Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

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.

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.

A 48-year-old man is accused of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he struck and killed a 6-year-old girl in a Chicago car accident.

The man had cocaine in his system and admitted to smoking marijuana and buying beer before the crash, which also injured the girl's 21-year-old aunt, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The defendant was held on $500,000 bail after a hearing in Cook County Criminal Court. He is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence. His defense attorney denies his client was under the influence during the accident, which occurred a week ago Tuesday evening as the victim and her aunt were crossing Ashland Avenue near 74th Street.

The State Attorneys office reports that the defendant failed field sobriety tests at the scene and subsequent tests revealed he had cocaine in his system. They also say the man admitted to smoking marijuana and had bought a 40 ounce bottle of beer that was found in the van.

Police report the South Damen Avenue man has more than 40 traffic tickets on his record. The victim and her aunt had gone to a nearby dollar store to buy candy when the girl was killed in the Chicago pedestrian accident.

The defendant was driving a Dodge Caravan at high speed, southbound on Ashland Avenue, when he struck the two victims waiting in the median to cross to the other side, according to authorities. The girl hit the van's windshield and was thrown into the street. Her aunt was thrown across the northbound lanes of traffic and landed near a curb.

The aunt remained in the hospital nearly a week after the accident, after undergoing surgery for a fractured skull, broken leg and fractured shoulder blade.

The defendant's attorney claims the drug tests could have been a false positive due to medication the man is on following a work accident. The defense also tried to blame the victims for the accident by saying the defendant tried to stop and help "the people who were running across the street, through traffic, and across the median where they shouldn't have been," the attorney told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Four people were critically injured in a Valentine's Day Chicago car accident, after a motorist blew a red light, according to WBBM News Radio.

Police responded to the car accident on Michigan Avenue in Grant Park shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, the Sun-Times reported.

Four people were critically injured and several refused treatment, fire officials reported.

Two motorists were taken to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition. A third motorist was taken in critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital; and a fourth was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

The at-fault driver was cited for disobeying a red signal, according to News Radio.

Red-light violations are one of the leading causes of serious and fatal traffic accidents. In 2007, more than 900 people were killed and 153,000 injured in traffic accidents involving red light running, according to the National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running.

The organization puts the economic costs of running red lights at $14 billion a year and reports that half of fatalities involve pedestrians or other motorists.

As reported last week on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, 1 in 4 fatal Chicago car accidents occurs at an intersection.

Running red lights or disobeying traffic-control devices is the primary cause of the 250 fatal Illinois traffic accidents that occur at intersections each year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

A motorist was killed and another seriously injured over the weekend in a Chicago car accident after both were struck while standing outside a disabled vehicle early Sunday morning, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The accident occurred at about 2:40 a.m. on Illinois Route 394 and East Joe Orr Road in Chicago Heights. The 39-year-old man was struck by an automobile after his car broke down, according to Illinois State Police.

It is the second time in a week that a motorist was killed while stopped with a disabled vehicle. As Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer reported, a 36-year-old woman was struck and killed by a semi after pulling over to check for a flat tire.

In this case, a friend had arrived to help the man and both were standing outside of his disabled Pontiac when they were struck by a passing sports-utility vehicle. The victim was killed and his friend was transported in critical condition to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove.

The Sun-Times reported that the driver of the SUV was taken into custody and was being questioned; he initially left the scene but later called 911 to report the accident.

In 2008, more than 5,000 people were injured and 137 people were killed in Illinois pedestrian accidents, according to the Department of Transportation.

As reported last fall on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, police have launched a program stationing undercover police officers in crosswalks and other high-traffic areas in an effort to reduce Chicago pedestrian accidents.

A 36-year-old woman was struck and killed by a semi early last Tuesday morning, after stopping her vehicle on the Tri-State Tollway to check for a flat tire, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The Chicago trucking accident occurred shortly after midnight. The victim was southbound on I-294 when she pulled over at Rexford Road in Alsip to check for a flat tire on the passenger side of her vehicle, according to the Illinois State Police.

Moments later, a semi struck her and side-swiped the driver's side of her vehicle, police reported. The Frankfurt woman was identified by the Cook County medical examiner's office.

Police reported that drugs or alcohol are not believed to be a factor in the accident, which remains under investigation. The semi driver was being questioned on Tuesday but was not under arrest.

In 2008, a total of 135 pedestrians were killed in Illinois traffic accidents and more than 5,400 were injured --accounting for about 15 percent of all Illinois traffic fatalities.

A total of 14,632 Illinois trucking accidents were reported in 2008. More than 12,000 occurred in large urban areas, primarily Chicago. Illinois accidents involving semi tractor-trailers killed 115 and injured 2,940. Eight of the deaths and 30 of the injuries involved Illinois pedestrians, according to IDOT.

As reported earlier this month on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, Scott's Law mandates that motorists move over for stopped law enforcement or safety vehicles.

Moving into an outside lane whenever possible is also a good way to help ensure the safety of motorists in or around stranded or disabled vehicles at the side of the road.

Authorities are investigating several serious Chicago expressway traffic accidents.

Four people were critically injured last Saturday in a Chicago car accident on the Kennedy Expressway, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The multiple-vehicle accident occurred about 3:30 a.m. on the Near Northwest Side in the northbound lanes of I-90 near Chicago Avenue. Three vehicles were involved. Fire personnel responded to I-90 and West Augusta Boulevard after receiving a report of a pin-in accident.

Victims of the Chicago expressway traffic accident were taken in critical condition to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

Six motorists, including two children, were seriously injured a week ago late Thursday in a three-vehicle accident on the inbound Eisenhower Expressway, the Sun-Times reported.

The Near West side accident occurred at about 1:15 a.m. and involved three vehicles on the inbound Eisenhower Expressway at Racine Avenue. Six people were transported to local hospitals, according to the Illinois State Police.

Two of the vehicles were eastbound on I-290 when one rear-ended the other. A third vehicle struck one of the disabled vehicles in the roadway. Injured motorists were transported to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, Rush University Medical Center and University of Illinois Medical Center.

The cause of both accidents is under investigation and citations are pending.

High speeds and heavy traffic increase the dangers of a serious or fatal expressway accident. Large numbers of commercial vehicles also contribute to frequent Chicago trucking accidents. Earlier this month, a crash involving three vehicles and a semi caused the closure of two lanes on the Dan Ryan Expressway, WBBM News reported.

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a 23-year-old former West Rogers Park man in connection with a Halloween hit-and-run Chicago car accident that claimed the life of a 25-year-old DePaul University student.

The suspect, who doesn't have a driver's license, may have fled to Mexico, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

As reported last fall on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, the woman was struck at Cullom and Lincoln avenues, as she walked home about 3 a.m. on Nov. 1 after a long night of work bartending at Bowmans Bar & Grill.

Family of the victim said the arrest was a relief. Police said at a press conference that the defendant quit his job at a North Side food store after telling his boss he was leaving for Mexico to care for a sick mother.

Police served a search warrant on the defendant's home in December, following a tip about the suspect's possible identity from someone watching the news.

Authorities reported finding a silver vehicle with front-end damage and physical evidence linking the defendant to the scene.

The defendant, who obtained a driver's permit in 2003, has a previous accident and a citation for driving without a license on his record, according to the Illinois Secretary of State's Office.

Illinois car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have reached an insurance policy limits settlement for a Chicago pedestrian that was hit by a car on the South Side in December, 2009. The accident took place at 1750 W. 119th Street where our client was crossing and was was hit by an 83 year old woman driving a 2006 Honda Accord.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the accident scene, along with an ambulance. After investigating the accident they ticketed the elderly driver with failing to yield to a pedestrian.

The plaintiff was rushed to Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn. There he was diagnosed with several fractures, included a broken left leg which required surgery to repair. He remained hospitalized for several days.

The defendant was insured by State Farm Insurance. The case was resolved without having to file a lawsuit.

With severe winter weather in the Chicago area, drivers are urged to keep a vigilant lookout for pedestrians crossing the street. With so much snow on the ground, it takes drivers longer to stop and pedestrians longer to get out of the way.

Continue reading "Chicago pedestrian accident lawyer reaches $100,000 insurance policy limits settlement" »

One person was critically injured in a Chicago bus accident involving the congressional campaign bus of Republican Robert Dold, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Dold was not aboard the bus when it crashed in Glenview late on Friday, January 29th. He was the eventual winner for the nomination in Illinois' 10th Congressional District, which stretches from Chicago's northern suburbs to the Wisconsin border.

Glenview police reported that the bus was eastbound when a westbound BMW turned into its path. The driver of the BMW was taken to Advocate Lutheran Hospital in Park Ridge. Cause of the Illinois bus accident remains under investigation.

The bus is rented to the campaign and was returning home for the night. No one from the campaign was involved in the accident, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

While initial reports are that the car turned in front of the bus, and perhaps caused the accident, commercial buses and bus drivers are heavily regulated because of the danger an accident poses to other motorists. Getting into an accident with a bus can be as serious as being involved in a Chicago trucking accident.

Statistics on Illinois school bus accidents in 2008 show that 2,418 crashes claimed six lives and injured 341 people. All six deaths occurred outside the bus, including three occupants of other vehicles, and three pedestrians.

A total of 136 large trucks and 12 buses were involved in fatal crashes in Illinois during 2008, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

Another 3,337 were injured in Illinois trucking accidents while 963 were injured in accidents involving buses in Illinois.

Toyota announced last week that it is halting sales of eight different models of cars and trucks sold in the U.S. amid concerns of a vehicle defect that could result in sticking accelerator pedals, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Vehicle defects can lead a Chicago car accident. Anyone who suspects they or a loved one have been seriously injured or killed by a vehicle defect in Illinois, should contact the Chicago car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes to discuss their rights.

The Japanese auto maker will cut production at seven Toyota plants in North America after announcing the recall of 2.3 million vehicles. Meanwhile, there are questions about how long Toyota knew of the problem after the manufacturer reportedly admitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was aware of the issue as far back as 2007.

Worldwide, the unprecedented recall is expected to reach 9 million vehicles, The New York Times reported.

The models, including the Camry and Corolla, account for 56 percent of Toyota's U.S. sales last month. In all, the company has recalled more than 4.8 million vehicles in recent months to address problems with faulty floor mats and/or gas pedals that can result in uncontrolled acceleration.

Safety advocates have linked the problem to more than 2,000 complaints and 19 deaths, the Tribune reported.

Toyota owners with questions are advised to go to Toyota's website or call their local dealership.

Continue reading "Defective vehicles can lead to Chicago car accidents" »

An Illinois State Police trooper was nearly struck by a speeding car during a traffic stop on the Eisenhower Expressway last weekend, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The Chicago car accident attorneys and the Illinois work injury lawyers at Abels & Annes urge everyone to obey the law and move over for stopped emergency vehicles, as well as work vehicles at construction sites. Additionally, please remain extra cautious from the time you see flashing emergency lights; highway accidents often occur when motorists react unexpectedly to what's in front of them and emergency vehicles often signal problems in the road ahead.

In this case, a trooper had a motorist pulled over about 2:30 a.m. on the eastbound Eisenhower exit ramp at Sacramento Boulevard on Chicago's West Side. He had brought two occupants to the rear of his vehicle, with the back door open and the emergency lights flashing, when a maroon four-door sedan sped onto the ramp, hit the squad car's open door, and continued south.

The motorist reportedly ran the red light before continuing southbound on Sacramento. Investigators hope surveillance video from the damaged squad car will help locate the sedan.

Scott's Law, Illinois' "Move Over" law, carries a fine of up to $10,000 and provides for an aggravated offense if alcohol or drugs are involved, which can result in 90 day license suspension and up to two years in prison if an accident results in injury or death.

The law requires Illinois motorists approaching an emergency vehicle with flashing lights to yield the right-of-way by moving to an outside lane whenever possible. The law was named after Chicago Fire Department lieutenant Scott Glenn, who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while assisting at a crash scene on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Continue reading "Obey Scott's Law to reduce the risk of Chicago car accidents " »

Three people were killed this week in a hit-and-run Chicago car accident, after the driver of a Toyota Camry sped away from one accident and crashed into a car that contained a young mother and her infant, the Tribune reported.

The accident happened Monday night on Chicago's Northwest Side, when the driver slammed into the second vehicle, killing a toddler and two others inside.

The child's mother, who survived the accident, said she barely saw the speeding Toyota Camry, which had its lights off, as it slammed into her vehicle while turning left at Cicero and Parker avenues.

Her 13-month-old son and two family friends, ages 20 and 21, were killed in the accident, ABC7 reported. She was admitted to the hospital while her boyfriend, who was driving the victims' car, was not seriously injured.

The Camry's driver, a 55-year-old Skokie man, was being questioned by police. So far, he faces charges of negligent driving in the fatal wreck as well as leaving the scene of an accident and driving too fast for conditions for the first collision.

Police are also waiting on toxicology results on the driver.

No one was injured when the Camry rear-ended a Ford Expedition in the first collision. But before authorities could be notified, the driver sped off and slammed into the victims' Honda Civic, according to police.

The boy was in a car seat, according to his parents, but the collision sent him partway through the back window. He was pronounced dead shortly before midnight Monday at Children's Memorial Hospital. He was born on Christmas Day 2008.

The federal government is launching FocusDriven this month, the first nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Chicago car accident attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes have been advocates of raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving. In October, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog published a report showing an increase of 25 to 50 percent in fatal accidents caused by distracted driving over the last five years.

In 2008, government statistics estimate 1 in every 6 fatal accidents were caused by distracted drivers -- killing almost 6,000 and injuring more than half a million motorists.

The new agency, FocusDriven, is an outgrowth of a distracted driving summit reported on by Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog in September.

“I first met several of the founding members of FocusDriven at our Distracted Driving Summit, and I’m deeply impressed by their commitment to turn these tragic events into positive actions that will help save lives,” said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Their stories are not just heartbreaking; they’re also a clear and compelling call to action.”

FocusDriven is modeled after Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), which has successfully changed society’s attitudes towards drinking and driving and sought the reduction of fatal drunk driving accidents.

“It is my hope that FocusDriven will serve as a valuable resource for those who have lost loved ones as a result of the senseless and preventable destructive practice of distracted driving,” said Jennifer Smith, President of FocusDriven, whose mother was killed by a driver talking on a cell phone in a 2008 car accident. “Secretary LaHood and the Department of Transportation’s attention to this topic have helped make it top safety issue. Their efforts have provided hope that we can quickly eliminate this threat and prevent other families from going through what we have experienced.”

FocusDriven also hopes to provide support for victims of distracted driving, educational services and evaluation of new technologies.

"Just as groups like MADD changed attitudes about drunk driving, I believe FocusDriven can help raise awareness and change the way people think about distracted driving," Secretary LaHood said. "Together, I hope we can put an end to this dangerous practice."

For more information, visit www.focusdriven.org.

Continue reading "New agency aims to reduce Chicago car accidents, traffic accidents caused by distracted driving nationwide" »

Several Chicago car accidents on the Eisenhower Expressway seriously injured at least nine people last week and caused long delays for motorists.

Last Tuesday, three lanes of the Eisenhower Expressway extension near I-355 were closed for several hours after a three-vehicle Chicago car accident seriously injured a driver, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The crash happened on the inbound expressway about 1 p.m. A medical helicopter transported one person to Lutheran General Hospital.

-Drunk driving and child endangerment charges are pending against a motorist driving a van on the Eisenhower Expressway that flipped over early a week ago Monday in a Chicago car accident that sent six passengers -- including two teenagers -- to the hospital.

The Sun-Times reported that the 19-year-old driver and another passenger fled on foot after the crash but were later apprehended. The remaining six passengers in the van were injured.

Three passengers were transported to Mount Sinai Hospital and three others were taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

The driver is facing a DUI charge and two child endangerment charges related to the injury of two teenage passengers, ages 16 and 17.The one-vehicle accident occurred when the van flipped over on the outbound Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) near Cicero Ave. shortly before 2:30 a.m.

-Also a week ago Monday, a dismembered body was found lying in the outbound lanes of the Expressway. Police were investigating whether the death could have been the result of a Chicago pedestrian accident, foul play or suicide.

An 85-year-old man was killed Thursday night in a Chicago pedestrian accident after being struck by a van in the Albany Park neighborhood, according to The Sun-Times.

The 41-year-old driver was cited for driving without a license and striking a pedestrian in the roadway/failure to exercise due care, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported. He was driving a Chevrolet Astro van west on Lawrence Avenue when he struck the elderly man near the intersection of North Springfield and West Lawrence.

The victim was taken to Advocate Masonic Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 7:20 p.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The accident was not a hit-and-run and alcohol or drugs are not believed to be involved, according to police. However, unlicensed drivers are increasingly responsible for large numbers of serious and fatal accidents.

As reported earlier this month on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, 1 in 6 fatal accidents involve someone without a valid license, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Illinois, 202 motorists were killed in accidents involving unlicensed drivers, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Unlicensed drivers are also more likely to be involved in uninsured or underinsured car accidents.

In recent months, Chicago police have targeted motorists who fail to yield to pedestrians. Police are stationing undercover officers near crosswalks at high-risk intersections in an effort to reduce Chicago car accidents involving pedestrians.

Illinois State Police report 2009 was the safest on Illinois roads in 88 years as the number of fatal traffic accidents in Illinois dropped below 1,000. The state reports more than 100 fewer people were killed on Illinois roads last year.

As the Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes reported on its Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, more than 1,000 Illinois car accidents occur every day, injuring 11 people an hour. The state launched the campaign on Nov. 10, reporting 781 deaths with six weeks left to go in the year.

“With the assistance of the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police, and local law enforcement, Illinois continues to make great strides in the area of public safety,” said Governor Pat Quinn. “This is a proud and historic day for the men and women dedicated to traffic safety who have made travelling in our state safer.”

A total of 928 Illinois traffic fatalities were reported in 2009, according to MyFox Chicago. In 2008, 1,043 fatalities occurred on Illinois roadways, and in 2007, 1,248 highway fatalities were reported.

“Throughout the year, the Illinois State Police has partnered with the Illinois Department of Transportation and local law enforcement agencies to implement safety programs that target crashes on our roadways,” said ISP Director Jonathon Monken. “There is little doubt the combination of programs designed to address teen driving, impaired driving, and safety belts contributed to successfully reducing Illinois fatalities to their lowest level in 88 years.”

Authorities attribute the decrease in part to a focus on the "Fatal Five" violations responsible for large numbers of traffic crash fatalities: speeding, safety belt use, improper lane usage, following too closely and driving under the influence.

Last year, just 10 states reported fewer than 1,000 traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Continue reading "2009 Illinois traffic fatalities fewest recorded in nearly a century of reporting" »

A Chicago trucking accident involving three vehicles, including a milk truck, occurred about 8 a.m. Saturday on Illinois Highway 53, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The Chicago car accident happened on Highway 53 just north of Kirchoff Road near Rolling Meadows, Illinois State Police reported.

Authorities reported a driver cutting across lanes to make his exit caused the milk truck to roll over and spill its cargo.

The vehicles were headed south, three abreast, when the 22-year-old driver in the far left lane attempted to cut his Toyota Highlander SUV across traffic to make his exit.

The adjacent car swerved to try to avoid a collision. But, in doing so, the Mazda sedan collided with the milk truck. The truck lost control and tipped over on its right side, spilling its load of milk across the roadway.

Both the driver of the Mazda and the driver of the milk truck were taken to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries. The driver of the SUV was uninjured and charged with a lane violation.

Lane violations are a significant cause of serious and fatal Illinois traffic accidents.

In 2008, lane violations were responsible for 146 of 950 fatalities tracked by the Illinois Department of Transportation -- the highest total of any category for which a traffic-control violation was cited as the cause. Almost 6,000 people were injured in more than 35,000 Illinois car accidents attributed to lane violations.

As children go back to school after the holidays, motorists are cautioned to watch for stopped or turning school buses, children waiting at bus stops and pedestrians in crosswalks.

The Chicago bus accident attorneys and Chicago pedestrian accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have published safe winter driving tips on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog.

Chicago school bus accidents can be caused by either a negligent bus driver or oncoming drivers. Not only is there a serious risk of injured children, but passengers in vehicles involved in an accident with a school bus often suffer very serious injuries, similar to those injured in Chicago trucking accidents.

More than 2,400 Illinois school bus accidents killed 6 people and injured 341 last year, according to statistics released by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The vast majority of Illinois school bus accidents occur in urban areas, including Chicago. A total of 2,158 city school bus accidents occurred in 2008, compared to 260 that happened in rural areas.

IDOT reports three people in other vehicles were killed in accidents with Illinois school buses last year, while one school-aged and two other pedestrians were also killed.

Illinois State Police offer a brochure on school bus safety, available by clicking here.

Police report the majority of children injured or killed in school bus accidents are outside the bus and are struck by motorists who fail to stop for the red flashing light. Illegally passing a school bus comes with a three-month license suspension -- a subsequent offense with a one-year suspension and a mandatory minimum fine of $500.

Continue reading "Winter Chicago school bus accidents a concern as kids head back to classes" »

The Chicago car accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes urge you to review your automobile insurance policy as we begin the New Year.

Having a solid auto insurance policy that includes more than the Illinois minimum coverage of $20,000 per person/$40,000 per occurrence, as well as uninsured motorist coverage, can help protect you and your family in the wake of a serious or fatal Illinois traffic accident.

The state's minimum coverage can be quickly exhausted by a serious accident and increased coverage is often available for just a few dollars more in premiums.

As a recent article published by MSNBC illustrates, a flight in a medical helicopter can cost $12,000 to $25,000.

In the event of a serious Chicago car accident, the last thing you want to worry about is whether you have adequate insurance coverage.

The MSNBC article reported on the case of a Pennsylvania women who was taken to the hospital by medical helicopter after a car crash and awoke in a hospital room six weeks later to find out she owed $500,000 in medical bills.

As we reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog in June, Abels & Annes partner Dave Abels told WUIS 91.9 that the state's mandatory minimum coverage of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per occurrence is not adequate in the wake of a serious car accident.

"It covers you for small accidents but not the big accidents that you really care about where your life is changed forever," Abels said.

The Association of Air Medical Services estimates that 550,000 people in the United States are flown by medical helicopters or planes each year for a medical emergency, including car accidents.

Hopefully, few of us will be among that number. But the reality is routine medical costs in the wake of a car accidents can quickly exhaust Illinois minimum car insurance coverage limits. An ambulance ride can cost $2,000, according to the American Ambulance Association.

And Chicago pedestrian accidents, Chicago bicycle accidents and Chicago motorcycle accidents also often lead to very serious injury and sky-high medical bills, which in many cases can be covered by an adequate car insurance policy.

The Air Medical Services reports car accidents are a primary cause of medical flights, noting that nationwide, severe car accidents cause 500,000 hospitalizations, more than 250,000 serious injuries and 42,000 deaths a year in the U.S

The MSNBC article quoted Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a Harvard University researcher, as saying car accidents and the associated medical bills are a contributing factor in more than 60 percent of all U.S. bankruptcies.

Motorists should also review their policies to make sure they are properly covered in the event of an uninsured or underinsured Chicago car accident.

As reported in August on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Illinois' tough new uninsured motorist law carries a penalty of up to a year and jail and a $2,500 fine for those who cause an Illinois car accident while driving without insurance.

But that won't help you or a family member pay medical bills in the wake of an accident. Ensuring your policy has adequate coverage in the wake of a Chicago uninsured motorist accident means your family will be protected by your own insurance policy in the event of a serious car accident, regardless of who was at fault.

Continue reading "Chicago injury lawyers urge review of car insurance policy at start of New Year" »

A Chicago train accident at a crossing occurred Monday morning when the inbound Metra train on the Rock Island line hit a sport utility vehicle, causing long train and traffic delays, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The No. 406 train originating in Joliet hit the SUV at 111th and Hale Avenue at about 7 a.m. Metra police were investigating.

While no one on the train was reported injured, Chicago train accidents at crossings can cause serious injury to motorists and can be caused by a number of factors, including malfunctioning crossing gates and warning lights.

The weekend began with another Chicago public transit accident -- The Chicago bus accident involved a Chicago Transit Authority bus and a school bus, according to the News Center.

The CTA bus with 50 passengers collided with the Stockton/Michigan school bus with half-a-dozen students aboard. The accident occurred at about 8 a.m. Friday at Oak Street and Michigan as the CTA bus was southbound on Michigan after it exited Lake Shore Drive.

The bus was trying to avoid other vehicles involved in a prior accident when it collided with the school bus.

Problems were also reported on the Kennedy Expressway, where a trio of Chicago car accidents included a rollover crash on the inbound Kennedy near Lawrence Avenue and a pair of crashes on the inbound Kennedy near Randolph Street downtown.

On Friday, a fatal semi accident involving a Chicago trucker occurred when the driver jackknifed into a van carrying disabled adults near Springfield, Ohio, claiming four lives, according to media reports.

An Auora man was serious injured in a suburban Chicago car accident involving a semi after a large block of ice flew off the top of the truck and slammed through the car's windshield.

The Illinois trucking accident occurred when the westbound semi drove beneath an overpass, causing a sheet of ice to smash through the car windshield and into the driver.

"There was blood everywhere, pouring from my head, nose and my eye. I was scared that I was losing so much blood that I was going to die," the victim told the Chicago Tribune.

The victim said he was headed to a daycare center his wife owns. He initially feared he was trapped by the large chunk of ice that landed in his lap but managed to push open the door and stumble away for help.

The truck driver continued west but other drivers stopped to help the man. The truck was described as a semi with a white trailer but witnesses were unable to provide a better description, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The DuPage sheriff's office is investigating the accident and is asking anyone with information to contact deputies at (630) 407-2400. The sheriff issued a bulletin of one safety precaution drivers can take to help protect themselves: leave plenty of room when following a commercial vehicle, especially in bad weather.

The victim suffered serious injuries to his face that threaten his sight, including a shattered orbital bone beneath his eye socket, glass in his eye and cuts to his lid and iris. He is at home recovering after surgery this week.

New Jersey recently passed a law allow for fines for vehicles with a dangerous accumulation of snow. Safety advocates are pushing for a similar law in Illinois. A spokesman for the Mid-West Truckers Association told the Tribune no such law exists for semis because there is no safe way to remove it. Clean off a trailer, would require the driver to climb 13 1/2 feet in the air and walk on snow and ice on the top of a truck.

"There might be more opportunity for accidents if individuals were required to climb on top of a truck," he said.

The victim said he believes the semi driver is responsible for his injuries.

A Chicago motorcycle accident claimed the life of a 47-year-old man on Saturday -- two years after he was struck by an SUV driven by a man whose felony drunk driving case is still pending, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The 47-year-old victim had been living at the Imperial Grove Pavillion nursing home, where he died Saturday. The medical bills in such cases can be astronomical and the pain and distress placed on families is devastating.

While it will be several months before motorcycles take to the roads again in Illinois, motorists are reminded that Chicago bicycle accidents and Chicago pedestrian accidents also often result in serious injury or death because of the vulnerability of such accident victims.

While overall traffic fatalities are down nationwide, the number of pedestrian and bicycle fatalities have not shown significant improvement and fatal motorcycle accidents have risen each year for more than a decade. As reported last fall on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Illinois motorcycle accidents were up 22 percent last year. Nationwide, 5,290 riders were killed in 2008. Fatalities increased for the 11th straight year and accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

And, as is alleged in this case, more than one-third of Chicago car accidents are caused by a drunk driver.

The driver is facing nine felony counts as a result of the alleged Chicago drunk driving accident. Police say it is uncertain whether the 48-year-old driver will face additional charges as a result of the victim's death.

The Sept. 2, 2007 crash occurred just before 9 p.m. at the intersection of Lawrence and Elston avenues, Chicago police reported. The victim was headed south on Elston on a 1991 Harley-Davidson motorcycle when he was struck by a Chevrolet TrailBlazer, which attempted to turn left in front of him.

The defendant remains free on $20,000 bail. He is next scheduled to appear before Cook County Judge Catherine Haberkorn at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 8, according to court records.

A Chicago man faces serious criminal charges for a New Year's Chicago drunk driving accident that claimed the life of a 20-year-old woman, the Chicago Tribune reported.

The Cook County sheriff's office reported the Oak Forest car accident was caused by a 22-year-old man who is a business partner of a former Chicago Blackhawks player.

The defendant's 20-year-old ex-girlfriend, a local college student, was killed in the one-car Chicago car accident. He was tested with a blood-alcohol level of .236, almost three times the legal limit, according to media reports.

He was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence.

The one-car Chicago car accident occurred at about 4:20 a.m. Thursday on 147th Street near Oak Park Avenue, when the defendant's Mercedes SUV struck a light pole before careening into a ditch and rolling over, according to police.

The defendant was treated at Advocate Christ Medical Center for a broken wrist and other injuries. He was being held in custody over the weekend, pending a bond hearing at the Markham courthouse.

The Sun-Times reported bond was later set at $200,000.

The Tribune reported the victim's parents spent New Year's Day planning funeral arrangements for their middle child.

As reported recently on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, one-third of fatal Illinois car accidents involve drunk drivers. Last year in Illinois, 1,043 people killed in traffic accidents; one in three (362) were legally drunk and one in four (252) had a blood alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit (.15) or higher, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

As it makes a final push through the Holiday season, Illinois' Operation Save 100 reported that 204 agencies had arrested 1,814 people for drunk driving and issued almost 10,000 seat belt citations. The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes remind motorists that the new year's weekend is typically one of the deadliest on the roads as heavy traffic, winter driving accidents, and Chicago drunk driving accidents pose a danger to holiday motorists. As reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, the state launched the program Nov. 11 and hopes to reduce Illinois traffic fatalities by 100 lives through the end of the year. At launch, 781 had died on Illinois roads in 2009, compared to 883 during the same period last year. The statewide enforcement effort focuses on the deadly nighttime hours and includes roadside safety checks, safety belt enforcement zones and police patrols looking for impaired drivers and safety belt law violators, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. “There is no doubt that many serious crashes occur at night,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “This high visibility enforcement effort comes at a time of year when lots of people are traveling across the state and nation, so it is a good time to focus on safety, especially during the holidays.” IDOT reports nearly 7 of 10 Illinois traffic fatalities occuring between midnight and 3 a.m. involve a drunk driver. Saving 100 lives would also save $100 million -- the state estimates each road fatality costs about $1.2 million. While fatal Illinois traffic accidents have been declining -- from 1,248 in 2007 to 1,043 last year -- Illinois is one of only 10 states to log more than 1,000 traffic deaths per year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Continue reading "Authorities hope for fewer fatal Illinois car accidents" »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IDOT Winter Driving Tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Don't overdrive your headlights.

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

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

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

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

-Align headlights correctly.

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

-Keep windows and headlights clean.

-Keep your eyes moving.

-Increase your following distance.

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

-Use your mirrors.

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

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

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

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

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

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

MADD encourages all drivers to obey the following safety tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

More than 300 young drivers ages 21 to 24 are involved in fatal crashes during the last half of December each year. One-third of the 1,710 deaths from 2002-2007 were the result of drunk driving accidents that claimed 649 lives, according the the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The National Safety Commission has the following tips:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children ages 3 to 14 years old, according to 2008 crash statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Some of the most tragic and difficult cases handled by the Chicago car accident attorneys and the personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes involve the serious injury or death of a child in a car accident.

In 2008, 1,347 young passengers were killed in traffic accidents nationwide and 193,000 were injured. Every day, an average of 4 children under the age of 14 are killed and 529 injured in traffic accidents.

Illinois ranked 6th in the nation for the highest number of children killed in automobile accidents. Texas (154), California (142), Florida (73), Georgia (65) and North Carolina (45) were the five deadliest states.

Nationwide, alcohol was involved in 16 percent of the fatal crashes -- about half of those occurred when a child passenger of a drunk driver was killed.

A total of 270 children were killed in pedestrian accidents and another 13,000 were injured. About half of these child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 4 and 8 p.m.

Eighty-one children were killed in bicycle accidents and another 52,000 were injured.

The report concluded that child-safety seats reduced the risk of fatal injury to infants by 71 percent and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars.

Continue reading "Traffic accidents leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14" »

The city's budget crunch is putting the brakes on the metro area's planned network of 330 red-light cameras aimed at reducing Chicago car accidents.

Many car accidents occur at intersections or are caused by drivers violating traffic laws. The Chicago injury lawyers and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes have been following this issue as more and more cases nationwide attempt to introduce camera evidence in courtroom proceedings.

Earlier this summer we posted a report by the Daily Herald questioning whether some of the cameras were going up to reduce accidents or maximize ticket revenue.

The city collected almost $38 million and issued more than half a million tickets for traffic infractions caught on the intersection cameras in the first eight months of the year, according to The Sun-Times.

Annual tickets and revenue increased from $4.7 million and 109,441 tickets during the first year of the program in 2004 to $44.8 million and 579,560 tickets last year.

But Mayor Daley's 2010 budget includes no additional money for cameras after adding 50 cameras to intersections this year, which brings the citywide total to 189.

Instead, the Chicago Department of Transportation plans to take 20 existing cameras from their current locations and move them to other intersections, where they believe the cameras would positively impact traffic safety, according to The Sun-Times report.

The 50 cameras installed this year cost $2.8 million and $50,000 each per year to maintain and support, according to city budget figures.

"It's a cost-saving measure. We're reducing our capital outlay," said Peter Scales, a spokesman for the city's Office of Budget and Management.

Scales said the city is comfortable with moving cameras from identified intersections, citing a 60 percent drop in red-light violations since the cameras were installed.

Cost of a ticket for running a light caught on camera is $100, though some city officials have suggested increasing that to $125. Motorists caught on camera get the ticket in the mail, along with a digital photograph of the violation. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court shot down the "innocent owner's defense," an argument that an owner was held responsible for the violation of someone else who might have been driving the car.

Continue reading "Red-light camera program hits the brakes -- uncertain future for effort to reduce Chicago car accidents " »

A new federal report concerning the use of hand-held devices behind the wheel found a 25 to 50 percent increase in fatal accidents caused by distracted drivers over the last five years, even as the number of fatal traffic accidents has declined nationwide.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and the personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes often represent clients who have been injured by distracted drivers.

In 2008, the federal government estimates 1 in every 6 fatal accidents was caused by a distracted driver -- 5,870 people were killed and more than half a million injured.

A major push in the fight against distracted driving has been to ban the use of cell phones and text messaging by drivers. Earlier this month, Abels & Annes' Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog reported President Obama announced a ban on text messaging by all federal employees.

This summer, Illinois passed a law that takes effect Jan. 1, making it illegal for drivers to text message and prohibiting the use of cell phones in school and construction zones.

“Every single time someone takes their eyes or their focus off the road - even for just a few seconds - they put their lives and the lives of others in danger,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Distracted driving is unsafe, irresponsible and in a split second, its consequences can be devastating.”

On any given day in 2008, the federal government estimates more than 800,000 vehicles are driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone.

Other driving behaviors that lead to distracted driving accidents include eating, drinking, talking to passengers, radios and the use of other in-car technologies and portable devices, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Researchers noted the actual number of serious and fatal accidents caused by distracted driving could be much higher because of the lack of uniform reporting and the challenges associated with identifying distracted driving as a cause of an accident.

But the report concluded instances of crashes caused by distracted driving are on the rise even as the overall traffic fatality rate has declined in recent years. In 2004, 4,409 of the 38,444 fatal crashes were attributed to distracted drivers (11 percent) while 2008 figures show 5,331 distracted-driving fatalities of the nation's 34,017 fatal crashes (16 percent).

Those figures represent a 50 percent increase in the overall percentage of fatal distracted-driving accidents and an increase of roughly 25 percent in overall number of distracted driving accidents.

Among the other findings of the study:

-Distracted driving was reported as a cause in 16 percent of all fatal accidents.

-1 in 5 injury accidents was caused by a distracted driver.

-Drivers under age 20 has the greatest proportion of distracted drivers.

Continue reading "Chicago injury lawyers continue to monitor issue of distracted driving" »

Doctors delivered a newborn boy after a pregnant woman was killed in a Chicago car accident on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old woman died when two vehicles collided and one of the vehicle careened into her and three other pedestrians on the city's West Side, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The West Cortez Street Woman was pronounced dead at Stroger Hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. The newborn infant is listed in extremely critical condition, according to the hospital.

A hospital spokeswoman said doctors were able to save the unborn child and believe the pregnancy was six or seven months along.

"The baby suffered injuries (from the crash) in addition to being premature," a spokesperson told The Tribune. The child's condition was described as "extremely critical."

Doctors reported it would be sometime today before they knew whether the infant had a chance to survive.

The car accident happened on Wednesday around 12 pm when a Ford van eastbound on Washington and a Chrysler Town and Country minivan southbound on Kostner, collided, according to police.

The Chicago Sun-Times said four pedestrians were struck during the accident and the driver of the Chrysler van had been cited.

According to the Sun-Times, the 39-year-old van driver was cited for failure to stop at a red light, driving with a suspended or revoked license and no insurance. It was unknown whether he will face further charges in connection with the woman's death.

In this case, due to the fact that the at fault driver had no insurance, the family of the victims will be able to pursue an uninsured motorist claim against their own auto insurance policy.

Police continue to look for a vehicle involved in a fatal hit-and-run Chicago car accident.

The 36-year-old West Cullerton Street woman died Tuesday after being hit by a car on South Halsted Street, according to The Sun-Times. The car left the scene and the woman was struck again by a Chicago Transit Authority bus.

Authorities report the woman was struck by the car while crossing the street shortly after 5 p.m. The force of the impact propelled her into the path of a northbound CTA bus.

Police are looking for a purple or blue, four-door car with a chrome center grill. The car has damage to the hood near the driver's side headlight area.

Harrison-area detectives have joined the Major Accident Investigation Unit in the search.

Police hope a street surveillance camera will help identify the fleeing driver, according to ABC7.

Witnesses reported the driver of the car never stopped after striking her. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Family members say the woman was married with two teenagers.

In a 2004 report conducted by AAA, 1,557 people were killed by hit-and-run drivers -- or more than four people a day. For every one killed, 72 more were injured.

Some of the most common reasons drivers flee the scene of an accident include drunk driving, driving without a license, self-preservation and road rage. Hit-and-run drivers face serious criminal charges for their actions in addition to any civil action to recover damages on behalf of the victims and their families.

In this type of case, most of the time the hit-and-run driver is never caught by police. If that happens here, the family of the victim will be able to pursue a hit-and-run claim against the victim's own auto insurance policy.

Anyone with information regarding the accident is encouraged to contact the Chicago Police Department immediately.

The Chicago Daily Herald is reporting that aggravated DUI charges have been filed against a Chicago resident for his role in a deadly car accident that occurred just after 2:00 a.m. in Park Ridge, Illinois on Sunday morning. A man and a woman were killed in the Chicago area car crash. Four others were injured.

The collision happened at Oak Street and Riverside Drive, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Emergency workers rushed to the crash site and found two vehicles. One car was heavily damaged with one person inside and another vehicle was damaged and came to rest 75 feet from the intersection with 5 people inside. All six of the injured were taken by ambulance to area hospitals by the Park Ridge Fire Department and three other assisting fire departments.

The victims were a 25-year-old man from Des Plaines and a 37-year-old woman from Morton Grove, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. Both were passengers in a Mercedes that was traveling eastbound on Oakton when it collided with a northbound Nissan that was on Riverside.

The Park Ridge Police Department Major Crash Unit is investigating the accident. There has not been a fatal car crash in Park Ridge since May 14, 2009, according to the Park Ridge Herald-Advocate.

The Daily Herald stated that autopsies were scheduled for Monday by the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office.

Click here to see an accident photo provided by ABC News.

More car accidents happen on Saturday and Sunday morning between the hours of 12:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. than any other time of the week. It is by far the most dangerous time to drive. Many of the crashes involve drugs and/or alcohol.

Authorities and the media are asking some tough questions after a fatal Chicago car accident last Thursday was allegedly caused by a man sentenced to six years in prison for reckless homicide in 2006 but was nevertheless out of jail and on the road with a valid license.

As reported on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, the Thursday car accident in Crestwood was caused after the 52-year-old driver slammed into a group of cars parked at an intersection.

Authorities reported the driver was speeding. Four people were injured in the crash and a 55-year-old father of two was killed.

The driver faces charges of reckless homicide, aggravated driving under the influence of drugs and failure to reduce his speed to avoid an accident -- his speed has been reported at 100 mph at the time of the accident.

In 2006, the man was driving through Chicago's West Side, again at speeds of 100 mph, when he slammed into another vehicle, killing 28-year-old Ewa Kwiatowska, according to the Southtown Star.

The newspaper reported that he pleaded guilty to reckless homicide and was sentenced to six years in prison but was paroled last year.

He was back on the road with a valid license, despite only being halfway through a prison sentence for killing someone while behind the wheel.

Meanwhile, the Cook County Clerk of Circuit Court's Office and the office of Secretary of State Jesse White, which regulates driver's licenses in Illinois, are arguing about how and why this man's driver's license was not revoked.

A spokesman for White said his office relies on electronic updates to the state's driver's license system. The automated approach, used in 88 of the state's 102 counties, results in 5,000 updates per day -- about one-third of that volume comes from Cook County.

While there is much finger-pointing about why this driver's license was not suspended, there seems to be little mention of why he was out on parole less than 3 years after his conviction.

Nor has there been much discussion or what can be done to prevent drivers -- licensed or unlicensed -- from recklessly destroying lives behind the wheel of an automobile.

In Australia, where unlicensed driving has been studied extensively, a report found that almost 4 of every 5 accidents involving an unlicensed driver were the fault of the unlicensed driver.

A study of U.S. drivers by the AAA Foundation, titled Unlicensed to Kill, found that 13.8 percent of all fatal crashes involved an unlicensed driver.

The report concluded that more than 7,000 fatal crashed each year involve a driver who had their licensed suspended within the preceding three years.

A 62-year-old woman died Wednesday and 9 people were hospitalized after a van rear-ended a Chicago Transit Authority bus in a South Side Chatham neighborhood.

The Chicago bus accident occurred on Tuesday afternoon when the CTA southbound No. 4 Cottage Grove bus was stopped at 83rd Street and Cottage Grove, where it was rear-ended by the van at about 4:40 p.m., according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The woman, a van passenger, was taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, where she was pronounced dead shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office reported.

A Chicago fire media affairs spokesman reported 10 people were injured -- three were hospitalized in critical condition while seven others were reported in stable condition. Victims were taken to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital, Advocate Trinity Hospital, Jackson Park Hospital, Little Company of Mary Hospital and Health Care Centers in Evergreen Park and South Shore Hospital.

Police reported that five of the injured were occupants inside the van.

The Chicago Breaking News Center reported the van belonged to an adult day care center and the van's driver was issued multiple citations.

The Chicago Transit Authority reports an average of 26.5 million monthly rides this year, or about 1 million boarding per day. The Cottage Grove bus is the busiest in the system, with about 22,000 riders per day.

Chicago bicycle accident attorneys and Illinois car crash lawyers at Abels & Annes have reached an insurance policy limits settlement for a Chicago resident who was injured in a bike accident on July 20th. The bicycle accident occurred as our client was riding his bicycle on W. North Avenue and a driver in a parked car opened her door as the plaintiff was riding by.

The bicyclist fell to the ground and sustained head injuries. He was taken by ambulance to Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago and treated. The plaintiff remained in the hospital for several days due to his injuries.

The bicycle accident was investigated by the Chicago Police Department. The at fault driver was ticketed for swinging her car door into traffic.

The defendant was insured by State Farm and the insurance policy limits of $50,000 have been offered to settle the claim.

This type of bicycle vs. car collision happens more often than you would think in Chicago. Abels & Annes has handled several injury cases where a Chicago bicyclist was hurt by a driver who carelessly opened a door into traffic without looking.

We are about to start negotiating a settlement for another bike rider who was injured on the North Side by an opening car door, and that driver was also insured by State Farm. He sustained a broken hand and permanent scars on his leg.

Continue reading "Chicago injury lawyer reaches $50,000 settlement in bike accident case" »

The outcome of a two-day distracted-driving summit in the nation's capital included an executive order signed by President Obama late last week that forbids all federal employees from text messaging while driving on the job in a government-owned vehicle.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes continue to monitor new laws banning distractions behind the wheel. Illinois became one of the latest states to ban text messaging (as well as the use of cell phones in school zones and road construction sites) with a new law passed this summer, which takes effect Jan. 1. Violators face fines and repeated violations can lead to license suspensions.

The City of Chicago already has a law in place prohibiting drivers from using cell phones.

Drivers violating the law can also be held responsible in civil court for the damage and injuries they cause in a Chicago car accident. The increasing number of laws banning text messaging and the use of cell phones by drivers is aimed at reducing the more than 4,000 car accidents a day the federal government estimates are caused by distracted driving.

"Driving while distracted should just feel wrong -- just as driving without a seat belt or driving while intoxicated seems wrong to most Americans," Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said at the summit, attended by more than 300 lawmakers, safety experts and industry representatives.

The Obama administration also said it would consider new restrictions on cellphone use by rail, truck and bus drivers as part of the initiative to reduce accidents caused by distracted driving.

A recent study by the University of Utah reported that distracted driving reduces reaction time as much as drunk driving. Incidents are most common among young, inexperienced drivers, according to the National Center for Statistics and Analysis.

LaHood said the administration would push states to pass laws against distracted driving, especially for school bus drivers. The department will also seek a new rule to revoke commercial drivers' licenses for school bus drivers convicted of texting while driving.

As reported earlier this summer on Ables & Annes' Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, the summit follows a recent report in The New York Times, which found that Illinois passed one of just 10 new distracted driving laws nationwide, of the more than 170 that were introduced last year.

Driving while talking on cellphones has been banned in seven states, and texting while driving has been banned in 18 states, according to the Los Angeles Times. Seventeen states have made it illegal for school bus drivers to use cellphones while driving.

Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) urged the administration to endorse a proposed law he is sponsoring, which would require all states to ban texting or e-mailing by drivers or risk losing 25% of their annual highway funds.

"The fact is, the federal government cannot, by itself, outlaw texting while driving," Schumer said, noting that states have the authority to make such laws. "But the federal government can make it hard for those states that don't go along."

Continue reading "President Obama bans text messaging by federal drivers -- nationwide push against distracted driving continues" »

A Cicero man was sentenced to 7 years in prison this week for causing a fatal Chicago car vs. bicycle accident last year while driving drunk, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The 50-year-old man pleaded guilty at the Cook County courthouse in Maywood in connection with the Chicago drunk driving accident. He had been charged with one count each of aggravated DUI and leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury.

He admitted to running a red light in his van on Roosevelt Road about 8:30 p.m. on July 23, 2008, where he struck a 49-year-old woman crossing Roosevelt on her bicycle. He left her lying in the street, severely wounded with broken bones and a head injury and fled the scene because he did not have a driver's license, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The victim, Wilma Bradford, 49, of Cicero, survived for six months in a coma before dying in January as a result of her injuries.

Police found the hit-and-run driver in the attic of his home about an hour after the crash. Blood and urine samples taken four hours after the crash showed he had cocaine in his system and a blood-alcohol content of .06, just under the legal limit of .08.

His license was suspended because at the time of the accident and he had just been convicted of misdemeanor driving under the influence, according to Assistant State's Attorney Jamie Santini.

It has not been reported if the family of the victim is pursuing a civil wrongful death action against the driver.

Continue reading "Cicero driver sentenced to prison for killing bicyclist in Chicago drunk driving accident" »

A majority of motorists favor mandating high-tech devices that would prohibited people from driving vehicles under the influence, according to the results of a new study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

About 180,000 interlocks -- devices which test an operator's blood-alcohol level before allowing a vehicle to be operated -- are mandated for use by some drunk driving offenders. Widespread use of interlocks by all motorists has been increasingly debated as a way to lower road fatalities caused by drinking and driving.

The Chicago drunk driving accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes continue to monitor enforcement and safety issues surrounding the prevention of drunk driving, which accounts for about one-third of all traffic fatalities

Nationwide, the number of fatal drunk driving cases dropped slightly in 2008, to 11,773 compared to 13,041 in 2007. But alcohol-related fatalities still account for about 1 in every 3 of the nation's 37,261 road deaths in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In Illinois, 362 people were killed by drunk drivers last year of the 1,043 traffic fatalities.

About 3 of 4 survey respondents were aware of interlocks being required for some people with DUI convictions. Connected to a car's ignition system, the devices keep vehicles from starting if an operator's blood-alcohol level registers above a predetermined level, usually set below the legal threshold of .08.

While the Insurance Institute says the devices have been successful in reducing the risk posed by prior drunk-driving offenders, the group contends that most fatal crashes involve drunk drivers who have not had a prior offense in the past 3 years, and so would not be subject to mandatory use of the devices under various existing state laws.

The group contends 8,000 lives could be saved by equipping all vehicles with such devices and points to the study's results as proof the general public might be receptive to the idea.

"The results are clear-cut and a bit surprising," says Anne McCartt, Institute senior vice president for research. "We didn't expect to find support across the board for the idea of detecting alcohol in everybody, but this survey tells us people are ready to crack down on all impaired drivers, not just those who've had DWI convictions."

Technology would have to be improved so that the devices could be invisible and maintenance free-- current interlock devices are large, visible, "unwieldy and obstructive," according the the group.

However, the Institute reports that a partnership between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and Automotive Coalition for Traffic Safety, is exploring new detection technologies that could be developed for widespread use.

"The idea is to stop anyone from operating a vehicle if the BAC registers 0.08 percent or higher, not to prevent drivers from having any drinks at all before getting in their cars," McCartt said.

Sixty-four percent of survey respondents said the devices would be a good idea in all cars if the technology proves reliable. Only 30 percent said it's a bad idea.

Continue reading "Study claims majority of motorists would support mandatory ignition interlocks on all vehicles to avoid drunk driving accidents" »

A Burlington High School student died Friday afternoon in a Chicago area auto accident on Randall Road near the intersection of Red Gate Road in St. Charles Township of west suburban Kane County.

A 16-year-old teen from unincorporated Elgin, was transported to Delnor Hospital in Geneva, where he was pronounced dead, according to The Chronicle.

He was northbound on Randall Road near Red Gate Road in a 2000 Toyota Camry when he hit a 2004 Lincoln Navigator almost head-on as it turned left onto Red Gate, according to the Kane County Sheriff's Office, which is investigating the crash.

The driver of the Lincoln Navigator and a small child who was a passenger in the Lincoln were transported to Delnor with non-life threatening injuries.

The Illinois car crash happened shortly after noon and shut down Randall between Crane and Bolcum roads.

No citations have been issued, however if the SUV was turning left, a ticket and other charges could still be issued. Under Illinois law, it is generally the duty of the driver turning left to yield to oncoming traffic.

The Daily Herald reported the victim was a student at Central High School in Burlington, which was on early dismissal Friday because of a teacher in-service day.

Also see the story as reported by The Courier-News.

Authorities are emphasizing the importance of save driving habits among teenagers as the school year begins in an effort to reduce Illinois car accidents involving teenagers, including drunk driving accidents and speeding.

Since its inception in 2007, Illinois' Operation Teen Safe Driving has been credited with reducing fatalities among teen motorists -- from 82 in the first six months of 2007, to 39 during the same period last year.

Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young people age 15 to 24, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Each year in the United States, more than 8,000 teens lose their lives in traffic crashes -- more than 400,000 are injured in traffic crashes.

Illinois' Operation Teen Safe Driving was created to combat the major reasons teens are killed or seriously injured in traffic crashes, including: lack of safety belt use, speed, distraction, impaired driving or lack of experience.

A new law that took effect Jan. 1, 2008, doubled the time young drivers must spend supervised before they can obtain an Illinois' driver's license.

“The improved graduated driver licensing law that resulted from the recommendations of the Teen Driver Safety Task Force makes Illinois' teen driver program one of the strongest in the nation and, more importantly, is saving lives,” said Secretary of State Jesse White. “I am encouraged that teen driving deaths have dropped by over 40 percent in the first full year of the law. This law, in conjunction with the Operation Teen Safe Driving initiative, is having the intended impact on teen driving safety."

Continue reading "Chicago parents urged to talk to teen drivers about how to avoid car accidents -- Operation Teen Safe Driving begins with school year" »

A 35-year-old man faces numerous charges after a fatal weekend Chicago DUI accident.

The accused driver faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless homicide, leaving the scene of an accident, driving without insurance and failure to stop at a red light, according to the Chicago Tribune.

ABC7 reported the victim, a 30 year old man from Chicago, died as a result of his injuries after his vehicle was struck by the defendant's truck at about 2:30 a.m. The crash happened at West Cermak Road and South Damen Avenue on the city's Southwest Side.

Authorities say the victim was pronounced dead at Stein Institute. The accused drunk driver and a 20-year-old female passenger in his truck were treated for injuries at a local hospital, according to the Tribune.

The accident was investigated by the Chicago Police Department.

Earlier this month we blogged about the high numbers of nighttime DUI accidents reported by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Seven in ten Illinois drunk driving accidents are reported between midnight and 3 a.m.

In August, a federal study found 1 in 7 nighttime weekend drivers were under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

An alarming new federal report shows the battle against drunk driving is far from over: 1 in 10 binge drinkers got behind the wheel of an automobile the last time they drank heavily, driving away from a bar, restaurant or nightclub after downing five or more drinks and putting everyone in their path in danger.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and drunk driving accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have blogged this year --both here and on our sister site www.chicagocaraccidentlawyersblog.com --about the increase in drunk driving cases against women, the high rate of night and weekend car accidents caused by drunk drivers, and the overall dangers of drunk driving.

One out of every three fatal crashes in 2008 was alcohol related, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In this latest study, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 12 percent of 14,000 binge drinkers surveyed admitted to driving after their last bout of heavy drinking.

All had five or more drinks; half admitted to having seven or more drinks; 1 in 4 admitted to consuming at least 10 drinks before driving. The report highlighted the need to do a better job of preventing bars and restaurants from serving intoxicated patrons.

Illinois' Dram Shop laws permit injured parties to attempt to recover damages from restaurants or bars who serve intoxicated patrons who cause serious injury or death to an innocent party. in other words, Chicago car accident victims who are injured by a drunk driver can sometimes make a claim, not only against the at-fault driver, but against the establishment that severed the alcohol.

Dr. Timothy Naimi, of the CDC's alcohol program, attributes binge drinking to more than 11,000 deaths a year. He called Dram Shop laws "among the most disregarded laws in the country."

"The drinking location is really important," Naimi said. "We're trusting these licensed establishments to serve responsibly, and more than half of the intoxicated people who drive have been drinking in these places."

Continue reading "Binge drinking research - DUI drivers too often endanger Illinois residents" »

In the third deadly car crash this week in Kane County, Illinois an elderly woman has been killed, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. Four others were injured in the car crash that occurred in Lily Lake, Illinois on September 13, 2009.

The victim was a resident of Woodstock, Illinois and she was pronounced dead when she arrived by ambulance at Delnor-Community Hospital in Geneva. She was riding as a rear driver's side passenger in a Ford Escape.

The fatal car accident occurred at about 1:45 in the morning near Illinois Highway and Empire Road, involving an SUV and a 1990 Buick Regal. The Kane County Sheriff's Department is handling the crash investigation. This is the 3rd fatal accident they have investigated in the past week.

The driver of the Buick was ejected from her vehicle and was taken to Delnor-Community Hospital. The driver of the SUV and 2 other passengers were all taken to area hospitals.

The Kane County Accident Reconstruction Team is also working crash investigation. It has not been reported which vehicle was at fault or if drugs or alcohol were involved. Route 47 was closed for several hours due to the accident.

Also see 1 dead, 1 hurt in Kane County traffic crash.

A Schaumburg couple was killed on Labor Day when their motorcycle was hit by a car in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. The deadly motorcycle accident took place in unincorporated Cook County near Palatine, Illinois. The Chicago Sun-Times reported the husband was driving the motorcycle when it was struck by a vehicle exiting a gas station parking lot at Quentin and Dundee roads shortly before noon.

The 65-year-old husband was pronounced dead about 2:30 p.m. on Monday at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, according to the Chicago Tribune. His 54-year-old wife was pronounced dead about an hour later.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Department is handling the crash investigation. The driver of the car that collided with the motorcycle, a 61-year-old Palatine woman, was ticketed for failure to yield from a private driveway, according to the Daily Herald. Whether the charges will be increased due to the fatalities has not been reported.

Over the past two years there has been a 22 percent increase in Chicago-area motorcycle accidents. Last year, there were 2,663 motorcycle accidents in the Chicago area. That's a dozen motorcycle accidents a day during the 5-month riding season.

Too often Chicago motorcycle riders are hit and seriously injured or killed by a motorist that fails to yield. Earlier this summer, www.chicagopersonalinjurylawyerblog.com posted "10 Things Every Driver Should Know About Motorcycles."

In the Chicago western suburb of Naperville, Illinois 5 people were injured in a car crash on Saturday night, according to the Naperville Sun. The 2 vehicle crash involved a Naperville police car, and a police officer was one of the injured.

The car crash took place at the intersection of Route 59 and 95th Street just before 6:30 p.m. The Naperville Police vehicle was eastbound on 95th when it collided with a motor vehicle that was northbound on 59. Both cars were seriously damaged.

The police officer and the 4 occupants of the other car were all hurt and taken to Edwards Hospital in Naperville, Illinois. The intersection was closed for hours due to the car accident.

The Naperville Police Department is handling the crash investigation and no tickets have been issued. The cause of the accident has not been reported. The Chicago Breaking News Center is reporting that a female officer was responding to an emergency call and had her emergency lights activated.

Also see the story as reported by the Daily Herald.

Chicago personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes have entered into an agreement to represent a Northwest Side resident who sustained personal injuries after she was hit by a car while crossing a street in a crosswalk. The car vs. pedestrian accident happened on August 15, 2009 just before 5 p.m. at the intersection of Central and Roscoe.

Our client was walking eastbound crossing Central in a crosswalk on the north side of the intersection when a woman driving a 2009 Nissan Murano, who was also eastbound on Roscoe, entered the intersection. She proceeded turn left on to Central and failed to observe the pedestrian in the walkway. She struck our client with the passenger side of her SUV.

The Chicago Police Department came to the scene and issued the defendant a traffic violation. She has a September court date at the Daley Center. The officer noted in his police report that the Nissan had a dent on the hood and broken plastic by the headlight where the vehicle hit the pedestrian.

The plaintiff was taken from the scene in a Chicago Fire Department Ambulance to Our Lady Of Resurrection Medical Center with back, chest and elbow injuries. Since the date of the accident she has also been going through follow up treatment at Illinois Bone & Joint Institute, as her condition has not improved.

Chicago personal injury lawyers from Abels & Annes resolved a case for a North Side resident who was injured in a single vehicle auto accident in Wisconsin. The plaintiff was riding as a passenger in the back seat of an automobile being driven by the defendant on the evening of November 1, 2007.

They were traveling in a 1995 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban from Madison, Wisconsin to Minnesota. The defendant was driving westbound on Interstate 90 with three passengers. At approximately 8:15 p.m. defendant lost control of her vehicle, veered to the left off the roadway into a ditch, struck a cement culvert and embankment and crashed her vehicle into to cement pylon of an overpass.

Following the collision defendant admitted to the investigating police officers that she had lost control of her vehicle because she was eating food while driving, reached down to grab a napkin and was not looking where she was driving. As a result she lost control of her vehicle and drove off the roadway. She was issued a traffic citation as a result of her actions on the evening of the collision and she later pleaded guilty to inattentive driving.

Our client was taken from the scene of the crash by ambulance and transported to Hess Memorial Hospital. At the time of her arrival in the Emergency Room she complained of head pain, a head laceration, first metatarsal pain in her left foot, left wrist pain and right elbow pain. The head laceration was closed with a number of staples. She had bruising and swelling around her left eye as well as numerous lacerations around her nose and cheeks due to glass. An initial CT in the ER showed a contusion of the right temporal lobe and she was therefore admitted for further observation.

At the time of her discharge she was instructed to seek follow up care for her injuries, including having the staples in her scalp removed, and was further recommended to seek counseling services as she was already beginning to exhibit signs and symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder due to the traumatic nature of the event.

Following her discharge from the hospital the plaintiff sought follow up treatment with her primary care physician in Chicago on November 5, 2007 for her ongoing complaints. X-rays of her left wrist performed at this time identified an ulnar fracture. Her wrist was placed in a splint and she was referred to a hand specialist at the Illinois Bone & Joint Institute for her fracture. She was instructed to wear a wrist splint for one month. She also treated for neck and back at Illinois Bone & Joint.

Following the collision the plaintiff also began to experience psychiatric symptoms including agitation, difficulty sleeping, physical exhaustion, difficulty concentrating, flashbacks to the accident, depersonalization and dissociation. She sought psychiatric treatment and was diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

The case settled at a non-binding mediation for $74,500, with the defendant's insurance carrier receiving a $14,500 credit for payment of our client's medical bills.

Motorcycle accidents continue to rise in the seven-county Chicago area -- up 22 percent in just two years, according to the Sun-Times News Group.

That's more than 7 Chicago-area motorcycle accidents a day -- all year long -- or more than a dozen a day during the five-month riding season. Most motorcycle accidents result in personal injuries to the rider involved.

The Chicago motorcycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes urge car drivers to remain vigilant about the dangers to motorcycle riders through the remainder of the summer riding season.

Inexperienced drivers who aren't used to seeing so many cycles on the road have helped push the number of motorcycle crashes in the seven-county region to 2,663 last year, a Chicago Sun-Times survey has found.

That's up 22 percent from 2,180 just two years earlier, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Kane, DuPage and Kendall counties are among the few counties that have not seen a steady increase in crashes. Motorcycles in Kane and DuPage counties went up between 2006 and 2007, then down in 2008.

As we reported in a blog last month, fatality statistics are sobering for motorcycle riders across the country.

Nationwide, motorcycle fatalities increased for the 11th straight year and accounted for 14 percent of all traffic fatalities, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

A total of 5,290 riders were killed in 2008, compared to 5,174 in 2007. The increase came in a year when federal statistics revealed a steep drop in virtually every other category, including a 13 percent decline in motor vehicle fatalities.

Our summer blog on motorcycle safety can be found by clicking here

Click here to read our post on 10 things all drivers should know about motorcycles.

Continue reading "Chicago area motorcycle accidents continue to rise" »

On the Northwest Side of Chicago a pedestrian was hit and killed by a semi truck while crossing the street, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The pedestrian vs. truck accident happened at the intersection of Chicago Avenue and Ashland Avenue around 10:30 p.m. in the Wicker Park neighborhood.

The victim, a 59 year old male Chicago resident, was taken to Cook County Stroger Hospital and pronounced dead a short time later.

The Chicago Police Department's Major Accident Investigation Unit is handling the crash investigation. No tickets had been issued to the truck driver as of this morning, however the investigation is most likely not yet complete. What exactly caused the accident has not been reported. Whether tickets are issued could depend on if there were independent witnesses to the accident.

As for a civil lawsuit against the truck driver and the trucking company, it is a good bet that the family of the victim will retain a Chicago personal injury lawyer to investigate a potential case.

Also see the story as reported by NBC News.

The past 24 hours was a dangerous time to be on the roads on the North Side of Chicago. In addition to the pedestrian accident in Wicker park, there was a motor vehicle accident on the Kennedy Expressway involving 3 motorcycles and a car, and there was a rollover SUV accident on the Edens Expressway in Skokie early Sunday where two people were killed.

The crash on the Kennedy caused all three lanes to be shut down for a period of time and backed up traffic for miles, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. Two of the motorcycle riders were taken to Stroger and the 3rd was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. A women in the car was taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes often represent Illinois residents who have been injured by DUI drivers. One car accident case we are currently working on involves the death of two minor children.

The State of Illinois has announced a crackdown on drunk drivers that launches this week and runs through the Labor Day holiday weekend.

Robert Brasky, Illinois Traffic Safety Leaders president, announced officers from all departments will be out in force beginning Aug. 21 and cited motorcycle riders as being at particularly high risk through the holiday weekend.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and motorcycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes blogged recently about the increase in motorcycle fatalities.

Police will join thousands of other law enforcement and highway safety agencies throughout the nation as they take part in the "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest" crackdown on impaired driving.

In 2007, nearly 13,000 people died in highway crashes involving a driver or motorcycle operator with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. About 1 in 3 road fatalities involves drunk driving.

For motorcycle riders, 2007 statistics show a higher percentage (27 percent) had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher than any other type of motor vehicle driver.

The Chicago Sun-Times recently reported Illinois motorcycle accidents are up 22 percent, from 2,180 in 2007 to 2,663 last year.

“Make no mistake. Our message is simple. No matter what you drive—a passenger car, pickup, sport utility vehicle or motorcycle—if police catch you driving impaired, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses,” said Brasky. “Driving with a BAC of .08 or higher is illegal in every state. Yet we continue to see far a tragic number of people with debilitating injuries and deaths as a result of impaired driving. This careless disregard for human life must stop. To help ensure that happens, police are dedicated to arresting impaired drivers wherever and whenever they find them."

The national "Drunk Driving. Over the Limit. Under Arrest." program is organized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and focuses on combining high-visibility enforcement with heightened public awareness and publicity.

For more information, visit www.StopImpairedDriving.org.

Continue reading "Illinois announces crackdown on drunk drivers through Labor Day weekend" »

Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have entered into an agreement to represent a Chicago bike rider that was seriously injured this past week by an opening car door on the North Side. The accident took place in the 3600 block of Southport between Addison and Waveland on August 15, 2009. Our client was riding southbound when a driver who was not paying attention swung his car door open into traffic, causing him and another biker to fall. The Chicago Police Department investigated the accident.

The Chicago bicyclist was treated the same day in the ER at John Stroger Cook County Hospital in Chicago. There he was x-rayed and diagnosed with fractures in his right wrist, left elbow, and left clavicle.

Since the accident he has followed up with Greenleaf Orthopaedics in Lake County, Illinois, and has been informed that he will need to undergo surgery to repair his elbow fracture. The procedure is scheduled for later this week.

As we have stated in previous articles, careless motorists opening car doors into traffic is a serious hazard to bikers in the Chicago area. Especially during summer months, drivers have to be aware of the large number of bike riders on the streets of Chicago.

Our law firm currently represents another bike rider who was hit by a car door a month ago. He is currently paralyzed, he suffered a collapsed lung, and his future health is uncertain at this time.

Five Chicago firefighters and two motorists were injured Saturday in a car accident on the city's South Side.

The Chicago Tribune reported that the fire truck was responding to a call just after 5 p.m. when it was struck by a passenger car.

Chicago Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said a woman in the car was "very critically injured," and the driver was in serious condition. He said four firefighters were treated and released Saturday evening, while one was being kept overnight for observation.

The fire truck was responding to a fire call when the accident happened at 67th Street and Jeffrey, ABC7 News reported. The two vehicles ended up crashing into a traffic light pole and knocking it over.

He said police were investigating the crash but few details were available. None of the victims' names has been released.

Regardless of who is determined to be at fault, a Chicago car accident lawyer could help determine the rights of the victims in this type of accident.

Earlier this month, we blogged about increased enforcement of the state law requiring motorists to move over or yield to emergency vehicles.

The Chicago fire department has almost 5000 employees and operates 129 Engine companies and 62 trucks. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that as many as half of the more than 5,000 work-related fatalities each year are the result of an auto accident.

A pregnant woman was among two people critically injured in a Chicago car accident on Thursday. News Radio 780 reported one person may have died in the rollover accident, which involved multiple vehicles on the city's Northwest Side.

The crash happened about 5:30 a.m. at West Devon and North Nagle avenues, according to CBS2 Chicago.

A white delivery van, which is registered to Michele Baking Co., on Mannheim Road in Franklin Park, remained on its side hours after the wreck.

Rollover accidents account for half of all deaths in SUVs, one-third of truck fatalities and 20 percent of all fatal car accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Passenger vans and SUVs are much more likely to flip than passenger vehicles. The federal government reports that about 10,000 people each year are injured or killed in such rollover accidents.

Two people in critical condition were taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge in critical condition.

The Major Accident Investigation Unit, which investigates fatal accidents, is handling the investigation, though police have not said whether a fatality was involved.

Gynecologists advise any pregnant woman who has been in a car accident -- no matter how minor -- to seek medical attention. In fact, a blow to the abdomen of any kind should be evaluated by a doctor, according to Baby Center.

Gynecologists also recommend that pregnant women wear their seat belt -- death of the mother is the leading cause of fetal death in accidents.

The site also offers pregnant travelers a contact sheet, which can tell medical personnel how to contact loved ones, doctors and other medical providers who are familiar with you and your pregnancy.

The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes remind motorists that over 400,000 children head back to the city's 666 schools over the next month.

The Chicago Public School's first day of classes for most students is September 8th, and Track E students already started this week. Most of the suburban schools start in the coming weeks of August.

The start of the school year puts school buses back on the road, kids at bus stops and crosswalks, school zones where children are likely to be in the roadway and kids walking or bicycling to school.

Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced last week a $13 million initiative to encourage more children to walk or ride their bikes to school. The federal Safe Routes to School program includes 171 funding projects, from sidewalk repair to equipment for police and crossing guards.

“With Illinois ranked fourth in the nation for childhood obesity rates, providing children with a safe and secure means of walking to school is an important tool to improve the health of our children," Quinn said.

The program is designed to:

Enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school

Make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation option

Facilitate projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption, and air pollution in the vicinity of primary and middle schools

School Bus Safety

The Illinois State Police have issued a pamphlet for motorists regarding school bus safety.

"The majority of children injured or killed in pupil transportation are injured outside the bus," state police report. "Most are struck by motorists who fail to stop for the flashing red lights and extended stop arm."

Motorists who fail to stop for a school bus displaying red warning lights face a mandatory three-month license suspension for a first offense and a one-year mandatory suspension of subequent offenses.

School Zone Safety

A new law makes it illegal to use a cell phone in a school zone unless it is equipped with a hands-free device.

Back-to-School Safety

The federal government also offers back-to-school safety tips for parents, students and educators on topics ranging from playground safety to alcohol and drug abuse.

The New Year will bring with it a new ban on text messaging for Illinois motorists after Gov Pat Quinn signed a ban this week in an effort to reduce car accidents caused by distracted drivers.

The Chicago car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have been following this issue for months. Earlier this month we blogged about the fact that the Illinois law was one of only about 10 laws passed to combat distracted driving this year. Nationwide, about 170 laws were introduced, according to a study by The New York Times.

Federal statistics suggest more than 4,000 people a day are involved in a car accident because of distracted driving.

"It's really bad that we have to legislate logic," said Secretary of State Jesse White, who pushed the measure. "Common sense would tell you that when your eyes are off the road, who's driving?"

A companion law also makes it illegal to use a cell phone in a school or construction zone unless it is equipped with a hands-free device.

The laws take effect Jan. 1. The Chicago Tribune published the following tips for complying with texting ban come New Year's Day.

You cannot do the following:

Cannot send a text message, read a text message, send e-mail, use the internet, download ringtones, and/or send an instant message.

You can do the following:

Can continue to use your GPS device, continue to use your cell phone's GPS device, text if traffic is stopped and your car is in park or neutral, can text if you pull over onto shoulder, and can text if you’re reporting an accident or emergency.

Violators face a fine of $75 and three or more violations in a year could lead to a license suspension.

Continue reading "To reduce Illinois car accidents, text messaging becoming illegal for Illinois drivers" »

In the past week the Chicago bike accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent three bicyclists that were injured recently in three separate bike vs. car accidents.

One case involves a 29 year old Chicago woman who was riding her bicycle eastbound on Lawrence Avenue in a designated bike lane. As she entered the intersection of Lawrence & Washtenaw an eastbound vehicle turned right and failed to notice the plaintiff. Our client was knocked to the ground, landing on her left side.

She was taken by ambulance to the emergency room at Swedish Covenant Hospital where she was diagnosed with a fracture in her left foot, and left knee and shoulder injuries. She has since followed up with a medical doctor and has been scheduled for surgery to repair the fracture.

The accident was investigated by the Chicago Police Department. The officer ticketed the at fault driver for failing to yield to the bicyclist.

Our law firm will be pursuing a claim against the defendant's auto insurance carrier to recover for our client's injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, and loss of income (as she is off work due to the accident).

Most of the bicycle vs. car accident cases we work on occur when a driver is turning and fails to keep a proper look out for bike riders. Drivers need to remember that they are sharing the roads of Chicago with many bicyclists, especially during this time of the year, and careful driving is required.

Another common accident is when drivers fail to look for for bicycles when opening car doors. This type of accident can be a nightmare for bicyclists, as they have little or no time to react to the swinging car door, and the bike rider usually flips over, exposing him or her to serious injuries.

A Chicago, Illinois car accident that was caused by a wrong-way driver on I-55 has left one person dead and another injured, according to the Chicago Tribune. The woman killed was a 38 year old North Side resident.

The car crash happened in the northbound lanes of the Stevenson early Saturday morning near South Halsted Street. The female victim was a passenger in a northbound Toyota that was struck by a driver of an Audi headed the wrong direction, according to the Illinois State Police.

The Chicago Fire Department had to remove her from the car and transport her to Northwester Memorial Hospital, where she was pronounced dead a short time later. The driver of the Toyota was also taken to Northwestern.

The wrong way driver was arrested after the accident, but what he will be charged with has not yet been reported. It has also not been disclosed if drugs or alcohol played a role.

Click here to see an accident photo at ABC News.

In the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois eight people were injured early this morning in a hit-and-run car crash, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The auto accident took place in the 3600 block of West Augusta Boulevard just after 4 a.m. when a Chrysler Voyager struck a Lincoln Navigator. After the accident the people inside the Vovager reportedly fled the scene.

A Chicago Fire Department spokesperson has stated that 8 people were transported to area hospitals in critical condition. Three went to Mount Sinai Hospital, three to John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, one to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and one to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

Chicago Police Department Harrison Area detectives are investigating the accident.

Hit-&-Run accidents are very common in the Chicago area. In a case such as the one being reported, the injured parties will be able to make uninsured motorist claims on the auto insurance policy for the Lincoln Navigator. If the Navigator had no insurance, or not enough insurance, the injured parties can also look to their own auto policies for coverage.

Also see the story as reported by the Chicago Breaking News Center.

In Seaside Heights, New Jersey, a well known American Idol contestant, Alexis Cohen, was killed over the weekend in a pedestrian vs. car accident, according to MSNBC. The man who hit her fled the scene and was later caught by police. Cohen's body was found in the street after the collision.

CBS News is reporting that Cohen, age 24, sustained abdomen, chest and head injuries after she was struck by the car early Saturday.

The person who allegedly hit her, Daniel Bark, age 23, has been charged with leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving. He was arrested on Sunday in New Jersey and is being held on $35,000 bail. If found guilty, he could receive up to 15 years in prison.

Cohen was not known for her vocals, but for her audition antics. She lost her temper after she was rejected by the judges, and Simon Cowell said she was "a bit possessed" like she was channeling voices. Click here to see her audition from American Idol Season 7.

See also Arrest Made in Hit-and-Run Death of Ex-'American Idol' Contestant as reported by Fox News.

A man had his arm severed in a Chicago car accident that critically injured four people and sent two cars crashing into a building early Sunday morning, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Chicago Breaking News Center reported the man was ejected from the vehicle as a result of the car accident, which was reported at about 4:30 a.m. The accident occurred in the Garfield Ridge neighborhood on the Southwest Side near the intersection of Nagle and Archer Avenues, said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Laura Kubiak.

The Breaking News Center said five people were injured and two were ejected during the accident, which remained under investigation on Sunday morning.Two people were taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood in critical condition. Two others were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn in critical condition, according to Fire Media Affairs spokesman Quention Curtis, who said two cars went into a building.

A man in his 20s had an arm severed in the crash, Emergency crews were able to locate the arm and transported it to Loyola for emergency surgery. Re-attaching an arm is an incredibly complex process that involves significant chance for failure and often results in decreased mobility and use of the limb even if the surgery is successful. He is going to face significant medical bills, loss of income, pain and suffering and a lengthy rehabilitation process.

The circumstances of the crash remain under investigation. It has not been reported if Chicago car accident lawyers are involved in the case yet.

The issue of red-light cameras and their ability to reduce car accidents at Chicago-area intersections continues to make news. The Daily Herald is investigating whether the cameras are going up throughout suburbia as an effort to reduce traffic accidents or to raise the most money from unsuspecting drivers.

The Chicago car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes looked at the issue last month, writing on our sister blog, www.chicagocaraccidentlawyersblog.com, that 143 accident-prone Chicago intersections are already equipped with the cameras, with 330 expected to be in place by 2012.

Abels & Annes continues to monitor the issues as more and more accident attorneys seek to use the tapes in court as evidence against negligent driver.

Traffic violations at intersections are one of the leading causes of traffic deaths in this country. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 6,024 fatalities at stop signs or traffic signals in 2007 and more than 600,000 injuries.

But the Daily Herald investigation is raising more questions about the motivation of placing the cameras throughout suburbia, where at least 84 cameras are now up in 28 North, West and Norhwest suburbs.

Among the Daily Herald findings:
• Most of the $100 red-light tickets are issued for turning right without coming to a complete stop. Traffic experts question the value of making this such a high priority, since it results in few serious accidents.

• A number of towns want to put cameras at intersections that don't appear to have a problem with red-light related crashes. In some cases, cameras are now at intersections that have only one or two crashes a year linked to red-light violations.

• The appeals process used across the suburbs is so varied, the Daily Herald found some towns have never thrown out a ticket while others reverse up to a quarter of all those contested.

• The focus on right-turn violations and low-crash sites not only calls into question the motive for placing cameras, but also undermines efforts to determine if they are actually working to improve safety.

Meanwhile, Marcie Schatz, Naperville's transportation, engineering and development director, wrote in the Naperville Sun that the cameras in that community are being installed with the sole purpose of reducing accidents at problem intersections.

Schatz acknowledged some of the controversy stems from the fact that 1 in 3 motorists are against the use of cameras to enforce traffic laws.

Naperville currently has one red-light camera and is considering the installation of two additional camera systems. City officials contend the locations are being selected based on crash statistics and the goal of the program is simply to reduce crashes at accident-prone intersections.

"We have designed our program around reducing the chances that you and your loved ones will end up in the hospital because of an injury-causing crash," Schatz wrote. "Red-light cameras are making a difference in Naperville. They are helping to reduce the number of crashes on city streets, and the data proves it."

Citing the effectiveness of the cameras, Schatz wrote:

• Total crashes are down 13.7 percent from 24.3 to 21

• Angle and turning crashes are down 80 percent from 5 to 1

• Injury crashes are down 46 percent from 3.7 to 2

• Red-light violations are down slightly from a high of 32.61 per day in February to 28.20 in April

• Rear-end collisions are up slightly, from an average of 15.3 to 16 for a four-month period

Meanwhile, in Chicago last month City Council Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke proposed increasing the fine from $100 to $125 and using the extra money to require offenders to complete a "Red Light Education Program."

"Clearly, when you're talking about 27 percent of the six million accidents that occur on U.S. roadways every year occurring at intersections, it would seem to be a move in the right direction," Burke told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago red-light cameras are already installed at 143 accident-prone intersections in the city - with 39 more expected to go up later this year and 330 intersections expected to have cameras by 2012.

The Sun-Times notes that while changing driver behavior is the ultimate goal, the cameras have become a giant cash cow for the city -- generating $44.8 million last year. And earlier this year council was pitched a proposal that claimed $200 million a year could be made by using the cameras with a program that referenced insurance data to hunt down uninsured motorists.

Continue reading "Chicago car accident lawyers continue to monitor debate over red-light cameras" »

Six people were injured in an accident on Sunday night involving a motorcycle and a car, Chicago Breaking News reported.

The Chicago traffic accident in the Humbolt Park neighborhood occurred at Mozart and Division Streets at about 11 p.m., Chicago Police spokesman David Banks told CBS2.

Media reports indicate four people were critically injured in the crash involving a motorcycle and a car.

Five ambulances responded and the four people in critical condition were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County while the other two were taken to Norwegian-American Hospital in stable condition.

No other information has yet been made available, but the location of the accident indicates it may have occurred at an intersection, possibly from someone failing to yield the right of way.

While any motorcycle accident is very serious for motorcycle riders, it is somewhat unusual for motor vehicle passengers to be critically injured in an accident with a motorcycle. It is possible that the car went off the road or struck another object after the colliding with the motorcycle.

Authorities have not reported who was at fault in the accident. It has also not been reported if Chicago car accident lawyers or motorcycle accident attorneys are involved in the case.

Injured passengers will have a claim regardless of which vehicle was at fault, while the rights of the drivers could differ depending on the facts of the accident.

Click here to read our recent motorcycle safety blog.

A 58-year-old Lincolnwood man has died in a Chicago car accident after being rear-ended by a hit-and-run driver Tuesday afternoon on the Kennedy Expressway.

William Nanz, was involved in a crash on the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) near North Kostner Avenue and was pronounced dead at 2:49 p.m. Tuesday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Nanz suffered a heart attack following the crash. However, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported the coroner has determined that Nanz died as a result of spinal injuries suffered in the crash.

That report said Nanz had a history of heart disease which the medical examiner's office said contributed to his death, but he died primarily from injuries from the crash, according to results of the completed autopsy.

Nanz was driving north Kennedy when he slowed for traffic and was rear-ended, causing his vehicle to hit the wall, according to Illinois State Police.

The vehicle that rear-ended Nanz reportedly slowed down before striking the vehicle Nanz was driving, but it did not stay on the scene and State Police are investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

Witnesses reported seeing a black sport-utility vehicle leaving the crash site and state police are investigating whether it was involved in the crash.

In this instance, the family could seek the assistance of a Chicago car accident attorney to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the hit-and-run driver. If the driver is not located, the family could seek compensation through Nanz's own insurance policy by making a hit-and-run claim.

The at-fault driver also faces possible criminal charges for leaving the scene of an accident.

In Chicago, Illinois 6 people were hurt in a car accident on Sunday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Two of the injured were children. The auto accident occurred around 2 am in the 8200 block of South Chicago Avenue on the Southeast Side. The driver of an SUV lost control and crashed.

There were no other vehicles involved in the accident. Occupants of the SUV were pinned in and 5 ambulances were sent to the scene. The Chicago Police Department handled the crash investigation.

The children, ages 9 and 10 were taken by ambulance to University of Chicago's Comer Children's Hospital. The driver was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn and a female passenger was taken to Jackson Park Hospital. Two others who were reportedly injured refused treatment.

In a single car accident, a passenger can make an injury claim against the driver's auto insurance policy. This type of accident is not uncommon and our law firm handles these cases often.

Also see "Four hurt in early-morning car accident" at chicagobreakingnews.com.

There are fewer instances of trains blocking Chicago streets, Canadian National Railway told regulators Tuesday, but acknowledged more work needs to be done after its purchase of Chicago area-tracks from Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway.

The company said it had 11 instances of trains blocking Chicago-area streets for 10 minutes or longer in May, compared to 14 in April and 50 in March when it first acquired the tracks that arc westward around Chicago through Illinois and Indiana suburbs, according to a report Tuesday in the Journal of Commerce.

The Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes monitor the local railway industry and its impact on motorists' safety. In addition to the deadly Rockford, IL, train crash last week, which was also operated by Canadian National Railway, instances of trains blocking area roads for an extended length of time can lead to car accidents.

Rear-end collisions are common. Motorists also can become understandably frustrated with the delay and attempt to drive around down-track gates, leading to the potential for accident and injury once the train begins moving again. And, when train blockages at intersections become a common occurrence, motorists can sometimes try to get through ahead of an oncoming train.

The Canadian railroad company also reported the duration of the delays is declining -- from several instances of roadway traffic being stalled for hours because of stopped trains in March, to two lengthy delays in April and one last month.

That train stretched more than a mile long with 106 loaded railcars and blocked a road at Joliet, Ill., for an hour, after stalling on an uphill climb as it headed out of town.

The company reports corrective action for each blockage in an attempt to pacify suburban complaints, where the acquisition is being contested in federal court. It also admitted the problem has been alleviated somewhat by a down economy and fewer freight loads and train trips.

Canadian National Railway also said it has made safety presentations at several area schools, and has posted 225 “no trespassing” signs on its railroad property from Gary, Ind., to West Chicago.

Continue reading "Fewer trains blocking area roads could reduce traffic accidents, Chicago car accident laywers say" »

The Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have recovered $255,000 on an underinsured motorist claim for a woman who was struck by a car leaving church following Good Friday services.

The client was hit in a crosswalk at Irving Park and Austin as she left Polish Jesuit Fathers. A driver turning left did not see the client, who was crossing the street on a walk sign.

Chicago attorney David Abels said the driver's insurance carrier, Allstate, paid $50,000. The firm then collected an additional $200,000 on an underinsured claim from the client's insurance carrier, which were the limits of the policy, as well as $5,000 in medical payment coverage.

Abels said timely recovery of the $255,000 will assist the woman in recovering from serious injuries.

The woman was rushed to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge with severe head injuries and underwent emergency surgery, Abels wrote in a previous blog. The client had a large piece of her skull temporarily removed and spent time in a coma.

"In reality, no amount of money is ever going to change the situation for our client. This is a lifelong injury that is going to affect her for the rest of her life," Abels told CBS2 in Chicago about pending legislation that would require motorists to come to a complete stop when someone is crossing the street.

The serious injury or death of pedestrians who are struck by motorists continues to be a serious problem -- more than 4,600 pedestrians were killed in 2007, including 171 people in Illinois.

The Chicago Department of Transportation is stepping up enforcement in conjunction with the Chicago Police Department. The operation puts undercover officers in crosswalks posing as civilians. Drivers who fail to yield face fines of $50 to $500.

“Providing a safe pedestrian environment is our No. 1 goal,” said CDOT Commissioner Thomas G Byrne. “This initiative is designed to increase awareness among motorists about the importance of stopping for pedestrians. People should be able to safely cross the street in their neighborhoods.”

Continue reading "Chicago pedestrian accident lawyers at Abels & Annes recover $255,000 for victim of crosswalk car accident" »

In Romeoville, Illinois an elderly husband and wife were killed Thursday afternoon when their car was hit by an Amtrak train after they allegedly went around a descending crossing arm and started across the tracks, according to the Naperville Sun. The train accident occurred at New Avenue and Romeo Road around 1 pm.

The couple, Harry C. Hoffman, age 74 and his wife, Doreen J. Hofman, age 64 died at the scene. The damage to the vehicle was so bad that the police are not yet able to state who was driving the car. One occupant was ejected from the vehicle and the car was badly damaged and knocked several hundred feet down the tracks.

There are several issues related to the train crash being reported. First, while the gates descended there was still a green light for traffic, which police are speculating may have confused the driver. Further, witnesses are reporting that the car made a right turn on to the tracks as the gates were still descending, not after they were already down.

It is likely that Chicago train crash lawyers will soon be involved. The attorneys that handle the case will likely retain train safety experts to help them determine the causes of the accident.

One issue that I am curious about is the the fact that the couple's car was hit while the gates were still on the way down, or had just gotten down, by a train traveling at a high speed through a congested suburban area. (Were the gates dropping too late? Was the train speeding?) Further, I would like to know more about the traffic lights and whether the crossing is confusing to drivers.

It is being reported that this deadly accident is not the first train vs. motor vehicle collision at this crossing.

Continue reading "Chicago bound Amtrak train hits and kills Joliet couple" »

The American Trucking Association is rolling out an 18-point safety plan this month that it claims will improve highway safety, in part as a response to the recent $23.8 million jury award stemming from a 2004 Chicago trucking accident that claimed two lives near Plainfield, Illinois.

The Chicago trucking accident lawyers at Abels & Annes applaud any move that will improve trucking safety. A 4,000 pound passenger vehicle doesn't stand a chance against an 80,000 pound semi traveling at 70 mph. Jury awards are often high because the injuries are catastrophic and liability can be compounded by overweight trucks, tired or inexperienced truck drivers and unsafe or poorly maintained trucks as trucking companies struggle to remain profitable in a tight economy.

"As the U.S. logistics and freight industry becomes increasingly dedicated to meeting ever-tighter supply chain delivery windows, American trucking fleets are trying to become even safer," the ATA announced, noting the industry claims to be the safest it has been since the U.S. Department of Transportation began keeping crash statistics in 1975.

Safety advocates believe the 18-point plan is a move in the right direction.

“I appreciate all the work that’s been done and I believe (the new safety agenda) is a good platform as we move into the next highway authorization process,” said John Hill, a former former Federal Motor Carrier Safety administrator. ATA’s new strategies “specifically address driver deficiency areas and give drivers tool they need to improve highway safety."

Others argue the plan is aimed at improving the group's image as it pushes for even heavier trucks, approaching 100,000 pounds. The Truck Safety Coalition blasted ATA for not going far enough.

“This is about longer and heavier trucks,” said Jennifer Tierney of Kernersville, N.C., who says her father was killed in a truck-related accident. “That’s what their agenda is. Bigger vehicles are more dangerous vehicles."

Tierney said if the trucking industry were serious, it would commit to reducing truck driver fatigue by reducing the legal hours they can drive (which is now up to 88 hours in a little over a week), support electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) and support increased mandatory behind-the-wheel driver training.

Yet advocates for the trucking industry say the number of trucks involved in fatal crashes has dropped 10 percent in the past two decades, despite a 50 percent increase in the number of registered trucks and a 70 percent increase in truck miles traveled.

The ATA's plan calls for:

Improving Driver Performance:
1. Policy on the use of non-integrated technologies while the vehicle is in motion
2. Policy supporting uniform commercial drivers license (CDL) testing standards
3. Policy supporting a CDL graduated licensing study
4. Policy supporting additional parking facilities for trucks
5. Policy supporting a national maximum 65mph speed limit for all vehicles
6. Policy supporting strategies to increase the use of seat belts
7. Policy supporting a national car-truck driver behavior improvement program
8. Policy supporting increased use of red light cameras and automated speed enforcement
9. Policy supporting graduated licensing standards in all states for non-commercial teen drivers
10. Policy supporting more stringent laws to reduce drinking and driving
Safer Vehicles:
11. Policy supporting targeted electronic speed governing of certain non-commercial vehicles
12. Policy supporting electronic speed governing of all large trucks manufactured since 1992
13. Policy supporting new large truck crashworthiness standards
Safer Motor Carriers:
14. Policy supporting a national employer notification system
15. Policy supporting a national clearinghouse for positive drug and alcohol test results of
CDL holders
16. Policy supporting a national registry of certified medical examiners
17. Policy supporting access to the national Driver Information Resource
18. Policy supporting required safety training by new entrant motor carriers
For more details on ATA’s 18-point safety initiative, go to www.truckline.com.

Continue reading "Chicago trucking accident lawyers monitor trucking industry safety initiative" »

At least four Chicago-area motorcycle accident deaths in May have advocates looking at ways to punish distracted drivers and increase awareness to prevent motorcycle accidents as the summer riding season gets into full swing.

The Chicago motorcycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have been active in promoting motorcycle safety awareness on this blog, publishing 10 things drivers should know about motorcycles, and a safe riding blog earlier this month.

Abels & Annes is also taking a look at distracted driving as part of its Summer Safe Driving Series.

"We are a nation of distracted drivers and it's costing us lives and property damage," Mami Pyke wrote in the Daily Herald on Sunday. "One local case that's provoked outrage is the death of motorcyclist Anita Zaffke of Lake Zurich, killed May 2 by another driver who was polishing her nails instead of watching the road, police say."

Pyke said Zaffke's death is giving weight to a call to give authorities additional means to punish distracted drivers in addition to charges like reckless homicide, which can be difficult to prove against distracted drivers.

Legislation sponsored by Rep. William Blake, R-Danville, would create a misdemeanor category of negligent vehicular homicide, which could result in up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Black pushed for the reform after a 25-year-old Urbana cyclist was killed by a driver who went off the road while downloading ring tones on her cell phone.

Illinois motorcycle accidents and fatalities continue to increase. From 4,119 in 2005 to 4,819 in 2007. There were 154 Illinois motorcycle deaths that year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

"This is the ugliest start to riding season in Illinois that we ever have seen," Dean Akey, a veteran biker and owner of an Allstate Insurance business in St. Charles, told the Daily Herald.

Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable travelers on our roads. Please give them a break this summer. Pay attention while driving, return or motorcycle friends home safely to their families and give yourself a break from the grief and heartache hitting a motorcyclist can cause.

Continue reading "Increase in Chicago motorcycle accidents blamed on distracted drivers " »

On the South Side of Chicago a single car accident has resulted in a nine-year-old's head being thrown into a windshield, and the child's mother being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, according to ABC News. The mother, Cheryl Ranae Reynolds, hit a viaduct Saturday night near East 83rd and South Jeffery after she allegedly reached down to pick up a bottle alcohol she dropped on the floor.

The mother has been charged with aggravated DUI and not wearing a seat belt. The Chicago Police Department is handling the investigation. The extent of the child's injuries have not yet been reported.

While the mother caused the accident, that fact does not bar an injury claim by the minor child against her mother and mother's auto insurance carrier. If the mother had valid auto insurance, the child will be able to pursue a claim.

In a similar case, personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes currently represent a father who lost his two daughters in an auto accident. The girls were in their mother's minivan when she crossed the center line and struck another vehicle head on.

The fact that the mother's actions caused the accident does not bar the childrens' estates from recovering against the mother's estate and her insurance company. Car accident lawyers at our law firm expect to recover the insurance policy limits on behalf of the childrens' estates over the next several weeks.

Chicago personal injury lawyer Dave Abels was interviewed on WUIS 91.9 Wednesday about pending legislation that would criminalize driving without insurance and the need to increase Illinois' minimum mandatory coverage levels.

"The way the law stands right now it just doesn't provide real protection for people who are seriously injured in auto accidents," said Abels, of Abels & Annes, a Chicago law firm that handles car accidents, motorcycle accident and other personal injury claims. "It covers you for small accidents but not the big accidents that you really care about where your life is changed forever."

The station contacted Abels after he blogged about the law last month here at www.chicagopersonalinjurylawyerblog.com

Under current law, uninsured motorists face a fine of $500 to $1,000 and a license suspension for 3-6 months. The new law, which is awaiting signature by Gov. Pat Quinn, makes driving without insurance a misdemeanor criminal offense carry the threat of up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

The law is named after Michael Dean, who was killed in 2006 by an uninsured driver who faced only a fine.

Abels said the new law is a step in the right direction but the state still needs to address its low mandatory insurance limits of $20,000 per accident and $40,000 per occurrence.

During the interview, Abels acknowledged that increased mandatory protection would be an added cost for motorists, but said the costs would be minimal and worth the added protection.

Continue reading "Chicago personal injury lawyer interviewed on public radio about proposed Illinois insurance law, minimum coverage standards" »

The Chicago motorcycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge motorists to review "10 things all car, truck and bus drivers should know about motorcycles" to increase awareness as we enter the summer riding season.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 5,154 motorcyclists were killed in the United States in 2007 and another 103,000 were injured. In fact, the number of fatalities has exploded with the increase in registered motorcycles over the last 10 years.

In 1997, 3.9 million motorcycles were registered and 2,116 fatalities were reported compared to the 5,154 deaths in 2007 when 7.1 million bikers were registered on our roadways.

"It's a fact that car drivers and other motorists are at fault most of the time in multiple-vehicle crashes that involve motorcyclists," said Motorcycle Safety President Tim Buche, of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. "That's why we've initiated several public outreach tools specifically targeting the driving community. MSF has life-saving messages for everyone, whether they are behind a handlebar or behind a steering wheel."

MSF has launched a new website, www.forcardrivers.com, aimed at helping car, truck and bus drivers safely interact with motorcyclists. One of the leading motorcycle safety advocacy groups in the nation, MSF's primary website also offers a wealth of information geared toward safe motorcycle riding.

10 things Car, Truck and Bus Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles:

1. Over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Most of the time, the motorist, not the motorcyclist, is at fault. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don't "recognize" a motorcycle – they ignore it (usually unintentionally).

2. Take an extra moment to look for motorcycles, whether you're changing lanes or turning at intersections. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car's blind spots or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car.

3. A motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle's speed. Predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

4. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance and predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.

5. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.

6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle's signal is for real.

7. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle's better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don't expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.

8. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can't always stop "on a dime."

9. When a motorcycle is in motion, see more than the motorcycle - see the person under the helmet, who could be your friend, neighbor, or relative.

10. If a driver crashes into a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian and causes serious injury, the driver would likely never forgive himself/herself.

Continue reading "Chicago motorcycle accident lawyers advocate review of 10 things all car, truck and bus drivers should know about motorcycles" »

The bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes join Chicago and Illinois authorities in advocating safety and awareness this summer to reduce bicycle accidents.

The Chicago Department of Transportation began a series of 20 Share the Road events last week that will stretch across five city wards and into August in an effort to increase awareness.

"To ensure everyone's safety, all users of the public way need to follow the rules," said CDOT Commissioner Thomas G. Bryrne. "Safety is our No. 1 priority and the Share the Road program is an effective way to work toward that goal."

Nationwide, 698 bicyclists were killed and another 44,000 seriously injured in 2007, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Bicycling is a popular form of recreation and a practical means of travel for more than 4 million people in Illinois. But the Illinois Department of Transportation estimates more than 4,000 Illinois residents are seriously injured each year in bicycle accidents.

IDOT has released a public service announcement for the summer, emphasizing the legal requirement to give cyclists at least three-foot of clearance when making a pass. "There is plenty of room for us all, Please Don't Squeeze."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports the majority of bicycle accidents occur between 5 and 9 p.m.

"Our goal is to keep everyone on the road safe," 42 Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly said. "Cyclists need to be protected but they also need to ride responsibly and follow the laws of the road."

The city plans to have 500 miles of bike trails by 2015 -- motorists should remember every bicycle on the road means one less car adding to the congestion.

An excellent map of Chicago-area bike paths and trails is available by clicking here.

Citywide, law enforcement is receiving special training to enforce the new bicycle safety ordinances that were passed in March 2009 -- and the city's bike-lane parking ordinance will carry a $150 fine, up from $100 last year.

IDOT offers the following rider safety tips as part of its Summer Survival Guide.

Continue reading "Chicago bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes call for summer of safety and awareness" »

An Illinois bus accident has claimed the lives of two young men after the double-decker open-air bus they were riding in passed beneath an overpass.

Justin Sleezer of Yorkville and Cameron Chana of Clarendon Hills were killed when their heads struck the Interstate Highway 57 overpass on Illinois Highway 16 in Mattoon. Fifty passengers, mostly students from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, were returning on the rented bus from a day of boating at Lake Shelbyville, about 200 miles South of Chicago.

Many on the bus were members of Sigma Pi fraternity, however a fraternity member told the Chicago Tribune the trip was not organized by the house.

Witnesses indicated the two young men killed were among the tallest in the group, although it is unclear whether they were standing or sitting on the top deck of the bus when it passed beneath the overpass. Passengers said the driver never told those on the upper deck to sit down or warned them of other safety precautions.

The bus driver took the victims to Lincoln Health Medical Center in Mattoon and they were later transported to Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana where they were pronounced dead.

Mattoon Police Chief David Griffith said the investigation is ongoing and police are looking at whether any regulations were violated.

While it has not been reported if Illinois accident lawyers are involved in the case yet, the families of the victims have a strong wrongful death claim against the bus company.

On the West Side of Chicago, one man was killed and two others were injured on Sunday in a rollover car crash, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The accident occurred around 7:30 am in the 3900 block of West Division Street.

The victim, Francisco Delgado, age 42 of Chicago, was a passenger in a 2002 Nissan Xterra that was reportedly speeding when it ran a red light at Pulaski and Division, and then hit a northbound 2005 Taurus. The Nissan then hit a pole and rolled over.

Delgado was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital after the accident and pronounced dead a short time later. A woman in the other car was treated for injuries at St. Mary's Hospital.

The Chicago Police Department is investigating the accident and trying to determine if drugs or alcohol played a role. Criminal charges are supposedly going to be filed against the at fault driver, who was seriously injured in the accident.

There is no word as to whether Chicago personal injury lawyers are involved in the case yet.

Earlier this week it was reported that a Chicago police officer was seriously injured when his SUV was involved in a three vehicle car accident on the South Side. It is now being reported by the Southtown Star that someone stole the officer's gun while he was unconscious at the scene.

Police are trying to determine who took the weapon, and they are reviewing cell phone video and surveillance video that may show what happened. The cell phone footage was taken by a person that happened to be passing by and it supposedly shows a person going through the officers possessions and taking the gun from his side while he was trapped in the police SUV.

It is also being reported that an elderly driver involved in the car crash has been ticketed with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to yield. The exact facts as to how the accident occurred have not been reported.

The elderly driver and passenger, and two teenagers were also injured in the collision. All four were taken to area hospitals.

Illinois auto accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have reached a $250,000 policy limits settlement in an uninsured motorist case. The claim stems from an auto accident that occurred October 9, 2008 at approximately 8:00 a.m. The plaintiff had been driving northbound on Fairview in Downers Grove, Illinois. Traffic in front of him came to a stop and he came to a complete stop for traffic. As our client was sitting at a stop he was hit in the rear end with great force by a vehicle being driven by an uninsured driver.

The defendant stated to the investigating police officers that he had looked away from the roadway before the collision and could not react in time to stop before hitting the plaintiff. The uninsured driver was issued tickets for driving too fast for conditions and for driving without insurance.

Following the collision our client began to experience pain and discomfort in his neck as well as numbness and tingling in his left arm. Over the next couple of days his pain worsened and the numbness and tingling in his left arm increased. As a result of his symptoms he sought treatment from an orthopedic specialist.

An MRI was performed on November 13, 2008 which revealed a disc herniation at C4-C5, posterior disk ridge complex at C4-C5 with central stenosis and bilateral neural foraminal narrowing.

Continue reading "Chicago Injury Lawyer Settles Uninsured Motorist Claim For $250,000" »

A Chicago Police Officer has been charged with the hit and run death of a teenage bicycle rider, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The charges include reckless homicide, leaving the scene of an accident involving death or injury, and aggravated DUI.

The car vs. bike accident occurred in the 8000 block of South Ashland on Friday at 1:30 am. The victim, 13 year old Trenton Booker, was riding his bicycle when he was hit by an off duty police officer who was driving his Dodge Charger the wrong way on a one-way street.

The officer has been relieved of his police powers and he was arrested after the accident. Further, a Chicago Police Department internal investigation has begun. The officer is a 39 year old narcotics officer who has been with the police department for 17 years.

The victim was going to graduate from 8th grade in June.

In Chicago, Illinois a bicycle rider that was hit by a cab near Grant Park opened his eyes today as his family looked on at Northwestern Hospital. The bike vs. taxi accident happened at the intersection of Balbo & Columbus just after 10 pm on Tuesday night.

A witness to the accident states that the collision occurred when a speeding cab ran a red light. The witness says the victim was eastbound on Balbo and had almost made it across Columbus when he was hit. He also states that the taxicab was going at least 10 mph over the posted limit.

The bicyclist was critically injured and taken by ambulance to Northwestern. He suffered a subdural hematoma, and surgeons had to remove a large piece of his skull to relieve the swelling. The bone is frozen at the hospital will be reinserted at a later date.

The family of the victim has retained Abels & Annes to pursue a civil claim against the at fault driver and the taxicab company.

On the South Side of Chicago, an off duty CTA employee has been injured in a car accident involving a drunk driver. The auto accident happened in the 9100 block of South Jeffery Boulevard back on April 27, 2009. Our client was driving home from work when an intoxicated driver crossed the center line and struck her vehicle.

A Chicago Fire Department Battalion Chief happened to be driving behind the victim and witnessed the accident. He immediately called for help and rendered assistance.

The CTA worker was taken by ambulance to Jackson Park Hospital for medical treatment. She sustained right knee, back, and neck injuries. As of today, she is still suffering from her injuries and is treating with a medical doctor.

The Chicago Police Department investigated the accident and charged the defendant with DUI. The victim has been informed by police that the defendant's blood alcohol level was several times the legal limit. A court date is set for next week.

Abels & Annes will be pursuing a civil claim against the at fault driver's auto insurance carrier.

In Chicago, Illinois a car crash late Monday night on the Dan Ryan has resulted in the death of one man, and DUI charges for another, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The deadly auto accident occurred when a northbound Ford Crown Victoria changed lanes around 79th Street and struck a Cadillac that was in the far right lane of the expressway.

The driver of the Cadillac lost control, skidded and struck a concrete wall head on. The airbags in the car reportedly did not deploy. The victim, Justin Hopkins, a 30 year old Chicago resident, was pronounced dead later the same evening at Stroger Hospital.

The 34 year old driver of the Crown Victoria was charged with DUI by Illinois State Troopers investigating the accident. Additional charges are reportedly being considered. The alleged DUI driver and his two passengers were not injured in the accident.

It has not been reported if the victim's family has yet retained an accident lawyer to investigate the case. The Estate will have a case against the at fault driver, and the lawyer that gets involved will also investigate a potential products liability case. The attorney may hire an expert to find out whether there was something defective about the airbag system in the vehicle and determine why it did not deploy.

In Chicago, Illinois a pedestrian was fatally hit by a taxi last Sunday, according to the Lake Oswego Review. The victim, Robert Deighton, 42, a resident of Lake Oswego, Oregon was walking when a taxicab came out of a driveway and hit him. He was rushed by ambulance to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and was pronounced dead shortly after the collision.

The cab driver was ticketed by Chicago Police with failing to yield when coming out of a driveway. He has a June court date. The police department's Major Accident Investigation Unit is handling the investigation.

It has not been reported if the family of the victim has retained an injury lawyer to pursue a wrongful death claim against the cab driver's insurance carrier.

Pedestrian vs. car accidents in Chicago are a big issue as warm weather arrives. Due to a large increase in Chicago pedestrian fatalities in 2008, the Police Department is stepping up their efforts to protect people on foot from cars. They are running a sting operation to catch people who fail to yield to pedestrians, where undercover officers pose as civilians in crosswalks. Further, the Illinois legislature is considering a new law that would require drivers to stop for pedestrians rightfully crossing the street (not just yield).

On Sunday, Chicago accident attorneys from Abels & Annes appeared on CBS News in Chicago to discuss a pedestrian injury case that they are currently working on. The client was hit and severely injured while crossing in a crosswalk at Irving Park and Austin on the Northwest Side. The 38 year old driver of a 2006 Audi A4 failed to notice her crossing.

The Chicago resident was transported by ambulance to Lutheran General Hospital with severe head trauma. Emergency surgery was performed and the client remained in a coma for over two weeks.

Late last week, medical doctors at the hospital were able to wake her. She is in good spirits, however, her road to recovery is long from over. She is expected to remain in the hospital for an extended period of time.

The injured pedestrian has retained Abels & Annes to pursue a civil claim against the driver's auto insurance carrier. Witnesses to the accident should contact Abels & Annes, or fill out the contact form on our website.

Click here to view the CBS story.

A Chicago woman who was hit by a car on Good Friday has woken from a coma. The accident happened just after she left church services for Good Friday at Polish Jesuit Fathers on Irving Park Road. She was crossing in a crosswalk at Irving Park and Austin on a walk sign when a driver turning left did not see the woman and struck her with his vehicle.

She suffered severe head injuries and was rushed to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. There she underwent emergency surgery and had been in a coma ever since the accident.

She is now awake and in good spirits. However, she is missing a large piece of her skull that was removed during surgery. The bone has been frozen at the hospital and will be re-inserted during another surgical procedure at a later date. Her road to recovery has just begun and she will be in the hospital for several more months.

The driver who hit her was ticketed by the Chicago Police Department and is set to appear in Court later this month. The pedestrian has retained Abels & Annes, P.C. to pursue a civil claim against the driver's insurance carrier.

There may have been several witnesses to the accident who have not yet come forward. If you have information regarding this accident, please call 312-924-7575 or email accidentwitness@yahoo.com.

The world's fastest man has been hurt in a car crash, according to the Detroit News. Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt was involved in an auto accident in Jamaica on Wednesday. His injuries are reportedly not serious.

It is alleged that Bolt had been speeding on a wet highway when he lost control of his BMW M3. The car skidded of the road and was seriously damaged.

The sprinter and a female passenger were taken to an area hospital and treated. He was released the same day.

Bolt won gold medals in the men's 100 meter and 200 meter, both in record times, at the Beijing Olympic Games.

Click here to read the entire story.

In Cook County, Illinois, injury lawyers from Abels & Annes have filed a lawsuit on behalf of a Chicago physician who was seriously injured in a car accident. The crash occurred on June 23, 2008 in the afternoon when the defendant rear-ended the plaintiff.

Our client had been driving northbound on Broadway in Chicago. When she arrived at Broadway’s intersection with Irving Park Road she stopped in the left turn lane with her left turn signal on to await her opportunity to make a left turn onto westbound Irving Park Rd. While she was stopped her vehicle was rear-ended. The lawsuit alleges the defendant failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop for stopped traffic, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area.

The doctor had an almost immediate onset of back and neck pain following the collision. She was transported by ambulance from the local police station to Thorek Memorial Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Upon arrival at the Emergency Department a history was taken, she was examined and diagnostic tests were performed. The doctor complained of head, neck and low back pain. She was initially diagnosed with a back strain, prescribed pain medication, muscle relaxants and instructed to seek follow up treatment after discharge.

Continue reading "Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Files Lawsuit For Injured Medical Doctor" »

In one of the more boneheaded accidents I have heard about lately, an alleged DUI driver hit a Chicago cop car on Saturday night, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The accident happened in the 3800 block of West Lawrence Avenue around 8 pm when a man from the Northwest Side rear-ended an unmarked police car. The driver was later charged with driving while under the influence.

Two ambulances responded to the crash and the police officer was taken to Resurrection Medical Center in reportedly stable condition. The DUI driver refused treatment.

The hurt officer reportedly worked in the tactical unit. The exact nature of his injuries have not been reported. However, in a rear-end collision, back and neck injuries seem to be the most common in my experience.

In the south suburbs of Chicago, several people were hurt on Monday morning in a multiple vehicle auto accident on Interstate 55, according to the Southtown Star. The car crash involved two semi trucks and four cars. Five motorists were reportedly injured.

The collision took place at Woodward Avenue and I-55 around 7:45 a.m. A vehicle reportedly lost control while moving southbound and crashed, and that caused a chain of subsequent collisions.

Darien-Woodridge Fire Department Paramedics rushed to the scene. The injured people were taken to three different hospitals in the area.

The c