Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Chicago motorcycle accident a reminder to remain alert for riders

July 13, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago motorcycle accident injured a 33-year-old Aurora man Friday night after his bike collided with a vehicle that failed to yield while turning left, the Daily-Chronicle reported.

Our Chicago accident attorneys continue to report about the high number of serious and fatal motorcycle accidents that occur each summer in the Chicago area. Motorists who fail to yield to a motorcycle are a primary cause of crashes.Nearly 1,000 motorcycle accidents occurred in Chicago in 2008, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Twenty three riders were killed and 463 were seriously injured.

In this case, police report the motorcyclist was riding his Suzuki eastbound on Chicago Road, shortly before 6 p.m. Friday, when he was struck by a westbound Chevrolet van that turned left in front of him. The rider was taken to Valley West Community Hospital. The 54-year-old driver of the van was not injured.

Chicago injury lawyers file sexual abuse lawsuit against Archdiocese of Chicago

July 8, 2010 | By Dave Abels

The Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, working as co-counsel with the law firm of Hilfman & Martin, have filed a church sex abuse lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Catholic Bishop of Chicago and Cardinal Francis George.

The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of James C. Doe to protect the identity of the victim, accuses Catholic officials of failing to relieve Father Daniel McCormack of his official duties despite having information that McCormack had a history of abuse complaints dating back to his time in the seminary. The abuse in this case is alleged to have occurred while the boy was a middle-school student from 1999 to 2002 and continued through 2006 while the boy was in high school.

McCormack pleaded guilty in 2007 to charges that he abused five boys. He was sentenced to five years in prison and had been scheduled for release but officials have filed a lawsuit to keep him confined as a sexually violent person, ABC7 reported.

New law aimed at reducing Chicago bicycle accidents, cycling accidents throughout Illinois

July 5, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law into effect today aimed at reducing the number of serious and fatal Chicago bicycle accidents and cycling accidents elsewhere in Illinois, the Examiner reported.

The legislation signed Monday at the Campbell Street Bicycle Shop in suburban Arlington Heights provides new consequences for motorists who travel carelessly or too closely to bikes on the road and will create a “Share the Road” license plate. Profit from the plates will go toward education campaigns.

As our Chicago injury lawyers recently reported, the city has been named the 10th best in the nation for bike riding by Bicycling Magazine. The city’s bike plan aims to increase cycling infrastructure by 50 percent to 150 bike-lane miles. Overall, the system will grow to 500 miles.

But Illinois bicycle accidents continue to threaten the health and safety of riders. In 2008, 27 riders were killed and nearly 3,400 were seriously injured in bicycle accidents.

The League of Illinois Bicyclists hailed the new laws, which will make it a Class A misdemeanor or Class 4 felony to drive recklessly near or toward a cyclist. The penalties will depend on whether or not a rider was injured.
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CTA involved in another Chicago bus accident

July 3, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Nine people were injured in a Chicago bus accident Monday afternoon on the West Side, FOX News reported.

The No. 53 Pulaski Chicago Transit Authority bus was southbound on Pulaski near Chicago Avenue when a northbound vehicle weaved into the southbound lanes, according to a CTA spokesperson, who said the bus driver was unable to avoid the crash.

Nine people were taken to area hospitals. The injured included the bus driver and eight passengers. The Breaking News Center reported that the accident involved an SUV.

Chicago injury lawyers wishing you a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July

July 1, 2010 | By Dave Abels

The Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes wish each of you a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend. In preventing injuries over the holiday, we encourage you to leave the fireworks displays to the professionals, drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive, practice safe boating and driving habits and speak with your teenagers about staying safe and making good decisions.

Drink Responsibly and Don’t Drink and Drive
As our Chicago accident lawyers report frequently, drunk driving is responsible for one-third of Chicago car accidents as well as accidents in Cook County and throughout Illinois. Nationwide, someone dies every 45 minutes in a car accident involving a drunk driver. In Illinois, 434 of 1,043 fatalities involved alcohol in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safe Boating

The U.S. Coast Guard reported 4,789 accidents killed 709 boaters and injured more than 3,300 in 2008. The leading causes of boating accidents include careless and reckless operation, operator inattention, no proper lookout, operator inexperience and passenger/skier behavior. Alcohol use is a factor in nearly 1 in 5 boating fatalities. In 2008, a total of 119 Illinois boating accidents were reported, killing 19 boaters and injuring 79.

Visit the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for more information on safe boating and boater education.

Teen Driving Safety
We offer a host of safe teen driving information, both here and on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog. Please take the time to speak with your teenagers about the importance of making good driving decisions this summer.Fireworks Injuries
The safest way to enjoy fireworks this weekend is by leaving the displays to the professionals. Fireworks injuries are not an abstract concept — they are a tragically regular occurrence during the New Year’s and Fourth of July Holidays.

-In 2006, 11 people were killed and more than 9,200 were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

-More than two-thirds of fireworks injuries occur around the Fourth of July.

-One-third of those injured were children under 15. Young people under 20 sustained nearly half of all fireworks injuries.

-The most frequent injuries reported involved the hands (2,300), eyes (1,500) and the head, face and ears (1,400).

-More than half of all injuries involve burns. Other common injuries include contusions, lacerations and foreign objects in the eyes.

-Fireworks injuries are associated with blindness, third-degree burns and permanent scarring. Life-threatening residential and motor-vehicle fires are also reported.-Firecrackers caused the greatest number of injuries (1,300) followed by sparklers (1,000) and rockets (800).

-More than one-third of fireworks related deaths involve professional devices that are illegally sold to consumers.

-Common causes of fireworks injuries include availability of high-grade fireworks to the consumers, being too close to fireworks, operator error and lack of coordination, child curiosity and experimenting with homemade devices.
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Chicago work accident seriously injures two men after scaffolding collapse

June 30, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Two employees were injured in a Chicago construction accident when their scaffold collapsed on Saturday, WGNTV reported.

The accident happened around 10 a.m. Saturday at 62nd and Sangamon Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood, where the men were working on a building that was converted to a woman’s shelter. They were doing tuckpointing work when the scaffolding collapse occurred. Both men were taken to Stroger Hospital. The two men were in critical condition, according to the Breaking News Center.

The building is owned by Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department reported that the building could be unstable and the city’s building department is being called in to assess its integrity.

Underage party leads to death of 5 students in Chicago drunk driving accident

June 29, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A woman accused of a Chicago drunk driving accident that killed 5 teenagers is expected to testify this week as her trial comes to a close in Kendall County, the Daily Herald reported.

The 26-year-old Auora woman is accused of drunk driving in a Feb. 11, 2007 accident while giving 8 teenagers a ride home from an underage drinking party hosted by an 18-year-old Boulder Hill resident. Police say she was driving a 2001 Infiniti Q30 68mph in a 45 mph zone when she lost control and slammed into a telephone pole on Route 31 near River Run Road, 4 miles from the party. Five Oswego High School students — ages 17, 16, 15, 14, 14 — died in the crash. The home’s owner reported that she and her boyfriend had returned home to find their son having a party and kicked everyone out around 1 a.m.

The defendant’s blood-alcohol level was .124, above the legal limit of .08. However, she is contesting the results, saying she vomited during the accident, which can skew test results.

Chicago area medical malpractice lawsuit filed against suburban hospital

June 27, 2010 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois medical malpractice lawsuit has been filed against North Suburban Glenbrook Hospital, according to the Lake County News-Sun. The lawsuit was filed by the family a 56-year-old lake Forest man who died while a patient at the hospital in Glenview, Illinois.

The patient developed an infection in his hip earlier this year. He underwent surgery at Glenbrook Hospital and developed kidney failure. His kidney failure required dialysis but the hospital allegedly failed to monitor his fluid levels appropriately, according to attorney Patrick Salvi, who is representing the family.

The lawsuit also alleges the patient received blood, but not dialysis in late December. He went into cardiac arrest and died a short time later. The attorney states that the plaintiff’s autopsy showed a fluid overload to be the cause of death.

Chicago CTA bus accident sends 11 to the hospital — a dozen others refuse treatment at the scene

June 26, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Eleven people were hospitalized after a Chicago bus accident on Thursday night, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The crash involved a Chicago Transit Authority bus and a car; it occurred in the Wicker Park neighborhood shortly before 8 p.m. Chicago police said the crash happened at the six-corner intersection of Milwaukee, Damen and North avenues.

Eleven people were transported to area hospitals, according to the Chicago fire department, while another 12 people refused treatment at the scene.

Chicago injury attorneys obtain good arbitration award

June 25, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes have received a good award for one of their clients by way of binding arbitration.

The case stems from an auto accident where the plaintiff was stopped for a red light on southbound River Rd. at Devon in the City of Rosemont, Illinois. As she was sitting stopped at the light she was struck from behind by a vehicle that was driving too fast for conditions.

Our client was seen in Lutheran General Hospital’s Emergency Room on the date of the collision with complaints of back and neck pain. She had no prior history of back or neck problems. She was diagnosed with sprain/strain and instructed to seek follow up care.