Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-Follow all posted speed limits.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Illinois Department of Transportation hopes to reach adult drivers through the creativity of their children as the department solicits artwork submissions for the Illinois Work Zone Safety Calendar.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers frequently report that car accidents are a leading cause of Illinois work injuries and nowhere are employees more at risk than construction workers on the roads in an around Chicago.

This year's theme is "See Orange. Slow Down. Save Lives" and contestants in Kindergarten through 6th grade are encouraged to enter artwork by November 15, 2010. The top 30 entries will be narrowed to 12 finalists, and those drawings will be displayed on the 2012 Illinois Work Zone Safety Calendar.

More than 9,100 students have participated since the contest began in 2005.

Work Zone Safety reports that 667 people were killed in road construction zones last year. Illinois road construction accidents claimed 31 lives.

Contest registration forms, release forms and instructions are available by clicking here.

Safety Tips for Driving in Work Zones

-Expect the unexpected: Slower speeds, changing lanes and people working near the flow of traffic are the norm.

-Slow Down: Speeding is a leading cause of serious and fatal accidents in construction zones.

-Don't Tailgate: Allow a safe travel distance between you and other vehicles. This permits more time to react, and reduces the risk of a rear-end collision.

-Watch for Workers: And allow a safe distance between your vehicle and construction workers, machinery, barriers or other equipment on or near the roadway.

-Pay attention to signs: Constructions signs, instructions, warning signs and other directions are in place to help you navigate a construction zone safely. Observe signs and remain alert.

-Obey road crews and flaggers: Flaggers understand the obstacles and challenges to moving traffic safely through work zones. Watch for their signals and obey their directions.

-Stay Alert: By minimizing distractions, you stand a better chance of navigating a work zone safely. Leave the radio, cell phones and other distractions alone while in a work zone.

-Keep up with traffic: Traveling slower or faster than the flow of traffic can be dangerous. Merge when directed -- don't race up to the lane closure and then try to cut in line.

-Allow plenty of time: Make adjustments to your traveling schedule that take road construction delays into account. Expect delays and check the radio, TV and websites for the latest information.

-Stay Calm: Keeping your patience is the key to staying safe and keeping road crews safe in work zones. Remember that work crews are working hard to keep roads in passable shape and to make tomorrow's commute better for you.

Continue reading "Work Zone Safety Calendar Contest a chance for kids to remind parents about safety in construction zones" »

A Chicago area pedestrian accident has resulted in the death of a construction worker in southwest suburban Forest View, Illinois, according to CBS News. The accident occurred on Friday afternoon when a semi-truck exiting the Stevenson Expressway (Interstate 55) made an illegal right turn and struck the worker on the Harlem Avenue off-ramp.

The construction worker was employed by Midwest Fencing, who was working a project for IDOT. The victim was making repairs to a barrier fence at the time of the accident, according to IDOT spokesman Guy Tridgell.

Because of the construction, there were reportedly no right turn signs for trucks at the bottom of the off-ramp, but for reasons unknown, the trucker still made the right turn.

The semi was southbound on I 55 and turning north on to Harlem. The worker that was killed, Aurelio Rosales, was a Chicago resident. He was rushed to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The Illinois truck vs. pedestrian accident is being investigated by the Forest View Police Department with the help of an Illinois State Police reconstruction officer.

It has not been reported if the truck driver was being issued any traffic tickets, or if a Chicago pedestrian accident attorney is involved in the case. However, NBC News is reporting that citations against the driver are pending.

In a case like this, the family of the victim could have two separate claims to pursue. First, the worker was killed while on the job, so there is an Illinois workers' compensation claim. Second and more significantly, there is negligence claim to investigate against the truck driver and trucking company.

An East Chicago man is facing four felony counts of drunk driving and leaving the scene, in the wake of a car accident in a construction zone that has claimed the life of an Indiana man.

A judge on Tuesday denied a request by the defendant to be released from jail to take a final exam, according to ABC 7.

As we reported earlier this week on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, the worker was flown by medical helicopter to Loyola University Medical Center in critical condition with head and leg injuries. He died Sunday as a result of his injuries. Charges against the defendant have since been upgraded as a result of the worker's death.

The defendant's mother called police after seeing his car had been involved in an accident. Illinois State Police found him passed out on the couch. The driver reportedly told police he had drank a lot and then drove home and thought he had hit a construction barrel.

The road worker had been filling cracks along westbound I-94 near Burns Harbor at about 3 a.m. when he was hit by a red Chevy Cavalier, which fled the scene. The temporary construction zone was well posted with message boards, construction barrels and signs.

It's the second time in less than a month that an arrest has been made in connection with a serious highway construction zone accident. We reported on our Chicago Injury Lawyer Blog earlier this month that a Gary Indiana man had been arrested for hitting a road crew member on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is urging drivers to obey the law -- move over and slow down for construction workers as summer road work begins in earnest.

Scott's Law requires Illinois motorists to move over whenever possible and to slow down for all emergency and construction vehicles. The law provides for a fine of up to $10,000 for violations and motorists who are cited must appear in court and face a license suspension. The law is named for Chicago Fire Department Lt. Scott Glenn, who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while working an accident scene on the Dan Ryan Expressway.

A Gary Indiana man was arrested recently and charged because of his involvement in a Chicago car crash that injured a construction worker last summer, WGN News reported.

The Chicago construction zone accident occurred when an SUV slammed into a highway worker closing the gate on his truck along the Dan Ryan Expressway. The defendant was ticketed but failed to appear in court. A warrant issued for his arrest in Cook and four surrounding counties failed to locate him until media reports were broadcast nationwide.

The highway worker was severely injured. A year later he is finally walking again. The worker said he hopes his story provides a lesson to law enforcement and is pushing for nationwide warrants to be issued in cases where highway construction workers are injured.

As we reported in April on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, 31 people died and nearly 2,000 were injured in Illinois road construction accidents in 2008.

Scott's Law, named for a firefighter who was killed after being struck by a motorist at an accident scene on a Chicago expressway, requires vehicles to slow down and move over whenever possible for emergency, construction or maintenance workers. Violators face a mandatory court appearance, driver's license suspension and a fine of up to $10,000.

Illinois law lowers speed limits in construction zones from 65 mph to 55 mph or from 55 mph to 45 mph, although lower speed limits may be posted. Construction workers do not have to be present for motorists to receive a speeding ticket in a construction zone.

Court appearances are mandatory for motorists cited with a work-zone violation and photo-enforcement may be utilized to increase work-zone safety. Motorists who cause a fatal accident in an Illinois work zone may be charged with reckless homicide, which carries a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.

As we reported on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Illinois is gearing up for road-construction season, with a series of major summer construction projects, including roadwork on I-290, the Congress Street Bridge and the upper and lower levels of Wacker Drive.

National Work Zone Awareness Week is April 6 to 10 and will include multiple public awareness efforts by Illinois Work Zone Safety Partners and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

In 2008, fatal Illinois road construction accidents claimed 31 lives and injured 1,985 people. A total of 7,813 traffic accidents were reported in Illinois construction zones. Last month, our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog reported about a fatal construction zone accident that occurred recently in northwest Indiana, about 30 minutes south of Chicago.

Scott's Law, named for a firefighter who was killed after being struck by a vehicle while responding to an accident on a Chicago expressway, requires vehicles to slow down and change lanes, whenever possible, for emergency, construction and maintenance vehicles displaying oscillating, rotating, or flashing lights.

A violation of Scott's Law carries a mandatory court appearance, a fine of up to $10,000, driver's license suspension and, in cases of an accident causing property damage, injury or death, a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Illinois work zone traffic facts:

-Construction workers do not have to be present to receive a speeding ticket in a work zone.

-State law lowers speeds in construction zones from 65 mph to 55 mph or from 55 mph to 45 mph. Lower speed limits may be posted.

-Increased fines for speeding in work zones are set at a minimum of $375 for a first offense and a minimum of $1,000 for a second offense.

-Court appearance is mandatory for a work-zone speeding violation.

-A motorist who causes a fatal work zone accident may be charged with reckless homicide, which can carry a penalty of 3 to 14 years in prison.

-Photo enforcement may be used to increase work zone safety.

Continue reading "Work Zone Safety Awareness week aims to reduce Chicago car accidents, work injuries, in construction zones " »

A worker was killed last week and another injured in a Chicago construction accident that occurred in the Loop, ABC 7 reported.

The victims are employees of People's Energy and were conducting an underground test at Jackson and Wacker Drive when the Chicago work accident occurred shortly before 2 a.m. Wednesday afternoon. They were testing a 20-inch main when a steel pipe slipped and struck both workers, who were in a construction hole across the street from the Willis Tower.

Three ambulances responded to the scene at 1:45 p.m. after reports of workers trapped following an explosion, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Initial reports of a gas explosion were countered by a Peoples Energy representative, who said the employees were using compressed air when the accident happened and that no natural gas was involved.

The Chicago fire department said both employees were critically injured and were transported to Cook County Hospital.

"The two employees were in the performance of their duties, they were testing a pipe and an accident occurred," Peoples Energy representative Bonnie Johnson told ABC7.

Witnesses at the scene said the fire department apparently extracted the surviving victim quickly but had to work feverishly to extract the worker who was fatally injured after being trapped in the hole.

The surviving victim remained in critical condition at Cook County Hospital.

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" »

In Chicago, Illinois two construction workers were injured on the job Sunday after a trench collapsed.

Fire crews spent four hours digging the two men out of the trench after the sides collapsed, trapping them, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Chicago construction accident trapped the men up to their waist in dirt at the bottom of a six-foot-deep hole in an alley on North Dover Street after the sides collapsed about 2 p.m., according to a fire department spokesman.

A special collapse and rescue squad responded to the incident. One man was pulled from the trench at 4 p.m. and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, but his injuries were not life threatening, the fire department reported.

The second worker, a 28-year-old man, was pulled from the trench at about 6 p.m. and also taken to Illinois Masonic with serious-to-critical personal injuries.

The Chicago Tribune reported the work accident occurred at a condominium building. The Tribune reported one of the workers attempted to help support the wall to keep the other man from being buried until help arrived.

Firefighters first had to shore up the trench to ensure it wouldn't collapse on them before digging the trapped man out by hand after the first worker was rescued.

The workers were installing a sewage flood-control system for the building, according to the Tribune. The city's Department of Buildings and the Occupational Safety & Hazard Administration was called to the scene to investigate the incident.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration estimates about 70 construction workers are killed in excavation cave-ins each year and more than 700 are injured. An OSHA approved course on trench safety is available at www.trenchsafety.org.

A boy was crushed to death this week in a Chicago construction accident after he fell from a front loader being driven by his father, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Bystanders were alerted by the father's shouts at the South Side building being converted to condos. Investigators believe the boy, Valente Torres, 9, fell from his father's lap atop the front loader and was killed by the front loader's falling bucket of dirt.

He was still on his feet when his father rushed to his aid shortly before 10 a.m..

A relative of father Raul Torres said the family was trying to save some money by bringing the youngest of of six children to work.

The boy was scheduled to start 4th grade at Sawyer Elementary School in Gage Park in a few weeks. He was pronounced deat at 10:12 a.m. Tuesday at the University of Chicago Corner Children's Hospital.

Stephanie Johnson, 24, a neighbor who lives three buildings from the construction site, told the newspaper she had seen the little boy running in the block for the last two days, sometimes playing with other neighbors' children.

A Chicago area worker was injured when he fell 25-feet to the bottom of an empty tank at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant Tuesday afternoon, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The male worker was apparently sandblasting a section of tank when he fell into the empty tank. He was alert and conscious when rescued. Co-workers noticed the accident and called for help about 1:45 p.m., according to Stickney Fire Chief Larry Meyer.

A team of firefighters used ladders to rescue the worker from the tank and he was taken to Mount Sanai Hospital in Chicago with undisclosed injuries.

A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago had not responded to inquiries from the media.

Employees who are injured on the job are entitled to proper medical treatment, disability pay while off work, and a bodily injury settlement, depending on the extent of their injuries. Media reports do not indicate whether the victim was a municipal employee or employed by an outside contractor.

It has not been reported if this was simply an accident or if there were other contributing factors that caused him to fall two-and-a-half stories while on the job.

A Galeana man injured in a fall in a high school construction site accident has been awarded the highest jury verdict ever rendered in Jo Daviess County.

William Theiss, 52, was awarded $1.9 million after the two-week trial, which centered on the April 2003 accident at River Ridge High School in Hanover. Thiess was working as a painter when he toppled off a 15-foot-high lift -- he tripped on a chain serving as a substituted for the safety-mandated guardrails, according to a story in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald.

Theiss has undergone 16 surgeries after crushing his foot, ankle and heel. Doctors told him he can no longer stand for more than an hour at a time and confined him to light duty. He sued the construction management company, Hoffman Construction Company, and the drywall contractor, CIDAC Inc.

"I've worked on these kind of lifts all my life, so I just assumed it was safe," Theiss said. "I was just doing the job I'd been doing my whole life."

The jury found Theiss 30 percent at fault, which resulted in reducing his original $2.8 million award to $1.9 million. They awarded Theiss $777,660 for wage loss, $791,667 for pain and suffering, $625,000 for disability, $279,167 for disfigurement, $339,000 for medical bills and $27,000 for prescription orthotics for his heel.

"I wouldn't say that it makes me forget about the last few years, but at least now I'm not going to have to worry about paying my electric bill," he said. "But it's not going to be life on easy street for me. There are a lot of bills to pay."

The largest sum previously awarded for a personal injury in the county was $1.05 million after a man sustained serious brain injuries following a tractor-car collision.

Continue reading "Illinois painter awarded $1.9 millon for injuries in fall at construction site" »

In Chicago Heights, Illinois a man was killed by a crane accident at a steel plant, according to the Chicago Tribune. The victim, Heladio Ramirez, 32, a Calumet City resident, was operating a crane on Monday at Highway Steel Inc., when part of the crane fell and hit him. He was taken to St. James Hospital and Health Center in Chicago Heights, Illinois and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The cause of the accident has not been reported. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

According to the United States Department of Labor, 5,488 workers were killed on the job last year throughout the country. 392 workers were killed in manufacturing jobs, and 20 of those workers were killed in primary metal manufacturing jobs, such as iron and steel mill occupations.

Further, according to CraneAccidents.com, there were 176 reported crane accident deaths in the United States in 2007, up from 109 deaths in 2006.

A construction worker was killed on Monday at the Trump Soho in New York City when a wooden mold used to set concrete collapsed and he fell 42 floors to his death, according to the New York Times. The worker who died in the construction accident was decapitated in the fall and landed in an alley on the west side of the site. Another worker was thrown from the 42nd floor, but was caught by a safety net on the 40th floor.

The cause of the work accident is still under investigation. The New York City Buildings Department has issued a stop work order on the project until the General Contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, can show that work will continue in a safe manner. Bovis was issued four safety violations as a result of the accident. There have been 11 previous building code violations at the project site.

This accident happened just weeks before the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago is scheduled to open. Five floors of the hotel are scheduled to open on January 30, 2008, according to the Chicago Tribune. The hotel will occupy floors 14-27, and the remaining levels are supposed to gradually open through the spring.

What is interesting is that as the hotel operates, there will still be a large construction project going on overhead as crews work to complete the 92 story tower. You have to question if Chicagoans will feel safe entering the hotel in light of the N.Y.C. accident. The hotel was originally scheduled to open December 3, 2007 but Trump was delayed in obtaining a city occupancy permit due to still having to complete fire safety work.

Continue reading "Deadly Construction Accident at the Trump Soho in N.Y.C. - Should Chicago Be Nervous?" »