Articles Posted in Uninsured Motorist Claim

I’ve said it before and I’m saying it again. It is more important than ever to protect yourself with a good auto insurance policy with uninsured motorist coverage before you hit the roads in Chicago. This is due to the fact in part that so many drivers are driving without insurance. The attorneys at Abels & Annes handle UM claims on a regular basis.A perfect example is the case below, where our client was hit by negligent driver who had no insurance. The plaintiff luckily had an auto insurance policy with protection if he was ever injured by an uninsured driver, and due to this fact we were able to obtain a $50,000 settlement on his behalf.

This claim arises out of an automobile collision which took place on January 9, 2012 at approximately 9:48 p.m. Our client was driving southbound on Harlem Avenue in North Riverside, Illinois. He was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Harlem Avenue and 25th Street. The uninsured driver was also traveling southbound on Harlem Avenue when she failed to stop as she approached 25th Street, and struck the rear-end of the plaintiff’s vehicle with significant force. As a result of being struck by the uninsured driver, his head flipped forward and hit the steering wheel. This also caused his head to snap backwards after impact.

After the accident, investigating police officers determined that the other driver was at fault for the accident.

Following the collision, the client immediately began experiencing pain. He hoped this pain would resolve, but when he awoke the next morning his pain was even worse. He sought treatment at Swedish Covenant Hospital’s Emergency Department.

 

 

In the emergency room, he complained of dizziness, nausea, and pain in his head, neck, back, and shoulders. A history was taken, he was examined and diagnostic tests were performed. He underwent a CT scan of his head. He was diagnosed with a concussion, and muscle strain. He was prescribed pain medication and muscle relaxants, and was instructed to seek follow up care.
Continue reading

Not every personal injury case settles without a fight and we often have to go to court or arbitration to obtain the best results for our clients.

This claim arises out of an automobile collision which took place on September 11, 2011 at approximately 1:29 a.m. Our client was injured when the automobile she was riding in was involved in a collision. The at fault motorist, who was uninsured, was driving the plaintiff.

Our client had her own policy of insurance so our law office pursued an uninsured motorist claim.

The vehicle was traveling eastbound on Sibley Boulevard in Calumet City, Illinois, approaching its intersection with Madison. The driver failed to yield while attempting to turn left into a restaurant driveway just before the intersection with Madison when it was not clear to do so. His car was struck by a westbound vehicle. The force of the impact was strong enough to jerk our client forward and backward in her seat.

The Calumet City Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. After speaking with both parties, the police determined the driver of the plaintiff’s vehicle was at fault for the collision.

Following the accident, the plaintiff had an immediate onset of neck and back pain.

She sought treatment from John H. Stroger Hospital’s Emergency Department the same day as the collision. At the Emergency Department, a history was taken, she was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed. She complained of back pain that was worse on her left side and radiated to her upper back. On exam, she had muscle tenderness over her cervical and lumbosacral spine. She was diagnosed with a back sprain/strain, prescribed pain medication, and instructed to seek follow up care.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, the client sought follow up treatment with a doctor on September 27, 2011. At that time she continued to complain of constant neck pain and back pain that interfered with her ability to work and sleep. A history was taken and she was examined. She had limited range of motion in her cervical and lumbosacral spine, tenderness to the touch in her neck, upper shoulders, and back, and muscle spasms. She also had some point tenderness and pain to both sacroiliac joints. She was diagnosed with lumbar spine strain/sprain, cervical spine strain/sprain, insomnia, and stress and anxiety related to her other injuries.
Continue reading

Injury lawyers from Abels & Annes have reached a $20,000 insurance policy limits settlement with a defendant’s insurance carrier, and we are now pursuing a greater amount with an underinsured motorist claim.

This type of case happens very frequently in the State of Illinois. Sometimes a negligent driver carries auto insurance as required by law, but unfortunately $20,000 (Illinois minimum coverage) is not enough to fairly compensate an accident victim for his or her damages.

After recovering a defendant’s insurance policy limits, our office next explores an underinsured motorist claim. If our client carries a larger insurance policy, we will pursue funds under said insurance policy.

In the case below, we will be going after our clients own $100,000 policy.

This claim arises out of an automobile collision which took place in February, 2012. Our client operated her motor vehicle with her headlights on, the roadway was lit by street lights, the road was straight and flat and visibility was good.

She operated her motor vehicle southbound on Wolf Road, in North Lake, Illinois, approaching its intersection with Fullerton. The defendant operated his motor vehicle northbound on Wolf Road approaching its intersection with Fullerton. Both the north and south bound lanes of Wolf Road had a green light. My client was traveling at approximately 35 miles per hour.

The other driver failed to exercise due caution and proceeded to make a left turn in front of my client’s motor vehicle to go westbound on Fullerton when it was not safe to do so. The plaintiff applied her brakes but was unable to stop her motor vehicle and a collision occurred. At the time of the collision the client was wearing her safety belt and had both hands on the steering wheel. Upon impact she was thrown about in her seat belt and her airbag deployed striking her in the face and torso. The force of the impact of the collision injured her.

Both of the automobiles were towed from the scene of the occurrence.

The at fault driver failed to yield the right of way when making a left turn, failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop for oncoming traffic, failed to exercise due caution when making a left turn, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area.

Following the collision the plaintiff had a swollen lip with abrasion, right arm bruising and minor discomfort in her abdomen along the pelvis. She was transported to the Gottlieb Memorial Hospital Emergency Department via ambulance where she complained of headache, swelling and pain in her arm and lip. A CT scan was taken of her head to evaluate for trauma and x-rays were taken of her right arm and pelvis. She was prescribed Vicodin for pain and instructed to stay home from work the following day and seek follow-up care with a physician.

Over the next week our client noticed her symptoms worsened rather than improved and in February, 2012, she sought treatment with the doctor she was referred to. She complained of neck pain, headaches and left shoulder pain. A history was taken, she was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed. She was diagnosed with cervical strain, thoracic strain and left shoulder entrapment. She was given prescriptions for Naproxen and Flexeril and instructed to begin a course of physical therapy.

The plaintiff began physical therapy in February. Her most prominent complaint was of pain in her left shoulder. While she was undergoing physical therapy, she continued to follow up with her physician. At the end of February an MRI of the left shoulder was ordered due to her continued complaints of pain.

The scan showed a left shoulder partial supraspinatus tear and left shoulder strain and she was then sent for orthopedic evaluation.

In April, she saw an orthopedic surgeon for evaluation. A history was taken, she was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed. She complained of sharp and aching pain in her left shoulder which radiated down her arm. She was advised to continue physical therapy and return in four weeks for evaluation.

She underwent 33 physical therapy sessions. In May, 2012 it was determined that she has reached maximum medical recovery and she was discharged from care and given a plan of home physical therapy.

Medical expenses incurred by our client for treatment of the injuries she suffered as a result of the negligence of the defendant were over $18,000.

Despite the treatment she has undergone, she continues to suffer from intermittent pain and discomfort in her left shoulder. This pain has greatly affected her life. As a result of her injuries she is unable to engage in many activities she enjoyed prior to the collision, and those activities she can engage in cause her pain and she cannot participate as she did prior to the collision.

Her pain is aggravated by heavy lifting, repetitious activities, and sleeping positions. Any activities that involves turning, twisting, or bending at the shoulder area can be difficult and painful. Furthermore simple activities such as household chores, shopping and a wide variety of activities of daily living are limited and painful.
Continue reading

Illinois injury lawyers at Abels & Annes are hard at work on a car crash claim for a local resident. The case arises out of a collision which took place on August 23, 2011 at approximately 9:07 a.m. The plaintiff was injured when the automobile she was riding in was involved in a collision with an uninsured motor vehicle.

Our client was driving her 2008 Scion westbound on Ferdinand, approaching its intersection with Pulaski in Chicago, Illinois. At that time a driver in a 1997 Buick LeSabre was being pursued by police officers at a high rate of speed. The uninsured driver was traveling northbound on Pulaski and turned abruptly eastbound on Ferdinand. The Buick crossed the center line and hit the client head-on at a very high speed.

Our client was thrown backward and forward in her seat and hit her face on the airbag. The entire incident was witnessed by a Chicago Police Officer who was responding to the high-speed chase. The responding officer determined the uninsured driver caused the collision by operating her vehicle in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive condition.

The uninsured driver failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop and/or reduce her speed to avoid a collision, traveled eastbound in a lane marked only for westbound traffic, drove in an erratic and reckless manner, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including the plaintiff.

This accident is just another example of why it is so important to carry auto insurance with uninsured motorist coverage. There is an ongoing and alarming trend of motorists in Illinois driving without insurance. We see more and more of these accidents at our office.

Following the collision, the client had an immediate onset of pain. She was transported from the scene of the collision by ambulance to West Suburban Hospital in Oak Park, Illinois. Upon arrival at the Emergency Department, a history was taken, she was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed. She complained of a severe headache and pain to her right wrist. On exam, she had a burn to her right forearm and a head injury. She underwent a head CT scan which revealed no acute intracranial abnormalities. She was prescribed pain medication and instructed to seek follow up treatment from a doctor.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, the plaintiff sought follow up treatment with a medical doctor on September 1, 2011. At that time, she complained of constant, sharp pain along her neck as well as sharp lumbar pain that radiated to both of her legs. She has lupus and had some difficulty walking before the collision but the pain in her lower back made walking significantly more difficult, and at times, impossible without the assistance of a cane or walker. A history was taken and she was examined. She had pain in her paracervical muscles in her neck as well as lower back and muscle spasms. The physician diagnosed her with a sprain and strain of the cervical and lumbar spines. He ordered x-rays of her cervical and lumbar spines and instructed her to begin a course of physical therapy.
Continue reading

Illinois car crash lawyers at Abels & Annes are currently representing a Dolton, Illinois resident who was injured in an accident.

This claim arises out of an automobile collision which took place at or near the intersection of Lincoln and Dorchester in Dolton on August 11, 2011, at approximately 3:51 p.m. The plaintiff was riding as a passenger in a 2005 Toyota Sequoia being driven by an acquaintance. He was injured when the automobile he was a passenger in was side-swiped by a vehicle driven by an uninsured motorist.

The Toyota was moving northwest on Lincoln near its intersection with Dorchester. The vehicle stopped in the left-most lane, signaling a left turn into US Bank. At this location, left turns are permitted and there is no separate left turn lane for turning into the bank.

At that same time, another vehicle, in 1999 Ford Explorer, was traveling northwest on Lincoln near its intersection with Dorchester. That vehicle disregarded the turning vehicle and passed the vehicle on the left. The other driver drove northwest in a lane designated for southeast traffic only. As the Ford Explorer passed by driving on the wrong side of the road, the other driver struck the driver’s side of the Toyota with the passenger side of her car.

The force of the collision threw our client back and forth inside the car. His right shoulder struck the passenger door and his left wrist struck the center console.

The other driver failed to keep a proper lookout, improperly used lanes of traffic, improperly passed on the left, failed to yield the right of way, failed to stop and/or reduce the speed of her vehicle to avoid a collision, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including the plaintiff.

The accident was investigated by the Dolton Police Department. After interviewing the parties involved, they determined that the Ford driver was at fault.

Unfortunately, the driver of the Ford Explorer was operating a vehicle without valid auto insurance. Due to this fact, our office is pursuing an uninsured motorist claim against the Toyota owner’s insurance policy. Click here to read more about Illinois uninsured motorist claims.

Following the collision, the plaintiff had an immediate onset of back, shoulder and wrist pain.

Shortly after the collision, the client sought medical treatment at a doctor’s office. There, he complained of right shoulder pain and lower back pain. A history was taken and a physical examination was performed. On exam, he had pain on palpation of his lower back, pain in his right shoulder and decreased range of motion in his shoulder. He was diagnosed with a low back sprain and a right shoulder injury. He was prescribed muscle relaxants, instructed to take pain medication and told to follow up for additional treatment.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, he returned to the physician on August 23, 2011. At that time he continued to complain of pain in his right shoulder and lower back. He was instructed to continue his medication and to return for follow up care.
Continue reading

A Chicago area pedestrian accident has resulted in injuries to an eight-year-old boy from Chicago and criminal charges against an Oak Park man. Trib Local is reporting that the incident took place just after 4:30 PM on Saturday in Oak Park.

Police are stating that a vehicle turning on the 1000 block of S. Taylor Ave. hit the child after failing to stop for stop sign. The driver then fled the scene.

Approximately 20 minuntes after the accident, a 29-year-old Oak Park resident was arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, a felony. He was also ticketed for driving on a suspended license and disobeying a stop sign. Luckily several witnesses saw the accident which enabled police to track the driver down.

Chicago pedestrian accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have signed on to represent a woman that was hit by a taxicab on February 12, 2011 in front of 3209 N. Halsted Street. The cab driver never stopped to help her and fled the scene of the accident.

The pedestrian victim, a woman from the North Side, had just been dropped off by another taxicab at the time. As her taxi pulled away, she was immediately struck by another cab passing by that was white in color. While there were several witnesses to the accident, no one was able to take down the cab number or license plate.

Our client remembers nothing immediately after the accident, was knocked unconscious and woke up over three hours later at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. She sustained head, neck and back injuries in the accident. She is also experiencing severe headaches, facial bruising and left leg swelling. She was kept in the hospital for two days after the incident.

A deadly Illinois pedestrian accident has left one person dead and police searching for the driver that fled the scene, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. The accident occurred Saturday morning in Gage Park, according to police.

Chicago Police were called to the 5200 block of S. Western Ave. just after 3:30 AM. There they found the pedestrian victim, a 21-year-old resident of the 6300 block of S. Kostner Avenue, lying on the ground. Police believe he been struck by a car behind the collision threw him into the air, landing on a parked car and then coming to rest on the ground.

The victim was rushed to Cook County Hospital and was pronounced dead less than an hour later.

The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public’s help in tracking down a hit-and-run driver who was involved in an Illinois pedestrian accident on Monday evening around 10:15 PM. The incident occurred when a driver cut through a gas station on the southwest side to avoid a traffic light, according to WGN news. As the driver was cutting through he hit a pedestrian and then fled the scene.

The accident occurred in the 6200 block of S. California Ave., which is considered part of the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. The victim was about to enter his minivan on the driver side when he was struck by a red SUV heading northbound. The hit and run vehicle also had a roof rack.

Anyone with information regarding the accident and/or the identity of the at fault driver is being asked to contact the Chicago Police Department immediately at 312-745-4521.

A Chicago pedestrian accident that occurred on Saturday in the 6200 block of South St. Lawrence Avenue has injured three children and one woman, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. An 11-year-old girl is in critical condition.

The Chicago car vs. pedestrian accident happened when a stolen 1999 Chrysler hit the pedestrians, then struck a parked car and a brick wall. After that, several people jumped out of the car and fled the scene of the accident. They left behind the car that has Indiana plates.

All four injured pedestrians were hospitalized. The children, including the 11-year-old that is in critical condition, were all taken to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital. The injured woman, age 35, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center and is reportedly in stable condition.

Contact Information