Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

A 29-year-old Aurora man died in a Thanksgiving holiday Chicago motorcycle accident.

The man was killed Saturday afternoon when his Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle collided with a Chevy crossover vehicle on Sullivan Road, The Beacon-News reported.

The 28-year-old Chicago driver was charged with failure to yield while exiting a private drive, Aurora police reported. He was turning east onto Sullivan Road from the entrance of the Hindu temple, according to authorities.

The motorcycle rider was apparently wearing a helmet that dislodged during the accident and appeared to have died on impact when his motorcycle collided with the crossover vehicle's front driver's side.

Police are investigating the speed of the motorcycle, The Beacon-News reported. The fatal accident closed Sullivan Road between Elmwood Drive and Randall Road for more than two hours.

Last year, 5,387 motorcycle riders were killed and more than 90,000 injured in motorcycle accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. More than two-thirds of the 2,562 vehicle-involved motorcycle fatalities occurred in such frontal crashes.

In Illinois last year, 133 riders were killed on motorcycles, compared to 445 in cars and 277 in light trucks.

Black Friday will begin the holiday shopping madness. Enjoy yourself but keep safety in mind.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and the personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes wish everyone a happy holiday and safe shopping. But with more than half of annual retail sales expected between now and the end of the year, heavy traffic, big crowds, overstocked stores and poorly lit or maintained parking lots all present risk of serious injury.

Malls, store owners and retail outlets have a duty to provide a safe environment. Store events deliberately promoted to draw large crowds can pose a danger to customers seriously injured by falling merchandise, dark or faulty stairwells and parking lots, as well as other hazards, including pedestrian accidents and car accidents occurring in parking lots.

In fact, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration has issued guidelines for businesses dealing with large crowds during the holidays.

"Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years," said Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary for OSHA. "Many of these incidents could be prevented, and this fact sheet provides retail employers with guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday shopping season."

The Illinois Attorney General has released the 2009 Safe Shopping Guide, which includes 121 recalled children's products.

And keeping safety in mind while in parking lots can go a long way toward keeping you and your family safe this holiday season.

-Drive defensively
-Turn on headlights for safety
-Park in a well-lit area
-Turn off the radio
-Get off the phone
-Drive slowly
-Take a second look behind you before backing
-Watch for pedestrians, kids, parents with strollers
-Be alert for other hazards, like rolling carts
-Park at the end of an aisle
-Park properly centered in your space
-Pull through into the abutting open space
-Park next to a nice car
-Pay attention when walking
-Put your cart away
-Pay attention to stop signs and obey all traffic signs

Continue reading " Shopping safety can prevent Chicago car accidents, pedestrian accidents and other holiday hazards " »

The National Safety Commission has issued a comprehensive plan for staying safe and avoiding car accidents as the perennial biggest travel holiday of the year begins Wednesday.

The Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes wish you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving and urge you to do your part to keep the roads safe throughout the upcoming holiday season. Earlier this week we posted on Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer's blog the first of a series of safe-holiday advisories, including AAA's estimate of 41 million American travelers hitting the road.

And please designate a driver. Chicago drunk driving accidents and DUI accidents nationwide are responsible for significant numbers of traffic fatalities, particularly among young people.

In Illinois during the 2007 Christmas-New Year's Holiday, 92 of the 214 young drivers who were killed during the holidays were impaired.

The commission reminds motorists that Thanksgiving is not only be busiest travel holiday of the year, but also the deadliest. The Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog reported that almost 1,000 people were seriously injured or killed during the Thanksgiving holiday last year in Illinois.

The National Safety Commission has the following tips:

Seat Belts
-Of the fatalities during the 2008 Thanksgiving weekend;
-More than two-thirds (67%) of the total fatalities did not have their seat belts fastened.
-40 percent of the fatalities in daytime crashes were not wearing seat belts.

Speed
Speeding is the major reason for traffic crashes; speed reduces reaction time and increases the force of a collision.

Wednesday
-Long-distance travel will be heaviest after work on Wednesday, extending normal rush-hour delays and causing congestion in more rural areas where traffic is typically lighter.

Fatigue and Frustration
-Fatigued and frustrated drivers may tempt drivers to take chances they otherwise would not take.
-Sleepy drivers may nod off at the wheel and are just as dangerous as drunk drivers.

Sunday
Most drivers will wait until Sunday afternoon to return home where they will face many of the same driving conditions that they faced on Wednesday evening.

Drunk Drivers
-Drivers are more likely to face drunk drivers following Sunday football games and other celebration.

The Commission recommends these actions to remain safe on the road:

-Try to leave on Tuesday and return either on Saturday or Monday when traffic is lighter and safer
-Give yourself plenty of time
-Allow for plenty of rest
-Share driving duties with a fellow traveler and stop every couple hours for at least a short break
-Don't depend on caffeine or energy drinks
-Understand that traffic will be heavy and don't let your frustrations tempt you to take chances
-Watch the weather and adjust travel to accommodate road conditions
-Wear your seat belt
-Use safety seats for children
-Don't speed
-Use your cruise control to prevent speeding
-Don't phone and drive- pull over when using cell phones
-Don't drink and drive

Continue reading " Thanksgiving plan for avoiding holiday Chicago car accidents " »

The year-end holiday season will kick off with more than 41 million Americans hitting the road for trips of 50 miles or more during the Thanksgiving weekend, according to AAA estimates, and authorities are preaching caution during the final two months of the year as holiday travel, shopping and congestion too often clash with drunk drivers and winter weather.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and drunk driving accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge motorists to head safety warnings, designate a driver, and enjoy the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday.

While the "Don't Drink and Drive" message may be at its loudest when it comes to New Year's Eve, more people were seriously injured in Illinois car accidents on Thanksgiving (961) and Christmas (841) last year than during any other holiday.

The New Year's holiday reported the fewest injuries (575) but the most fatalities (10) of the trio of year-end holidays. Nine people were killed on Christmas and 8 died over the Christmas holiday, according to figures recently released by the Illinois Department of Transportation as part of its 2008 traffic study. More information from the study is available by visiting the Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog.

Chicago drunk driving accidents and drunk drivers nationwide are responsible for large numbers of holiday fatalities.

On average from 2001 to 2005, about 40 percent of Christmas and New Year fatalities nationwide involved a drunk driver compared to 28 percent during the rest of December, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In 2007, drunk driving accidents made Thanksgiving the deadliest holiday of the year, claiming 548 lives, followed by Labor Day (519), Memorial Day (491), Christmas (468), New Year's (391) and Fourth of July (200).

At particular risk are young people, according to federal statistics. More than 300 young drivers ages 21 to 24 are involved in fatal crashes during the last half of December each year. One-third of the 1,710 deaths from 2002-2007 were the result of drunk driving accidents that claimed 649 lives.

In Illinois during the 2007 Christmas-New Year's Holiday, 214 young drivers were killed and almost half --92--were impaired.

Nationwide, an average of 36 people a day are killed by a drunk driver, compared to 54 per day during the three-day New Year's Holiday and 45 per day during Christmas.

Continue reading " Year-end Holidays a dangerous time for Chicago car accidents " »

The state has been recognized for its efforts to reduce serious and fatal Illinois car accidents involving teenagers.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and the Illinois child injury attorneys at Abels & Annes encourage parents to visit the Operation Teen Safe Driving program with their young drivers.

Motor Vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for one-third of all deaths. In 2007, 11 teens between the ages of 16 and 19 died every day in motor vehicle crashes.

Male teenagers are more than 1.5 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than young female drivers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC also reports newly licensed teens and teens with passengers are at increased risk of an accident -- and the more passengers the greater the risk. Other risk factors include speeding, driving under the influence, low seat-belt usage rates, and inability to recognize and compensate for dangerous road situations.

The award for Illinois' teen driving program came from the Roadway Safety Foundation and the Federal Highway Administration.

"Keeping teen drivers safe on the road is an obligation that we should all take seriously," said Greg Cohen, executive director of the Roadway Safety Foundation. "As the most inexperienced drivers on our highways, continuing driver education programs for teens are absolutely essential. By talking to teens where they listen, Illinois has set a great example for every state to follow."

Illinois' peer-to-peer driving program, in partnership with Allstate Foundation and Ford Motor Company's Driving Skills for Life program, challenges teens to develop school-wide programs to positively impact teen drivers. Safety advocates say the program resulted in a 40 percent reduction in teen driving deaths during 2007-08.

Continue reading " Illinois Teen Safe Driving program receives national honor, seeks to reduce Illinois, Chicago car accidents involving teenagers " »

The state of Illinois has launched a new campaign aimed at reducing the number of fatalities on Illinois roadways this year by at least 100.

The Illinois Department of Transportation and Illinois State Police announced Operation Save 100 began Thursday and will run through the end of 2009, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Chicago injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes published a report last week at Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog taking a look at the 1,043 fatal Illinois car accidents last year.

That represents a 1.6 percent decrease from the year before, and the lowest fatality rate since 1923, but state officials want to best it by saving at least 100 lives and bringing this year's total to 943 or less.

While there appears to be a high chance for success -- 781 died on Illinois roads through last week compared to 883 during the same period last year -- November and December are traditionally two of the deadliest months of the year as holiday travelers, drunk drivers and winter weather converge to increase driving hazards.

Saving 100 lives would also save $100 million -- the state estimates each road fatality costs about $1.2 million.

“We continue to put our best efforts forward and work to save more lives every day," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. "We have a wonderful partnership with Illinois State Police in this effort and we are doing everything possible to keep Illinois drivers safe behind the wheel.”

Operation Save 100 began Thursday Nov. 12 and runs through the end of the year. During the 8-week campaign, more than 400 law enforcement agencies are being asked to enhance operations and provide weekly activity and crash reports.

The campaign will be augmented by television and radio interviews, press releases, news conferences and other community action statewide.

Illinois traffic fatalities have been declining, from 1,248 in 2007 to 1,043 last year. Nationwide, 37,261 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Last year, Illinois was one of only 10 states to log more than 1,000 traffic deaths, according to government statistics.

Continue reading " State targets reduction in Illinois traffic deaths as holidays approach " »

Two people were killed and at least 10 others injured in separate weekend Chicago car accidents.

The fatal accident posted originally posted early Monday on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog has claimed another life and led to criminal charges against the driver.

A 27-year-old driver of an Oldsmobile Alero was killed after being broadsided by a Chevy Malibu at the intersection of 75th and State streets shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday. An 87-year-old passenger in the Malibu also was killed.

The 52-year-old South Racine Avenue man driving the Malibu has now been charged with two counts of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated DUI, according to CBS2.

One-fourth of all fatal Illinois traffic accidents take place at intersections and one-third involve some form of drunk driving, according a a recent report issued by the state.

The man was also cited with operating a motor vehicle without insurance; failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and disobeying a traffic control device, according to police.

A separate serious Chicago car accident injured seven people Sunday afternoon -- four of them seriously -- in a two-car crash on the Southwest Side.

Five ambulances responded to a two-car crash at 47th Street and Cicero Avenue involving a Ford Focus and a Nissan Quest shortly after noon, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Four people were listed in serious-to-critical condition. Two were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and and two others were taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

One person was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in fair condition, and two others were taken to Holy Cross Hospital in good condition, The Sun-TImes reported.

The Chicago bicycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have successfully recovered $27,500 in damages from State Farm insurance on behalf of a client who suffered a leg laceration and hand injury in a Chicago bicycle accident.

The case also included $2,445.98 in negotiated reductions of medical bills at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and a $142.40 reduction in medical bills from Wellington Radiology. After reductions, clients medical bills totaled just under $6,500.

The accident occurred shortly before 8 a.m. on Nov. 29,2007 when 21-year-old client was riding his bike southbound in the bike lane on Clybourn Avenue; a 30-year-old Chicago woman in a 2007 Ford Escape opened her car door into his path.

The force of the impact caused the client to flip over the bike and land on the pavement. He was transported to the hospital by ambulance.

It is the second settlement Abels & Annes has made for a Chicago bicycle accident victim in the last month where our client was injured by an opening car door; the firm recovered $50,000 in October on behalf of another client in the same type situation.

Illinois was ranked sixth-deadliest for bicycle accidents in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Last year, 27 people were killed in bicycle accidents in Illinois. Nationwide, 716 people lost their lives and more than 52,000 were injured in bicycle accidents.

For more information about the work of Chicago bicycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes, visit the Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog or the firm's summer safe cyclist blog.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for the driver responsible for a north side hit-and-run Chicago car accident on Nov. 1.

The parents of the young waitress who was killed at Lincoln and Cullom avenues announced the reward, according to WGN9News. She was walking home from her nearby bartending job when she was struck by a vehicle that did not stop, according to police.

Surveillance video from Bowman's Bar and Grill may have captured the vehicle seconds before the accident that killed Rachel Gilliam, WGN9News reported.

In addition to making an appeal for the driver to turn himself in, the victim's mom is offering a $10,000 reward for information that leads to the driver responsible.

ABC7 reported that police are looking for a silver four-door car that struck the 25-year-old DePaul University graduate without stopping as she walked home from work at about 3:30 a.m. on Halloween Night.

The young woman's co-workers and friends at Bowman's have been active in raising reward money and have hired a private investigator in the hunt for the runaway driver.

Chicago car accident lawyers blog recently chronicled a rash of hit-and-run Chicago pedestrians accidents being looked into by police.

If you think you can help, contact the Chicago Police's Major Accidents Division, at 312-745-4521. Please reference case #HR-619777.

Authorities are investigating two Chicago subway accidents recently involving C.T.A. Blue Line trains.

A person died October 25th in the afternoon after being hit by the Blue Line train in the loop, according to WGNtv.

Police were conducting a death investigation shortly after 1 p.m. at the Monroe Street subway station. Northbound and southbound trains temporarily operated on a singled track between Grand Avenue station and the Racine Avenue station, bypassing Monroe.

On October 27th in the morning, a woman was rushed to the hospital after falling onto the tracks at about 8:45 a.m. in the Dearborn Street subway station. She was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in stable condition, according to The Sun-Times.

The woman was not struck by a train. Power was shut off to the line between the Lasalle and Clark stations but was restored after she got back to the platform, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

More than 700 people died in collisions with trains in 2007, according to the Federal Railway Administration, about 450 of those were pedestrians. Through the first nine months of 2009, 28 people have died in Illinois railway accidents.

Each year, there are an average of more than 140 train accidents in Illinois, resulting in 40 fatalities. Many of these fatalities involve pedestrians who fall onto the tracks or are struck by trains.

A total of 716 bicyclists were killed in the United States during 2008 and another 52,000 were injured, according to statistics just released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The vast majority of those involved in fatal bicycle accidents were middle-aged men, ages 35-64.

Overall, bicycle fatalities have declined 6 percent in the last decade -- 760 cyclists were killed in 1998. However, bicycle deaths increased from the 701 deaths recorded in 2007.

The Chicago bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes are outspoken advocates for the rights of cyclists and experienced Chicago injury lawyers who fight for the rights of cyclists who are injured or killed.

The most bicycle deaths ever recorded was 1,003 in 1975.

In Illinois, 27 people were killed in bicycle accidents, the sixth-highest in the nation.

The five states with the most bicycle fatalities were Florida (125), California (109), Texas (53), New York (42) and North Carolina (32).

One in seven bicycle fatalities in 2008 were between the ages of 5 and 15.

The average age of cyclists injured or killed has been increasing along with the popularity of cycling among older adults. The average age of cyclists killed increased from 32 in 1998 to 41 last year. The average age of bicycle injuries increased from 24 in 1998 to 31 last year.

Cycling fatalities occur primarily among men, with 87 percent of fatalities and 79 percent of injuries involving males.

Men ages 45-54 were involved in the most fatal accidents (161) followed by men ages 55-64 (103) and men ages 35-44 (77).

For more information about the work of Chicago bicycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes, visit the Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog or the firm's summer safe cyclist blog.

Continue reading " Middle-aged men most likely to be killed in Chicago bicycle accidents " »

A total of 11,773 of the nation's 37,261 traffic fatalities were caused by drunk drivers, according to a comprehensive look at drunk driving released in time for the holiday driving season by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Chicago drunk driving accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes encourage everyone to do their part in preventing drunk driving accidents as we head into the heart of the holiday season.

In Illinois, of the 1,043 people killed in traffic accidents, one in three (362) were legally drunk and one in four (252) had a blood alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit (.15) or higher.

While drunk driving deaths decreased nearly 10 percent from the 13,041 deaths recorded in 2007, the new statistics are startling confirmation that one-third of all traffic deaths are the direct result of drunk driving.

The statistics represent an average of one drunk driving death every 45 minutes.

Included in the deaths were 692 non-occupant fatalities, which usually means a bicyclist or pedestrian death.

Over 70 percent of drunk driving fatalities occurred at night and 55 percent occurred during the weekend.

One in every 7 drivers killed in a drunk driving accident were under the age of 21 (and thus not even old enough to drink). One-third of drivers ages 25 to 34 who were killed in fatal accidents were intoxicated. One in four drivers 35 to 44 who were killed were intoxicated.

In recent months, the Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog at Abels & Annes has reported on the dangers of nighttime driving, the increasing number of women arrested for DUI, and a report that found 1 in 7 weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for alcohol or drugs.

Continue reading " One drunk driving death every 45 minutes -- Illinois drunk driving accidents a continuing problem " »

Authorities are investigating what caused a CTA train to take off with a baby stroller lodged in a door; the stroller was dragged along the platform until the little girl was flung onto the ground along the tracks.

The child's adult caregiver told police the train took off with the stroller caught in its doors, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Some Chicago train accidents have nothing to do with crashing trains. But, like in this instance, involve people who are injury embarking or disembarking, fall in a stairwell or on a platform or are injured in a Chicago car accident at a railroad crossing.

The child landed about 10 feet past the end of the platform and was found conscious, flat on her back amid other items knocked out of the stroller.

The Chicago Transit Authority driver has been suspended without pay pending a review. A union representative said such an occurrence would require both a mechanical malfunction and an operator error.

The driver told investigators the presence of something in the door should have bounced the door open, much like an elevator door.

The child was released from the hospital Tuesday night after being treated and kept overnight for observation, The Sun-Times reported.

A driver, reportedly attempting to get out of the way of an early Monday morning police chase, was involved in a Chicago car accident that sent both the driver and the passenger to the hospital with serious injuries.

The high-speed police chase began about 1:45 a.m. when police heard gunshots and gave chase to a fleeing vehicle, according to The Chicago Breaking News Center.

A vehicle trying to get out of the way of the chase crashed into a viaduct at 5100 S. Princeton Avenue. While police called the crash an unrelated incident, an officer on the scene said the crash was connected to the chase, according to the media report.

The two men inside the car were taken to Stroger Hospital.

One of the occupants was thrown from the vehicle, which resulted in serious head injuries and a broken pelvis. The other occupant reported a loss of feeling in his legs. The condition of neither has been made available.

Police continued the chase on the Dan Ryan Expressway, where police report a gun was thrown from the vehicle and later recovered by authorities near 71st Street.

The car exited the expressway and crashed near 7900 S. Lafayette Avenue. The four occupants were arrested and transported to St. Bernard Hospital for treatment of their injuries.