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.

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.

The federal government issued tough new federal guidelines this week, making texting illegal for all commercial truck and bus drivers.

As the Chicago bus accident lawyers and the Illinois trucking accident attorneys at Abels & Annes reported last fall, the new ban is the outcome of a federal distracted driving summit.

The prohibition is effective immediately, according to CNN. While new Illinois state law already prohibits texting for all drivers, the federal ban targeting commercial truck and bus drivers in important because of the large numbers of out-of-state commercial drivers on Illinois roads.

In 2008, fatal Illinois trucking accidents claimed 136 lives, making Illinois one of the deadliest states in the nation for semi accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

"We want the drivers of big rigs and buses and those who share the roads with them to be safe," said U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "This is an important safety step, and we will be taking more to eliminate the threat of distracted driving."

Truck and bus drivers who text while driving commercial vehicles face fines of up to $2,750.

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, a driver's eyes are off the road for 4.6 seconds out of every six seconds while texting and texting drivers are 20 times more likely to get into an accident.

Continue reading "Federal texting ban could reduce Illinois trucking accidents, Chicago bus accidents " »

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" »

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.

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.

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.

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.

In Corona, New Mexico at least fifty people were injured and two were killed when a tour bus rolled over late friday night, according to the Associated Press. The two fatalities were adults, and a nine year old minor had to be airlifted to a hospital. Fifteen other injured were taken by ambualnce to an Albuquerque hospital. Some of the injuries were critical.

The bus was reportedly traveling northbound on U.S. 54 north of Corona when the driver lost control of the bus while in a construction zone. The bus hit a median and flipped. The roads were icy and snowy at the time.

The bus was in route to El Paso, Texas. The accident closed the highway for around 7 hours.

Being a passenger in a bus accident can be a very scary experience. You are typically not seat belted, and all you can really do is hold on tight and hope for the best. Like the New Mexico accident, injuries from the same event can range from mild to critical to fatal.

If you have been involved in a Chicago area bus accident, contact our office for a free consultation.

In Eilat, Israel, at least twenty six Russians were killed on Tuesday when a bus crashed down a steep ravine, according to several news outlets, including the Associated Press. There were 60 passengers on the bus who had all just arrived from St. Petersburg, Russia.

The bus reportedly crashed when it passed by another bus at a high rate of speed in a no passing zone, lost control, broke through a guard rail and rolled down a steep hill. Many passengers were thrown from the bus as it rolled.

24 people were reportedly died at the scene, and 2 more past away later at Eilat's hospital. Several more are at the hospital in critical condition. Forty ambulances and six Israeli military helicopters rushed to the accident site.

This traffic accident is the most deadly in the history of Israel. Before this crash, only 406 people had had lost their lives in traffic accidents in all of Israel this year.

In Lostant, Illinois several students were injured Wednesday night when a chartered bus was involved in a motor vehicle accident with a truck, according to the Associated Press. The accident happened on an icy highway in northern central Illinois. At least 36 people were sent to hospitals.

The truck vs. bus accident happened on Interstate 39 when the tractor-trailer jackknifed in in front of a bus carrying students and the two vehicles impacted. The students were taken to three different area hospitals. Thirteen students were taken to St. Margaret's Hospital in Spring Valley and twenty-three students were taken to Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.

The bus was returning from Chicago and all the students were from Dunlap High School in Dunlap, Illinois. Dunlap is a small town located on Illinois 91 in Peoria County, Illinois, with a population of around 1,000.

The interstate was shut down until the vehicles were cleared from the road.

In Chicago, Illinois a CTA bus crash has injured several people this morning, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The accident involved a bus and two vehicles and over 20 people were injured. The collision took place on the Near West Side near Roosevelt Road and Blue Island Avenue.

One person is in critical condition. More than 12 ambulances were on stand by.

According to a Chicago Transit Authority representative, a bus was stopped at an intersection when it was hit from the rear by another vehicle.

From an injury lawyers view, the passengers on the bus can make an injury claim against the driver that hit the bus. However, an insurance problem could develop because there were so many injured passengers. The question is whether the driver has a big enough insurance policy to cover the accident. If there is not enough coverage, the passengers can look to make uninsured or underinsured motorist claims against their own auto polices.

Insurance coverage issues can get complicated fast in this type of accident. Passengers should contact a Chicago Area injury lawyer for help in handling their claims.

In LaSalle County, Illinois it is being reported that there were no serious injuries to the 22 children or the 2 drivers involved in Tuesday's school bus vs. truck accident, according to the Daily Chronicle. The accident happened near the intersection of 42nd and Hoxey Roads in Northville Township. All parties involved were treated and released from area hospitals by yesterday afternoon.

The students on the bus were from Serena High School. They were taken to Valley West Community Hospital in Sandwich and Ottawa Regional Hospital & Healthcare Center in Ottawa.

The bus vs. truck accident is being investigated by the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Department. The driver of the truck has reportedly been ticketed with failure to yield at a stop/yield intersection.

Continue reading "LaSalle County, Illinois School Bus Accident Results In No Serious Injuries" »

CNN is reporting that a school bus has collided with a van in LaSalle County, Illinois. Video has been shown on the network of the bus on its side. They are reporting that 15 children were on board at the time of the school bus crash. No details have been reported of what caused the crash or the severity of the injuries.

Most of the students were taken to area hospitals in LaSalle and DeKalb Counties, according to CBS News. An emergency services box alarm was used after the accident that automatically sent fifteen ambulances to the crash site as a precaution.

In Chicago, Illinois nine people were injured yesterday when two cars collided and then they both hit a Chicago Transit Authority Bus, according to the Chicago Tribune. The accident happened on the South Side at the intersection of 63rd and Artesian.

Chicago Fire Department officials stated that eight of the injured were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. The driver of the CTA bus was one of the persons injured.

It has not been reported which of the car drivers caused the accident. Once the Chicago Police Department determines who was at fault, the passengers on the bus will be able to pursue an injury claim against that person's insurance company.

The driver of the CTA bus actually has two cases. There is the case against the at fault party, and there is also a workers' compensation case, as the driver was injured on the job.

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.

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 a 54 year old driver, 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 the driver 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. The driver 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.

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" »

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 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.

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" »

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.

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.

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.

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