Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Chicago personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes have entered into an agreement to represent a Northwest Side resident who sustained personal injuries after she was hit by a car while crossing a street in a crosswalk. The car vs. pedestrian accident happened on August 15, 2009 just before 5 p.m. at the intersection of Central and Roscoe.

Our client was walking eastbound crossing Central in a crosswalk on the north side of the intersection when a woman driving a 2009 Nissan Murano, who was also eastbound on Roscoe, entered the intersection. She proceeded turn left on to Central and failed to observe the pedestrian in the walkway. She struck our client with the passenger side of her SUV.

The Chicago Police Department came to the scene and issued the defendant a traffic violation. She has a September court date at the Daley Center. The officer noted in his police report that the Nissan had a dent on the hood and broken plastic by the headlight where the vehicle hit the pedestrian.

The plaintiff was taken from the scene in a Chicago Fire Department Ambulance to Our Lady Of Resurrection Medical Center with back, chest and elbow injuries. Since the date of the accident she has also been going through follow up treatment at Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, as her condition has not improved.

Chicago personal injury lawyers from Abels & Annes resolved a case for a North Side resident who was injured in a single vehicle auto accident in Wisconsin. The plaintiff was riding as a passenger in the back seat of an automobile being driven by the defendant on the evening of November 1, 2007.

They were traveling in a 1995 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban from Madison, Wisconsin to Minnesota. The defendant was driving westbound on Interstate 90 with three passengers. At approximately 8:15 p.m. defendant lost control of her vehicle, veered to the left off the roadway into a ditch, struck a cement culvert and embankment and crashed her vehicle into to cement pylon of an overpass.

Following the collision defendant admitted to the investigating police officers that she had lost control of her vehicle because she was eating food while driving, reached down to grab a napkin and was not looking where she was driving. As a result she lost control of her vehicle and drove off the roadway. She was issued a traffic citation as a result of her actions on the evening of the collision and she later pleaded guilty to inattentive driving.

Our client was taken from the scene of the crash by ambulance and transported to Hess Memorial Hospital. At the time of her arrival in the Emergency Room she complained of head pain, a head laceration, first metatarsal pain in her left foot, left wrist pain and right elbow pain. The head laceration was closed with a number of staples. She had bruising and swelling around her left eye as well as numerous lacerations around her nose and cheeks due to glass. An initial CT in the ER showed a contusion of the right temporal lobe and she was therefore admitted for further observation.

At the time of her discharge she was instructed to seek follow up care for her injuries, including having the staples in her scalp removed, and was further recommended to seek counseling services as she was already beginning to exhibit signs and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder due to the traumatic nature of the event.

Following her discharge from the hospital the plaintiff sought follow up treatment with her primary care physician in Chicago on November 5, 2007 for her ongoing complaints. X-rays of her left wrist performed at this time identified an ulnar fracture. Her wrist was placed in a splint and she was referred to a hand specialist at the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute for her fracture. She was instructed to wear a wrist splint for one month. She also treated for neck and back at Illinois Bone & Joint.

Following the collision the plaintiff also began to experience psychiatric symptoms including agitation, difficulty sleeping, physical exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, flashbacks to the accident, depersonalization and dissociation. She sought psychiatric treatment and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The case settled at a non-binding mediation for $74,500, with the defendant's insurance carrier receiving a $14,500 credit for payment of our client's medical bills.

In Chicago, Illinois two construction workers were injured on the job Sunday after a trench collapsed.

Fire crews spent four hours digging the two men out of the trench after the sides collapsed, trapping them, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Chicago construction accident trapped the men up to their waist in dirt at the bottom of a six-foot-deep hole in an alley on North Dover Street after the sides collapsed about 2 p.m., according to a fire department spokesman.

A special collapse and rescue squad responded to the incident. One man was pulled from the trench at 4 p.m. and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, but his injuries were not life threatening, the fire department reported.

The second worker, a 28-year-old man, was pulled from the trench at about 6 p.m. and also taken to Illinois Masonic with serious-to-critical personal injuries.

The Chicago Tribune reported the work accident occurred at a condominium building. The Tribune reported one of the workers attempted to help support the wall to keep the other man from being buried until help arrived.

Firefighters first had to shore up the trench to ensure it wouldn't collapse on them before digging the trapped man out by hand after the first worker was rescued.

The workers were installing a sewage flood-control system for the building, according to the Tribune. The city's Department of Buildings and the Occupational Safety & Hazard Administration was called to the scene to investigate the incident.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates about 70 construction workers are killed in excavation cave-ins each year and more than 700 are injured. An OSHA approved course on trench safety is available at www.trenchsafety.org.

Motorcycle accidents continue to rise in the seven-county Chicago area -- up 22 percent in just two years, according to the Sun-Times News Group.

That's more than 7 Chicago-area motorcycle accidents a day -- all year long -- or more than a dozen a day during the five-month riding season. Most motorcycle accidents result in personal injuries to the rider involved.

The Chicago motorcycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes urge car drivers to remain vigilant about the dangers to motorcycle riders through the remainder of the summer riding season.

Inexperienced drivers who aren't used to seeing so many cycles on the road have helped push the number of motorcycle crashes in the seven-county region to 2,663 last year, a Chicago Sun-Times survey has found.

That's up 22 percent from 2,180 just two years earlier, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Kane, DuPage and Kendall counties are among the few counties that have not seen a steady increase in crashes. Motorcycles in Kane and DuPage counties went up between 2006 and 2007, then down in 2008.

As we reported in a blog last month, fatality statistics are sobering for motorcycle riders across the country.

Nationwide, motorcycle fatalities increased for the 11th straight year and accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A total of 5,290 riders were killed in 2008, compared to 5,174 in 2007. The increase came in a year when federal statistics revealed a steep drop in virtually every other category, including a 13 percent decline in motor vehicle fatalities.

Our summer blog on motorcycle safety can be found by clicking here

Click here to read our post on 10 things all drivers should know about motorcycles.

Continue reading " Chicago area motorcycle accidents continue to rise " »

On the Northwest Side of Chicago a pedestrian was hit and killed by a semi truck while crossing the street, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The pedestrian vs. truck accident happened at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Ashland Avenue around 10:30 p.m. in the Wicker Park neighborhood.

The victim, a 59 year old male Chicago resident, was taken to Cook County Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

The Chicago Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Unit is handling the crash investigation. No tickets had been issued to the truck driver as of this morning, however the investigation is most likely not yet complete. What exactly caused the accident has not been reported. Whether tickets are issued could depend on if there were independent witnesses to the accident.

As for a civil lawsuit against the truck driver and the trucking company, it is a good bet that the family of the victim will retain a Chicago personal injury lawyer to investigate a potential case.

Also see the story as reported by NBC News.

The past 24 hours was a dangerous time to be on the roads on the North Side of Chicago. In addition to the pedestrian accident in Wicker park, there was a motor vehicle accident on the Kennedy Expressway involving 3 motorcycles and a car, and there was a rollover SUV accident on the Edens Expressway in Skokie early Sunday where two people were killed.

The crash on the Kennedy caused all three lanes to be shut down for a period of time and backed up traffic for miles, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. Two of the motorcycle riders were taken to Stroger and the 3rd was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. A women in the car was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes often represent Illinois residents who have been injured by DUI drivers. One car accident case we are currently working on involves the death of two minor children.

The State of Illinois has announced a crackdown on drunk drivers that launches this week and runs through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Robert Brasky, Illinois Traffic Safety Leaders president, announced officers from all departments will be out in force beginning Aug. 21 and cited motorcycle riders as being at particularly high risk through the holiday weekend.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and motorcycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes blogged recently about the increase in motorcycle fatalities.

Police will join thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies throughout the nation as they take part in the "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest" crackdown on impaired driving.

In 2007, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. About 1 in 3 road fatalities involves drunk driving.

For motorcycle riders, 2007 statistics show a higher percentage (27 percent) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher than any other type of motor vehicle driver.

The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported Illinois motorcycle accidents are up 22 percent, from 2,180 in 2007 to 2,663 last year.

“Make no mistake. Our message is simple. No matter what you drive—a passenger car, pickup, sport utility vehicle or motorcycle—if police catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Brasky. “Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. Yet we continue to see far a tragic number of people with debilitating injuries and deaths as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop. To help ensure that happens, police are dedicated to arresting impaired drivers wherever and whenever they find them."

The national "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." program is organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness and publicity.

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.

Continue reading " Illinois announces crackdown on drunk drivers through Labor Day weekend " »

Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have entered into an agreement to represent a Chicago bike rider that was seriously injured this past week by an opening car door on the North Side. The accident took place in the 3600 block of Southport between Addison and Waveland on August 15, 2009. Our client was riding southbound when a driver who was not paying attention swung his car door open into traffic, causing him and another biker to fall. The Chicago Police Department investigated the accident.

The Chicago bicyclist was treated the same day in the ER at John Stroger Cook County Hospital in Chicago. There he was x-rayed and diagnosed with fractures in his right wrist, left elbow, and left clavicle.

Since the accident he has followed up with Greenleaf Orthopaedics in Lake County, Illinois, and has been informed that he will need to undergo surgery to repair his elbow fracture. The procedure is scheduled for later this week.

As we have stated in previous articles, careless motorists opening car doors into traffic is a serious hazard to bikers in the Chicago area. Especially during summer months, drivers have to be aware of the large number of bike riders on the streets of Chicago.

Our law firm currently represents another bike rider who was hit by a car door a month ago. He is currently paralyzed, he suffered a collapsed lung, and his future health is uncertain at this time.

Five Chicago firefighters and two motorists were injured Saturday in a car accident on the city's South Side.

The Chicago Tribune reported that the fire truck was responding to a call just after 5 p.m. when it was struck by a passenger car.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said a woman in the car was "very critically injured," and the driver was in serious condition. He said four firefighters were treated and released Saturday evening, while one was being kept overnight for observation.

The fire truck was responding to a fire call when the accident happened at 67th Street and Jeffrey, ABC7 News reported. The two vehicles ended up crashing into a traffic light pole and knocking it over.

He said police were investigating the crash but few details were available. None of the victims' names has been released.

Regardless of who is determined to be at fault, a Chicago car accident lawyer could help determine the rights of the victims in this type of accident.

Earlier this month, we blogged about increased enforcement of the state law requiring motorists to move over or yield to emergency vehicles.

The Chicago fire department has almost 5000 employees and operates 129 Engine companies and 62 trucks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as many as half of the more than 5,000 work-related fatalities each year are the result of an auto accident.

A pregnant woman was among two people critically injured in a Chicago car accident on Thursday. News Radio 780 reported one person may have died in the rollover accident, which involved multiple vehicles on the city's Northwest Side.

The crash happened about 5:30 a.m. at West Devon and North Nagle avenues, according to CBS2 Chicago.

A white delivery van, which is registered to Michele Baking Co., on Mannheim Road in Franklin Park, remained on its side hours after the wreck.

Rollover accidents account for half of all deaths in SUVs, one-third of truck fatalities and 20 percent of all fatal car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Passenger vans and SUVs are much more likely to flip than passenger vehicles. The federal government reports that about 10,000 people each year are injured or killed in such rollover accidents.

Two people in critical condition were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge in critical condition.

The Major Accident Investigation Unit, which investigates fatal accidents, is handling the investigation, though police have not said whether a fatality was involved.

Gynecologists advise any pregnant woman who has been in a car accident -- no matter how minor -- to seek medical attention. In fact, a blow to the abdomen of any kind should be evaluated by a doctor, according to Baby Center.

Gynecologists also recommend that pregnant women wear their seat belt -- death of the mother is the leading cause of fetal death in accidents.

The site also offers pregnant travelers a contact sheet, which can tell medical personnel how to contact loved ones, doctors and other medical providers who are familiar with you and your pregnancy.

A boy was crushed to death this week in a Chicago construction accident after he fell from a front loader being driven by his father, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Bystanders were alerted by the father's shouts at the South Side building being converted to condos. Investigators believe the boy, Valente Torres, 9, fell from his father's lap atop the front loader and was killed by the front loader's falling bucket of dirt.

He was still on his feet when his father rushed to his aid shortly before 10 a.m..

A relative of father Raul Torres said the family was trying to save some money by bringing the youngest of of six children to work.

The boy was scheduled to start 4th grade at Sawyer Elementary School in Gage Park in a few weeks. He was pronounced deat at 10:12 a.m. Tuesday at the University of Chicago Corner Children's Hospital.

Stephanie Johnson, 24, a neighbor who lives three buildings from the construction site, told the newspaper she had seen the little boy running in the block for the last two days, sometimes playing with other neighbors' children.

The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes remind motorists that over 400,000 children head back to the city's 666 schools over the next month.

The Chicago Public School's first day of classes for most students is September 8th, and Track E students already started this week. Most of the suburban schools start in the coming weeks of August.

The start of the school year puts school buses back on the road, kids at bus stops and crosswalks, school zones where children are likely to be in the roadway and kids walking or bicycling to school.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced last week a $13 million initiative to encourage more children to walk or ride their bikes to school. The federal Safe Routes to School program includes 171 funding projects, from sidewalk repair to equipment for police and crossing guards.

“With Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for childhood obesity rates, providing children with a safe and secure means of walking to school is an important tool to improve the health of our children," Quinn said.

The program is designed to:

Enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school

Make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation option

Facilitate projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools

School Bus Safety

The Illinois State Police have issued a pamphlet for motorists regarding school bus safety.

"The majority of children injured or killed in pupil transportation are injured outside the bus," state police report. "Most are struck by motorists who fail to stop for the flashing red lights and extended stop arm."

Motorists who fail to stop for a school bus displaying red warning lights face a mandatory three-month license suspension for a first offense and a one-year mandatory suspension of subequent offenses.

School Zone Safety

A new law makes it illegal to use a cell phone in a school zone unless it is equipped with a hands-free device.

Back-to-School Safety

The federal government also offers back-to-school safety tips for parents, students and educators on topics ranging from playground safety to alcohol and drug abuse.

The Lollapalooza music festival in Chicago's Grant Park is drawing more than 75,000 people a day this weekend. (Attorney Gary Annes of Abels & Annes attends Lollapalooza almost every year).

The Chicago Tribune blog reported the death of a 39-year-old concert goer on Friday. Rain followed by searing heat may have caused the man to collapse near the stage.

The personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes know that serious injury at such large concerts are a frequent occurrence and are often reported as the fault of the fans in attendance. But injuries can also result from the negligence of a concert promoter or employee, leading to a premise liability claim to recover damages.

Premise liability lawsuits seek to recover damages for innocent parties who are injured as a result of negligent concert planning and/or the negligent actions of concert workers.

The emphasis on concert safety hit the news in the days leading up to Lollapalooza after a stage collapsed at the Calgary Alberta Music Fest, according to the Chicago Indie Music Examiner.

Of course there are numerous examples of high-profile tragedies at rock concerts: The 1969 free Rolling Stones show at Altamont Speedway where security, which turned out to be hired gang members, kicked a man to death; Pearl Jam’s Denmark fan stampede which trampled eight people near the stage; Great White’s pyrotechnic accident in Rhode Island that killed 100 and led to premise liability lawsuits that recovered millions in damages.

And each year Lollapalooza makes news for the show -- three days, eight stages and more than 130 bands -- and accidents and injuries among concert goers. The Music examiner reports attendants at rock concerts are 2.5 times more likely to be injured than at other music shows.

The study also reports that most common accidents are dehydration, dislocated joints, bumps, bruises, breathing problems and fainting. Even classical music shows have their fair share of injuries and have the highest rate of heart attacks or cardiac arrest. Gospel/Christian shows hold the record for the most visits with medical personnel.

The Music Examiner also reports on several lawsuits over the years stemming from injuries at Chicago concerts:

-A woman is suing Lupe Fiasco claiming an injury in 2007 when the star “fell on her” during a Chicago show. Her lawsuit is asking for $50,000 in damages for lost wages, physical, and emotional trauma.

-In 2002, a fan seeing U2 at Solider Field slipped in urine in the bathroom and broke his leg.

-In 1998, a female fan was hit in the face with a CD being tossed into the audience and suffered an eye injury.

Make no mistake about it: these concerts are big business, bringing in millions of dollars to organizers. At $80 a ticket, 75,000 people pay $6 million to get into one day of this event.

Concert goers have a right to expect basic safety and services. And event participants who are seriously injured or killed have a right to seek damages from negligent parties.

The New Year will bring with it a new ban on text messaging for Illinois motorists after Gov Pat Quinn signed a ban this week in an effort to reduce car accidents caused by distracted drivers.

The Chicago car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have been following this issue for months. Earlier this month we blogged about the fact that the Illinois law was one of only about 10 laws passed to combat distracted driving this year. Nationwide, about 170 laws were introduced, according to a study by The New York Times.

Federal statistics suggest more than 4,000 people a day are involved in a car accident because of distracted driving.

"It's really bad that we have to legislate logic," said Secretary of State Jesse White, who pushed the measure. "Common sense would tell you that when your eyes are off the road, who's driving?"

A companion law also makes it illegal to use a cell phone in a school or construction zone unless it is equipped with a hands-free device.

The laws take effect Jan. 1. The Chicago Tribune published the following tips for complying with texting ban come New Year's Day.

You cannot do the following:

Cannot send a text message, read a text message, send e-mail, use the internet, download ringtones, and/or send an instant message.

You can do the following:

Can continue to use your GPS device, continue to use your cell phone's GPS device, text if traffic is stopped and your car is in park or neutral, can text if you pull over onto shoulder, and can text if you’re reporting an accident or emergency.

Violators face a fine of $75 and three or more violations in a year could lead to a license suspension.

Continue reading " To reduce Illinois car accidents, text messaging becoming illegal for Illinois drivers " »

In the past week the Chicago bike accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent three bicyclists that were injured recently in three separate bike vs. car accidents.

One case involves a 29 year old Chicago woman who was riding her bicycle eastbound on Lawrence Avenue in a designated bike lane. As she entered the intersection of Lawrence & Washtenaw an eastbound vehicle turned right and failed to notice the plaintiff. Our client was knocked to the ground, landing on her left side.

She was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Swedish Covenant Hospital where she was diagnosed with a fracture in her left foot, and left knee and shoulder injuries. She has since followed up with a medical doctor and has been scheduled for surgery to repair the fracture.

The accident was investigated by the Chicago Police Department. The officer ticketed the at fault driver for failing to yield to the bicyclist.

Our law firm will be pursuing a claim against the defendant's auto insurance carrier to recover for our client's injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, and loss of income (as she is off work due to the accident).

Most of the bicycle vs. car accident cases we work on occur when a driver is turning and fails to keep a proper look out for bike riders. Drivers need to remember that they are sharing the roads of Chicago with many bicyclists, especially during this time of the year, and careful driving is required.

Another common accident is when drivers fail to look for for bicycles when opening car doors. This type of accident can be a nightmare for bicyclists, as they have little or no time to react to the swinging car door, and the bike rider usually flips over, exposing him or her to serious injuries.

A Chicago, Illinois car accident that was caused by a wrong-way driver on I-55 has left one person dead and another injured, according to the Chicago Tribune. The woman killed was a 38 year old North Side resident.

The car crash happened in the northbound lanes of the Stevenson early Saturday morning near South Halsted Street. The female victim was a passenger in a northbound Toyota that was struck by a driver of an Audi headed the wrong direction, according to the Illinois State Police.

The Chicago Fire Department had to remove her from the car and transport her to Northwester Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later. The driver of the Toyota was also taken to Northwestern.

The wrong way driver was arrested after the accident, but what he will be charged with has not yet been reported. It has also not been disclosed if drugs or alcohol played a role.

Click here to see an accident photo at ABC News.

In the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois eight people were injured early this morning in a hit-and-run car crash, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The auto accident took place in the 3600 block of West Augusta Boulevard just after 4 a.m. when a Chrysler Voyager struck a Lincoln Navigator. After the accident the people inside the Vovager reportedly fled the scene.

A Chicago Fire Department spokesperson has stated that 8 people were transported to area hospitals in critical condition. Three went to Mount Sinai Hospital, three to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, one to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and one to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Chicago Police Department Harrison Area detectives are investigating the accident.

Hit-&-Run accidents are very common in the Chicago area. In a case such as the one being reported, the injured parties will be able to make uninsured motorist claims on the auto insurance policy for the Lincoln Navigator. If the Navigator had no insurance, or not enough insurance, the injured parties can also look to their own auto policies for coverage.

Also see the story as reported by the Chicago Breaking News Center.