Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Discount bus services face scrutiny over potential for Chicago accidents in wake of New York tragedy

March 30, 2011 | By Dave Abels

As authorities continue to investigate a bus accident that claimed 14 lives in New York City, the incident has put the spotlight on the risk of bus accidents in Chicago and elsewhere involving tour buses and discount bus operators. The Wall Street Journal reports one of the crashes that first brought the growing industry to the attention of authorities occurred in 2007, when a bus traveling from New York to Chicago crashed in Pennsylvania, killing two passengers.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers frequently discuss the need to seek legal representation when dealing with an accident involving commercial trucks or buses. Multiple claims, multiple at-fault parties and state and federal regulations can make dealing with such claims a complex process.Records indicate the bus company had previously been cited for driver fatigue by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. It’s buses had also been involved in several accidents. Still, the company managed to receive a “satisfactory” rating from inspectors. The bus was traveling from a Connecticut casino to New York City when it flipped over in Manhattan and skidded 480 feet into a guardrail. Fourteen riders were killed.

The Chicago Tribune reported the crash has renewed scrutiny of bus companies offering cheap, convenient fares on older buses. Such services are in the fifth year of a boom that has been no stranger to fatal accidents. Just last September four riders died when a Megabus missed an exit in Syracuse. And just one day after the accident in New York City killed 14, a driver and passenger were killed when a bus drove off the New Jersey turnpike.

Megabus launched a few years ago in Chicago, which has become a thriving hub. Some services offer rides from Philadelphia to Chicago for $22, or trips from Boston to New York for $10 or $15, compared to the $70 or more Amtrak would charge. Critics ask if they keep those fairs low by cutting costs when it comes to safety.
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Senior Driving Awareness Weeks aim to reduce risk of Chicago car accidents

March 26, 2011 | By Dave Abels

The Illinois Department of Transportation is teaming up to promote safe driving among seniors in an effort to reduce the risk of Chicago car accidents to aging drivers.

A state proclamation declared March 21 to 31 as Senior Driving Awareness Weeks.Our Chicago car accident attorneys have discussed here before the risks facing senior drivers. The dangers of an older driver being involved in a car accident rise steadily after retirement. Those over the age of 75 face higher risks than any drivers on the road, including teenagers. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports more than 5,000 seniors are killed in traffic crashes each year and more than 180,000 are injured.

In 2008, 163 seniors were involved in fatal Illinois traffic accidents. The issue is expected to become increasingly critical as the baby boomer generation retires.

“IDOT is dedicated to traffic safety in Illinois and encourages all seniors to take advantage of the refresher courses made available statewide,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “Through the use of strategic partnerships, effective programs and motorist compliance to state law, Illinois has experienced record lows in roadway fatalities and an all-time high in statewide safety belt usage rate. We strongly support the importance of Senior Driving Awareness Weeks and look forward to its success in promoting senior safety.”

The partnership includes Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White’s Office and theIllinois Department of Aging, as well as the AARP. The agencies aim to improve training and review of older drivers in an effort to prevent traffic accidents.

“We want senior drivers to maintain their mobility and independence while continuing a lifetime of safe driving,” said Secretary White. “Last year my office provided free Rules of the Road classes at 320 locations throughout the state. The Super Seniors Program, combines Rules of the Road instruction, a vision screening and a driver safety component, providing seniors with the knowledge needed to obtain or renew a driver’s license. This program, allows seniors to brush up on their driving knowledge in an effort to help them continue driving safely.”

There are more than 3.5 million licensed drivers in Illinois over the age of 50.

Click here to review a Rules of the Road class schedule.
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1 killed in Northwest Suburban Chicago pedestrian accident

March 24, 2011 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois car versus pedestrian accident has resulted in the death of a man in northwest suburban Lake Zurich, according to Trib Local. The collision involved three vehicles and occurred at southbound US Route 12 and Honey Lake Road.

Police are reporting that a vehicle moving south on Route 12 around 3 PM drove off the roadway and struck a second vehicle and a person standing outside that vehicle. The second vehicle was knocked into a third unoccupied vehicle. The pedestrian standing outside the vehicle was about to get in the car at the time of the collision, and was tragically killed in the accident.

A Lake Zurich Fire Department ambulance transported the driver of the first vehicle to Good Shepherd Hospital due to injuries sustained in the collision. Reportedly that driver will be asked to give a blood sample to determine if drugs or alcohol played a role in the deadly accident. 2 other people involved in the accident were also taken to Good Shepherd Hospital.

Southern Illinois truck crash – 1 dead

March 23, 2011 | By Dave Abels

A man is been killed in an Illinois truck versus car crash that occurred in downstate Murphysboro, Illinois on Tuesday, CBS news is reporting. The collision occurred at the intersection of Country Club Road and Route 13 in front of a Walmart around 9:30 AM.

After the truck crash, the 72-year-old driver of the car involved in the accident, who is a Murphysboro resident, was transported by ambulance to an area hospital and pronounced dead less than an hour later. The driver of the box truck was not seriously hurt.

The accident reportedly occurred when the car turned left in front of the truck, however the traffic signals at the intersection were not described in the news story. Further, it’s being reported that the truck driver was cited by the Illinois State Police for logbook violations.

Third sex abuse lawsuit filed against Philadelphia Archdiocese

March 22, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Chicago sexual abuse attorneys continue to follow the recent lawsuits being filed on the East Coast. CNN is reporting that a third lawsuit has been filed this month against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and other archdiocese officials.

There is been several new lawsuits since February when a grand jury report was released and charges were brought soon after against 4 priests and a schoolteacher. Since then the alleged victims of sex abuse have filed the lawsuits because the report claims the archdiocese withheld the identity of known predator priests.

In a lawsuit filed last Wednesday, allegations claim that Rev. John Kline, who was assigned to St. Francis Xavier Parish and who was a teacher at a Roman Catholic high school, sexually abused the plaintiff sometime between 1968 and 1969 while on a family vacation. The victim, who is now 49 years old, is saying he repressed the memories of the sexual contact until around three years ago. The alleged abuser retired from church duties in 1981 has since passed away, according to the plaintiff’s attorney, Marci Hamilton.

Underride accidents increase risk of fatal injuries in Chicago trucking accidents

March 21, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Motorists are at high risk of fatal injuries in Chicago car accidents involving rear-end collisions with tractor-trailers, according to new research released by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

Our Chicago trucking accident attorneys understand the risk posed to motorists by large commercial trucks on the road. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that large commercial trucks are involved in nearly 400,000 accidents each year. More than 4,000 motorists were killed in such crashes in 2008; in three-quarters of those cases the victims were occupants of passenger vehicles or non-occupants, such as bicyclists and pedestrians.Now the IIHS reports antiquated underride guards may result in serious or fatal injuries to motorists involved in rear-end collisions with commercial trucks; 80 percent of the rear-end collisions examined in the study resulted in underride, which substantially increases the risk of injury to occupants of passenger cars. In just 1 in 5 cases did rear-end collisions not result in a car being forced beneath the semi.

“Cars’ front-end structures are designed to manage a tremendous amount of crash energy in a way that minimizes injuries for their occupants,” says Adrian Lund, Institute president. “Hitting the back of a large truck is a game changer. You might be riding in a vehicle that earns top marks in frontal crash tests, but if the truck’s underride guard fails – or isn’t there at all – your chances of walking away from even a relatively low-speed crash aren’t good.”

The Institute has been studying the issue since the 1970s; the latest report found rules had not been updated since 1996 and most guards did not protect the entire rear of a truck, leaving motorists particularly vulnerable to underride crashes when striking a trailer at an angle. As a result, the group is petitioning the NHTSA to mandate better protection.

“Underride standards haven’t kept pace with improvements in passenger vehicle crashworthiness,” Lund said. “Absent regulation, there’s little incentive for manufacturers to improve underride countermeasures, so we hope NHTSA will move quickly on our petition.”
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DUI charges for driver in deadly Chicago hit-and-run pedestrian accident

March 19, 2011 | By Dave Abels

As Chicago auto accident lawyers from Abels & Annes reported to yesterday, an Illinois hit-and-run pedestrian accident has caused the death of a man in his 30s on the Stevenson Expressway on Thursday evening. It is now being reported by the Chicago Tribune that the at fault driver has been caught by police and charged with DUI.

The defendant, a 40-year-old Chicago resident from the 5400 block of S. Ellis Ave., was allegedly headed northbound on the interstate near Damen Avenue around 10:10 PM when he drove onto the right shoulder and hit a pedestrian who was standing by his disabled vehicle. The victim was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and pronounced dead at 11:34 PM.

The driver fled the scene after the collision, but occurrence witnesses described his vehicle to Illinois state troopers and he was arrested a short time later near his home. Blood-alcohol testing after arrest showed the driver had a BAC of .161, just over twice the Illinois legal limit. The defendant reportedly admitted consuming alcohol prior to the incident.

Red-light cameras, economic downturn, possible reason for fewer Chicago car accidents at intersections

March 18, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Recently out Chicago car accident lawyers reported on the dangers of intersection accidents in Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois.

The ink wasn’t even dry on that blog yet when the National Safety Council released a report saying crashes at intersections equipped with traffic lights have decreased by 17 percent in the last five years, while those involving red-light runners have dropped by 27 percent.Part of the reason could be the economic downturn, during which many states, including Illinois, have reported record-low numbers of fatal traffic accidents. And part of the reason could be the increasing use of red-light cameras.

The study used data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to review accident rates in all 50 states.

“This report shows that we are making large strides as a nation in reducing crashes at intersections,” said Janet Froetscher, president and CEO of the National Safety Council.

Yet intersections remain among the most dangerous places on the road for all sorts of accidents, including bicycle and pedestrian accidents in Chicago. The report still found 12,396 fatal crashes occurred at intersections during the five-year period, including 4,394 crashes involving red-light runners.

“While we are making progress, the 13,266 fatalities from these crashes remind us that we have much more to do,” Froetscher said. “Each of us should consider these statistics and the measures we can take to protect ourselves, our families and our communities.”

Illinois was one of few states that reported little change in the percentage of fatal crashes occurring at intersections, in fact the total increased from 8 percent in 2008 to 10 percent in 2009, compared to the 11 percent reported when the study began in 2005.

As we have reported, the economic downturn has led to back-to-back years of record-low fatalities for the first time in nearly a century of reporting. Advocates of the city’s camera program also contend that Chicago’s 200 red-light cameras are having a positive impact. A recent study suggested 22 fewer fatal Chicago crashes were blamed on red-light runners from 2004 to 2008, than the 69 deaths reported in a similar period from 1992 to 1996.
Recent Blogs:

Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog:

Red-light cameras reducing number of fatal Chicago car accidents.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog: Are red light cameras increasing the risk of Chicago car accidents?
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Libertyville police conducting special patrols in an effort to reduce Illinois DUI accidents on St. Patrick’s Day

March 17, 2011 | By Dave Abels

In an effort to reduce Chicago area car crashes, the Libertyville, Illinois Police Department is running special patrols this St. Patrick’s Day week, according to Tribune Local. They are taking a zero tolerance stance against impaired drivers.

Police chief Clint Herdegen is stating that if you drink and drive in Libertyville on St. Patrick’s Day, you lose. The chief is recommending that you select a designated driver before you start celebrating, and to act responsibly or risk getting arrested.

The Tribune article goes on to state that, according to IDOT, over the past five years an average of 15 people lose their lives in Illinois car crashes on St. Patrick’s Day. Over that same time span, over 1200 people were injured in an Illinois auto accidents.

Illinois workers compensation attorneys reach $231,000 settlement

March 16, 2011 | By Dave Abels

Chicago work injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, have resolved two claims on behalf of a local resident for just over $231,000.

The first claim stems from a accident that occurred back in 2006 when our client was injured at work while lifting heavy boxes from a shipping door. He injured his left arm in the accident.

As our client underwent medical treatment, physicians determined he needed an MRI as his condition was not improving. The scan showed he had sustained a left rotator cuff tear.