Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Friday was the most dangerous day on the road in Illinois -- logging 58,474 crashes in 2008

Noon to 8 p.m., the most dangerous time of day, logged about 180,000 of the 340,000 urban crashes, according to the release of the Illinois Department of Transportation's 2008 Crash Facts and Statistics.

The Chicago car accident attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes are publishing a series of blogs taking a look at the statistics. As previously reported on its Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, about 40 percent of fatal Illinois traffic accidents occurred in the five-county Chicago area.

Last year, there were 408 fatal Chicago car accidents in the five-county area of the 1,043 traffic fatalities statewide.

Friday was the most dangerous day on the road in Illinois -- logging 58,474 urban crashes and 8,943 crashes in rural areas. More than half of crashes (180,000 of the 340,000 urban crashes) occurred between Noon and 8 p.m.

As Abels & Annes reported on its Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Illinois' 2008 traffic fatality clock logged 1,115 Illinois traffic crashes per day. Eleven people an hour were injured and 3 people a day died in fatal Illinois traffic accidents, according to the report.

Illinois has launched a campaign to reduce the number of fatal accidents this year by at least 100. As of mid-November, 781 fatalities had been reported thus far this year, compared to 883 last year.

But the November and December holiday period is one of the deadliest on the road. Currenlty, Illinois is one of just 10 states to log an average of more than 1,000 traffic deaths annually, according to the National Highway Traffic safety Administration.

Continue reading " Friday afternoons the most dangerous time for Chicago car accidents " »

Four Chicago Transit Authority employees have been placed on unpaid leave, the Chicago Tribune reported, after a weekend Chicago train accident sent at least 14 people to the hospital.

The Sun-Times reported that 14 of the train's 48 passengers were taken by ambulances to area hospitals.

Transit officials have blamed the Green Line train derailment on a missed "stop" signal, causing the northbound train to jump the tracks at the 59th Street junction shortly before noon on Saturday, December 12th.

"The investigation is still under way, but the preliminary indication is human error," a CTA spokesperson said. "The equipment -- signals, train and track -- all appeared to be working properly."

Both operators aboard the train, a supervisor overseeing the shuttle operation and a control-tower employee were removed from service pending the outcome of the investigation, the CTA reported.

The Sun-Times reported the same junction was the site of a Chicago train derailment last May, which also sent 14 people to the hospital. The National Transportation Safety Board has yet to conclude its investigation in that case, the preliminary finding was also operator error.

A total of 7,813 Chicago construction zone accidents and accidents in work zones throughout Illinois killed 31 people and injured 1,985, according to the release of the Illinois Department of Transportation's annual crash statistics report.

The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes want to remind motorists to use caution when traveling in work zones.

For Illinois construction workers injured on the job, a Chicago construction accident attorney or an Illinois workers' compensation attorney may also be able to assist in securing compensation for your injuries.

The state reported Illinois construction zone accidents occurred almost exclusively in urban areas, which accounted for 7,360 of the 7,813 accidents. The most accidents (3,827) occurred on the Interstate, followed by 1,511 on city streets and 1,217 on state routes.

IDOT's site for work zone safety reports an average of more than 7,000 crashes a year. Motorists face a minimum $375 fine for violating the 45mph speed limit in work zones. Hitting a construction worker carries a penalty of 14 years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

The state offers the following tips to motorists to avoid Illinois construction zone car accidents:

-Understand where a work zone begins and ends and reduce speed accordingly.
-Slow down whether or not workers are present. Speeding penalties apply whether or not workers are present.
-The law requires motorists to move over to the next available lane or slow down when approaching emergency or highway maintenance vehicles with flashing lights.
-Don't tailgate. One of the most common Illinois work zone accidents is a rear-end collision. Additionally, traffic in work zones frequently makes sudden stops.
-Expect the unexpected. Traffic patterns change frequently. Workers are often present. Lanes may be uneven or unmarked.

Continue reading " Nearly 8,000 Illinois construction zone accidents injured 1,985 and claimed 31 lives last year " »

An Alsip man was pronounced dead Sunday morning following a fatal Chicago car accident in the Morgan Park neighborhood, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The 54-year-old South Karlov Avenue man was pronounced dead at 1:22 a.m. at MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.

Police reported the man hit a car near the intersection of 110th Place and Hoyne Avenue. The Chicago police major accident unit is investigating the crash.

A hit-and-run driver struck and killed a 55-year-old woman in a Chicago pedestrian accident Friday evening in the Austin neighborhood. The North Parkside Avenue woman was pronounced dead at 8:29 p.m. Friday at Mount Sinai Hospital, according to the medical examiner's office.

The woman was killed in the Chicago hit-and-run accident while walking westbound and attempting to cross the street in the 1300 block of North Central Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. She was struck by a white Cadillac southbound on Central. The Cadillac, possibly as 1995, kept going. The woman died of her injuries after arriving at the hospital.

A Thursday night Chicago car accident in the South Side's Englewood neighborhood killed an 18-year-old teenager, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Two others were injured in the 9 p.m. crash between a car and a truck. The driver of the car was attempting a left turn when it collided with the truck in the intersection, according to police.

Police reported the driver of the car was ticketed for failure to yield to right of way. The driver and a second passenger were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County.

An apparent feud between two drivers ramming into each other resulted in a cyclist being killed in a Chicago bicycle accident on the Northwest Side when he got caught in the altercation on West Diversey, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

As Abels & Annes reported earlier on the firm's Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, authorities had been looking for the driver of a white van, who left the vehicle and fled on foot after striking the cyclist.

Police now allege the fatal accident that killed Jepson Livingston resulted from an altercation in which two drivers were ramming into each other before the driver of the van suddenly veered into the cyclist.

The incident occurred in Logan Square on Tuesday. Livingston was on his way to fill out job applications when he was run down in the 3800 block of West Diversey.

The 32-year-old native Chicagoan was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead after half an hour after the accident.

The victim's sister told reporters that Livingston loved the holidays and was going to fill out job applications amid the tough economy.

The Sun-Times reported that police were not treating the incident as accidental and that Grand Central Area detectives are conducting a criminal investigation, with the assistance of the police Major Accidents Investigation Unit.

A cyclist was killed over the weekend in a Chicago bicycle accident involving a 2004 Chevy Monte Carlo, the Sun-Times reported.

The bicyclist was struck by the car shortly after 11:30 p.m. Sunday night in Chicago's Jefferson Park neighborhood, according to police.

The 22-year-old Northwest Side man was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center , where he was listed in critical condition Monday afternoon.

The driver was issued two citations for negligent driving and overtaking a vehicle on the right, according to police.

The Monte Carlo was driving south on Austin when it went around a vehicle stopped at a green light and struck the cyclist, who was headed west on Montrose. The driver stopped, called 911 and attempted to assist the cyclist, police reported.

A total of 716 bicyclists were killed in the United States last year and another 52,000 injured, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Illinois had the sixth-highest bicycle fatality rate in the country last year when 27 people were killed and 3,385 injured, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Admit it, you've done it: Late for work or just plain freezing, you have chipped away a small peephole in your windshield and relied upon the wipers and the defroster to expand your world before you get too far down the road.

As Old Man Winter arrives in the Windy City with a blowing, blustery vengeance, The Chicago winter driving accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes want to take this opportunity to remind motorists it's time to brush up on those safe winter driving habits.

The results of so called "peephole driving" can not only be deadly, they are illegal in Illinois where motorists without a clear windshield can be pulled over and ticketed.

The USA Today recently dubbed it "Peephole Driving Season in the USA."

Peephole driving not only dramatically reduces a driver's ability to see, it increases the chances that snow or ice can become dislodged and hit another vehicle or a pedestrian.

"Reasonable people who would never think of leaving their driveway with worn tires or bad brakes will routinely drive their children to school after scraping just a small peephole with which to see out of the vehicle," Sgt. Scott Kristiansen, of the Buffalo Grove Police Department in suburban Chicago, told the USA Today. "That puts everybody at risk."

The article notes Illinois is one of several states where drivers can be cited for obstructed vision if excessive ice or snow is obstructing their view of the road.

AAA spokesman David Weinstein told USA Today there are no reliable statistics on the number of people injured or killed by peephole driving. "Often the driver doesn't know what happened and drives away -- Or they do know what happened and know they're culpable and drive away."

But the statistics are clear when it comes to fatal Illinois traffic accidents, the last two months of the year, which pairs the beginning of winter driving season with the holiday travel season, is the deadliest time on the road.

In 2008, 92 Illinois drivers were killed in November and 106 were killed in December, the deadliest month of the year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. The vast majority of Illinois traffic fatalities occur in the seven-county region around Chicago.

IDOT statistics show more than 1 in 4 serious accidents occurred on wet, icy or snowy roads. Of the 950 fatalities and 67,739 serious injuries that occurred in accidents where road conditions were noted last year, 140 deaths and 11,434 injuries occurred on wet roads and 82 deaths and 7,583 occurred on icy or snowy roads.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or killed in an accident, the Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

IDOT Winter Driving Tips:

Continue reading " Safe winter driving reduces the chance of Chicago car accidents " »

A pair of Chicago train accidents claimed two lives and injured several others Thursday afternoon.

A woman remained hospitalized Friday morning after her husband was killed in a Chicago car accident involving a train. Their car was struck by a Metra train in Bensenville at a railroad crossing near York Road and Main Street at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The woman was taken to Elmhust Memorial Hospital in serious but stable condition.

The Daily Herald reported the accident happened as the train struck the vehicle in a railroad crossing while approaching the Bensenville station. The vehicle was pushed nearly a quarter of a mile west of the crossing before coming to rest.

A half hour earlier, a pedestrian was killed in a Chicago train accident when she was struck in Lake Forest by an Amtrak train bound for Seattle, the Breaking News Center reported.

The 49-year-old Grayslake woman was apparently at a pedestrian crossing when hit by the Empire Builder train. Another person also was reported injured in the Chicago pedestrian accident.

Both trains were delayed for several hours as a result of the accidents. The Bensenville police, Metra police and the DuPage County Coroner's Office are investigating, according to the Sun-Times.

Chicago injury attorneys from Abels & Annes have reached a workers' compensation settlement for a South Side woman who was injured at work in May of 2007. She is employed with the Anixster Center, a company that works with people with disabilities.

She was hurt while trying to help staff control an upset patient who has learning disabilities. After the incident she had pain in her neck and low back for several days. She sought treatment after the accident at St. Margaret Hospital in Hammond, Indiana.

After the ER, her pain did not resolve and she treated at the Orthopaedic & Occupational Rehabilitation Center and with a local orthopaedic medical doctor. An MRI was taken that showed she sustained injuries to both her cervical and lumbar spine. Our client underwent a regiment of physical therapy and her pain resolved over time. She did not undergo surgery.

The case has settled for $23,490.81, plus we recovered an additional $8,120 in disability pay while she was off work due to her injuries.

Amtrust insures the employer and is paying on the claim.

If you have been injured on the job in Illinois, contact our office for a free consultation. Call 312-399-8988 24/7 to speak to a lawyer directly.

A trucker more than a quarter mile from an Illinois factory explosion was killed by flying debris Monday afternoon.

The NDK America Plant, which manufactures crystals used in liquid-crystal displays, was designed to break apart during an explosion, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the explosion and whether other parts of the building could pose a danger following the fatal Illinois factory accident.

The Belvidere fire department reported that the blast occurred about 2:30 p.m., apparently in a highly pressurized vessel where the crystals were made.

The fire chief said the five-year-old, six-story factory was built with specially designed exterior panels meant to break away during the explosion. An employee inside the building during the blast was not injured.

However, a chunk of exterior panel struck a man standing outside his vehicle on the north side of the Belvidere Oasis on I-90, about a quarter mile away. The 63-year-old Chesterton, Indiana man was killed.

Debris from the explosion was scattered over several hundred feet and residents near the factory said the blast felt like an earthquake.

The USA Today attributed the explosion to a gas leak at the plant and said the victim was pumping gas into his vehicle along I-90 when he was hit by shrapnel from the explosion.

Belvidere police, the Boone County sheriff and the state fire marshal continue to investigate the Illinois factory accident.

It is that time a year again when we find ourselves more frequently driving at night: When, as winter settles in for the long-haul, it sometimes seems sunset begins just after lunch and commuting home in the dark becomes routine.

But data released as part of Illinois' 2008 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics continues to show nighttime driving is a contributing factor in a significant number of serious and fatal Illinois car accidents.

The Chicago car accident attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes take a look at those figures, and advice for safe nighttime driving.

More than half of all fatal car accidents in Illinois last year occurred at or near dark, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Daylight: 458
Dawn:12
Dusk:18
Darkness: 291
Darkness lighted road: 169
Unknown: 2

Dawn, dusk, and darkness (whether or not the road was lit) logged 490 fatal accidents while 458 occurred during the much busier daytime driving hours.

While noon to 4 p.m. experienced the most accidents (91,594) -- the segment which includes dusk (4 to 8 p.m.), followed closely with 90,811 accidents and the 8 p.m. to midnight period ranked third most-dangerous, with 39,893 accidents.

Driving at night reduces your field of vision, often accompanies fatigue and slower reaction time, and makes drivers more vulnerable to glare, distraction and external dangers, such as drunk or fatigued drivers.

The following are night-driving tips from a variety of sources, including Road and Travel, Motor Vehicle Lighting Council, The Weather Channel and the National Safety Council:

-Use your lights courteously: Turn lights on an hour before sunset and leave them on for at least one hour after sunrise; refrain from flashing your brights at a driver with his high-beams on, this may only succeed in blinding the oncoming driver; use low-beams in fog, or use fog lights.

-Don't drink and drive. Nighttime weekend car accidents are a primary cause of serious and fatal car accidents.

-Avoid smoking when you drive: The chemicals in smoke may actually harm your night vision.

-Don't overdrive your headlights.

-Stop frequently for light snacks and exercise. Stop and rest if you are too tired to drive.

-Make it easy for others to see you: Make sure your vehicle's lights are functioning properly. Use emergency flashers in the event of a breakdown and pull completely off the road.

-Avoid glare: Watch the white line at the edge of the road, instead of looking into oncoming headlights. Use the day-night feature of your rearview mirror to cut glare from lights behind you.

-Adjust vehicle's interior lighting: Avoid using lights inside your vehicle. If streetlights cause a lot of glare, adjust your visor and/or dashboard lights.

-Align headlights correctly.

-Have your vision checked; invest in glasses with anti-reflective coating.

-Keep windows and headlights clean.

-Keep your eyes moving.

-Increase your following distance.

-Watch your speed: Driving fast at night is more dangerous because of your reduced field of vision.

-Use your mirrors.

Continue reading " Winter's dark commute a dangerous time for Chicago car accidents " »

December is National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention Month. Raising awareness about the consequences of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs this holiday season, could reduce the number of serious and fatal Chicago car accidents.

The Chicago drunk driving accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes have posted here and on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog about recent stepped-up enforcement efforts aimed at combating drunk driving and other holiday car accidents in the Chicago area and across the country.

In 2007, nearly 1,500 people were killed in crashes involving a drunk driver from Thanksgiving through New Year's Day, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving's Tie One On for Safety campaign joins increased enforcement by local law enforcement through the holiday season, including sobriety checkpoints and saturation patrols.

To show support, motorists are encouraged to tie a red ribbon on their antenna or display a window decal as a pledge to drive safe, sober and buckled up during the holidays and throughout the year. Red ribbons and red ribbon window decals are available by contacting your local MADD affiliate.

MADD encourages all drivers to obey the following safety tips:

-Designate a sober driver before celebrations begin.
-Never serve those under the age of 21 alcohol.
-Plan safe parties, including providing non-alcoholic drink options to guests and not serving alcohol the last hour of the gathering.
-Be prepared to get everyone home safe in case your plans or individual circumstances change.

Holidays bring increased risk of serious or fatal accidents on Illinois roads, according to 2008 statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation:

Memorial Day: 8 killed 726 injured in
Fourth of July: 15 killed and 805 injured
Labor Day: 15 killed and 803 injured
Thanksgiving: 9 killed and 961 injured
Christmas: 8 killed and 841 injured
New Year's: 10 killed and 575 injured

Last year, almost half -- 44 percent -- of fatally injured Illinois drivers tested positive for alcohol. Forty percent of all Illinois traffic fatalities in 2008 occurred in the 5 county area around Chicago.

Continue reading " Drunk driving awareness month aimed at reducing Chicago car accidents, drunk driving accidents nationwide " »

With teens hitting the streets for long holiday breaks over New Year's, reviewing driver safety with your young driver is a good way to start the holiday.

The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes encourage you to take a moment to discuss driver safety with your children to help them stay safe through the beginning of winter-driving season and the congested roads that will great us all this holiday season.

Statistics show teens are at increased risk of Chicago car accidents and drunk driving accidents in Illinois and across the nation this holiday season.

Illinois is a leader in educating teenagers about safe-driving habits. Parents and teenagers can find the state's Teen Safe Driving Guide and a Parent and Teen Driving contract by clicking here.

Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 20. Nearly 1 in 5 licensed 16-year-olds is in a crash and the fatality rate for teenagers is up to 5 times higher that for drivers in their 30s, 40s and 50s, according to state statistics.

Lack of experience, greater risk taking and driving under the influence are factors associated with the higher traffic fatality rates for teenagers.

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, according the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in a 2005 study that 1 in 4 teens who died in a car accident was legally drunk. Three out of 10 teens reported riding in a car within the last 30 days with a driver who had been drinking.

Lessons in the teen safe-driving guide include: starting and stopping, turning, backing up, parking, changing directions, establishing right-of-way, changing lanes, managing intersections, following other vehicles, defensive driving, assessing highway conditions and passing, handling adverse driving conditions, and other useful safety information and rules of the road.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also offers a comprehensive teen-driver safety program available by clicking here.

Continue reading " Teen driver safety a must for avoiding holiday Chicago car accidents " »

Five counties in and around Chicago were responsible for almost half of Illinois traffic fatalities last year, according to the 2008 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics data released by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The Chicago car accident attorneys and injury lawyers at Abels & Annes are publishing a series of blogs taking a look at the new comprehensive traffic data here and on our sister site, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog.

Last year, 569 people were killed and 78,509 people were injured in urban Illinois car accidents, compared to 474 killed and 15,512 injured in rural accidents. Abels & Annes previously reported there were 408 Chicago car accident fatalities in the five-county area in 2008, accounting for 70 percent of the state's urban accidents and about 40 percent of the 1,043 traffic fatalities that occurred statewide in 2008.

The most common type of injury crash was rear-end collisions, which caused 25,817 injuries statewide in 2008, followed by "turning accidents," the state's second-most-common injury accident with 17,650 injuries.

The most fatal crashes occurred in a collision with a fixed object (283), followed by pedestrian fatalities (129), head-on collisions (105) and overturned vehicles (104).

10 Most common Illinois accidents:
Rear-end collision: 115,713
Turning: 60,399
Fixed object: 48,914
Parked: 48,507
Angle: 41,723
Sideswipe same direction: 35,366
Animal: 25,271
Vehicle overturned: 5,816
Pedestrian: 5,671
Sideswipe opposite direction: 5,492

Continue reading " 40 percent of Illinois traffic fatalities occur as a result of Chicago car accidents " »