abels & Annes to pursue a civil claim against the at fault driver and the taxicab company.

Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyers from Abels & Annes have resolved an on the job injury claim for a Waukegan resident. She was injured during the summer of 2007 at the Westmoreland Country Club in Wilmette, Illinois. She was employed there as a pastry chef.

The petitioner was diagnosed with epicondylitis in her right arm due to repetitive motion at work. She treated with several orthopaedic physicians, including Illinois Bone & Joint Institute in Gurnee, Illinois. In 2008, she underwent a surgical release to help her condition.

Our client received disability pay of just under $10,000 while she was off work, her medical bills have been paid, and our office obtained her a bodily injury settlement of just over $28,000. Travelers Insurance paid on the claim.

The client is using her settlement proceeds to open a bakery & cafe on the North Shore of Chicago.

If you have been injured on the job in Illinois, contact Abels & Annes for a free consultation.

On the South Side of Chicago, an off duty CTA employee has been injured in a car accident involving a drunk driver. The auto accident happened in the 9100 block of South Jeffery Boulevard back on April 27, 2009. Our client was driving home from work when an intoxicated driver crossed the center line and struck her vehicle.

A Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief happened to be driving behind the victim and witnessed the accident. He immediately called for help and rendered assistance.

The CTA worker was taken by ambulance to Jackson Park Hospital for medical treatment. She sustained right knee, back, and neck injuries. As of today, she is still suffering from her injuries and is treating with a medical doctor.

The Chicago Police Department investigated the accident and charged the defendant with DUI. The victim has been informed by police that the defendant's blood alcohol level was several times the legal limit. A court date is set for next week.

Abels & Annes will be pursuing a civil claim against the at fault driver's auto insurance carrier.

In Chicago, Illinois a car crash late Monday night on the Dan Ryan has resulted in the death of one man, and DUI charges for another, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The deadly auto accident occurred when a northbound Ford Crown Victoria changed lanes around 79th Street and struck a Cadillac that was in the far right lane of the expressway.

The driver of the Cadillac lost control, skidded and struck a concrete wall head on. The airbags in the car reportedly did not deploy. The victim, Justin Hopkins, a 30 year old Chicago resident, was pronounced dead later the same evening at Stroger Hospital.

The 34 year old driver of the Crown Victoria was charged with DUI by Illinois State Troopers investigating the accident. Additional charges are reportedly being considered. The alleged DUI driver and his two passengers were not injured in the accident.

It has not been reported if the victim's family has yet retained an accident lawyer to investigate the case. The Estate will have a case against the at fault driver, and the lawyer that gets involved will also investigate a potential products liability case. The attorney may hire an expert to find out whether there was something defective about the airbag system in the vehicle and determine why it did not deploy.

In Chicago, Illinois two women have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Archdiocese of Chicago and a retired priest for sexual abuse that allegedly occurred over forty years ago, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The case has been pending in mediation and their lawyer filed the lawsuit due to the fact that one of the victims is dying of cancer. The lawyer and victim advocates are calling for an expedited settlement.

The victims' lawyer, who is based out of Seattle, is stating that the Church has refused to settle. Yesterday he held a news conference across the street from Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

The priest named as a defendant, Anthony Vader, was removed from his public duties in 2003 when the Church acknowledged his misconduct. The lawsuit alleges that one woman was molested from age 9 until age 14. The other claims abuse when she was under 13, and again when she was 17. The suit also alleges the archdiocese has treated African American victims differently than other races. The alleged abuse took place in the mid to late 1960s.

Click here to read the entire story.

In Chicago, Illinois a pedestrian was fatally hit by a taxi last Sunday, according to the Lake Oswego Review. The victim, Robert Deighton, 42, a resident of Lake Oswego, Oregon was walking when a taxicab came out of a driveway and hit him. He was rushed by ambulance to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and was pronounced dead shortly after the collision.

The cab driver was ticketed by Chicago Police with failing to yield when coming out of a driveway. He has a June court date. The police department's Major Accident Investigation Unit is handling the investigation.

It has not been reported if the family of the victim has retained an injury lawyer to pursue a wrongful death claim against the cab driver's insurance carrier.

Pedestrian vs. car accidents in Chicago are a big issue as warm weather arrives. Due to a large increase in Chicago pedestrian fatalities in 2008, the Police Department is stepping up their efforts to protect people on foot from cars. They are running a sting operation to catch people who fail to yield to pedestrians, where undercover officers pose as civilians in crosswalks. Further, the Illinois legislature is considering a new law that would require drivers to stop for pedestrians rightfully crossing the street (not just yield).

On Sunday, Chicago accident attorneys from Abels & Annes appeared on CBS News in Chicago to discuss a pedestrian injury case that they are currently working on. The client was hit and severely injured while crossing in a crosswalk at Irving Park and Austin on the Northwest Side. The 38 year old driver of a 2006 Audi A4 failed to notice her crossing.

The Chicago resident was transported by ambulance to Lutheran General Hospital with severe head trauma. Emergency surgery was performed and the client remained in a coma for over two weeks.

Late last week, medical doctors at the hospital were able to wake her. She is in good spirits, however, her road to recovery is long from over. She is expected to remain in the hospital for an extended period of time.

The injured pedestrian has retained Abels & Annes to pursue a civil claim against the driver's auto insurance carrier. Witnesses to the accident should contact Abels & Annes, or fill out the contact form on our website.

Click here to view the CBS story.

A Chicago woman who was hit by a car on Good Friday has woken from a coma. The accident happened just after she left church services for Good Friday at Polish Jesuit Fathers on Irving Park Road. She was crossing in a crosswalk at Irving Park and Austin on a walk sign when a driver turning left did not see the woman and struck her with his vehicle.

She suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. There she underwent emergency surgery and had been in a coma ever since the accident.

She is now awake and in good spirits. However, she is missing a large piece of her skull that was removed during surgery. The bone has been frozen at the hospital and will be re-inserted during another surgical procedure at a later date. Her road to recovery has just begun and she will be in the hospital for several more months.

The driver who hit her was ticketed by the Chicago Police Department and is set to appear in Court later this month. The pedestrian has retained Abels & Annes, P.C. to pursue a civil claim against the driver's insurance carrier.

There may have been several witnesses to the accident who have not yet come forward. If you have information regarding this accident, please call 312-924-7575 or email accidentwitness@yahoo.com.

The world's fastest man has been hurt in a car crash, according to the Detroit News. Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt was involved in an auto accident in Jamaica on Wednesday. His injuries are reportedly not serious.

It is alleged that Bolt had been speeding on a wet highway when he lost control of his BMW M3. The car skidded of the road and was seriously damaged.

The sprinter and a female passenger were taken to an area hospital and treated. He was released the same day.

Bolt won gold medals in the men's 100 meter and 200 meter, both in record times, at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Click here to read the entire story.