Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Federal government pushes states to ban texting while driving to combat fatal car accidents

March 6, 2010 | By Dave Abels

The federal government has unveiled sample legislation for states crafting laws to prohibit texting while driving, the latest move by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to combat distracted driving.

As reported earlier this year on Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, Illinois is a leader in reforming driving laws to combat serious and fatal Illinois car accidents: Two new laws took effect Jan. 1, making it illegal to text while driving or to talk on a cell phone while traveling in a school zone or construction site.

Drivers have been forbidden from using cell phones while driving within the City of Chicago since 2005.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates 1 in 4 police-reported traffic crashes are the result of some form of driver distraction. An estimated 6,000 people died last year in fatal crashes caused by distracted or inattentive drivers. Research continues to show that young, inexperienced drivers under 20 — who are more likely to be involved in a serious or fatal car accident — are also more likely to text message while behind the wheel.

“Texting while driving, like talking on cell phones while driving, is an extremely dangerous and life-threatening practice,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “This language, which we created with a variety of safety organizations, is another powerful tool in our arsenal to help the states combat this serious threat.”

In recent months, President Obama issued an executive order prohibiting all federal employees from texting while driving and the federal government issued new guidelines making it illegal for drivers of commercial vehicles to text while driving.

Currently, 19 states have texting laws on the books. Nationwide, some 200 distracted driving laws were considered by state lawmakers. Though many did not make it into law, legislative activity is expected to remain strong this year.

Safety advocates content texting is particularly dangerous because it involves three forms of driver distraction: visual (eyes off the road), manual (hands off the wheel) and cognitive (mind off the road).
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Children at high risk of Chicago pedestrian accidents

March 4, 2010 | By Dave Abels

When it comes to Chicago pedestrian accidents, children are at high risk. Motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14. Every day in the United States, an average of 5 children under 14 are killed and more than 500 injured by a motor vehicle.

The Chicago child injury attorneys and the Chicago pedestrian accident lawyers at Abels & Annes urge parents to discuss traffic safety with their children early and often.

In 2007, a total of 1,670 children were killed and 200,000 were injured in Chicago car accidents. In many cases, the child is a pedestrian.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers excellent advice to parents and adults working with children to learn proper roadway and pedestrian safety.

Advice for parents and caregivers of elementary school children:
-Cross at the corner or at an intersection.
-Stop at the edge of parked cars, the curb, or other vehicles.
-Look left-right-left (left is most important because it is the traffic direction closest to you.)
-Continue looking left and right while crossing.
-Walk. Don’t run in the street.
-Watch for signs (engine sound, car doors, brake lights) that a car is about to move.
-Use both your eyes and ears at all time for safety.

Preventing backovers in driveways
-Ensure children are supervised at all times, especially when vehicles are present.
-Teach children not to play around vehicles.
-Always assume the presence of children and check carefully before backing.
-Do not allow children to ever play in the driveway.
-Teach children never to play with a vehicle or attempt to put it in gear.
-Never leave a vehicle running and unattended.
-Know where children are located and have them in view before moving a vehicle.
-Keep an eye to the rear and your window down as you back slowly out of a drive.
-Talk to neighborhood parents and urge them to follow safety guidelines.
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Man pleads guilty in Chicago drunk driving accident that claimed life of two friends

March 2, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A 26-year-old Aurora man has pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a fatal Chicago drunk driving accident that killed two of his friends back in 2007, the Examiner reported.

The Balmoral Court man agreed to plea to two counts of aggravated DUI and one count of DUI, according to the Kane County State’s Attorney’s office. He faces between 6 and 28 years in prison at his April sentencing.

The fatal Chicago DUI accident occurred in Aug. 2007. The defendant was driving two of his friends in a Nissan Sentra when he crashed into a tree near Sugar Grove. The two 21-year-old men were killed.

Drunk driving blamed in Chicago car accident that killed 6-year-old girl

February 28, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A 48-year-old man is accused of being under the influence of alcohol and drugs when he struck and killed a 6-year-old girl in a Chicago car accident.

The man had cocaine in his system and admitted to smoking marijuana and buying beer before the crash, which also injured the girl’s 21-year-old aunt, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The defendant was held on $500,000 bail after a hearing in Cook County Criminal Court. He is charged with reckless homicide and aggravated driving under the influence. His defense attorney denies his client was under the influence during the accident, which occurred a week ago Tuesday evening as the victim and her aunt were crossing Ashland Avenue near 74th Street.

Red-light runner reportedly responsible for serious Chicago car accident

February 26, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Four people were critically injured in a Valentine’s Day Chicago car accident, after a motorist blew a red light, according to WBBM News Radio.

Police responded to the car accident on Michigan Avenue in Grant Park shortly after 4 a.m. Sunday, the Sun-Times reported.

Four people were critically injured and several refused treatment, fire officials reported.

Two struck in Chicago car accident involving disabled vehicle

February 23, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A motorist was killed and another seriously injured over the weekend in a Chicago car accident after both were struck while standing outside a disabled vehicle early Sunday morning, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The accident occurred at about 2:40 a.m. on Illinois Route 394 and East Joe Orr Road in Chicago Heights. The 39-year-old man was struck by an automobile after his car broke down, according to Illinois State Police.

It is the second time in a week that a motorist was killed while stopped with a disabled vehicle. As Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer reported, a 36-year-old woman was struck and killed by a semi after pulling over to check for a flat tire.

Chicago semi accident kills motorist pulled over for flat tire

February 22, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A 36-year-old woman was struck and killed by a semi early last Tuesday morning, after stopping her vehicle on the Tri-State Tollway to check for a flat tire, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

The Chicago trucking accident occurred shortly after midnight. The victim was southbound on I-294 when she pulled over at Rexford Road in Alsip to check for a flat tire on the passenger side of her vehicle, according to the Illinois State Police.

Moments later, a semi struck her and side-swiped the driver’s side of her vehicle, police reported. The Frankfurt woman was identified by the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Chicago expressway car accidents under investigation

February 20, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Authorities are investigating several serious Chicago expressway traffic accidents.

Four people were critically injured last Saturday in a Chicago car accident on the Kennedy Expressway, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The multiple-vehicle accident occurred about 3:30 a.m. on the Near Northwest Side in the northbound lanes of I-90 near Chicago Avenue. Three vehicles were involved. Fire personnel responded to I-90 and West Augusta Boulevard after receiving a report of a pin-in accident.

Chicago Injury Firm of Abels & Annes appear on CBS News for filing a sexual abuse lawsuit against Illinois school bus company

February 18, 2010 | By Dave Abels

The Chicago Personal Injury Law Firm of Abels & Annes has filed a civil lawsuit against a 67-year-old Gompers Junior High School bus driver and First Student Bus Company, in connection with the December sexual assault of a female student.

CBS2 reported Wednesday that the driver was working at First Student despite being dismissed from his job as a Joliet Township bus driver. A police reported from that 2004 incident cites “complaints by student females for sexual harassment.”

The 67-year-old bus driver was charged in December with battery of a 14-year-old girl after being accused of offering the girl candy, touch her chest and buttocks and giving her $3 not to tell.

Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Dave Abels and his partner Gary Annes filed a civil lawsuit against the driver and First Student Bus Company.

“I think that any parent would be shocked, horrified to hear that First Student is allowing people to, with these types of backgrounds, to drive their children,” said Annes. Another police report says the defendant offered a girl candy, adusted his miror to stare at her and repeatedly asked for hugs.

“Someone dropped the ball here,” Abels said.

Four other First Student drivers were in trouble with the law last year: One was arrested for exposing himself to a female student; one was caught with child pornography; and another driver was shot and killed by police after a high-speed chase in Riverdale.

The fourth driver was arrested for child endangerment and DUI after losing control of his bus on the Edens Expressway. That driver had been hired despite being fired from a previous job for driving erratically and failing a drug test, according to CBS2.

“I think private citizens have to stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough. We’re not going to allow our children to be subjected to this sort of danger,'” Annes said.
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Man wanted in connection with Halloween hit-and-run car accident that killed Chicago pedestrian

February 15, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Police have issued an arrest warrant for a 23-year-old former West Rogers Park man in connection with a Halloween hit-and-run Chicago car accident that claimed the life of a 25-year-old DePaul University student.

The suspect, who doesn’t have a driver’s license, may have fled to Mexico, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported.

As reported last fall on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer blog, the woman was struck at Cullom and Lincoln avenues, as she walked home about 3 a.m. on Nov. 1 after a long night of work bartending at Bowmans Bar & Grill.