Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Illinois State Police, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police, the Associated General Contractors of Illinois and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) all joined together to unveil the new National Work Zone Memorial Wall at the Illinois State Fair. This wall aims to recognize the workers that we've lost in work zones accidents in Illinois. The wall will also be used to raise awareness about the importance of safe driving habits for all motorists through our construction zones. The wall will act as a remembrance for the women, men and children who've lost their lives in accidents that occurred in construction zones throughout the country.

As we recently reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys Blog, distracted driving is one of the top causes for car accident-related construction accidents. Motorists are asked to place all of their attention on the road when passing through construction zones not only to prevent a car accident, but to help save the life of a roadside construction worker. As a reminder, Illinois state law prohibits the use of hand-held cell phones in construction zones.

“The National Work Zone Safety Memorial symbolizes the collective efforts and commitment of all states for the ongoing challenge to prevent work zone crashes,” said Acting Transportation Secretary Ann Schneider.

The wall is filled with the names of those who we've lost in work zone accidents. The visualization of those that we've lost is being used to increase motorist's awareness of the dangers of accidents in road construction zones.

ISP Operations Col. Rob Haley would like to remind everyone that one work zone death is way too many and the IDOT will be continuing their effort to bring the number of these fatalities down to zero.

The DOT notes that its current efforts are in fact helping to reduce the risks of a fatal work zone accident. According to Illinois state traffic accident data, 2009 and 2010 illustrated two years in a row in which the state witnessed less than 1,000 traffic fatalities. These two years have been recorded as a record low dating back to 1921.

IDOT says that this accomplishment is a large part a result of its latest media campaigns, a number of infrastructure improvements, signing enhancements, safety engineering and automated work zone speed limit enforcement, just to name a few.

The IDOT campaign "See Orange. Slow Down. Save Lives " is one of the media campaigns that have launched to help raise awareness of safe driving habits in these construction areas. This campaign includes visual and audio PSAs used to send the transportation department's safe-driving message to motorists across the state.

Here are some safe driving tips to help you get through a construction zone without any problems:

-Slow down when you're approaching a construction zone.

-Follow all posted speed limits.

-Don't follow the vehicle in front of you too closely.

-Don't pass another vehicle by using the shoulder of the road.

-Leave yourself an out to escape a dangerous situation. Never block yourself in.

-Keep it calm. Understand that traffic will travel a little slower through these areas. Consider this before heading out to your destination.

-Put away all distractions, including cell phones, text messaging devices, loud music, etc.

-Keep your eyes on the road and expect the unexpected.

Continue reading " IDOT Unveils National Work Zone Memorial Wall to Raise Awareness of Construction Zone Accidents in Illinois " »

During the next decade, our cars are expected to make quite the transition. Manufacturers are planning to equip our vehicles of the future with some pretty neat safety features, according to MSN Autos. But will they really improve roadway safety or prove to be malfunctioning distractions and increase our risks of serious car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere?

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand that these new features come with good intentions, but as we've seen before, technology doesn't always offer us a safer ride. Manufacturers and government officials reiterate that safety will always be a top concern and new features are designed with that in mind. Your car may not be able to drive all by its self, but designers hope that it will help to make your driving safer.

We're already experiencing these changes, as many cars now have collision-mitigation systems, which use radar to identify when you're getting too close to another object of if you're going too fast. These systems are able to take control of your car to help you avoid an accident.

Other future technologies include:

-Rear-view cameras. These cameras have already been proposed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Rear-view cameras aim to reduce back-over accidents. They are already available in some models.

-Night-vision cameras and pedestrian-detection systems. These devices would allow you to see objects outside of your vehicle. The system would stop the vehicle if you come too close to one of the detected objects. The main focus of this technology is to avoid car-pedestrian accidents. While some high-end vehicles already come equipped with the technology, manufacturers expect these systems to be standard on new-model vehicles within the next 10 years.

-New-age cruise control. This is a cruise control that senses objects your approaching and can adjust your speed to ensure that you don't hit them. This allows you to avoid resetting you cruise-control speed.

-Vehicle-to-vehicle communication systems. This Wi-Fi technology will allow cars to talk with one another to help avoid car accidents. Your car will be able to know where surrounding cars are before you do.

-Connected vehicles. New technology will allow you to talk to your friends, surf the web, play some music and control your vehicle all with the sound of your voice. The technology will even talk back to you helping to make your trip easier and to keep your eyes on the road.

-Wi-Fi just for your car. Despite the government's concern with distracted driving habits, car manufacturers are going ahead with this one. Car's will soon be equipped with common apps, such as Facebook, Twitter and Pandora. These systems will also be operated through voice command.

-Less gas-guzzle. President Obama and his Administration recently made even more fuel-economy proposals that request that the industry aim at making cars with a 62 mpg rating by 2025. We can also expect more hybrid cars, more plug-ins and more battery operated vehicles.

These expected features all come with good intentions, but it's important to remember that nothing can replace safe and cautious driving habits. Motorists are urged to remain alert at the wheel and make their best efforts to avoid a motor-vehicle accident.

Continue reading " New-Vehicle Technology Aims to Decrease Motorists' Risks of Car Accidents in the Future " »

Chicago sex abuse attorneys at our firm are taking note that the nation’s largest pediatricians’ group has released their first policy on protecting children from sexual abuse by healthcare professionals in response to a disturbing case in Delaware where a pediatrician filmed himself molesting his young patients.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a number of guidelines outlining how both parents and professionals should conduct themselves in identifying and protecting against sexual abuse, the Associated Press reported. The academy’s report states that literature regarding the sexual abuse of pediatric patients by providers is sparse, and studies involving abuse between doctors and adult patients are used to provide context on the issue.

The policy says that all medical and health care staff involved in the care of children should be screened for past allegations of abuse, including checking with previous employers and consulting criminal and child abuse registry background checks. These measures cannot be relied on, however, as an estimated less than 1% of child molesters have criminal records. Institutions need to have procedures in place for the reporting, managing, and investigating of potential abuses so legitimate concerns are not overlooked.

The policy also stresses that healthcare institutions need to make it known that the reporting of potential abuses or misconduct is absolutely mandatory, even if the person is not sure such conduct is taking place. It says only two-thirds of cases where a colleague suspect another colleague gets reported, and staff should be made aware that such under-reporting will not be condoned.

Professionals also need to inform parents on their right to chaperone examinations of their young children, and be trained on how to conduct themselves while performing particularly sensitive examinations. They also must explain to parents exactly what they are doing and the reason it is necessary.

The policy warns that incidents of past sexual abuse can lead to an individual’s emotional, behavioral, cognitive, social, and general health impairment. Sexual abuse correlates with an increased frequency of depression, anxiety, substance abuse, poor self-esteem, eating disorders, delinquency, and suicidal tendencies. If parents are aware of any abuse, or suspect potential abuse, they should seek the proper authority immediately. This includes the management of the particular institution, local authorities, or state authorities, depending on how sure the parent is of the misconduct, and how serious the misconduct is.

According to the Associated Press, the former pediatrician who necessitated these policy guidelines was convicted last June on 14 counts of first-degree rape and five counts each of second-degree assault and sexual exploitation of a child. The prosecution alleged that the man recorded himself committing the sex crimes against more than 80 victims, most of who were female toddlers. The policy itself referenced the matter, stating that it served as a reminder that some people in the pediatric profession use their position of authority and trust to take advantage of young children.

After alerting the appropriate authorities and providing for the health and safety of their child, parents of abused children can seek advice from an Illinois personal injury attorney to see what legal remedies they have. Traumatic experiences such as this can stick with a child for the rest of their lives, and making sure they have the means to seek the professional help they require to work through their issues can make a positive difference.

Continue reading " New policy guidelines aim to protect children from sexual abuse by doctors in Illinois, and elsewhere " »

Insurance companies have already talked about charging you rates by the mile instead of by the month. Now the government is looking into the same idea. There's an underlying plan to this move. Since the government is gaining less revenue from fuel with the production of hybrid cars, lawmakers are predicting that billions of dollars in fuel taxes won't be coming their way in upcoming years, and they're looking for a way to make up the difference. One idea for making up this difference is a GPS navigation system that would track every single mile we travel and then report the findings to government, which would then include this number in our taxes.

Motorists could be required to pay a fixed rate or a varying charge depending on how many miles were traveled, according to MSN Autos.

Many safe driving advocates believe it could force motorists to travel through busy routes, most populated by other drivers, and increase their risks of being involved in a car accident in Chicago or elsewhere in the United States. Overnight, the shortest distance would rule the day -- regardless of congestion. Many drivers enjoy taking the longer route, whether it's to enjoy the scenery or to avoid congested roadways. The bottom line is, the driving habits of many motorists would be altered with pay by the mile driving and that concerns many.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys feel that lawmakers need to look long and hard at this idea before making any moves. This theory sounds extremely similar to the tax that many states are proposing on private aircraft. For states with substantial budget deficits, state lawmakers make no hesitation in slapping pilots with a use tax, a property tax, an excise tax, a registration tax, a sales tax and a fuel tax. The latest plan would charge pilots by the landing. This is a prime example of politicians hatching plots without all the necessary information. Pilots often practice landings. The proposal would discourage that, and thereby increase the risk of airplane accidents.

Oregon was the latest to propose the idea of taxed mileage. Lawmakers are currently looking over a new regulation that would charge a driver about 0.85 cents for each mile through 2015. That number is expected to jump to $1.85 a mile by 2018.

As it stands now, the average car in America is getting a combined mpg of 25 and dishing out a little less than 2 cents for each mile in fuel excise taxes. Excise taxes vary from state to state.

While Oregon's proposed tax has been postponed through debate, a number of other states are proposing the same idea, including Minnesota and Texas.

Europe is one step ahead of the United States with the proposals however. Places like the Netherlands are already testing out the idea. The Netherlands has some of the most severe traffic problems on that continent. As they were just about to post the tax, a new government set the plan aside last year.

“The trials work well, but it’s first a psychological issue and second a political choice,” Eric-Mark Huitema, a specialist with IBM that developed the system.

To no one's surprise, American drivers oppose the new tax, fearing that the government's eye will have access to too much information regarding their whereabouts. Advocates of the GPS devices reiterate that the systems will not be able to looking into where the vehicle is driven, but only how far it's driven.

J.D. Power and Associates studies predict that the use of plug-in vehicles, hybrids and battery-electric vehicles will only make up, at the most, 7 percent of the country's market by 2020. But it's the creation of vehicles with better mpg ratings that's worrying lawmakers, too.

Some experts believe, that by 2025, we can expect an average mpg of nearly 55. Government officials will find a way to make up the difference and that's no doubt.

“It is an issue we will have to deal with,” said Mary D. Nichols of the California Air Resources Board.

Continue reading " Proposed Per-Mile Tax Could Contribute to Increased Risk of Car Accidents " »

A teenage girl was killed in a Chicago car accident as she was rushing out to save her family dog from being put down. Her 6-year-old Doberman, named Romulus, died in the accident as well, according to Mail Online.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand the risks faced by teens. It is especially important for teens to stay out from behind the wheel of a motor vehicle when feeling stressed, tired or any other potentially debilitating mood. Teen drivers don't have much experience on our roadways and for this reason they can unknowingly make dangerous driving mistakes that can result in fatalities.

The teen was removed from the car and transported to the Advocate Condell Medical Center. She was pronounced dead only an hour later. The friend survived the crash with minor injuries. The dog was thrown from the vehicle and also killed.

Many teens don't understand the importance of safe, cautious and focused driving habits. Recently, teen drivers were placed on the Nation Transportation Safety Board's "most wanted" list. This is a list that includes a number of people and scenarios that are most likely to produce serious or fatal crashes. This list makes up part of the NTSB's awareness campaign that aims to increase public awareness of these dangers and to get support for state action to adopt safety rules and regulations that can help to prevent such accidents and help to save lives.

Teen drivers account for less than 7 percent of the entire driving population in the United States, but are involved in nearly 15 percent of all fatal car accidents. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, there were more than 5,000 drivers between the age of 15- and 20-year-old were involved in fatal traffic accidents in 2009. Of these fatal accidents, nearly 2,500 teen drivers were killed. Another 196,000 teen drivers were injured in accidents on our roadways. During that year, Illinois witnessed nearly 150 teen deaths resulting from traffic accidents that involved a teen driver.

The NTSB recommends that all states enact a graduated driver licensing (GDL) system to more effectively teach our teen drivers safe driving habits:

-Stage 1: Learner Stage. This is the stage when a teen must drive while supervised by a licensed parent or another licensed family member over the age of 21.

-Stage 2: Intermediate Stage. A teen can drive without anyone in the car. During this time period they're under rules limited driving hours and passengers.

-Stage 3: Full Privilege Stage: This is a standard driver's license.

A study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety concluded that states that operate with a GDL system typically experience 40 percent lower rates of injury crash involvement among 16-year-old driver.

Until all states operate with this learning program, responsibility is in the hands of the parent to teach their teen proper, safe, cautious and alert driving habits. With supervised training and positive reinforcement, parents can help to keep their teens safe on our roadways.

Continue reading " Teen Dies in Chicago Accident on Her Way to Save Family Pup " »

A new resident to the state was killed while exploring the area on her bike. The woman was killed in a Chicago bicycle accident when she was riding north on Wabash and rode between a car and a dump truck that had stopped for a red light at Wacker Drive, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Police say she lost her balance and fell under the rear axle of the dump truck. As the intersection's light turned green, the truck took off before she could get out from under the wheels. A witness shouted out to the driver. The truck came to a stop and remained at the scene. Police are still investigating the incident. No charges have been filed.

“It’s a tragic accident,” Chicago Police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said. “It appears from witnesses . . . the bicyclist had lost her footing and slipped under the wheels.”

Our Chicago bicycle accident attorneys understand the risks of cycling in the city. As a matter of fact, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that there were more than 600 bicyclists killed in traffic accidents on U.S. roadways in 2009 alone. Another 51,000 bicyclists were injured in because of these accidents. Illinois saw 20 bicyclist deaths in 2008 and hundreds more injuries. About three quarters of the state's serious and fatal bicycle accidents occur in Chicago.

As we recently reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys Blog, the city is pushing for even more residents and visitors to use bicycles as an effective and convenient form of transportation. In an effort to make two-wheeled transportation more appealing, the city and Chicago's Department of Transportation (CDOT) just recently celebrated the installation of its first on-street bicycle parking corral. This new parking corral is located on Milwaukee Avenue just south of North Avenue. This new bicycle parking lot allow for parking for more than 12 bicycles in a space that was previously used to 1 or 2 motor vehicles. This is the first of many that will be installed throughout the city.

Separate bike lanes are also being installed and may have saved a life in this case.

As the city pushes for more bicyclists, motorists are urged to adapt to these new road travelers.

Here are some safety tips for bicyclists, from Secretary of State Jesse White, to help keep you safe on our roadways:

-Abide by the same traffic laws as motorists.

-You must ride in the same direction as traffic. Riding in the opposite direction of traffic is not only dangerous, but it is also against the law.

-Allow at least 3 feet of space between you and a bicyclist when passing.

-When walking or riding your bicycle on a sidewalk or along a crosswalk you are required to obey all pedestrian signs and signals.

-You must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians on sidewalks or crosswalks.

-When approaching a pedestrian from behind, make sure you slow down and give an audible warning signal to notify them of your presence before passing.

-Bicycles are allowed to be parked on the road at any angle to the curb or edge of the
roadway where parking is allowed. When parking is allowed on a sidewalk, you may park
your bicycle so it will not be in the way of pedestrians.

-Slow down at intersections and railroad crossings to make sure it's safe to cross.

-Keep both hands on the handlebars at all times. You are urged to use a backpack or a bike carrier to hold your books, lunch or other items you may need to transport.

-Ride slower on wet streets, loose gravel or bumpy roads.

Continue reading " New Resident Run Over by Dump Truck in Illinois Bicycle Accident " »

The weekend collapse of a concert stage at the Indiana State Fair took the life of a Chicago woman and at least four other people. It also injured at least 45 other visitors. The governor is referring to this incident as a "fluke." Four were killed instantly when metal scaffolding fell on top of them. The fifth person was taken to the hospital and was later pronounced dead, according to IBTimes.

A meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Indiana, Dan McCarthy, says that the wind that evening was much stronger than anticipated -- with speeds in excess of 60 to 70 mph. The question in this situation is whether the wind was the sole cause of the accident, or if the weather combined with some type of negligence resulted in fatal injuries to the Chicago resident.

Our Illinois personal injury attorneys understand that outdoor events are very popular for residents and visitors during this time of year. This is also a time when we see more injuries at a number of local parks. The Chicago Park District offers a number of events for us to enjoy throughout summer. Event organizers have a huge responsibility when putting on these events -- it's their responsibility to ensure the safety of visitors. Event organizers are responsible for providing adequate security, crowd control and safe facilities. When corners are cut and the proper safety measures are not executed, deadly accidents can occur.

After the Indiana accident, the remainder of the weekend's activities were canceled. Officials reported that the fair was expected to resume on Monday. There will be a service for the victims of the accident held on August 21st.

"I am so moved," said Jennifer Nettles of Sugarland. "Moved by the grief of those families who lost loved ones. Moved by the pain of those who were injured and the fear of their families. Moved by the great heroism as I watched so many brave Indianapolis fans actually run toward the stage to try and help lift and rescue those injured. Moved by the quickness and organization of the emergency workers who set up the triage and tended to the injured."

Investigations into the accident have not been completed. One of the people killed in the accident was one of the workers employed by the staging company. The Indiana Department of Labor is looking into the accident because the employer did not report the death of the employee. Under Illinois law, a company has eight hours to report a job-related fatality to a 24-hour state hot-line number. According to 6News, Indiana state law does not require that building inspectors check out that type of stage's rigging.

There are any number of instances when safety is the responsibility of the property or business owner. When one of these parties fails to keep visitors safe, a premise liability claim can result. Premise liability claims can be the result of a number of incidents, including improper signage, slip and fall, improperly maintained equipment, falling objects or negligent maintenance. Even if a person is partially responsible for their own accident, the responsibility may still fall on the property owner if they have failed to provide adequate security or have not addressed other potentially dangerous conditions.

Landlords also have responsibility. They are responsible for keeping hazards at bay for tenants and visitors. Collapsing porches have been a problem in Chicago and are often the fault of landlords, who have failed to properly maintain their properties.

If you've experienced an injury at a musical concert, a fair, at a local park or on any property and are considering filing a premise liability claim, you should do so in a timely manner. Waiting too long to take action could result in the loss or deterioration of vital evidence or of your ability to make a claim.

Continue reading " Chicago Woman Killed in Indiana State Fair Stage Collapse -- Raising Concerns of Premise Liability in Illinois " »

There are about 3,000 car-pedestrian accidents in Chicago each year. A new study concludes that roughly 80 percent of all these accidents happen at intersections when pedestrians are using the walk signal to cross. Most of these accidents involve vehicles that are turning. The high rate of these accidents has caught the attention of local authorities -- who are targeting these areas with increased enforcement. Officials report that new safe traffic technology is on the way as well to help keep our on-foot travelers safe, according to the Chicago Tribune.

It's wasn't only the collisions that caught the eye of officials, but the alarming number of hit-and-run incidents as well. These accidents are being seen across the entire city. More specifically, there were nearly 17,000 accidents that involved nearly 18,000 pedestrians from 2005 to 2009. In 2009 alone, there were nearly 35 pedestrians killed on Chicago roadways, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT).

Our Chicago injury attorneys note that the highest number of these pedestrian accidents were recorded in an area from the Loop and Near North Side on the east to the Austin neighborhood on the west. A 2-mile section of 79th Street witnessed four of the top 20 accident intersections. City officials will be analyzing this information and looking for new ways to help reduce the number of these serious and preventable accidents.

The study concluded that 78 percent of all accidents occurred within approximately 125 feet of the center of an intersection. This is also where 80 percent of these fatal accidents occur.

In a previous effort to reduce the number of pedestrian accidents, the state passed a law in 2010 that required drivers to come to a complete stop for crossing pedestrians. Before the new law, vehicles were only required to yield and stop when needed.

Officials have not had enough time to conclude how effective the 2010 law has been, but IDOT records show that there were 2,943 vehicle-pedestrian accidents in 2010. More than 30 pedestrians died and more than 409 were injured in these incidents.

The Chicago Department of Transportation has concluded that roughly two hit-and-run accidents happen in the city every day. These types of vehicle-pedestrian accidents account for roughly 40 percent of all fatal vehicle-pedestrian collisions. This total is more than double the average for the United States.

"It's unbelievable, and it's a real crime,'' said Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein. "I think we have this culture of speeding and reckless driving."

Pedestrians that are age 15- to 18-years-old represent the largest group of accident victims. The report concluded that these individuals are less likely to use crosswalks than adult pedestrians.

Continue reading " New City Report: Pedestrian Accidents in Chicago on the Rise " »

According to Transportation For America, the metro region of Chicago has more than 8 million travelers. In 2000, nearly 10 percent of this population was urban seniors that were 65-years-old and older and had poor access to transit.

Another 61 percent of suburban and exurban seniors faced poor access. What's even worse is, the total number of seniors with poor access is expected to increase by more than 153,500 by 2015. During this time, a significant portion of the metro area will experience a greater density of seniors with poor transit access.

According to a 2001 survey, conducted by the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, of residents ages 43- to 57-years old, nearly 80 percent believed they will see no “serious limits on their activity until after age 70” and almost 50 percent believe that they will remain “active and going strong over age 80.” Many of these residents don't believe that they face any risks for a pedestrian accident in Chicago.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys bring this up because these residents who are 65-years-old and older and live in a community with poor or non-existent public transportation services could be more likely to be involved in a pedestrian accident with a motor vehicle. Despite the elderly population's desire to hang on to their independence, the truth is that many of these residents will gradually experience diminishing eye site, fading hearing and the inability to quickly react to dangerous situations.

The number of residents in this age group who live in these areas with poor transit access, is expected to grow rapidly as the baby boomer generation ages.

The recent report "Aging in Place, Stuck without Options" by Transportation For America ranks some of the busiest metro areas by the percentage of seniors with poor access to public transportation.

This report looks to inform the public about the serious and dangerous issues that our elderly populations will face in these metro areas. This is especially important in cash-strapped states with little to no funding for pedestrian safety. The report believes that local governments will be forced to request federal support for assistance in meeting the city's needs and the needs of its elderly population. As Congress prepares to adopt a new, long-term transportation authorization, this report helps to break down policies to help ensure that aging Americans can remain mobile, active and independent.

The current baby boomer generation is the largest retiring generation of all time. It consists of more than 77 million people that were born between 1946 and 1964. Baby boomers are a unique population because they came of age during the unprecedented economic expansion that followed World War II. This is a time period that helped fuel the rise of new suburban communities and increased residents' reliance on the motor vehicle. This was also during a time that the Federal Government initiated the largest project in U.S. history with the construction of the Interstate Highway system.

As the American life expectancy continue to increase, the largest U.S. generation will also be the oldest. With these numbers, a large share of these residents will find that their ability to navigate by vehicle diminishes or disappears over time.

Continue reading " Aging Adults in Metro Area at Increased Risk for Pedestrian Accidents in Chicago " »

There may be more than your plate number on your license plate if the Illinois Secretary of State approves corporate logos in license plates. The office will be studying the possibility of placing corporate logos on license plates under a measure (SB 1360) that Gov. Pat Quinn recently signed into law.

What this means is that motorists could soon see company advertisements on their license plates. The big idea is that the state would be able to collect big bucks from corporations for the right to turn vehicles into billboards on wheels, according to the Chicago Tribune. Through this move, drivers would even be able to get a discounted vehicle registration fee if they're willing to display the branded plates.

Safe driving advocates worry that these tiny advertisements will only serve as another distraction to drivers. With license plates turned into mini billboards, drivers may be more inclined to scope out a vehicle's plate instead of the surrounding traffic, which would increase you risks of being involved in a distracted driving-related car accident in Chicago.

Our Chicago auto accident attorneys understand that much more research has to be done on this idea before it in enacted, but lawmakers are expecting a conclusion by the first of the year. The study includes research on the cost of implementing such a program and how much public interest there might be for it. What should be studied more is the amount of driver distraction that these advertisements will cause.

As it stands now, our state already offers a large selection of plates promoting special causes. These plates are sold to motorists at a higher fee. The money from these sales benefits various charitable or research organizations.

The fee that participating corporations would pay would be more than enough to make up for the reduced cost of a participating vehicle's registration fee. The plan, which has previously been discussed by the General Assembly, is believed to be a unique way to generate significant revenue for the state. Opponents of the ads claim that reading an Illinois plate is already challenging for police.

John Mulroe (D-Chicago), the bill's sponsor, previously said that everyone wins under this bill because even if the plate program fails, it wouldn't cost the state a thing.

Currently, there is only one state that allows corporate ads on their license plates -- Texas. Its statewide program has already raised more than $50,000 for the state's general revenue fund.

Motorists already have too many distractions to deal with behind the wheel. As a matter of fact, nearly 5,500 people died on U.S. roadways because of traffic accidents that reported the involvement of a distracted driver in 2009. Another 448,000 were injured in these types of accidents, according to distraction.gov. Many believe that these license plate advertisements will do nothing more than take driver focus an attention off the issue at hand -- driving.

Continue reading " Could Illinois Plates Soon Increase Risks of Distraction-Related Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere? " »

Last Friday, Chicago's Department of Transportation (CDOT) celebrated the installation of the city's first on-street bicycle parking corral. The parking lot is located on Milwaukee Avenue just south of North Avenue. The new, multi-space corral allows space for more than 12 bicycles in a single space that would have otherwise been occupied by one or two cars, according to The City of Chicago's Official Site. The project was funded by the Wicker Park Bucktown SSA and put together by CDOT. This is the first of many that are to be installed throughout the city.

Our Chicago bicycle accident attorneys understand this is a step in the right direction for bicyclists. As bicycling gets more and more popular, the need for others to acknowledge the existence and safety needs of riders grows more and more crucial. Oftentimes bicyclists are injured or killed on our roadways because they are overlooked by motorists. With more awareness about our two-wheeled travelers, we may be able to save some lives on our roadways.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were more than 600 bicyclists killed on U.S. roadways because of traffic accidents in 2009. Another 51,000 bicyclists were injured in these incidents. Bicycle accidents in Chicago and elsewhere that resulted in death accounted for 2 percent of all traffic deaths for the entire year. Illinois witnessed 20 bicyclist deaths in 2008; hundreds more were injured.

A bicycle corral is an on-street parking facility for bicyclists. A corral makes efficient use of the parking lane for bicycles in areas with a high demand. Corrals typically provide enough room for 12 or so bicycles in the space that would normally have been used for 1 of 2 cars.

What are the benefits of having a bicycle corral in my city?

-Businesses can benefit from these corrals as they provide a 10-to-1 customer to parking space ratio, they increase foot and bike traffic and they advertise “bike friendliness” to the area. Corrals can also improve the pedestrian environment by taking bicycles off the sidewalk.

-These corrals improve bicycle parking availability at popular destinations. They can also increase the visibility of bicycling as a convenient form of transportation.

-The high-visibility environment of the corral reduces the risk of bike theft.

-Pedestrians can enjoy the increased availability of space on busy sidewalks with heavy foot traffic. They would no longer have to dodge bikes parked along the sidewalks.

-Corrals clear up intersections and in turn improve sight lines by eliminating the opportunity for larger vehicles to park at street corners.

-Corrals offer a space where bicyclists can park and lock up where they won't be in the way of pedestrians.

-Bicycle corrals can improve the visibly of your business from the street because they eliminate the parking of large vehicles in front of your store.

These new corrals are a direct result of the public-private partnership between the Wicker Park Bucktown SSA and the Chicago Department of Transportation. The SSA donated the facility, which was designed and constructed by CDOT.

Continue reading " New Parking Corral Raising More Awareness of Riders and Reducing Risks of Bicycle Accidents in Chicago? " »

Dooring!

It's a careless event that's causing serious injury to bicyclists in Chicago and around the world. Dooring is a dangerous collision caused by the doors of parked vehicles opening into the path of bicyclists. These accidents were, for the first time, counted as crashes in Illinois thanks to the tireless work of safety advocates and the signature of Gov. Pat Quinn.

Now there is a simple idea that can put an end to these preventable and careless bicycle accidents in Illinois.

Here it is: When you get out of your car on the driver’s side, just open the door with your right hand. Opening the driver's side door with your right hand will force you to twist your body around and look back, allowing you to see if any bicyclists or pedestrians are approaching, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Our Chicago bicycle accident lawyers understand that this practice is already taking place in other crowded areas, like in the Netherlands, where a majority of the population uses bicycles to travel around town. As a matter of fact, drivers in this area are taught to exit their vehicle this way. This practice was also written about in a New York Times piece, The Dutch Way: Bicycles and Fresh Bread.

“Likewise, every Dutch child has to pass a bicycle safety exam at school,” wrote Russell Shorto, author of the New York Times' dooring piece. “The coexistence of different modes of travel is hard-wired into the culture.”

It is also believed that the visibility of the overwhelmingly large population of cyclists contributes to safer streets as drivers are more likely to expect them.

"Bicyclists and pedestrians are less likely to be hit by cars in cities that have greater numbers of cyclists and pedestrians," said psychologist Dan Simons, who explored this phenomenon in his book, "The Invisible Gorilla," which he coauthored with Chris Chabris.

Just last year, Chicago had more than 70 reported dooring accidents, according to the city. That's likely to be only a fraction of all the dooring collisions, as many go unreported.

"We were never against collecting the data. There was never really any large effort to make us aware that doorings could be an issue," Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) spokesman Guy Tridgell said.

Earlier this year, Governor Quinn put a new directive into effect that requires law enforcement agencies across the state to make special note of dooring accidents when they write up reports. All of their reports are later handed over to the state. The dooring data will be incorporated into annual traffic accident summaries compiled by IDOT. Our state did not previously categorize such accidents because they don't generally involve a moving vehicle.

“As more people are riding bicycles and embracing other green modes of transportation, we need to ensure that Illinois collects data that presents a complete picture of what is happening on our roads,” Quinn said in a statement.

According to the Governor's office, IDOT will be launching a public outreach effort to spread the word about the need for driver's to look around before popping open a door, especially in areas popular with bicyclists.

Continue reading " Simple Theory Aims to Reduce Bicycle Accidents caused by Dooring in Chicago " »

Late last week officials marked the start of a new generation for child cribs. Back in December of 2010, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted to approve a new set of mandatory crib standards. These new standards are the most stringent crib safety standards in the world. All importers, distributors, manufacturers and retailers are now required to offer only cribs that meet the CPSC's new full-size and non-full-size crib standards.

From now on, cribs should be safer and cause less injury to children in Chicago and elsewhere. For decades, dropside cribs have caused death and injury to hundreds of children - an issue the government was monumentally slow in tackling.

Our Illinois personal injury attorneys understand that these regulations are supposed to be some of the strictest rules to date. They reportedly require the manufacturer to stop the sale of dangerous traditional drop-side cribs, to strengthen mattress supports and crib slats, to require that all crib hardware be more durable and to make sure that safety testing is more rigorous.

"A safe crib is the safest place for a baby to sleep. It is for this reason that I am so pleased that parents, grandparents and caregivers now can shop with confidence and purchase cribs that meet the most stringent crib standards in the world," said Chairman Inez Tenenbaum. "From the start, our goal has been to prevent deaths and injuries to babies in cribs, and now the day has come where only stronger and safer cribs are available for consumers to purchase."

Since 2007, the CPSC has recalled more than 11 million dangerous cribs. Drop-side cribs with detaching side rails were reportedly the cause of approximately 32 infant suffocation and strangulation deaths since 2000. A number of other deaths happened because of faulty or defective crib hardware. These new standards look to prevent these fatal accidents and to keep children safer in their cribs.

Starting in December of 2012, a number of places will be required to use only cribs that comply with the new crib standards. This applies to family child care homes and infant Head Start centers, other child care facilities and places of public accommodation, including hotels and motels and rental companies.

Baby cribs aren't the only product that has been in trouble with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Last month, the CPSC announced that Macy's Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio, has agreed to pay a civil penalty of $750,000.

The settlement is the result of CPSC staff allegations that accused Macy's of knowingly failing to report to CPSC immediately, as required by federal law, that it sold children's sweatshirts, sweaters and jackets that had drawstrings at the neck between 2006 and 2010.

The child clothing that is the subject of the penalty agreement was reportedly sold by Macy's and Macy's-owned stores, including Bloomingdale's and Robinsons-May. According to the CPSC, the store chain knowingly sold the clothing after a recall had been issued.

Back in 1996, the CPSC issued a new set of drawstring guidelines that were meant to help prevent children from strangling themselves or getting entangled in the neck and waist drawstrings of clothing. Once a recall has been issued, all sales of the affected product must be halted.

Continue reading " CPSC Cracks Down on Dangerous Products that Pose Injury Risks to Children in Chicago " »

Driving distractions contribute to roughly 30 percent of all car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere. The real number may even be higher because investigating officers may not detect or record all distractions, according to the Governor's Highway Safety Administration.

Currently in the state of Illinois, drivers under the age of 19, school bus drivers and drivers who are operating in school and construction zones are banned from using a cell phone behind the wheel. All drivers are banned from texting. Illinois is also one of only six states that allows localities to ban cell phone use for all drivers. As of now, Chicago is the only major city in our state that has made cell phone use by drivers illegal, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

Our Illinois car accident attorneys see too many accidents each year that are caused by distracted drivers. These accidents are all 100 percent preventable. There are a number of ways distractions can take hold of a driver's attention. There are visual distractions that take a driver's eyes off the roadways, auditory distractions that happen when a driver hears something that's not related to driving, manual distractions that occur when a driver is manipulating something other than the wheel and there are cognitive distractions that happen when a driver is thinking about something other than driving.

“While distracted driving is an emotional issue that raises the ire of many on the road, states must take a research-based approach to addressing the problem. Until more research is conducted, states need to proceed thoughtfully, methodically and objectively,” says GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha.

Enforcement of these regulations has concluded that:

-A high-visibility cell phone and texting law enforcement campaign drastically reduces cell phone use. Long term effects of this enforcement are not yet known.

-Laws banning hand-held cell phone use dropped the use of these devices by about half when they were first implemented.

A recent report conducted by the Governor's Highway Safety Administration, titled Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do, is able to summarize how often drivers operate a motor vehicle while distracted, what exactly distracted driving is and the crash risks of driving while distracted.

This study concluded that:

-Drivers who use hand-held devices are as much as four times as likely to get into a car accident that is serious enough to injure themselves.

-Texting likely increases accident risks more than cell phone use.

-Motorists frequently drive while distracted, perhaps as much as half the time.

-Drivers adapt to some extent. They are able to pay more attention to driving and reduce their distracting activities in more dangerous driving situations.

“Despite all that has been written about driver distraction, there is still a lot that we do not know,” said GHSA Executive Director Barbara Harsha, who oversaw the report’s development. “Much of the research is incomplete or contradictory. Clearly, more studies need to be done addressing both the scope of the problem and how to effectively address it.”

Nearly 5,500 people were killed in traffic accidents that reported the involvement of a distracted driver in the United States in 2009 alone. Another 448,000 people were injured in these incidents, according to Distraction.gov. This means that 20 percent of injury accidents that happened in 2009 involved reports of distracted driving.

Distractions are inevitable. It is virtually impossible to completely eliminate them while driving, it's a part of who we are as humans and as drivers. With proper self-discipline, we can all do our part to reduce distractions and risks of fatal accidents.

Continue reading " New Study Probes Distracted Driving Car Accidents in Chicago and Elsewhere " »

A horrific head-on collision devastated a family, killing both parents and leaving the two sons paralyzed from the waist down. Despite intense therapy, doctors are unsure if the boys will ever regain use of their legs. The 9- and 8-year-old boys were on their way home with their family from a road trip when the family suffered a tragic car accident in Colorado. The accident happened on Highway 285 in Fort Stockton when an SUV swerved into the lane that the family's minivan was traveling in and collided with the vehicle head on. In addition to the brothers injuries, the parents died and their 6-year-old sister's arm was broken, according to Huffpost Impact.

After the accident, the boys were taken to the Covenant Health System's Women's and Children's Hospital in Lubbock. Later on they were airlifted to the Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital because of the severity of their spinal cord injuries. They were then transported to Chicago’s Shriners Hospital. Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand how fortunate we are to have facilities like this in our area. The Shriners Hospital is a facility renowned for its work in pediatric spinal cord rehab. The boys will continue their treatment here in Illinois. Spinal cord and neck injuries can and do occur in serious car accidents.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the spinal cord column consists of more than 31 bones (or vertebrae), 7 cervical vertebrae (neck), 12 thoracic vertebrae (upper and middle back), 5 lumbar vertebrae (lower back), 5 sacral vertebrae (sacrum) and 2 fused coccygeal vertebrae (coccyx). Also in the spinal cord is the central bundle of nerves in charge of sending signals to and from the brain and the rest of the body. Damage to the spinal column can be detrimental to these functions.

Roughly 200,000 people have to live with SCI in our country. It is estimated that there are anywhere between 15 and 40 cases per million people every year. This means anywhere between 12,000 and 20,000 new patients are treated for SCI every year.

Motor-vehicle accidents contribute to nearly 50 percent of these injuries. Men are most likely to be the victim of SCI as they account for 80 percent of all patients. Most of the new SCI cases are of people 30-years-old or younger. It's estimated that approximately 60 percent of these new cases occur in those ages 15- to 35-years-old.

This is no cheap injury either. The CDC estimated that the lifetime cost for this injury can be more than $3 million. This means a patient could potentially have to fork over anywhere from $15,000 to $30,000 a year if they suffer from SCI.

Insurance companies understand the liability and can sometimes move quickly toward a settlement -- even offering a check claiming to be the maximum available under the policy limits of the at-fault driver. If a loved one suffers a spinal cord injury, seeking the immediate representation of an Illinois injury lawyer can be vital to protecting your rights. An accident lawyer will charge you nothing for a confidential consultation -- and will often come to your home or hospital room.

Do not make any statements to opposing insurance representatives. Do not sign any paperwork and do not accept any payment. Choosing a lawyer can be an important first step toward ensuring that the necessary resources for rehabilitation and long-term care will be made available to you and your family.

Continue reading " Car Accident Survivors Sent to Chicago Hospital - Two Dead, Two Paralyzed, One Seriously Injured " »