| By

A deadly Cook County car crash has resulted in a DUI guilty plea, according to the Southtown Star. The motor vehicle collision occurred on September 9, 2007 when the 27 year old defendant ran a red light at Western Avenue and 31st Street. He struck a car being driven by Minerva Santiago who died as a result of the crash.

The DUI driver had a blood alcohol content of .194, more than twice the legal limit of .08. Prosecutors from the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office allege the defendant had about 20 beers before the accident, and further has no valid driver’s license.

The defendant plead guilty to aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol without the benefit of a plea agreement with prosecutors. He can be sentenced anywhere from 3 – 14 years by Cook County Circuit Judge James Linn.

Continue reading

| By

A hit and run accident near Morton, Illinois caused a tractor-trailer roll over crash on Interstate 74 last Sunday, according to the Pekin Daily Times. A pick-up truck struck the larger truck, caused the driver of the truck to hit a guard rail and then flip over on it’s side. The accident occurred during the ice storm that hit central Illinois this week.

Illinois State Police say the tractor-trailer was driven by Gregory Houston, 50, of Quincy. He was east-bound when a gray pick-up struck his vehicle. He also fell out of the truck when it rolled. The pick-up driver fled the scene after the collision.

The accident is still under investigation. The Morton Police Department and Morton Fire Department were also on the scene.

If injured, the driver of the truck can retain a personal injury lawyer and make two types of claims. He has a workers’ compensation case because he was injured during the course of his employment. Under work comp the trucker would receive medical benefits, temporary total disability pay if he is off work because of the accident, and he will also be entitled to a bodily injury settlement. The claim would be filed with the Illinois Industrial Commission. Continue reading

| By

2 Illinois residents died in a deadly auto accident last Saturday just South of Staunton, Illinois on Illinois Route 4, according to the State Journal Register. The driver, age 25, and his passenger, age 23, of Gillespie, Illinois were pronounced dead at the scene. The vehicle, a Pontiac Grand Am, was Southbound when it crossed the centerline, went into a ditch on the East side of the road, and hit a telephone pole.

The Madison County Sheriff’s Office did state that speed was a factor in the accident, and that alcohol was not. The road was wet, but it is unknown if it was icey. Toxicology reports are still pending and there was only one passenger in the car.

While it is not fun to talk about when there are fatalities, from a wrongful death lawyer’s view, the estate of the passenger has a wrongful death claim against the estate of the driver. If the driver was uninsured, the family of the passenger would be able to make an uninsured motorist claim against the passenger’s own policy, or any household family member’s policy. Continue reading

| By

A Wheaton, Illinois Accident Attorney has received a good jury verdict in a premises liability case, according to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. The plaintiff fell and was hurt while bowling. It was alleged that the oil used to condition the bowling lane was too close to the foul line and the warning signs were not adequate. The plaintiff sustained a right broken leg. The defendant argued that the accident probably occurred because the plaintiff went over the foul line and then slipped.

Prior to trial, the plaintiff demanded $36,000 to settle and the defendant offered $24,000. The jury awarded $99,600 (after 40% off of $166,000 for comparative fault).

Taking this case to trial took a little “chutzpah” on the part of the plaintiff’s attorney. Slip and fall, premises liability cases are often difficult to win at trial. Further, this verdict was in DuPage County where verdicts tend to be a little conservative compared to Cook or Will County. A lot of lawyers would have taken this case, but not many would have been thrilled about taking it to trial.

The verdict was in Shirley Mills v. Manfred’s Bierstube Inc., d/b/a Wood Dale Bowl, DuPage County Case No. 05 L 172. The plaintiff was represented by George L. Acosta of Wheaton, and the defendant was represented by Matthew Burke of Heineke & Burke in Chicago. (I should add that the result is also impressive because Matthew Burke is a very good defense lawyer.) Continue reading

| By

In Chicago, Illinois a motorist was hurt in an auto accident on the West Side, according to CBS News. The accident happened near Chicago Avenue and Kilbourn Avenue when the injured person drove into a pole around 2 a.m.

The driver was alone in the car and he was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. The Chicago Police have indicated that a van may have been involved in the accident as well, but no further details have yet been made.

We will have to wait and see if the accident was just weather related, or if a van somehow caused the accident and personal injury lawyers get involved. Continue reading

| By

An Illinois State Police Trooper was injured in a car crash on Sunday night about 10 miles North of Bloomington Normal, Illinois on Interstate 39, according to CentralIllinoisProud.com. The trooper, Brian Masters, was parked on the shoulder of the Northbound lanes when 19 year old Amelia Delee lost control of her car on ice and rear ended the squad car. She had 4 passengers in her car.

All parties in the accident were taken to St. Francis Hospital in Bloomington, Illinois. The driver was cited by police for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

From an injury lawyer’s view, besides having a job related injury, the Trooper has a civil case against the driver that hit him. There should really be no issue as to liability, and the only issue will be damages. The passengers also have an injury claim against the driver that lost control. Hopefully Delee has good and valid insurance to cover the loss. Continue reading

| By

In the Chicago Area Suburb of Barrington Hills a teen died in a car crash on early Saturday morning, according to the Chicago Tribune. The driver, a 17 year old Carpentersville resident, was killed when his car crossed the center line and struck an oncoming vehicle. The accident happened on Highway 62 just before 4 a.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Two passengers in the other car were injured and taken to Sherman Hospital in Elgin. There were no signs of drug or alcohol use involved, but toxicology results are not yet known.

Weather conditions were very poor for driving last Saturday, and it is very possible that ice and snow contributed to the crash. Continue reading

| By

In Chicago, Illinois a Saturday night auto accident seriously injured at least five people, including three children. A Buick lost control, hit a Hyundai and crashed into a median, according to the Chicago Sun Times. The auto collision occurred around 10:30 pm near 31st Street, and the Illinois State Police were the responding officers to the crash.

The only people reported injured were in the Buick. Four were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County, and one was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. All injuries are reportedly not life threatening.

The Illinois State Police cited the driver with improper lane usage and no valid drivers license. They say that bad weather conditions (snow and ice) played a role in the accident.

From a Chicago personal injury lawyer’s perspective, it is likely that the passengers in the Buick and the occupants of the Hyundai will have injury claims against the driver of the Buick, that is assuming the driver of the Buick had valid insurance. The Buick appeared to be traveling too fast for conditions in ice and snow. Continue reading

| By

A Chicago resident was hit and killed by a car in Skokie on Thursday night, according to the Chicago Tribune. The pedestrian vs. auto accident happened after dark at 7:30 p.m. in the 3900 block of Golf Road near the Springfield Avenue intersection.

No traffic tickets were issued by the Skokie Police, as they say the pedestrian crossed in the dark without a crosswalk. The driver never saw the pedestiran, and did not know what he hit until after he pulled over.

The pedestrian was Jaime Villanueva, 44, of Rogers Park. He was taken to Evanston Hospital and pronounced dead at 9:08 p.m. Police state that location is very dark at night and they are still trying to determine why the pedestrian was in the road.

While the newspaper report indicates the police blame the pedestrian for this auto accident, it will be interesting to see if further investigation shows anything different, or if personal injury lawyers get involved on behalf of the pedestrian’s family. While it was dark out, and there is no crosswalk at that location, the pedestrian obviously cannot give his side of the story.
Continue reading

| By

In Chicago, Illinois a truck crash has forced the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to close the Bishop Ford Expressway in both directions at 115th Street, according to nwi.com. Vehicles are being forced to exit the highway at 115th and re-enter at a different location.

Apparently a large dump truck hit the 115th Street bridge, and inspectors are now evaluating the damage to the structure. How the accident happened and whether people were injured has not been reported.

IDOT is recommending drivers take alternate routes such as the Chicago Skyway, Interstate 57 and Halsted Street.

Search
Our Other Blog
Contact Us
  1. 1 Free Consultation
  2. 2 Available 24/7
  3. 3 No fee unless you WIN
Complete the contact form or call us at (312) 924-7575 or (855) 529-2442 to schedule your free consultation.

Facebook IconTwitter IconLinkedIn IconJustia IconYouTube IconFeed Icon

Contact Information
100 N LaSalle St #1710
Chicago, IL 60602
Toll Free: (855) 529-2442Phone: (312) 924-7575Fax: (312) 924-7555

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Please do not include any confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail. The contact form sends information by non-encrypted email, which is not secure. Submitting a contact form, sending a text message, making a phone call, or leaving a voicemail does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Copyright © 2025, Abels & Annes, P.C.
JUSTIA Law Firm Blog Design