Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Chicago trucking accident lawyers monitor trucking industry safety initiative

June 18, 2009 | By Dave Abels

The American Trucking Association is rolling out an 18-point safety plan this month that it claims will improve highway safety, in part as a response to the recent $23.8 million jury award stemming from a 2004 Chicago trucking accident that claimed two lives near Plainfield, Illinois.

The Chicago trucking accident lawyers at Abels & Annes applaud any move that will improve trucking safety. A 4,000 pound passenger vehicle doesn’t stand a chance against an 80,000 pound semi traveling at 70 mph. Jury awards are often high because the injuries are catastrophic and liability can be compounded by overweight trucks, tired or inexperienced truck drivers and unsafe or poorly maintained trucks as trucking companies struggle to remain profitable in a tight economy.

“As the U.S. logistics and freight industry becomes increasingly dedicated to meeting ever-tighter supply chain delivery windows, American trucking fleets are trying to become even safer,” the ATA announced, noting the industry claims to be the safest it has been since the U.S. Department of Transportation began keeping crash statistics in 1975.

Safety advocates believe the 18-point plan is a move in the right direction.

“I appreciate all the work that’s been done and I believe (the new safety agenda) is a good platform as we move into the next highway authorization process,” said John Hill, a former former Federal Motor Carrier Safety administrator. ATA’s new strategies “specifically address driver deficiency areas and give drivers tool they need to improve highway safety.”

Others argue the plan is aimed at improving the group’s image as it pushes for even heavier trucks, approaching 100,000 pounds. The Truck Safety Coalition blasted ATA for not going far enough.

“This is about longer and heavier trucks,” said Jennifer Tierney of Kernersville, N.C., who says her father was killed in a truck-related accident. “That’s what their agenda is. Bigger vehicles are more dangerous vehicles.”

Tierney said if the trucking industry were serious, it would commit to reducing truck driver fatigue by reducing the legal hours they can drive (which is now up to 88 hours in a little over a week), support electronic on-board recorders (EOBRs) and support increased mandatory behind-the-wheel driver training.

Yet advocates for the trucking industry say the number of trucks involved in fatal crashes has dropped 10 percent in the past two decades, despite a 50 percent increase in the number of registered trucks and a 70 percent increase in truck miles traveled.

The ATA’s plan calls for:

Improving Driver Performance:
1. Policy on the use of non-integrated technologies while the vehicle is in motion
2. Policy supporting uniform commercial drivers license (CDL) testing standards
3. Policy supporting a CDL graduated licensing study
4. Policy supporting additional parking facilities for trucks
5. Policy supporting a national maximum 65mph speed limit for all vehicles
6. Policy supporting strategies to increase the use of seat belts
7. Policy supporting a national car-truck driver behavior improvement program
8. Policy supporting increased use of red light cameras and automated speed enforcement
9. Policy supporting graduated licensing standards in all states for non-commercial teen drivers
10. Policy supporting more stringent laws to reduce drinking and driving
Safer Vehicles:
11. Policy supporting targeted electronic speed governing of certain non-commercial vehicles
12. Policy supporting electronic speed governing of all large trucks manufactured since 1992
13. Policy supporting new large truck crashworthiness standards Safer Motor Carriers:
14. Policy supporting a national employer notification system
15. Policy supporting a national clearinghouse for positive drug and alcohol test results of
CDL holders
16. Policy supporting a national registry of certified medical examiners
17. Policy supporting access to the national Driver Information Resource
18. Policy supporting required safety training by new entrant motor carriers For more details on ATA’s 18-point safety initiative, go to www.truckline.com.
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Increase in Chicago motorcycle accidents blamed on distracted drivers

June 16, 2009 | By Dave Abels

At least four Chicago-area motorcycle accident deaths in May have advocates looking at ways to punish distracted drivers and increase awareness to prevent motorcycle accidents as the summer riding season gets into full swing.

The Chicago motorcycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have been active in promoting motorcycle safety awareness on this blog, publishing 10 things drivers should know about motorcycles, and a safe riding blog earlier this month.

Abels & Annes is also taking a look at distracted driving as part of its Summer Safe Driving Series.

“We are a nation of distracted drivers and it’s costing us lives and property damage,” Mami Pyke wrote in the Daily Herald on Sunday. “One local case that’s provoked outrage is the death of motorcyclist Anita Zaffke of Lake Zurich, killed May 2 by another driver who was polishing her nails instead of watching the road, police say.”Pyke said Zaffke’s death is giving weight to a call to give authorities additional means to punish distracted drivers in addition to charges like reckless homicide, which can be difficult to prove against distracted drivers.

Legislation sponsored by Rep. William Blake, R-Danville, would create a misdemeanor category of negligent vehicular homicide, which could result in up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine. Black pushed for the reform after a 25-year-old Urbana cyclist was killed by a driver who went off the road while downloading ring tones on her cell phone.

Illinois motorcycle accidents and fatalities continue to increase. From 4,119 in 2005 to 4,819 in 2007. There were 154 Illinois motorcycle deaths that year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

“This is the ugliest start to riding season in Illinois that we ever have seen,” Dean Akey, a veteran biker and owner of an Allstate Insurance business in St. Charles, told the Daily Herald.

Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable travelers on our roads. Please give them a break this summer. Pay attention while driving, return or motorcycle friends home safely to their families and give yourself a break from the grief and heartache hitting a motorcyclist can cause.
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Chicago DUI Car Accident – 9 Year Old Child Injured

June 14, 2009 | By Dave Abels

On the South Side of Chicago a single car accident has resulted in a nine-year-old’s head being thrown into a windshield, and the child’s mother being charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, according to ABC News. The mother, Cheryl Ranae Reynolds, hit a viaduct Saturday night near East 83rd and South Jeffery after she allegedly reached down to pick up a bottle alcohol she dropped on the floor.

The mother has been charged with aggravated DUI and not wearing a seat belt. The Chicago Police Department is handling the investigation. The extent of the child’s injuries have not yet been reported.

While the mother caused the accident, that fact does not bar an injury claim by the minor child against her mother and mother’s auto insurance carrier. If the mother had valid auto insurance, the child will be able to pursue a claim.

Chicago personal injury lawyer interviewed on public radio about proposed Illinois insurance law, minimum coverage standards

June 11, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Chicago personal injury lawyer Dave Abels was interviewed on WUIS 91.9 Wednesday about pending legislation that would criminalize driving without insurance and the need to increase Illinois’ minimum mandatory coverage levels.

“The way the law stands right now it just doesn’t provide real protection for people who are seriously injured in auto accidents,” said Abels, of Abels & Annes, a Chicago law firm that handles car accidents, motorcycle accident and other personal injury claims. “It covers you for small accidents but not the big accidents that you really care about where your life is changed forever.”

The station contacted Abels after he blogged about the law last month here at https://www.chicagopersonalinjurylawyerblog.com

Under current law, uninsured motorists face a fine of $500 to $1,000 and a license suspension for 3-6 months. The new law, which is awaiting signature by Gov. Pat Quinn, makes driving without insurance a misdemeanor criminal offense carry the threat of up to a year in jail and a $2,500 fine.

The law is named after Michael Dean, who was killed in 2006 by an uninsured driver who faced only a fine.

Abels said the new law is a step in the right direction but the state still needs to address its low mandatory insurance limits of $20,000 per accident and $40,000 per occurrence.

During the interview, Abels acknowledged that increased mandatory protection would be an added cost for motorists, but said the costs would be minimal and worth the added protection.
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Chicago motorcycle accident lawyers advocate review of 10 things all car, truck and bus drivers should know about motorcycles

June 10, 2009 | By Dave Abels

The Chicago motorcycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes urge motorists to review “10 things all car, truck and bus drivers should know about motorcycles” to increase awareness as we enter the summer riding season.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 5,154 motorcyclists were killed in the United States in 2007 and another 103,000 were injured. In fact, the number of fatalities has exploded with the increase in registered motorcycles over the last 10 years.

In 1997, 3.9 million motorcycles were registered and 2,116 fatalities were reported compared to the 5,154 deaths in 2007 when 7.1 million bikers were registered on our roadways.

“It’s a fact that car drivers and other motorists are at fault most of the time in multiple-vehicle crashes that involve motorcyclists,” said Motorcycle Safety President Tim Buche, of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation. “That’s why we’ve initiated several public outreach tools specifically targeting the driving community. MSF has life-saving messages for everyone, whether they are behind a handlebar or behind a steering wheel.”

MSF has launched a new website, www.forcardrivers.com, aimed at helping car, truck and bus drivers safely interact with motorcyclists. One of the leading motorcycle safety advocacy groups in the nation, MSF’s primary website also offers a wealth of information geared toward safe motorcycle riding.

10 things Car, Truck and Bus Drivers Should Know About Motorcycles:

1. Over half of all fatal motorcycle crashes involve another vehicle. Most of the time, the motorist, not the motorcyclist, is at fault. There are a lot more cars and trucks than motorcycles on the road, and some drivers don’t “recognize” a motorcycle – they ignore it (usually unintentionally).

2. Take an extra moment to look for motorcycles, whether you’re changing lanes or turning at intersections. Because of its small size, a motorcycle can be easily hidden in a car’s blind spots or masked by objects or backgrounds outside a car.

3. A motorcycle may look farther away than it is. It may also be difficult to judge a motorcycle’s speed. Predict a motorcycle is closer than it looks.

4. Motorcyclists often slow by downshifting or merely rolling off the throttle, thus not activating the brake light. Allow more following distance and predict a motorcyclist may slow down without visual warning.

5. Motorcyclists often adjust position within a lane to be seen more easily and to minimize the effects of road debris, passing vehicles, and wind. Understand that motorcyclists adjust lane position for a purpose, not to be reckless or show off or to allow you to share the lane with them.

6. Turn signals on a motorcycle usually are not self-canceling, thus some riders (especially beginners) sometimes forget to turn them off after a turn or lane change. Make sure a motorcycle’s signal is for real.

7. Maneuverability is one of a motorcycle’s better characteristics, especially at slower speeds and with good road conditions, but don’t expect a motorcyclist to always be able to dodge out of the way.

8. Stopping distance for motorcycles is nearly the same as for cars, but slippery pavement makes stopping quickly difficult. Allow more following distance behind a motorcycle because it can’t always stop “on a dime.”

9. When a motorcycle is in motion, see more than the motorcycle – see the person under the helmet, who could be your friend, neighbor, or relative.

10. If a driver crashes into a motorcyclist, bicyclist, or pedestrian and causes serious injury, the driver would likely never forgive himself/herself.
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Chicago car accident lawyers note impact of Facebook photos on DUI homicide case

June 8, 2009 | By Dave Abels

A 20-year-old Campton Hills woman was fitted with an alcohol-monitoring ankle bracelet on Thursday after pictures of her partying with college students appeared on Facebook as she awaits trial on charges of reckless homicide and aggravated DUI stemming from a July 2007 South Elgin crash that killed a motorcyclist.

The car accident attorneys and personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes follow the impact of social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace. Such evidence is increasingly relied upon by law enforcement and more and more attorneys are attempting to get it admitted into the courtroom.

The defendant had been ordered not to consume alcohol or be around people who were drinking. But South Elgin police found the photos of the accused, who attends college in Ohio, drinking with friends.

Chicago bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes call for summer of safety and awareness

June 5, 2009 | By Dave Abels

The bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes join Chicago and Illinois authorities in advocating safety and awareness this summer to reduce bicycle accidents.

The Chicago Department of Transportation began a series of 20 Share the Road events last week that will stretch across five city wards and into August in an effort to increase awareness.

“To ensure everyone’s safety, all users of the public way need to follow the rules,” said CDOT Commissioner Thomas G. Bryrne. “Safety is our No. 1 priority and the Share the Road program is an effective way to work toward that goal.”

Nationwide, 698 bicyclists were killed and another 44,000 seriously injured in 2007, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Bicycling is a popular form of recreation and a practical means of travel for more than 4 million people in Illinois. But the Illinois Department of Transportation estimates more than 4,000 Illinois residents are seriously injured each year in bicycle accidents.

IDOT has released a public service announcement for the summer, emphasizing the legal requirement to give cyclists at least three-foot of clearance when making a pass. “There is plenty of room for us all, Please Don’t Squeeze.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports the majority of bicycle accidents occur between 5 and 9 p.m.

“Our goal is to keep everyone on the road safe,” 42 Ward Alderman Brendan Reilly said. “Cyclists need to be protected but they also need to ride responsibly and follow the laws of the road.”

The city plans to have 500 miles of bike trails by 2015 — motorists should remember every bicycle on the road means one less car adding to the congestion.

An excellent map of Chicago-area bike paths and trails is available by clicking here.

Citywide, law enforcement is receiving special training to enforce the new bicycle safety ordinances that were passed in March 2009 — and the city’s bike-lane parking ordinance will carry a $150 fine, up from $100 last year.

IDOT offers the following rider safety tips as part of its Summer Survival Guide.
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Illinois double-decker bus tragedy kills two beneath overpass

June 3, 2009 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois bus accident has claimed the lives of two young men after the double-decker open-air bus they were riding in passed beneath an overpass.

Justin Sleezer of Yorkville and Cameron Chana of Clarendon Hills were killed when their heads struck the Interstate Highway 57 overpass on Illinois Highway 16 in Mattoon. Fifty passengers, mostly students from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, were returning on the rented bus from a day of boating at Lake Shelbyville, about 200 miles South of Chicago.

Many on the bus were members of Sigma Pi fraternity, however a fraternity member told the Chicago Tribune the trip was not organized by the house.

Chicago Auto Accident On West Side – 1 Passenger Killed

June 2, 2009 | By Dave Abels

On the West Side of Chicago, one man was killed and two others were injured on Sunday in a rollover car crash, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The accident occurred around 7:30 am in the 3900 block of West Division Street.

The victim, Francisco Delgado, age 42 of Chicago, was a passenger in a 2002 Nissan Xterra that was reportedly speeding when it ran a red light at Pulaski and Division, and then hit a northbound 2005 Taurus. The Nissan then hit a pole and rolled over.

Delgado was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital after the accident and pronounced dead a short time later. A woman in the other car was treated for injuries at St. Mary’s Hospital.

Chicago Police Officer Critically Injured In Car Crash – Elderly Driver Ticketed – Officer’s Gun Stolen

May 29, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Earlier this week it was reported that a Chicago police officer was seriously injured when his SUV was involved in a three vehicle car accident on the South Side. It is now being reported by the Southtown Star that someone stole the officer’s gun while he was unconscious at the scene.

Police are trying to determine who took the weapon, and they are reviewing cell phone video and surveillance video that may show what happened. The cell phone footage was taken by a person that happened to be passing by and it supposedly shows a person going through the officers possessions and taking the gun from his side while he was trapped in the police SUV.

It is also being reported that an elderly driver involved in the car crash has been ticketed with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and failure to yield. The exact facts as to how the accident occurred have not been reported.