Articles Posted in Auto Accident

If you drive in Chicago, it is likely that you have been forced to endure some snow, slush, and ice during this long and cold winter. These conditions increase the chances of a winter weather accident occurring on the roads of Chicago and already bear some responsibility for hundreds of accidents. But winter weather alone causes only a few collisions each year; rather, the combination of winter conditions and negligence on the part of one or more drivers is really behind the majority of collisions.

When weather factors into a crash that is also caused by a negligent driver, those injured in the collision are entitled by law to seek relief for their damages. This can include bringing a civil claim against a responsible driver so that a victim can make a monetary recovery to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Each accident is unique so it is always a good idea to speak with a personal injury lawyer in the Chicago area after an accident to learn about your legal rights and options.

Commuters who drive into and out of Chicago daily may have been met with some difficult weather conditions this morning and those conditions are expected to continue, if not worsen as the day progresses. The city is experiencing wind gusts up to 50 miles per hour and several rivers, including the Des Plaines and DuPage, are in danger of flooding.

Local officials believe that the inclement weather was a factor in a massive pileup in Will County yesterday as well as sporadic power outages. As the wind continues and as the snow begins to fall, more car accidents are expected in Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties as well as many other areas of Illinois.

Gusting winds pose a significant threat to drivers of light vehicles, like compact and economy cars, but they can cause a crash involving any type of vehicle. Often, drivers notice gusting winds most prominently when they are on overpasses or elevated streets that allow the wind to flow both over and underneath the car. The best thing you can do if you must drive in severe gusts is to slow down from your normal speed and to keep a firm grip on the wheel, expecting a sudden burst of wind at any time.
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There are approximately 8.8 million licensed drivers in the state of Illinois, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation, and on any given day, any one of those drivers can be involved in an accident. In addition to those behind the wheel, the passengers in a vehicle are also at risk for being involved in a crash as are those who are riding their bicycles or walking in the area. Even the safest driver in the state may be the victim of an accident if that driver becomes a victim of the negligence of another.

Car accidents in Chicago are often serious and routinely cause injuries that require medical treatment. In fact, tens of thousands of people receive injuries in automobile accidents every year in Illinois alone. When a crash leaves you or your loved one injured and in need of relief, you should know that you may be able to bring a claim for your losses, including any medical bills you have or will incur. These claims can be brought against the person at-fault for the crash or even against your own insurance company if the other driver was never found or did not have valid insurance at the time of the crash.

In some cases, it can be difficult to know what exactly led to a crash and whether one or more drivers is to blame. Authorities, including police officers and emergency crews, often conduct an investigation into accidents to determine the factors that led to an impact but even then, it can be confusing to sort out the relevant information. Speaking with an injury lawyer who regularly represents the victims of car accidents in Chicago is often the best way to learn about your legal rights and whether you may be entitled to relief for your damages.

Police have reported that a one vehicle crash on I-90 yesterday morning proved fatal, claiming the lives of two men and leaving a third person injured. When police arrived, they were able to determine that the vehicle involved, a Toyota Corolla, left the expressway’s surface and collided with a pole near Barrington Road. The incident happened at about 7:45 a.m. with emergency crews responding shortly thereafter. The two men who were killed were reportedly both in the front seat and were both pronounced dead at the scene.

The individual who survived the wreck was transported to Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village with an unknown current condition though that individual was expected to survive. Parts of I-90 were closed while crews inspected the scene and cleaned up some debris and they were later reopened to passing traffic.
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Winter driving can be challenging and can lead to dangerous conditions for all drivers. Whenever snow or ice are present on a road’s surface, a hazardous situation may result. Bad weather makes it more difficult to slow or stop and can lead to collisions between drivers.

Chain reaction crashes are common when the roads are slippery and when drivers do not leave enough distance to stop. Often, these crashes turn deadly, like the recent Indiana chain reaction crash that left four people dead.

Several chain reactions occurred on Monday in Will County on I-55 and the incidents may have started with icy roads. Police believe that two vehicles hit ice on I-55 and lost control, leaving the roadway’s surface and stopping in the center ditch. Traffic began to slow and stop in response to the two vehicles and led to long delays in the area. Several approaching cars were not able to maintain control of their vehicles and caused rear-end collisions.

One of the drivers unable to stop was in a semi truck and rear-ended an SUV before striking a small car. A second car struck the first and then was hit by a third with several of the cars ending up off the road. In a separate chain reaction, a different semi truck struck a different SUV before colliding wiht a second semi, causing the metal being hauled by the second semi to spill on the road. In all, at least six people were injured in the chain-reaction crashes on I-55 and needed medical help.

The wreckage left portions of I-55 closed for a short period of time while crews tried to remove debris and open lanes for traffic to pass. The current conditions of the victims of the crash are not known but all were expected to survive.
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Whether you drive in Chicago, in the suburban cities, or elsewhere in Illinois, there is always a potential risk of being involved in an accident. Even the safest, most cautious driver in the state can become a victim if another motorist is driving negligently or fails to pay attention to the road. Many car accidents are minor and fortunately involve only damage to the vehicles involved, leaving the occupants of the cars unharmed. Not every accident turns out this way, though, with many leaving drivers, passengers, or even others on the road hurt or killed as a result of a crash.

Injury lawyers who represent the victims of car accidents understand that these collisions are often not mere accidents but rather are caused by one or more drivers. Failing to drive in a safe and reasonable manner may lead to a crash and it may also lead to liability on the part of a negligent driver, who may face traffic and criminal charges as well as personal injury claims brought by the victims of the accidents. State laws allow injury victim to seek their own relief so that they can obtain proper and fair compensation for their damages, including their injuries and the expenses they have been forced to incur.

Often, it is not immediately apparent what led to a collision between two or more vehicles and it may take trained experts some time to sort out the details. That may be the case with an early morning accident in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood that left eight people injured.

Around 5:30 a.m., police responded to the area of Kimball and Fullerton where they determined that two vehicles had collided, seriously injuring several people involved and leaving both vehicles with substantial damage. One car had three people inside that had to be removed from the vehicle. It is unclear whether there were others in that car that were able to escape on their own power.

All eight people involved were transported to area hospitals including Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Mount Sinai Hospital, and John H. Stroger Hospital of Cook County. All victims were described as adults but their ages and their current conditions remains unknown.

Cook County has more car accidents every year than any other county in the state. The reasons for that include the large population, especially in Chicago, and the large number of drivers that take to the roads every day. Additionally, many who drive in Cook County are not familiar with the areas they travel, a factor that can lead to a large number of accidents.
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Every year, there are approximately 280,000 car accidents in Illinois, nearly 30 percent of which result in injuries to those in one of the cars or others involved in the crash. Unfortunately, in addition to the injuries caused by these accidents, many individuals lose their lives as a result of a car accident. In fact, in 2011 alone, 918 people were killed in car crashes, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Some of these collisions are the result of bad weather or otherwise cannot be avoided. But a large number of car accidents are due to the negligence of one or more drivers involved in the incident. Whether it is speeding, driving in an unsafe manner, being distracted behind the wheel, or even being under the influence of alcohol or drugs, negligence while driving is costing those in Chicago millions of dollars and the lives of loved ones.

When negligence causes an accident that leaves a victim injured or killed, the laws allow the victim or the victim’s family to seek relief against the at-fault driver. Generally, this relief can be sought through a civil claim for financial damages. These claims are separate and distinct from any traffic or criminal charges that may be asserted against a negligence driver and often exist even when an at-fault driver does not receive a ticket in the crash. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the greater Chicago area is the best way to understand the legal implications of an accident and to determine whether you may be entitled to seek relief.

Often, the cause of an accident is not immediately known and local authorities must investigate the circumstances to determine whether one or more parties was to blame for a crash. At this time, that appears to be the case with a car accident that happened in Barrington on Thursday morning between two vehicles traveling in opposite directions.

At this time, police believe that a 21-year-old woman was driving northbound on Ela Road when her vehicle crossed the center dividing line and entered a lane for southbound traffic. A second car was in the southbound lanes at the time and a collision between the two vehicles occurred. The 21-year-old driver died as a result of her injuries and was pronounced at the scene. At least one passenger in the second vehicle was injured and was transported to an area hospital for medical assistance where her condition remains unknown.
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Winter weather is to blame in many car accidents that happen every year. Ice and snow can cause a vehicle to lose traction and to spin, possibly causing a collision with another car or with a fixed object. These collisions can be serious and often involve multiple cars in a chain reaction or even a pile-up crash. Though it is still early in the investigation, officials believe that winter weather could have been a factor in the deadly I-94 pileup that occurred yesterday in Indiana.

Crews are still on the scene today, attempting to tear apart the involved vehicles so that they can be removed piece by piece. The damage done to the cars involved was too severe to remove the cars individually and local authorities caution that as they remove debris, more cars may be found, meaning the potential for more victims.

A 17-year-old car passenger witnessed the start of the pileup in a rear view mirror and believes that the incident may have begun by a semi truck that jackknifed across the road and collided with a second semi. Several other semis were involved in the collision as were numerous passenger cars. At the present time, police have counted 46 vehicles involved, including 19 semi trucks. The damage was extensive.

In addition to the damage done to all vehicles involved, at least three people lost their lives. A couple from Michigan was killed as was a Chicago man who was traveling with his dog, who was also killed. The Chicago man was on his way to a family’s summer home to check on it, according to his daughter.

Another 20 people were injured in the crash with many of them needing emergency medical treatment. Some were transported by air ambulance to local hospitals due to the severity of their injuries. The conditions of the victims are not currently known.

Emergency crews were on the scene shortly after the 2:00 p.m. collision about 60 miles outside of Chicago. When they arrived, they discovered that they could not access some of the victims until vehicles were removed. Eastbound lanes of I-94 have been closed since the crash and will remain closed until all debris can be removed.
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If you spend time on the streets in and around Chicago, chances are that on occasion, you may come across a car accident or the cleanup efforts after one. With so many drivers taking the roads in the city and with overall traffic congestion, crashes are a fact of city living common to many residents, as well as tourists and commuters. But just because car accidents are common does not mean that they must occur. Rather, the majority of accidents can properly be blamed on one or more drivers who acted negligently or carelessly while behind the wheel.

Distracted driving has existed as long as the automobile has been a common staple of daily life but recent technological advances has made it much worse. Whether it is a cell phone, a tablet, or even a laptop computer, drivers have been using technology more and more often in Chicago while they drive even though use of these devices is often illegal. The distraction rate posed by an electronic device is high because every second that a driver’s eyes remains on the device is one second that the driver is not focused on the road ahead or on the changing traffic conditions.

Whether an accident is caused by distraction or is simply caused by some other factor, like driving or running a stop light, a negligent driver may face traffic or criminal charges as a result of a crash. Often, though, the liability for an accident does not stop there. The laws in Illinois allows a victim of a car crash to seek proper compensation against the responsible party and these claims can be brought regardless of any criminal or traffic charges. Speaking with an injury lawyer knowledgeable in these cases is the best way to learn about your legal rights after an accident.

It can be difficult to determine exactly what led to a collision in some cases and it may take the authorities some time to work out the facts. That seems to be the case in a Grant Park collision that occurred earlier this morning and left five people injured.

Police have confirmed that two vehicles collided in the vicinity of South Columbus Drive and East Roosevelt Road shortly after 2:00 a.m. The area, which experiences heavy traffic during much of the day and night, saw a heavy response by emergency crews including multiple ambulances. Five individuals were transported to Northwestern Hospital and John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County for treatment, four of whom were listed in serious to critical condition.
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The weather in Chicago continued to be brutal this morning as thousands braved the streets and tried to make the commute into work. Many made it safely with little more than a delay to hamper them, but others were not so lucky.

Police have reported that nearly 50 car accidents took place in Cook County alone this morning during rush hour, a number substantially larger than normally occurs during more optimal conditions. Accidents occurred on city streets and in alleys but those did not contribute to the 50 accidents reported so far. Rather, all of those incidents were reported along the expressways and interstates leading into and out of Chicago.

Police believe that black ice may be a contributing factor to many of these crashes. Black ice, known for being difficult-to-impossible to see before encountering it, can create a slippery condition that may cause a driver to lose control of a vehicle. It can be present on one section of a road and absent on the next, making it very challenging to know where the roads will be icy and where they will not. In the last two days, the biggest danger posed by black ice may have been the icing of bridges and overpasses along the expressways.

The last two mornings have seen many accidents along these overpasses and bridges that have been covered in black ice. Though temperatures are warming somewhat today, they will remain cold enough for black ice to persist, keeping the threat to motorists present for the next few days.

Black ice is a condition that emerges in nature and it cannot be prevented. Once it forms, it is difficult to remove until the weather warms up enough for the ice to melt. That means that drivers must either avoid traveling when black ice is present or use extra caution to avoid collisions.
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Every year, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day bring a large number of auto accidents to the city, leaving numerous families affected by injuries or even death to a loved one. While some of the drivers involved in these crashes are under the influence of alcohol or drugs, others are doing nothing wrong but still become a victim due to the negligence of others on the road. When a driver is impaired or distracted, that driver places not only his or her own safety at issue but also the safety of everyone in the vehicle, those in other vehicles, or even pedestrians walking on sidewalks or in an intersection.

Police are still investigating a New Year’s Day crash to determine what caused the accident and to understand why two people lost their lives and a third was injured. The crash occurred on Lake Street in West Garfield Park around 4:40 a.m. when a car struck a support beam for Chicago’s elevated trains. Three people were in the car at the time of impact, a 26-year-old man, a 29-year-old female, and a second woman whose age is not yet known. A male and female passenger were trapped in the car after the crash and remained in the car as it caught fire. Both of those individuals were pronounced dead at the scene.

One of the females in the car was ejected upon impact and landed outside and away from the car. She sustained critical injuries and was transported by ambulance to Mount Sinai Hospital where her current condition remains unknown.

Some car accidents are not the fault of any driver involved and may be caused by factors beyond control. But in some other crashes, the cause of an accident may be negligence on the part of a car’s driver, owner, or even the manufacturer of the vehicle. Injury lawyers have also seen cases where poor repair and maintenance work has led to a collision or where a city or municipality is to blame for a crash. With so many potential factors to consider, it is a good idea to speak with a lawyer after a collision to learn if you have a claim for your injuries.
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Passengers who ride in a car often do not think about their safety. They may focus their attention on something else because as a passenger, it is not their duty to watch the roads or to keep an eye on traffic. Passengers may find themselves using their phones, eating, watching a movie, or even sleeping while someone else is behind the wheel, confident that the driver will exercise caution and use good judgment while the car is moving.

Sometimes, though, a driver fails to act appropriately and instead uses a lack of judgment, causing an automobile collision that may leave a passenger injured or even killed. When this happens, an injury lawyer can help a victim or the victim’s family understand the laws of Chicago and whether the victim may be entitled to bring a claim for financial relief against the driver. These claims are brought in civil court and are separate and distinct from any traffic-related charges brought by the State of Illinois.

It can be hard to tell just what led to a collision and whether the negligence of one or more drivers was responsible but experts often are able to deduce the needed facts in these situations. Police are still investigating a Sunday morning collision that left two people dead in an effort to determine the cause of the crash and whether any other factors were in play. Right now, it appears that a male in his 20s was driving an SUV northbound in the 3700 block of South California Avenue shortly before midnight. The driver may have lost control of the SUV and left the road’s surface, striking a utility pole and causing a crash. The male driver as well as his female passenger, who also is believed to have been in her 20s, were killed in the incident and were pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators are exploring every possible explanation for the incident right now but it is still not known what caused the driver to lose control of the SUV in this crash but common causes including speed, distraction, and intoxication will be considered during the course of the investigation.
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