Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

In west suburban Downers Grove, Illinois several passengers were injured yesterday when a PACE bus was rear ended by a school bus. The accident took place at the intersection of 63rd and Woodward. The Pace bus was stopped at a red light for southbound Woodward traffic when the school bus failed to stop and hit the PACE bus. Over ten passengers on the PACE bus were injured and taken to area hospitals such as Hinsdale Hospital, Edwards Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital by ambulance.

David Abels & Associates, P.C. has agreed to represent one of the injured PACE bus passengers in a claim against the school bus company. Our client was taken to Hinsdale Hospital with back and neck injuries. She is still complaining of severe pain and plans on seeking follow up treatment with a physician in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Back and Neck Injuries , Bus Accident , Personal Injury , School Bus Accident

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A Chicago truck driver who caused a rear end collision on a tollway in 2003 that resulted in the death of eight women was sentenced to four years in prison this past Thursday for reckless homiside, according to the Northwest Herald and several other news sources. The truck crash occurred in October, 2003, near the Marengo-Hampshire toll plaza on Interstate 90 in McHenry County, Illinois. The truck, driven by Vincente A. Zepeda, 54, struck a 25-seat bus in which the eight women were passengers from behind as the bus slowed for traffic.

At trial in November, 2007 McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather found Zepeda guilty of eight counts of reckless homicide and also failing to maintain his truck’s brakes. Crash scene investigators testified that the truck was at least going 60 mph when it collided with the bus. The accident also occurred in a 45-mph construction zone.

The eight women killed were from the Chicago area and were returning from a day-trip at a Rockford garden. Zepeda was taken into custody after sentencing, as he had been out of custody on a $40,000 bond. He will only have to serve 18 months of his 4 year sentence if he receives crdeit for good behavior.

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Bus Accident , Legal News , Truck Accident , Wrongful Death

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In Chicago, Illinois a bus vs. pedestrian accident has resulted in a fatality. A pedestrian who was walking west on on Cermak Road crossing Wabash Avenue was struck and killed by a tour bus at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday, according to the Chicago Tribune. The victim was Winston Yu, 54, of the 2200 block of South Princeton Avenue. He was pronounced dead a short time later at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago.

A 65-year-old man from Maywood was driving the bus at the time of the pedestrian accident and he was issued a ticket for a traffic violation, according to the Chicago Police Department. There were no passengers on the bus at the time of the collision. The accident is being investigated by the Chicago Police Department's Major Accidents Investigation Unit.

Continue reading "In Chicago, Illinois Bus Hits and Kills Pedestrian In Chinatown" »

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Bus Accident , Pedestrian Accident , Personal Injury , Wrongful Death

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A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the family of a Chicago Area woman who died from injuries sustained in a November 25, 2007 Arkansas bus crash, according to the Times-Herald of Forrest City, Arkansas. The bus was traveling from Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, Texas. The lawsuit was filed earlier this month in Brownsville, Texas by Alfonso Macias Sr., the husband of Maria del Carmen Fuentes Macias of Plano, Illinois. She past away in a Memphis , Tennessee hospital on December 16, 2007 from injuries sustained in the bus crash. The lawsuit lists Dallas based Tornado Bus Co. and the driver of the bus, Felix Badillo Tapia, 28, who is from Brownsville, as defendants.

Earlier this month the bus driver was arrested by the Arkansas State Police and charged with 4 counts of Reckless Homicide after toxicology reports from Tapia showed evidence of amphetamine use at the time of the bus crash.

Raul Lopez of West Chicago, Illinois was also on the bus and died at the accident site. They were on a Tornado Bus Co. bus with 45 other people. The fatal motor vehicle collision happened on a rainy night on Interstate 40 in northern Arkansas when the bus crossed a median, hit a pickup truck, and then hit a larger commercial truck. Lopez, another passenger, and the driver of the pickup truck died on the scene.

Another Chicago area man, Marcos Valencia, of south suburban Crete, Illinois was also seriously injured in the bus crash. He was taken to a Memphis hospital for surgery.

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Bus Accident , Legal News , Wrongful Death

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A 59 year old Chicago resident was killed in a pedestrian accident after she was hit by a CTA bus on Monday afternoon, according to the Chicago Tribune. Ludwika Szynalik of the 3300 block of North Natchez was struck on West Addison Street near her home. She reportedly was a passenger of the bus. The 152 Addison bus was westbound at the time of the accident.

The bus accident victim was taken to Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge and was pronounced dead later in the evening. The bus driver was ticketed, but it has not been reported what the ticket was for. No details have been released as to what caused the accident. A Chicago Police Department major accident investigation is underway. The fact that the driver was ticketed is a strong indication that a wrongful death claim may be investigated.

Personal injury lawyers always have to be careful when pursuing claims against the CTA. There is a one year statute of limitations and a six month CTA notice requirement. If involved in a CTA accident, it is best to hire an accident lawyer as soon as possible so they have adequate time to comply with the six month notice provision and the shortened statute of limitations.

Continue reading "Chicago Illinois Wrongful Death Accident - CTA Bus Hits and Kills Pedestrian" »

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Bus Accident , Pedestrian Accident , Wrongful Death

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A Chicago Area woman has died from injuries sustained in a November 25, 2007 Arkansas bus crash, according to the Chicago Sun Times. She is the second Fox Valley resident to die as a result of the wrongful death bus crash in route from Chicago to Dallas, Texas.

Arkansas State Police have reported that Maria Del Carmen Fuentes past away on Saturday in a Memphis, Tennessee hospital. Raul Lopez of West Chicago, Illinois was also on the bus and died at the accident site. They were on a Tornado Bus Co. bus with 45 other people.

The fatal motor vehicle collision happened in the rain on Interstate 40 in northern Arkansas around 10 pm on a Sunday night when the bus crossed a median, hit a pickup truck, and then hit a larger commercial truck. Lopez, another passenger, and the driver of the pickup truck died on the scene.

Raul Lopez was a father of 4, grandfather of 5, and worked in manufacturing. His mother lives in Mexico, and he usually drove there, but no one was available to make the trip with him. Lopez thought his vision was not good enough to drive at night, so he took the bus.

Another Chicago area man, Marcos Valencia, of south suburban Crete, Illinois was also seriously injured in the bus crash. He was taken to a Memphis hospital for surgery.

Continue reading "Plano, Illinois Resident Dies as Result of Arkansas Bus Crash" »

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Bus Accident , Wrongful Death

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2 separate Greyhound buses traveling between Chicago, Illinois and Indianapolis have crashed in Indiana. People were injured in both bus accidents.

A Greyhound bus traveling to Chicago, Illinois from Indianapolis has collided with a pick up truck on Snowy Interstate 65, according to the Indystar website. Two people were injured and taken to a hospital in Boone County, Indiana. The Boone County Sheriff's Department reported that the highway was slippery after several inches of snow fell. The Northbound lanes on I-65 were briefly closed after the accident. There were 38 passengers on the bus. It has not determined which driver caused the accident. There were several accidents in the same area of Indiana this morning, most likely due to snow and ice conditions.

Earlier in the morning another Greyhound bus on Interstate 65 traveling from Chicago to Indy was involved in an accident outside Lafayette, Indiana. 23 passengers were injured an taken to St. Elizabeth Hospital and Home Hospital in Lafayette, according to CBS News. Indiana State Police report the bus spun out of control, no other vehicles have been reported to be involved.

Indystar.com also reported that the Boone County Sheriff said "every time you have the first or second snowfall of the year, people just forget how to drive". From my experience as a personal injury lawyer, the sheriff is absolutely right.

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Bus Accident

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A Chicago area resident has died in a bus accident in Arkansas. He was traveling to visit his mother when a bus he was a passenger on collided with a pickup truck and an 18 wheeler, according to Chicago SunTimes.com. Raul Lopez, 58, was on a Tornado Bus Co. bus that was traveling from Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, Texas. He was 1 of 47 people on the bus.

The motor vehicle collision happened in the rain on Interstate 40 in northern Arkansas around 10 pm on Sunday night when the bus crossed a median, hit the pickup, and then hit the larger truck. Lopez, another passenger, and the driver of the pickup truck died in the crash. Arkansas State Police are still investigating the crash, which seriously injured several more people.

Lopez was a father of 4, grandfather of 5, and worked in manufacturing. His mother lives in Mexico, and he usually drove there, but no one was available to make the trip with him. Lopez thought his vision was not good enough to drive at night, so he took the bus.

Another Chicago area man, Marcos Valencia, of south suburban Crete, Illinois was also seriously injured in the bus crash. He was taken to a Memphis hospital for surgery was was still in critical condition as of Monday.

Click here to read entire story.

Posted by Dave Abels | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Auto Accident , Bus Accident , Truck Accident , Wrongful Death

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