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City Council approved a $3 million settlement this month in the case of a young woman who suffered serious brain injuries in a Chicago car accident resulting from a police chase, the Tribune reported.

The woman was 17-years-old when she was seriously injured in August 2004. She was a passenger in a vehicle westbound on Addison Street at Kedzie Avenue when her vehicle was broadsided by a stolen van being chased by police.

Occupants of the van and a witness on the street testified that police had been chasing the van for several blocks with lights and sirens activated. The officers said they had just activated their emergency equipment and were several car lengths being the van when the accident occurred.

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Along with an increased emphasis on watching for pedestrians and bicyclists, the Chicago motorcycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge motorists to remember to look twice for motorcyclists as the spring riding season gets underway.

More than 100 motorcyclists are killed in Illinois motorcycle accidents each year, according to state and federal statistics. A total of 121 were killed in 2008, the most recent year for which statistics are available.Recently ABATE-Illinois, a non-profit organization dedicated to motorcycle safety and motorcycling rights, delivered 80 Easter baskets to Hope Institute for Children and Families in Springfield, the State Journal-Register reported.

One of Illinois’ first big motorcycle rides each spring, the 21st annual event is a sure sign that springs is here and it’s time to start watching for motorcyclists on the road.

In 2008, a total of 5,290 people were killed and more than 96,000 injured in motorcycle accidents nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Motorcycle accidents have been on the rise for more than a decade as riding continues to become more popular. The number of registered motorcycles in the United States has increased from less than 4 million in 1998 to more than 7 million today.

The Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers a host of safety tips for riders, including equipment checklists, rider-safety information and tips for group riding.

The Foundation also provides tips for car and truck drivers:
-Look for motorcycles, especially at intersections.
-The size of motorcycles makes it difficult to judge speed and distance. Predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.
-A motorcycle’s size makes it easy to get lost in a vehicle’s blind spots. Take an extra moment to check before changing lanes or turning at intersections.
-Motorcycles often slow by shifting or letting off the throttle, so brake lights are not a good indication. Allow more following distance. Predict they may slow without visual warning.
-Turn signals on motorcycles often do not cancel on their own and may be left on accidentally. Make sure of a motorcycle’s intentions before proceeding.
-Motorcycles often adjust position within a lane to see more clearly, avoid debris, or for other reasons. Don’t crowd a motorcycle — they are entitled to their own lane.
-Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars. Allow them room.
-Think of a motorcycle in motion as a person — it is just as vulnerable.
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Suburban law enforcement are targeting railroad crossings for increased enforcement in the wake of a fatal Chicago pedestrian accident last month in North Chicago.

Rail road crossings in suburbs, including Elmhurst, Lombard and Des Plaines, are being monitored for gate-crashers and other violators, the Breaking News Center reported.Ignoring a crossing signal or lowered gate is punishable by a $250 fine.

As we reported last month on Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, a woman and an infant were killed by a Metra train near North Chicago station.

A total of 16 non-suicide Illinois train accidents were reported last year. Commuters in a rush, kids playing on the tracks and motorists disregarding gates and warning lights are all causes of Chicago train accidents.

The Illinois Commerce Commission reports 80 collisions involving trains occurred last year — down from the 129 collisions that were reported in 2008.

In last month’s case, a woman carrying an infant in heavy fog was attempting to catch up to her family, which had already crossed the tracks; she tried to cross ahead of a train moving into the station.
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After the first three months of 2010, fatal Illinois traffic accidents remain virtually unchanged compared to the record-low year recorded in 2009, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Through April 6, a total of 170 fatal crashes claimed 193 lives, three less than the 196 people killed during the same period of 2009.

As we reported in January on Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, Illinois traffic fatalities dropped below 1,000 in 2009, making it the safest year on the road in 88 years.

A total of 928 traffic fatalities were recorded in 2009, compared to 1,043 in 2008 and 1,248 in 2007. However, as our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog reported in February, officials attribute some of the decline to the economic downturn and expect the dangers of serious and fatal car accidents to increase with congestion as employment and economic conditions improve.

2010 year-to-date crash statistics include:

Cook County:
-66 fatalities in 59 fatal crashes -29 driver fatalities -17 passenger fatalities -18 pedestrian fatalities -2 bicycle fatalities -3 motorcycle fatalities
DuPage County:
-8 fatalities in 7 fatal crashes -5 driver fatalities -2 passenger fatalities -1 pedestrian fatality
Will County:
-14 fatalities in 11 fatal crashes -8 driver fatalities -5 passenger fatalities -1 pedestrian fatality
Kane County:
-4 fatalities in 4 fatal crashes -3 driver fatalities -1 passenger fatality
McHenry County:
-3 fatalities in 3 fatal crashes -2 driver fatalities -1 bicycle fatality
Lake County:
-3 fatalities in 3 fatal crashes -3 driver fatalities
Elsewhere in Illinois, 3 fatalities were recorded in Champaign County, 3 in Vermilion County, 4 in Madison County and 6 in Saint Claire County.

The Greater Chicago area accounts for 13 of the 21 Illinois counties that have reported fatal traffic accidents so far in 2010.
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The family of a man killed in a Chicago bus accident last month has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Chicago Transit Authority.

The suit claims that the 53-year-old bus passenger was exiting a No. 9 Ashland bus March 18 when it pulled away from the West Harrison street bus stop before he was safely on the curb, according to FOX News.

However, the Chicago Breaking News Center reports the victim was trying to catch the bus when he fell.

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Police continue to search this week for the hit-and-run driver responsible for a Chicago pedestrian accident after the victim died of his injuries on Friday, the Sun-Times reported.

The accident happened March 27 in the Altgeld Gardens area on the Far South Side. Witnesses told police a light-colored car struck a pedestrian at 7:49 p.m. at 12940 S. Indiana Avenue.

A witness said he was driving south on South Indiana Avenue when he saw the light-colored car hit a pedestrian and flee east on East 130th Street, according to police. The witness stopped to check on the victim and called 911.

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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.
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Cyclists and motorists alike should keep safety in mind as spring brings with it an increase in traffic and the risk of serious or fatal Chicago bicycling accidents.

The federal government supports the use of bicycle helmets and bicycle helmet laws as the best defense against head injuries in a bicycle accident.More than 51,000 bicyclists have died in traffic crashes in the U.S. since 1932, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A federal study in 2006 found that 773 cyclists were killed and more than 44,000 injured.

In 2008, a total of 27 bicycle riders were killed and 3,385 seriously injured in Illinois bicycle accidents.

The estimated annual cost of serious and fatal bicycle accidents is more than $8 billion.

With the growing popularity of cycling for recreation or fitness, the average age of cyclist killed in an accident has increased to 41 — more than one-third of all fatalities occur to riders ages 35 to 54 and more than 80 percent of all bicycle accident victims are men.

– Children under 14 accounted for 98 fatalities, or 13 percent of bicycle accident deaths.
-13 percent were ages 15 to 24.
– 12 percent were 25 to 34.
– 36 percent were 35 to 54 years old.
– 25 percent were 55 or older.

The federal government reports that bicycle helmets are almost 90 percent effective in mitigating head and brain injuries, making them the single most-effective safety measure a rider can take. Currently, 21 states and more than 149 cities have bicycle helmet laws, primarily geared to young riders under the age of 16.

Current law requires all messengers in the City of Chicago to wear a bicycle helmet. Several other Illinois municipalities also have helmet ordinances, according to the Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute.
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Spring is here, and with it comes an increased risk of Chicago pedestrian accidents.

In 2008, a total of 135 pedestrians were killed in fatal Illinois pedestrian accidents, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Chicago pedestrian accidents are responsible for the majority of pedestrian deaths each year in Illinois.A comprehensive study of Illinois traffic fatalities conducted by the University of Illinois at Chicago between 1990-2000, found that more than half of all pedestrian deaths (1,357 of 2,286), occurred in Cook County.

Statewide, pedestrian deaths declined from 272 in 1990 to 187 in 2000. In Cook County, annual pedestrian deaths declined from 160 to 101 during the 11-year study period.

As we reported last year on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Chicago police have stepped up enforcement by positing undercover police officers in crosswalks to ticket violators and promote pedestrian safety.

CyberDrive Illinois provides guidelines for drivers to avoid pedestrian accidents. A driver must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians:

-When a pedestrian is in a marked or unmarked crosswalk -When turning at an intersection -After stopping at an intersection -When making a turn at a red light -Whenever a pedestrian is entering or exiting a street from a building, alley, driveway or private road -When people are walking, standing or working in a safety or construction zone -When a pedestrian has stepped into a crosswalk and the light has yet to change -When a pedestrian is walking in a crosswalk and the walk signal is flashing Continue reading

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A proposal that would mandate helmet use by underage motorcycle riders failed to pass through the Illinois Senate last week, according to the Quad-City Times.

Lawmakers overwhelmingly rejected the measure in a 19-32 vote. Supporters argued the measure would help reduce serious and fatal Illinois motorcycle accidents while opponents painted the proposal as government interference in what should be a decision made by young riders and their parents.

The measure had been sponsored by Sen. Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, who said the proposal would help save lives and reduce medical costs. He argued that the public spends millions of dollars in medical expenses to treat brain injuries caused by serious motorcycle accidents.

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