Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Spring is here, and with it comes an increased risk of Chicago pedestrian accidents.

In 2008, a total of 135 pedestrians were killed in fatal Illinois pedestrian accidents, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Chicago pedestrian accidents are responsible for the majority of pedestrian deaths each year in Illinois.

A comprehensive study of Illinois traffic fatalities conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago between 1990-2000, found that more than half of all pedestrian deaths (1,357 of 2,286), occurred in Cook County.

Statewide, pedestrian deaths declined from 272 in 1990 to 187 in 2000. In Cook County, annual pedestrian deaths declined from 160 to 101 during the 11-year study period.

As we reported last year on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Chicago police have stepped up enforcement by positing undercover police officers in crosswalks to ticket violators and promote pedestrian safety.

CyberDrive Illinois provides guidelines for drivers to avoid pedestrian accidents. A driver must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians:

-When a pedestrian is in a marked or unmarked crosswalk
-When turning at an intersection
-After stopping at an intersection
-When making a turn at a red light
-Whenever a pedestrian is entering or exiting a street from a building, alley, driveway or private road
-When people are walking, standing or working in a safety or construction zone
-When a pedestrian has stepped into a crosswalk and the light has yet to change
-When a pedestrian is walking in a crosswalk and the walk signal is flashing

Continue reading " Spring brings increased risk of Chicago pedestrian accidents " »

A proposal that would mandate helmet use by underage motorcycle riders failed to pass through the Illinois Senate last week, according to the Quad-City Times.

Lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the measure in a 19-32 vote. Supporters argued the measure would help reduce serious and fatal Illinois motorcycle accidents while opponents painted the proposal as government interference in what should be a decision made by young riders and their parents.

The measure had been sponsored by Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, who said the proposal would help save lives and reduce medical costs. He argued that the public spends millions of dollars in medical expenses to treat brain injuries caused by serious motorcycle accidents.

Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, questioned those statistics, citing a study done by the Brain Injury Association.

“Six percent of brain injuries occur from motorcyclists, whereas 13 percent of brain injuries occur to pedestrians,” he said. “When will the pedestrian helmet bill be before the Illinois Senate?”

Illinois is one of only three states that has no motorcycle helmet laws. Trotter has also proposed separate legislation that would require all motorcyclists to wear helmets. That bill has not yet made it to the Senate floor.

In 2008, there were 4,901 motorcycle accidents in Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. In all, 268 people were killed and more than 6,000 injured in Illinois motorcycle accidents.

A fatal Illinois bicycle accident has claimed the life of a 17-year-old Chicago student, the Sun-Times reported.

The teen was on a spring break bicycle trip downstate when an 86-year-old driver in a minivan swerved across the center line and struck her and two friends head on, according to Illinois State Police.

All three students were from the University of Chicago Lab School. The two friends, both 18, were taken to hospitals in Evansville in serious but stable condition.

The trio was cycling on Shawneetown/New Haven Road at Ponds Settlement Road — rural roads about 320 miles south of Chicago. The driver was not hurt and authorities said he will not face criminal charges.

Gallatin County Coroner Tony Cox happened to be driving past shortly after the accident and was first on the scene. He said all three girls were unconscious in a ditch and the driver was in shock.

Under state law, drivers over 81 years old must renew their license every two years. The state said the driver had no citations on his record and passed the driving test in November 2008.

Rabbi Aaron Petuchowski of Temple Sholom, said two of the victims participated in temple life.

One of the surviving girls was wearing a helmet but suffered two broken wrists, a broken jaw and broken bones in her face.

In 2008, 27 people were killed in Illinois bicycle accidents and another 3,385 were injured, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

A Chicago semi accident claimed the life of a 6-year-old boy and critically injured his father in a Friday afternoon accident on the South Side, WBBM News reported.

The semi was southbound on South Ashland Avenue when it struck the victims as they attempted to cross the street between West 18th and West 19th streets shortly after 3 p.m. The Chicago Tribune reported the semi was traveling cab-only, and was not towing a trailer at the time of the accident.

Father and son were both transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

The child was pronounced dead at 3:38 p.m., according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office. The 45-year-old man remained hospitalized in critical condition over the weekend.

The 67-year-old truck driver, of Fortville, Indiana, was ticketed for striking a pedestrian in the roadway, according to police. No additional charges are expected.

Police say the victims were hit as they attempted to cross the street at an intersection that lacks signs, stoplights or other traffic control devices. The street was closed for several hours while police investigated.

The boy was a student at Cooper Elementary School, which is just a block east of the intersection and lets out at 3 p.m. A retired police officer who witnesses the accident questioned why no crossing guards were posted at the intersection, which he said gets busy after school.

There were 14,632 Illinois semi accidents in 2008, which killed 115 people and injured 2,940, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Eight pedestrians were killed and 30 more were injured in Illinois accidents involving semis.

The widow of a pedestrian killed in a Chicago bus accident has filed a civil lawsuit against the driver and bus company, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The 63-year-old South Holland man was killed Feb. 23 when a Megabus struck him in a crosswalk on the Near West Side.

The victim's wife filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court last week against the discount interstate bus company and the driver, claiming negligence led to the Chicago pedestrian death.

Police reported the bus was traveling west on Adams Street and was turning south onto Desplaines Street when it struck the victim in the crosswalk. The lawsuit contends that the driver's failure to yield the right of way, along with five other violations, led to the victim being struck and killed.

He was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, shortly after the 5 p.m. accident, according to the Sun-Times.

The 45-year-old Sauk Village bus driver was charged with reckless driving and not giving the right of way to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

The wrongful death lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for the victim's widow and the couple's two sons.

In 2008, a total of 135 pedestrians were killed and 5,423 were injured in Illinois pedestrian accidents, the vast majority of which occurred in the Chicago area, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Three-quarters of all fatal car accidents occur in urban areas or withing 5 miles of an urban area, according to new research released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

As reported earlier this month on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Chicago is the third-most congested urban area in the country after Los Angeles and New York, leading to an increased risk of serious or fatal Chicago car accidents.

In Illinois, the numbers are even more striking -- 94 percent -- or 19 of every 20 fatal accidents -- occur within 10 miles of an urban area.

-95 percent of speed-related traffic fatalities in Illinois occur in and around urban areas.
-95 percent of fatal motorcycle accidents in Illinois occur in and around urban areas.
-99 percent of fatal Illinois pedestrian accidents occur in and around urban areas.
-96 percent of fatal Illinois trucking accidents occur in and around urban areas.
-94 percent of fatal Illinois drunk driving accidents occur in and around urban areas.

Nationwide, the numbers trend lower than they do in Illinois but are still striking:

-More than half (53 percent) of fatal motorcycle crashes occur in urban areas -- 9 in 10 fatal motorcycle crashes occur within 10 miles of an urban area.

-74 percent of fatal pedestrian accidents occur in urban areas -- while 95 percent occur within 10 miles of an urban area.

-About one-third of fatal trucking accidents occur in urban areas -- 83 percent occur within 10 miles of an urban area.

-Two-third of all interstate highway fatalities occur within 2.5 miles of an urban area.

-85 percent of all speed-related fatal traffic crashes occur within 10 miles of an urban area.

-86 percent of all fatal drunk driving accidents occur within 10 miles of an urban area.

Continue reading " Illinois traffic fatalities center around Chicago accidents " »

Lawmakers are considering a back-to-back increase in the speed limit for semis and large trucks, which opponents contend could increase the risk of Illinois trucking accidents.

Lawmakers in the senate have proposed a law that would increase the speed limit to 70 mph on downstate highways. The new rule would apply to both cars and trucks and effect mostly rural interstate highways, WJBD News reported.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Dale Risinger, of Peoria, said he didn't think the increased speed for trucks would be a safety hazard. "Thirty-three states have 70 mph or greater on their highways, and those that have raised their speed limits have shown their accident rates haven't increased."

As reported on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Illinois semis were just given the green light on Jan. 1 to increase speeds to 65 mph on most interstates outside the Chicago area.

Before Gov. Pat Quinn signed that increase into law, trucks were limited to 55 mph on Illinois highways.

Like that increase, the proposed legislation would not allow the higher speed limit for trucks traveling in Cook, Dupage, Kane, Lake, Mchenry and Will counties in the Chicago area.

Many people underestimate the increase in force that comes with a Chicago car accident at interstate speeds. As we reported last year in our Illinois Safe Driving series, speed not only increases a driver's reaction time, it exponentially increases the force of collision -- so an accident is not twice as likely to be fatal at 50 mph than at 25 mph -- federal research shows it is 15 times more likely to be fatal.

Continue reading " Increased speeds could increase risk of Illinois car accidents and Interstate trucking accidents " »

A taxi driver was seriously injured Sunday morning in a Chicago car accident near O'Hare International Airport, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The driver stepped out of his passenger van and was struck by a vehicle on Interstate 90 near the airport.

It was the third time in recent weeks that a motorist was struck outside a vehicle in the Chicago area. As we reported last month here at Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, one person was killed and another seriously injured while standing outside a disabled vehicle and, in a separate incident, a 36-year-old woman was struck and killed by a semi while pulled over to check for a flat tire.

In this accident, Illinois State Police were called shortly after 5 a.m. about a person hit in the eastbound lanes of I-90. Preliminary reports suggest the driver may have stepped outside the taxi to change a tire. He was struck by a Jeep SUV and thrown into a ditch 40 feet away from the vehicle.

Shortly after 5 a.m., Illinois State Police responded to a call of a person hit in the eastbound lanes of I-90 near the airport.

Chicago employees who are injured in a work accident may be entitled to compensation for a work injury. About 1 in 4 work injuries involve transportation accidents or employees who are driving for work, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Emergency personnel used rope and a stretcher to haul the man from the ditch. He was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

The taxi sustained moderate damage after being sideswiped by the Jeep. The woman who was driving the Jeep remained at the scene and was being questioned by police.

A woman and a 1-year-old girl were killed in a Chicago train accident on Saturday when a Metra train struck them as they crossed the tracks with family in suburban North Chicago, the Sun-Times reported.

The Metra Union Pacific North Line train No. 806 struck the woman carrying a baby just after 8 a.m. near the North Chicago station on Lakeside Drive, FOX News reported. The Lake County Coroner pronounced the women dead at the scene.

The infant was taken to Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, where she was pronounced dead about 11:30 a.m.

The Daily Herald reported that the infant was the woman's niece.

The woman was crossing the tracks with the infant's father and another child, both of whom made it across the tracks before the train came.

The train had departed the Waukegan station at 8:50 a.m. and was due at the Great Lakes station shortly before 9 a.m. The train does not stop at the North Chicago station.

None of the passengers on the train were injured. They were transferred to another inbound train headed for Chicago.

The Chicago Tribune reported that the engineer waited until emergency crews arrived before exiting the cab, then met with authorities and the two conductors without speaking to anyone on the train.

The train remained parked for several hours as investigators combed the scene and took photographs.

A 15-year-old Bowen High School freshman is dead following a weekend Chicago pedestrian accident after being struck by as many as three vehicles, including a drunk driver, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Chicago police said the teenager was struck by a drunk driver while walking home, thrown into the path of a second vehicle and hit again. Police are investigating reports that a third vehicle may also have been involved.

The girl had just stepped onto East 87th Street near King Drive when she was run down at about 11:15 p.m. Saturday. She died Monday morning at Advocate Hope Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn.

Her death was ruled an accident by the Cook County medical examiner's office, which reported that she died of multiple injuries sustained in the accident.

The first driver was charged with DUI and ticketed for striking a pedestrian as well as a plate registration violation. The second driver has not been cited and the accident remains under investigation.

The victim was a popular student who had earned a place on her school's honor role. She worked on the school's yearbook and took part in the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps, according to a school spokesperson. Family said she was an aspiring beautician who had just recently landed a job at a beauty salon.

A total of 156 people were killed in fatal Illinois pedestrian accidents in 2008, the vast majority in and around the Chicago metro area, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

As reported earlier this week on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, one-third of traffic fatalities in Cook County are blamed on Chicago drunk driving accidents.

Two dozen people were injured in separate Chicago traffic accidents Sunday afternoon.

Eleven people, including 7 children, were injured Sunday afternoon in a Chicago traffic accident when two vans collided on the South Side, WBBM News reported.

The accident happened shortly before 3 p.m. Sunday at South Racine Avenue and West 68th St.

Seven children were transported to area hospitals in serious condition. Four adults were also taken to the hospital in serious-to-critical condition.

Cause of the accident remains under investigation.

Thirteen people were injured in a Chicago bus accident involving a semi, the Breaking News Center reported.

The accident involving the Chicago Transit authority bus happened late Sunday afternoon on the West Side and left on person critically injured. Rescue personnel were called to the intersection of Loomis Street and Cermak Road at 4:45 p.m.

One woman was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital.

Two were transported to Mount Sanai in fair to serious condtion; and two were taken in good condition to the University of Chicago Hospital. The driver of the semi was also injured but refused medical treatment.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that the semi rear-ended the bus before crashing into a minvan.

Cause of the crash remains under investigation.

A worker was killed last week and another injured in a Chicago construction accident that occurred in the Loop, ABC 7 reported.

The victims are employees of People's Energy and were conducting an underground test at Jackson and Wacker Drive when the Chicago work accident occurred shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday afternoon. They were testing a 20-inch main when a steel pipe slipped and struck both workers, who were in a construction hole across the street from the Willis Tower.

Three ambulances responded to the scene at 1:45 p.m. after reports of workers trapped following an explosion, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Initial reports of a gas explosion were countered by a Peoples Energy representative, who said the employees were using compressed air when the accident happened and that no natural gas was involved.

The Chicago fire department said both employees were critically injured and were transported to Cook County Hospital.

"The two employees were in the performance of their duties, they were testing a pipe and an accident occurred," Peoples Energy representative Bonnie Johnson told ABC7.

Witnesses at the scene said the fire department apparently extracted the surviving victim quickly but had to work feverishly to extract the worker who was fatally injured after being trapped in the hole.

The surviving victim remained in critical condition at Cook County Hospital.

The federal government has unveiled sample legislation for states crafting laws to prohibit texting while driving, the latest move by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to combat distracted driving.

As reported earlier this year on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Illinois is a leader in reforming driving laws to combat serious and fatal Illinois car accidents: Two new laws took effect Jan. 1, making it illegal to text while driving or to talk on a cell phone while traveling in a school zone or construction site.

Drivers have been forbidden from using cell phones while driving within the City of Chicago since 2005.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 1 in 4 police-reported traffic crashes are the result of some form of driver distraction. An estimated 6,000 people died last year in fatal crashes caused by distracted or inattentive drivers. Research continues to show that young, inexperienced drivers under 20 -- who are more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal car accident -- are also more likely to text message while behind the wheel.

"Texting while driving, like talking on cell phones while driving, is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening practice," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This language, which we created with a variety of safety organizations, is another powerful tool in our arsenal to help the states combat this serious threat.”

In recent months, President Obama issued an executive order prohibiting all federal employees from texting while driving and the federal government issued new guidelines making it illegal for drivers of commercial vehicles to text while driving.

Currently, 19 states have texting laws on the books. Nationwide, some 200 distracted driving laws were considered by state lawmakers. Though many did not make it into law, legislative activity is expected to remain strong this year.

Safety advocates content texting is particularly dangerous because it involves three forms of driver distraction: visual (eyes off the road), manual (hands off the wheel) and cognitive (mind off the road).

Continue reading " Federal government pushes states to ban texting while driving to combat fatal car accidents " »

When it comes to Chicago pedestrian accidents, children are at high risk. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14. Every day in the United States, an average of 5 children under 14 are killed and more than 500 injured by a motor vehicle.

The Chicago child injury attorneys and the Chicago pedestrian accident lawyers at Abels & Annes urge parents to discuss traffic safety with their children early and often.

In 2007, a total of 1,670 children were killed and 200,000 were injured in Chicago car accidents. In many cases, the child is a pedestrian.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers excellent advice to parents and adults working with children to learn proper roadway and pedestrian safety.

Advice for parents and caregivers of elementary school children:
-Cross at the corner or at an intersection.
-Stop at the edge of parked cars, the curb, or other vehicles.
-Look left-right-left (left is most important because it is the traffic direction closest to you.)
-Continue looking left and right while crossing.
-Walk. Don't run in the street.
-Watch for signs (engine sound, car doors, brake lights) that a car is about to move.
-Use both your eyes and ears at all time for safety.

Preventing backovers in driveways
-Ensure children are supervised at all times, especially when vehicles are present.
-Teach children not to play around vehicles.
-Always assume the presence of children and check carefully before backing.
-Do not allow children to ever play in the driveway.
-Teach children never to play with a vehicle or attempt to put it in gear.
-Never leave a vehicle running and unattended.
-Know where children are located and have them in view before moving a vehicle.
-Keep an eye to the rear and your window down as you back slowly out of a drive.
-Talk to neighborhood parents and urge them to follow safety guidelines.

Continue reading " Children at high risk of Chicago pedestrian accidents " »

A 26-year-old Aurora man has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a fatal Chicago drunk driving accident that killed two of his friends back in 2007, the Examiner reported.

The Balmoral Court man agreed to plea to two counts of aggravated DUI and one count of DUI, according to the Kane County State's Attorney's office. He faces between 6 and 28 years in prison at his April sentencing.

The fatal Chicago DUI accident occurred in Aug. 2007. The defendant was driving two of his friends in a Nissan Sentra when he crashed into a tree near Sugar Grove. The two 21-year-old men were killed.

Investigators said the defendant had marijuana in his system at the time of the crash and a blood alcohol level of .01, above the Illinois limit of .08.

Illinois drunk driving fatalities are a primary cause of fatal Illinois traffic crashes. The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that nearly half of fatally injured drivers (including 49 percent of young drivers ages 16 to 24) had a positive blood-alcohol content at the time of the collision.

As reported earlier this month on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, the state of Illinois will spend more than $11 million to combat drunk driving this year.

One-third of all fatal accidents in Illinois involve a drunk driver. The overall goal is to reduce Illinois traffic fatalities to 883 by 2011 from the 1,355 recorded in 2004. Last month, we reported here at Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog that the 928 traffic fatalities recorded in 2009 were the lowest in nearly a century of reporting.