Articles Posted in Pedestrian Accident

Pedestrians are at risk for collisions anytime they are near the drivers of automobiles. While the laws in Illinois are strict regarding who has the right-of-way and who must yield in instances when pedestrians and cars cross paths, too often, those laws are ignored by drivers and pedestrians suffer the consequences when a crash takes place. A staggering 19 percent of all pedestrian fatalities caused in traffic accidents were the result of hit-and-run drivers in the nation in 2012, a reminder that pedestrians are not only at risk for a crash but also at a serious risk of being ignored by an at-fault driver if a collision occurs.

Pedestrian accidents affect thousands in Chicago and in Illinois every year and cause many victims to suffer financial hardships in addition to the pain and suffering that comes with the injuries they sustain. When a hit-and-run driver is involved, victims may not understand whether they have a valid claim or whether they can obtain relief for their losses, but in Chicago, relief often is possible. Speaking with a personal injury attorney may help you further understand what options are available to you, regardless of whether a fleeing driver was later apprehended.

Police in Morton Grove have confirmed that a collision occurred on Monday night between a pedestrian and a hit-and-run driver and that the pedestrian lost his life as a result. The incident occurred near the intersection of Shermer Road and Harlem and caused officials to close the area to traffic in the area while they began their investigation on site; however, the area was reopened a short time later.

Emergency medical personnel were also on hand Monday and they evaluated the pedestrian, described as an 86-year-old male. His injuries were extreme and he was transported to Lutheran General Hospital for treatment but the victim died a short time later. At this time, police have not yet identified the driver or the owner of the vehicle that was involved in the crash and they are looking for help from the public or from anyone with information on this incident. Authorities believe that the suspected vehicle may have significant front-end damage caused by the crash and that anyone who believes they have information should call the Morton Grove Police Department.
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Children and teens are the victims of many types of accidents across Chicago every year. Many of them are caused by a driver in a vehicle, including some car accidents, bicycle accidents, and pedestrian accidents, and these may lead to legal rights for relief possessed by that child and that child’s family.

Victims of these incidents may incur damages including medical expenses, rehabilitative and nursing care, property damage, and pain and suffering. But beyond these damages, the results of an accident can cause havoc to an entire family who must suffer due to the actions of another. In Illinois, lawmakers understand that children and their parents should not be forced to bear the financial burden caused by drivers who make mistakes and therefore the laws of the state enable victims to seek relief. This is the right held by the victims and is separate from any traffic or criminal charges that may be brought by local officials, enabling these children and teens to make a full recovery after an accident strikes. If your child or your loved one has been involved in a collision, you may want to speak with a personal injury attorney in Chicago to fully understand what options may be available to you and whether your family has a valid claim for help.

At approximately 1:00 p.m. on Monday, police were alerted to a collision in the Chinatown neighborhood of Chicago between a car and a teenage pedestrian. When officials arrived on the scene in the 2200 block of South Wentworth Avenue, they were able to determine that the pedestrian, an 18-year-old female, was in serious condition with injuries sustained in the crash. Emergency medical crews tended to the teen and transported her by ambulance to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County for further treatment where the nature and extent of her injuries remains unclear.

Police began their investigation at the scene while speaking with at least one person involved. The investigation is still ongoing and no preliminary information has been released as to the cause of the crash or whether negligence played a role.
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You may act like millions of others in Chicago and walk around the city at some point every year. Even if you do not think of yourself as doing a lot of walking, chances are that you must travel by foot after you park, as you walk to a bus station, or even between L trains. Regardless, nearly everyone is a pedestrian at some point and therefore, the laws that apply to pedestrian safety have a significant impact on the lives of all who call Chicago home.

People who walk are protected by several laws that regulate their traffic as well as the cars that drive on the roads. In many instances, pedestrians maintain the right-of-way and vehicles in the area must yield to these walkers in response; however, every year, pedestrian accidents happen in Chicago because drivers fail to recognize or heed the right-of-way rules. Additional collisions may occur if a driver does not see a pedestrian, is speeding, or is acting in a reckless manner.

After an accident, a pedestrian may be injured and may need to seek medical help for the damages that resulted. This can be costly and can put a victim in a predicament where he or she is bearing the financial burden of the actions of an at-fault driver. The laws in Illinois recognize that it is not a victim’s fault when an accident occurs and therefore enables victims to seek relief to cover their expenses. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago or in Illinois may help you understand if you have a valid claim for relief, and if so, who may be responsible if a collision has had a negative effect on your life.

At approximately 5:00 pm yesterday, a 30-year-old female was walking in the area of Ashland Avenue and Central Street in Evanston when she was injured in an accident. Reports indicate that the woman was crossing Ashland when a UPS vehicle in the area attempted a turn in the same area, colliding with the pedestrian and leaving the woman trapped underneath the truck.

Emergency responders were on the scene and were able to free the woman from under the truck where medical personnel assessed her situation. She was transported to Northshore University Hospital in Evanston for treatment of undisclosed injuries that may be life threatening but her current status is not clear at this time.
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More than 4,500 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in the United States in 2012 alone, based on data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. On average, nearly 13 people were killed every day simply by walking in an area by, near, or adjacent to a street or other driving surface. While no state was spared the devastation caused by pedestrian accidents, Illinois, and in particular the greater Chicago area, experienced significant suffering due to the large number of pedestrians, the congested traffic, and numerous dangerous intersections in the state.

Pedestrians are at a significant disadvantage when a collision with a vehicle occurs and almost always sustain injuries. In the most serious Chicago pedestrian crashes, a victim may lose his or her life or may sustain permanent damages that will not heal fully. These victims often realize that at-fault drivers may not be dedicated to helping victims recover for the wrongs caused by these drivers, leaving victims in need of help but without the knowledge of where to turn for relief. Fortunately, Illinois state laws are designed to protect victims who are injured in collisions by allowing them to seek relief for their losses through the use of a civil claim for damages. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Chicago area may help you understand your options if you have been involved in an accident or if your loved one was injured or killed.

Just prior to 10:00 a.m. on Monday morning, a collision between an elderly driver and an elderly pedestrian occurred in the Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, leaving the pedestrian seriously injured. Police in Chicago are conducting an investigation and believe that a an 86-year-old driver was traveling in the area of 18th Street and Ashland Avenue when he attempted a right hand turn at an intersection. A 78-year-old pedestrian in the area was crossing the street when the driver turned and struck the walker, causing the impact.

Emergency crews transported the pedestrian to an area hospital with undisclosed injuries. He is expected to survive but it is not clear whether any permanent damage is likely to result. Responding officers spoke with the driver while the man remained at the scene and cited him for failing to yield to a pedestrian while turning. Though the investigation continues, no additional charges are anticipated without the discovery of currently undisclosed facts.
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Pedestrians should be safe when they follow all applicable rules and walk with safety in mind, but when drivers of cars act negligently, no pedestrian is guaranteed to be safe. In Chicago alone, thousands of pedestrians are injured every year in pedestrian accidents, many of which involve cars or other vehicles. Walkers are at a significant disadvantage when a crash occurs because there is nothing to protect the pedestrian from the impact of the collision, resulting in injuries or even death in some accidents.

While a victim cannot turn back the hands of time to prevent a collision from taking place, they may be entitled to financial compensation for any and all damages that result. In a typical accident, this can include medical and surgical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other losses, depending on the particular injuries that result and the facts surrounding a crash. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago may help you understand your options, including whether you have a valid claim for relief, if an accident has affected your life or the life of your loved one.

Earlier this week, a pedestrian in the Belmont Cragin neighborhood of Chicago was hit and killed after two cars collided shortly before 7:00 p.m. Police have reported that two drivers near Belmont Avenue and Austin Avenue collided for reasons that are not yet clear. While it is also unknown if the vehicles were traveling in opposite directions, it is known that the impact of the crash sent one of the cars out of control of the driver, leading that vehicle to collided with a pedestrian standing in the area.

Emergency crews responded to the scene of the collision and evaluated the pedestrian, a 62-year-old woman, who sustained critical injuries. She was taken to an area hospital but unfortunately, the woman’s injuries were too severe and she died as a result of the crash.

While is is not known whether anyone in either vehicle was injured, police have reported that they made an arrest in response to the Chicago car accident and that charges are pending against that driver.
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Neighborhoods in the Chicago area are sporting pumpkins, gourds, and ghoulish decor, indicating that Halloween is just over a week away. While Halloween may be a time-honored tradition among American children, it is not always a safe day for kids who choose to trick-or-treat or who spend time outdoors. With threats from passing vehicles, poorly lit intersections, and a frenzied atmosphere of children and adults, pedestrian accidents may occur and may cause injuries.

When a child is injured in a pedestrian collision, it can be difficult to know what legal options may be available or where to turn for help. As the facts of every incident vary, speaking with a personal injury lawyer may provide you with the information you need if an accident has affected the life of your child. But the best thing to do is to avoid an accident whenever possible, and to help this year, the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. want to remind everyone of the following safety tips:

– Dress for the conditions: In most cases, children will be walking outside at night. This means that darkness may have fallen prior to trick-or-treating or that it will fall during the time kids will be walking. Even if a child is trick-or-treating indoors, he or she may have to walk to get to a location, meaning that darkness may still be a factor. Prepare for dark conditions by including reflective material in a child’s costume or as an accessory or have your child wear or carry a small light, like a flashlight. While the darkness may not obscure a child’s ability to see where he or she is walking, it can make it much more difficult for passing cars to notice a pedestrian and can increase the odds of a collision occurring if safety measures are not followed.

– Only cross a street in a designated crosswalk: Children who practice pedestrian safety regularly may be aware that they should cross only at a crosswalk, but during trick-or-treating, the nature of the night might make kids too excited to think safety first. It is a good idea to remind them to focus on safety and to reiterate that, regardless of what other children are doing, they should never dart out into a street and should only cross a road when they have the right-of-way at a crosswalk. Dart out accidents occur across the country during Halloween because excited children forget that cars may be in the area. Talk to your children before they leave the house to remind them that vehicles present a danger to pedestrians.

– Send kids out with an adult or in a group: While it may not always be cool to spend Halloween with your parents, younger children should always have adult supervision during trick-or-treating. An adult can help keep children safe and can make sure that no one gets lost or confused in the shuffle. Older children may not need adult supervision but it is a good idea to make sure they do not walk alone. Consider sending older children out with a group of friends or neighbors and make sure they stay together as the night progresses.

– Plan a trick-or-treating route ahead of time: Consider where it will be safe and where it will be dangerous for your children to walk during Halloween and plan out a safe route with them ahead of time. In an ideal situation, a child will know where he or she should walk and which houses to visit before trick-or-treating begins.
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When an average Chicago resident goes through his or her daily life, that citizen may come into contact with multiple forms of transportation. Some will use personal cars to drive to work while others will take a CTA train or bus to their destination. A growing number of those in Chicago use bicycles to get around the city while others prefer the traditional big city transit: taxi cabs. Regardless, nearly all citizens are a pedestrian at some point in their day, whether walking from a parking spot or a bus station or simply walking their entire trip.

Walking is the most common means of transportation in Chicago but it gets only a small amount of attention. Though almost everyone walks, few focus on pedestrian rights as much as they do the rights of drivers and other motorists. As a result, thousands of pedestrian accidents take place in Chicago annually and most result in injuries to the walkers involved. The injuries most commonly sustained in pedestrian crashes range from bruises and cuts to broken bones and head injuries. In the most severe cases, a pedestrian loses his or her life. While dealing with the fallout from a collision, a victim should not have to worry about whether his or her bills will be paid while missing time from work. To make that a possibility, Illinois enables victims of these crashes to seek relief through the use of a civil claim, and it is a victim’s right to obtain assistance from a personal injury lawyer.

Shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, a pedestrian was hit and killed on the Near West Side of Chicago. Police responded to the scene and have reported that the pedestrian was in the area of the 1100 block of West Roosevelt Road when a vehicle approached and struck the victim, killing him. It is unclear what caused the collision at this time but officials have reported that citations will be issued in this case. The investigation is ongoing as police continue to sort through all relevant facts in this matter.
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Recent focus has been paid to pedestrian safety in Illinois and across the nation. As with many urban areas, Chicago has both a large number of pedestrians on any given day as well as many pedestrian accidents that occur every year. Many factors combine to explain the number of pedestrian collisions that take place, including the fact that drivers do not always respect the rights of those who are walking. But often, pedestrians simply believe that a collision will never affect them personally because they are cautious, safe, and follow all applicable traffic rules while walking.

Unfortunately, even the safest, most law-abiding pedestrian is at risk for being involved in a pedestrian accident in Chicago if a motorist in the area acts in a negligent or reckless manner. When a crash occurs, the results can be devastating and can claim the life of the pedestrian involved or leave a victim with serious, sometimes lifelong injuries. The damages stemming from these crashes can be immeasurable and can stretch far beyond financial losses like medical bills and rehabilitation costs. Consulting with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago may help you understand the implications of your accident, including whether you have a valid claim for relief, if you have been hurt due to the actions of another.

Shortly before 9:00 p.m. on Friday, a collision occurred between a motorcycle and a pedestrian on Illinois Route 53 in Romeoville. Authorities responded to the scene of the incident near Chambers Drive and assessed both the pedestrian and the biker involved. The pedestrian sustained critical injuries and was transported by emergency crews to an area hospital for treatment where he died a short time later. It is unclear whether the biker was injured in the crash.

Officials began an investigation at the scene and determined that the motorcyclist was riding northbound when the crash took place. At this time, it appears that the pedestrian was also in the roadway though it is not clear whether he was walking in the same direction as the biker or was walking against traffic. It is also not clear whether any other conditions led to the impact or what speed the motorcycle was traveling prior to the crash.
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When walking along a sidewalk in Chicago, pedestrians often feel like they are safe from the threat of an accident because they are physically separated from vehicular traffic. But unfortunately, as thousands of pedestrians every year can attest, that is not necessarily the case. Drivers sometimes operate in a reckless manner and place their vehicles in the path of walkers at intersections, at crosswalks, in alleys, and even while a pedestrian is on a sidewalk. A number of incidents between cars and pedestrians occur when cars are exiting driveways or parking lots and cross a designated pedestrian walkway.

Pedestrian accidents in Chicago are often serious and many cause devastating injuries including broken bones, head injuries, injuries to the back or neck, cuts and lacerations, or even death. These victims and their surviving family members may be forced to incur extensive medical bills as treatment continues and may suffer other financial losses like missed income if a victim is unable to work for a period of time. Forcing the victim to bear these losses when the victim is not to blame in a collision is not what the legislature in Illinois intended; rather, the laws in Chicago and across the state are designed to hold a responsible party liable for the damages suffered by a victim, including medical bills, but only if the victim seeks such a recovery. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Chicago area who has experience representing pedestrians may help you understand your legal options following a collision.

Shortly after 9:00 p.m. last night, a collision occurred between a pickup truck and a pedestrian in McHenry on West Crystal Lake Road. All of the details have not been released at this time but police confirmed that the pedestrian was killed in the crash. The driver of the truck appeared to be uninjured.

Authorities believe that the driver of the truck may have been under the influence at the time of the collision though those suspicions have not yet been confirmed. Officials are still investigating the collision and trying to determine each individual’s actions prior to impact so that they can understand the precise nature of the crash.
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In 2012, there were just under 3,000 pedestrian accidents in the City of Chicago alone. When added to the pedestrian collisions that occur in other parts of the state, the impact of these crashes cannot be understated. Pedestrians are likely to suffer serious injuries or even to lose their lives when a crash with a vehicle occurs because the pedestrian is particularly vulnerable when compared to a large, heavy car, truck, or van.

These accidents can require victims to seek medical treatment. They may need help at a hospital, through follow up surgery, or even through rehabilitation to recover from injuries and to return to their pre-injury state. But the expenses caused by medical treatment or by time missed from work can be burdensome to those who were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. To protect victims, the laws in Chicago and Illinois enable injury victims to seek financial relief for their losses through the use of a civil claim, an option that is separate and distinct from any charges that may be brought by local authorities. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you understand your legal options if you have been hurt in a pedestrian accident or if your loved one was killed.

A pedestrian was left with serious injuries after a Wednesday night accident in West Chicago. Shortly before midnight, a pedestrian, who has not been identified, was walking near the area of Fair Oaks Road and Trieste Lane after getting out of a car. Another vehicle in the area, reportedly driven by a 57-year-old woman, approached the pedestrian and collided with her, leaving the walker with serious injuries. According to witnesses, the suspected driver of the vehicle involved fled the scene without checking on the pedestrian or informing authorities.

Police were alerted to the crash and responded to the scene. While they investigated, emergency medical crews evaluated the victim and transported the pedestrian to a nearby hospital in DuPage County where the extent of the injuries are not clear. Officials later located the woman believed to be behind the wheel at the time of the incident and arrested her on felony charges of failing to report an accident. It is not known whether any other charges will be brought in this incident.
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