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Earlier this week we reported to you that Cleveland Browns NFL Player Donte’ Stallworth hit and killed a pedestrian in the Miami area. It is now being reported by the Associated Press that Stallworth was driving while intoxicated at the time of the fatal car vs. pedestrian accident. Reports have surfaced that his blood alcohol level was between .08 and .16. The legal limit in Florida is .08, the same as here in Illinois.

The accident happened this past Sunday between Miami and Miami Beach, Florida on a causeway. Stallworth hit a pedestrian, Mario Reyes, as Reyes was crossing the street in or near the crosswalk. The victim had just finished the overnight shift as a construction crane operator and was trying to catch a bus.

It is being reported that if Stallworth was legally intoxicated, under Florida law he will most likely be criminally charged with DUI Manslaughter and can be sentenced to up to 15 years in prison.

Taking a trip? You may want t be aware of cell phone laws if you plan on driving while out of state, or while out of the country. The Chicago Sun-Times recently published an article giving a list of cell phone laws throughout the United States and several other parts of the world.

Here’s what you need to know:

First, if you live in the Chicago area, you cannot use a hand-held cell phone while driving in the City of Chicago. (I learned this the hard way last year when I received a ticket.) However, you can use a hands free phone in the city.

This morning 8 people were injured in an auto accident on the Northwest Side of Chicago, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The collision was between a car and an ambulance. The injured included two children and two Chicago firefighters.

The accident happened just after 9 a.m. at Addison Street and Menard Avenue when a woman driving an Acura northbound on Menard struck an eastbound Chicago Fire Department Ambulance. The ambulance was headed to Our Lady of Resurrection Medical Center carrying two patients.

The Acura reportedly flipped over in the accident. A 3rd vehicle then hit the Acura, and then a 4th vehicle rear ended the 3rd. The fourth car fled the scene of the accident.

In Chicago, Illinois a car crash at the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Congress Parkway has injured two people, according to CBS News. One of the two vehicles involved in the accident flipped over. The car crash took place late Wednesday night.

Two people that were injured in the car accident were taken to near by Northwestern Memorial Hospital by ambulance. The injuries are reportedly non-life threatening.

The Chicago Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Unit responded to the collision. One of the injured persons in the accident has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The name of the person charged with drunk driving has not yet been released.

Illinois Injury Lawyers from Abels & Annes, P.C. have settled a car accident claim stemming from a collision which took place on February 8, 2008 in Will County. Our client was driving southbound on Route 59 approaching its intersection with 119th St. in Plainfield, Illinois. There she slowed and came to a stop for the red light and was struck hard from behind by the defendant who was also traveling southbound on Route 59. The at fault party was issued a traffic ticket for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Our client had an immediate onset of neck, back and right shoulder / arm pain. In the days following the collision her complaints of neck, back and right shoulder/arm pain continued to worsen. She sought treament with a medical doctor. The doctor ordered a cervical MRI which identified a central disc herniation at C6-7. Our client also underwent 39 physical therapy sessions under the direction of her doctor. She also, due to the severe and persistent nature of her symptoms, was prescribed to undergo three Manipulation Under Anesthesia procedures.

The case resolved for the defendant’s insurance policy limits of $25,000. Unfortunately, our client did not carry a significant insurance policy of her own, so were are not able to pursue an under-insured motorist claim on her behalf.

In Cook County, Illinois, accident attorneys from Abels & Assoc. have reached a car crash settlement for a local resident. He was involved in an accident in the Chicago Area and taken to Gotlieb Memorial Hospital in Melrose Park, Illinois by ambulance. He later visited other doctors for follow up care. The case settled for $20,500. The defendant driver was insured by State Farm. He sustained “soft tissue” injuries to his lumbar spine in the accident, meaning sprains and strains, and he had no disc bulges or herniations.

In the wrongul dealth lawsuit of the Estate of Keith Magnuson v. Rob Ramage, the jury in St. Louis County, Missouri has awarded 9.5 million in favor of the plaintiffs, according to the Canadian Press. The case stems from a fatal drunk driving accident that occurred in 2003 and resulted in the death of former Chicago Blackhawk Keith Magnuson. The two former NHL players were traveling from a funeral together outside of Toronto, Canada when the accident took place.

In closing arguments the personal injury lawyer for Magnuson’s family asked for an award ranging from 25 to 33 million. One of the defense lawyers recommended a lesser figure of 2.5 million. After the verdict, the accident lawyer for Magnuson’s family stated that the result was fair.

Ramage was also recently found guilty of various forms of DUI charges in criminal court and is scheduled to be sentenced in January, 2008. Ramage himself underwent hip surgery as a result of the motor vehicle collision.

An Illinois Car Crash on I 57 at 119th Street in Chicago has resulted in injuries to 3 people, according to the Daily Southtown Newspaper. All were taken to Chicago area hospitals. One injury was critical according to Chicago Fire Department officials.

An Illinois State Trooper stated that one of the vehicles back door was crushed, making it difficult to remove one occupant. The crash happened at 1 a.m. and blocked 2 lanes of northbound traffic. The cause of the accident is still unknown.Click here to read entire story.