Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Two employees were injured in a Chicago construction accident when their scaffold collapsed on Saturday, WGNTV reported.

The accident happened around 10 a.m. Saturday at 62nd and Sangamon Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood, where the men were working on a building that was converted to a woman's shelter. They were doing tuckpointing work when the scaffolding collapse occurred. Both men were taken to Stroger Hospital. The two men were in critical condition, according to the Breaking News Center.

The building is owned by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department reported that the building could be unstable and the city's building department is being called in to assess its integrity.

The men were working on the two-story building when bricks crumbled off a portion of the structure that rises above the top floor. Yellow tape has secured the area from pedestrians out of concern over the stability of the structure. CBS 2 reported that the swing stage's anchor detached from the building, causing the scaffolding to crash to the ground. A concrete block then landed on the 28-year-old worker.

A woman accused of a Chicago drunk driving accident that killed 5 teenagers is expected to testify this week as her trial comes to a close in Kendall County, the Daily Herald reported.

The 26-year-old Auora woman is accused of drunk driving in a Feb. 11, 2007 accident while giving 8 teenagers a ride home from an underage drinking party hosted by an 18-year-old Boulder Hill resident. Police say she was driving a 2001 Infiniti Q30 68mph in a 45 mph zone when she lost control and slammed into a telephone pole on Route 31 near River Run Road, 4 miles from the party. Five Oswego High School students -- ages 17, 16, 15, 14, 14 -- died in the crash. The home's owner reported that she and her boyfriend had returned home to find their son having a party and kicked everyone out around 1 a.m.

The defendant's blood-alcohol level was .124, above the legal limit of .08. However, she is contesting the results, saying she vomited during the accident, which can skew test results.

We continue to post information on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog about the dangers teenagers face on the road. Traffic accidents are the number one cause of death for teenagers ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Teenagers are often ill-equipped to recognize the risks associated with traffic accidents. In this case, eight kids piled into a car with a woman who may or may not have been under the influence. Regardless, she was speeding down the road in a car with more passengers than it was made to handle and some of the kids must have been forced to ride without seat belts. To say nothing of the distraction of driving eight drunken rowdy teens around at 2 o'clock in the morning.

Parents who host parties, or who arrive home to find their child has hosted a party, also need to be aware of the liability. In this case, the homeowner had an obligation to make sure these kids found a safe ride home. When excessive drinking occurs on a homeowner's property, and a serious or fatal accident results, a homeowner can be held liable in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit -- just as a bar can be held responsible for over-serving a patron.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving offers resources for the parents of high-school students.

As the Fourth of July approaches, our Chicago injury lawyers encourage parents to speak with their teenagers about the importance of making good decisions and staying safe on the road. They should feel free to call home for a ride if they feel they need to do so -- without fear of punishment. And parents need to understand the importance of adult supervision and appropriately host gatherings involving teenagers.

An Illinois medical malpractice lawsuit has been filed against North Suburban Glenbrook Hospital, according to the Lake County News-Sun. The lawsuit was filed by the family a 56-year-old lake Forest man who died while a patient at the hospital in Glenview, Illinois.

The patient developed an infection in his hip earlier this year. He underwent surgery at Glenbrook Hospital and developed kidney failure. His kidney failure required dialysis but the hospital allegedly failed to monitor his fluid levels appropriately, according to attorney Patrick Salvi, who is representing the family.

The lawsuit also alleges the patient received blood, but not dialysis in late December. He went into cardiac arrest and died a short time later. The attorney states that the plaintiff's autopsy showed a fluid overload to be the cause of death.

The family has filed a lawsuit in Cook County, Illinois against Glenbrook Hospital and five doctors who treated the patient at the hospital. Glenbrook Hospital is a NorthShore University HealthSystem hospital.

The victim was a partner at a Chicago investment firm when he past away on January 2, 2010.

Continue reading " Chicago area medical malpractice lawsuit filed against suburban hospital " »

Eleven people were hospitalized after a Chicago bus accident on Thursday night, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The crash involved a Chicago Transit Authority bus and a car; it occurred in the Wicker Park neighborhood shortly before 8 p.m. Chicago police said the crash happened at the six-corner intersection of Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues.

Eleven people were transported to area hospitals, according to the Chicago fire department, while another 12 people refused treatment at the scene.

The Sun-Times reported that five ambulances responded to the scene.

Our Chicago injury lawyers continue to report a significant number of accidents involving CTA buses. In April, the family of a man run over by a CTA bus filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city. In May, a CTA bus accident injured seven on the Northwest Side and 12 others were injured when a CTA bus crashed into a building.

Bus accidents frequently involve serious injury to passengers. And motorists face as much danger in an accident with a bus as they might in an accident with a semi or other large commercial vehicle.

In 2008, nearly 4,000 Illinois busing accidents occurred, killing six people and injuring 626, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. An additional 2,445 Illinois school bus accidents claimed the lives of six motorists and injured 349.

Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have received a good award for one of their clients by way of binding arbitration.

The case stems from an auto accident where the plaintiff was stopped for a red light on southbound River Rd. at Devon in the City of Rosemont, Illinois. As she was sitting stopped at the light she was struck from behind by a vehicle that was driving too fast for conditions.

Our client was seen in Lutheran General Hospital’s Emergency Room on the date of the collision with complaints of back and neck pain. She had no prior history of back or neck problems. She was diagnosed with sprain/strain and instructed to seek follow up care.

She initially sought follow up treatment with a medical doctor later that week. Because of her complaints, the doctor ordered a Lumbar MRI which was performed on March 31, 2008 which identified disk herniations at L5-S1, T12-L1 and T11-T12.

Based upon her condition the plaintiff was prescribed and underwent a lengthy course of physical therapy. Due to her ongoing pain and limitations as a result of her injuries she was referred to a pain specialist who performed bilateral L3-4, L4-5 and L5-S1 intraarticular facet joint injections on June 12, 2008.

Based upon her good response to the injections and physical therapy, her doctor determined that she reached maximum medical improvement on June 27, 2008.

We recovered $20,000 insurance policy limits from the defendant's insurance carrier, and then moved forward on an under-insured motorist claim against our client's own insurance carrier, State Farm.

Because we were unable to reach a fair settlement, we proceeded to a binding arbitration hearing at ADR Systems. The Judge awarded the plaintiff $49,500.

Chicago workers' compensation lawyers at Abels & Annes have recently settled several claims for our clients.

One client, an employee at Adventist LaGrange Memorial Hospital in LaGrange, Illinois required arthroscopic surgery on her left shoulder after she slipped and fell in a bathroom while at work. The employer made no financial offers to the claimant until she retained our firm.

The hospital has since paid the claimant disability for her time off work and they also paid her medical bills. Additionally, the worker received an $18,000 settlement.

In another case, an employee for Miller Products, Inc. suffered a lacerated pinky finger while at work in University Park, Illinois. His employer initially offered him no money for his injury. He has since received disability pay for his time off work and case settled for $7,322.96.

In a third settlement, our client injured his right thumb while changing a gear on a machine while working in Bensenville. His medical bills have been paid for and he just received a $5,300 settlement. He was employed by Grove Industries in Wheaton, Illinois. The employer was insured by Travelers.

This article was coauthored by Katie Manifold, a third year law student at Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that local resident has been killed in a bizarre Chicago car vs. pedestrian accident. The victim, who lives in the 4000 of North Troy Street, was found caught between a car and a light pole on Saturday in the Albany Park neighborhood.

The 20-year-old victim was found in a standing position around 3:00 p.m. on Saturday in the 4000 block of North Kedzie. He was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and pronounced dead early Sunday evening. He suffered severe trauma to his upper body.

The Chicago Police Department was reportedly not notified of the pedestrian accident until after the victim had been transported to the hospital. The police investigation as to how the accident occurred is still ongoing. Both Grand Central area detectives and the Major Accident Investigation Unit are involved.

Click here to read the story as reported by the Chicago Breaking News Center.

Four people were seriously injured in a Chicago car accident on Sunday night. The accident in the Grand Crossing neighborhood on Chicago's South Side involved multiple vehicles, the Breaking News Center reported.

Police and emergency workers responded to the accident shortly before 10:30 p.m. near the intersection of 70th Street and Stony Island Avenue. Two victims were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious to critical condition. Two other were taken in serious to critical condition to Stroger Hospital of Cook County.

While it was a busy weekend for accidents in the Chicago area, no fatalities were reported. This year is shaping up to be historic in terms of the low number of fatal accidents being reported in Chicago and throughout the state.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reported that a total of 331 fatal Illinois traffic accidents have claimed 363 lives -- 53 fewer than the 414 motorists killed during the same period last year. As our Chicago injury lawyers have reported here and on our sister site, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, last year's rate of fatal accidents in Illinois was already the lowest recorded in nearly half a century of reporting.

2010 fatal Illinois accidents through June 21:

Chicago
2010: 66
2009: 141
2008: 156

Cook County
2010: 99
2009: 244
2008: 259

Will County
2010: 23
2009: 35
2008: 38

DuPage County
2010: 7
2009: 23
2008: 25

Kane County
2010: 7
2009: 28
2008: 31

Lake County
2010: 6
2009: 16
2008: 28

McHenry County:
2010: 6
2009: 13
2008: 17

Authorities responded to a number of hit-and-run crashes and fatal car and pedestrian accidents in the Chicago area over the weekend -- even as state statistics show that fatal Chicago car accidents have declined by more than 50 percent so far this year.

A hit-and-run Chicago car accident injured five people, including two police officers, in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side, according to the Breaking News Center.

The crash happened Sunday afternoon about 3 p.m. when a police cruiser and a civilian vehicle were stopped at an eastbound light on Roosevelt Road at Kedzie Avenue. A car traveling south on Kedzie lost control as it turned right and collided with the civilian vehicle, which collided with the cruiser.

Police say the at-fault vehicle turned out to be stolen. The driver fled on foot and is still be sought by authorities. Two officers and three others were all treated at area hospitals.

An 18-year-old woman was killed Saturday night in a Chicago pedestrian accident. The Tribune reported the woman was attending a graduation party when she was struck by a car and dragged 30-40 feet. Family members say the woman was to start community college on Monday and was a graduate of Proviso West High School in Hillside, where she was a member of the cheerleading, track and swimming teams.

Police say she tripped and fell and was dragged beneath a four-door vehicle.

As we reported on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, police are looking for a van involved in a hit-and-run pedestrian accident that killed a 24-year-old man Friday night. The man was hit crossing the street at 9100 S. Stony Island.

On Friday night, a Chicago woman died in a highway accident just over the state line in Indiana, the Sun-Times reported. The 52-year-old woman died on the Indiana Toll road near East Chicago after a vehicle she was riding in pulled out in front of another car and was rear-ended, according to police.

Through Sunday, a total of 318 fatal Illinois crashes have claimed 349 lives -- 46 fewer than during the same period a year ago, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

In Chicago, 64 people have died in traffic accidents compared to 141 during the same period last year.

Chicago car crash lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. have reached a policy limits $100,000 settlement for a woman that sustained injuries in an Illinois hit-and-run accident. The automobile collision which took place on October 4, 2009 at approximately 2:40 a.m. The plaintiff riding as a passenger in a vehicle being driven by a friend.

The vehicle had been heading northbound on Wood Street near its intersection with 31st Street in Chicago, Illinois. When they reached the intersection the driver stopped for the stop sign. He then began to make a left turn to proceed westbound on 31st St. Another vehicle heading westbound on 31st St. failed to stop for his stop sign and struck the passenger side of Jason’s vehicle, right where our client was sitting. After the other vehicle came to a rest the hit-and-run driver exited his vehicle and fled the scene of the collision on foot.

The hit-and-run driver failed to stop for a stop sign, failed to keep a proper lookout, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including the claimant.

The plaintiff had an immediate onset of left ear pain and neck pain along with abrasions and bleeding to her left ear. She was transported from the scene of the collision by ambulance to the emergency department at the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center.

Continue reading " Chicago injury attorneys settle hit-and-run car accident claim for $100,000 " »

Eight people were hospitalized after an SUV jumped the curve and slammed into a restaurant's outdoor seating area, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The Chicago accident happened outside Petterino's Restaurant on North Dearborn Street. The vehicle was northbound on Dearborn when it made a wide turn and hit people eating outside. It's the third time the restaurant has been struck by a vehicle in little more than a year.

We reported last April on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog that the restaurant was damaged after an Ace taxicab crashed into it shortly after lunch. Nobody in the restaurant was hurt during that incident although passengers in the cab suffered injuries. Police reported that accident happened when the cab swerved to avoid another vehicle and lost control. The restaurant was struck again on May 20.

While no one was seriously injured in those accidents, Wednesday's accident sent two people to the hospital in serious-to-critical condition. Two others were listed in fair-to-serious condition and four were in fair-to-good condition, according to police.

These accidents are a fairly common occurrence in the Chicago area. In July, we reported an accident involving a vehicle that crashed through the front of a Curves Fitness Center. Customers who are injured in an accident on business property should contact a Chicago injury attorney to discuss their rights.

The Southtown Star reported that one or more Chicago pedestrians were also injured in the accident.

The Chicago injury lawyers and staff at Abels & Annes congratulate the Chicago Blackhawks and urge fans to stay safe during Friday's Blackhawk Stanley Cup parade.

ESPN reports the ticker-tape parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Wacker and Washington and will proceed east on Washington to Michigan and then to Wacker. The parade will be carried live on ESPN3.com and ESPNChicago.com. The Blackhawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers in a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory in Game 6 on Wednesday night to capture their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961.

The Chicago Tribune reported that 19 people were arrested during the post-game celebration and Friday's celebration could get rowdy.

Allow yourself plenty of time to arrive downtown, celebrate responsibly and stay safe. Heavy traffic and enthusiastic celebration will increase the risk of Chicago car accidents, pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents in the downtown area.

Click here to review the parade route.

Mayor Daley said sponsors have stepped forward to pay for the parade and taxpayers will not foot the bill.

The city's special events department said parade festivities should wrap up between noon and 1 p.m. But, with it being Friday, revelers are likely to continue right on into the weekend, as the beginning of the Sox-Cubs three-game series gets underway at Wrigley Field and the Blues Festival begins in Grant Park.

More than 350,000 people attended a parade for the White Sox when they won the World Series in 2005. Friday's crowd is expected to be comparable.

Bus routes along the parade route will be detoured.

Have a great weekend and stay safe!

At least seven people will receive organs from a teenager who died over the weekend as the result of injuries sustained in a Chicago car accident on Memorial Day, the Sun-Times reported.

As Chicago Car Accident Lawyers at our office recently reported, the 16-year-old teen died over the weekend after suffering a brain injury. The Marian High School Student died Saturday at Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Her family decided to donate the teen's organs because her grandfather died two decades ago while awaiting a heart transplant.

The girl had been on her way to her grandparent's home to watch the Blackhawks playoff game on television. She was riding in a vehicle driven by her 16-year-old boyfriend when they collided with another vehicle in heavy rain, according to the Cook County Sheriff's Office. He was westbound on Sauk Trail, west of Burnham, when he lost control of the truck. Their vehicle was hit in the passenger side by an eastbound SUV driven by a 39-year-old Manhattan man.

Passengers in the other vehicle, including the man's wife and young child, were also injured and transported to the hospital for treatment. The teen's boyfriend was cited for failure to reduce speed and was not seriously injured. Authorities said no charges will be filed as a result of the accident.

Through Monday, a total of 307 fatal Illinois car accidents have claimed 338 lives, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. A total of 371 people were killed during the same period a year ago.

The death of a child is always a tragedy. Unfortunately, teens are at high risk for being involved in a serious or fatal car accident through the summer months. Our Chicago injury attorneys encourage parents to talk to their children about safe driving as school lets out for summer. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 20, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In 2008 a total of 164 teenagers were killed in Illinois traffic accidents.

A Chicago car accident in Hyde Park has claimed the life of a 47-year-old woman, the Breaking News Center reported.

The two-car accident happened shortly before 9:30 a.m. Saturday on East 58th Street. She was pronounced dead early Sunday morning at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

A Chicago motorcycle accident seriously injured a rider who crashed into a wall on the Dan Ryan Expressway, the Sun-Times reported. He was transported to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital in critical condition. Speed is believed to be a factor in the crash.

As our Chicago injury lawyers have been reporting all spring, serious and fatal motorcycle accidents continue to concern authorities in Illinois and law enforcement nationwide. In 2008, a total of 121 riders were killed in Illinois motorcycle accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Kane County, a car accident critically injured a 24-year-old Aurora man on Route 25 near Bond Street on Saturday night, The Beacon-News reported. The man was driving a 2009 Chevy Colbalt south on Route 29, when the vehicle crossed into the northbound lanes and struck a 2002 GMC Yukon, according to the sheriff's office.

The 17-year-old driver of the Yukon and two passengers, ages 15 and 18, were also transported to area hospitals with injuries.

The sheriff's office and the Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team are investigating the crash, which closed Route 25 until about 10 p.m.

The Beacon-News also reported an Aurora bicycle accident seriously injured a man Friday night. A 24-year-old Joliet woman was cited for failure to reduce speed as a result of the collision.

A Chicago semi accident forced the closure of the northbound lanes of the Dan Ryan Expressway early Wednesday morning, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The crash happened at about 3 a.m. near the 67th Street exit. Northbound lanes were closed after a semi pulling a double trailer was involved in an accident with three other vehicles. The truck jacknifed, causing fuel to spill across the road from one of its tanks, according to Illinois State Police.

A Hazmat crew worked with the Illinois Department of Transportation to clear the scene.

Illinois trucking accidents pose a serious threat to passenger cars. Despite the relative few number of large trucks on the road, trucking accidents accounted for 10 percent of Illinois traffic fatalities in 2008, according to the Department of Transportation.

The occupants of a passenger car involved in an accident with a large truck are the frequent victims.

A total of 14,632 trucking accidents were reported in Illinois that year, claiming 115 lives and injuring 2,940. Of the 115 killed, only 5 were occupants of a tractor trailer. Ninety-nine occupants of other vehicles were killed, along with eight pedestrians and a bicyclist.

Of the 2,940 reported injuries, three-quarters involved victims outside the truck.

The vast majority of Illinois trucking accidents occurred in urban areas: 12,101 compared to 2,531 in rural areas. Accidents on highways accounted for more than half of all urban trucking accidents in Illinois, although nearly 3,000 occurred on city streets.

Nationwide, 380,000 large trucks were involved in accidents in the United States in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A total of 4,229 people were killed and more than 90,000 injured.

The end of the school year is a good time to talk to your children about swimming pool safety. Chicago swimming pool accidents occur almost exclusively between Memorial Day and Labor Day and speaking with children about safe swimming is a good way to get the summer off to a safe start.

Drownings and near drownings are complex medical and legal cases. In particular, long-term issues with dexterity, coordination and cognitive ability are possible in near-drowning victims and may not be readily apparent following an accident. Tragically, children are the most frequent victims. If you are dealing with a drowning or near-drowning accident, the Illinois swimming pool accident attorneys and the Chicago child injury lawyers at Abels & Annes offer a free and confidential appointment to discuss your rights.

The Illinois Department of Health has adopted strict safety standards and guidelines for the owners of residential and commercial swimming pools. The Illinois Swimming Pool Safety Act (210 ILCS 130) also outlines requirements for safe pool operation.

In particular, water parks, hotels, and other community swimming pools have an obligation to ensure the safety of guests. The state requires that Illinois' 3,500 swimming pools meet water-quality and safety standards, as well as safe design and engineering standards. Additionally, an increasing number of accidents involve faulty pool equipment, including drain covers, which can lead to very serious or even fatal entrapment injuries.

The Consumer Products Safety Commission has launched a nationwide Pool Safety Campaign aimed at reducing the number of fatal swimming pool accidents involving small children.

-Each year an average of 385 children younger than 15 are killed in swimming pool accidents in the United States -- nearly 4 in every 5 cases involve a young child under the age of 5.

-In the last three years, emergency rooms have treated an average of 4,200 cases involving pool or spa submersion injuries to children under the age of 15.

The following swimming pool safety tips are provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

-Never leave a child alone near a pool.

-The adult supervising children near a pool should be trained in CPR.

-All pools should be protected by a gated fence or other enclosure.

-Rescue equipment and a telephone should always be kept near the pool.

-Do not use air-filled swimming aides as a substitute for approved safety vests.

-Toys should be removed from the pool area when not in use so children are not tempted to enter the pool area.

Continue reading " Illinois swimming pool accidents pose summer threat to small children " »