Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

An Illinois auto accident has claimed the life of a passenger when the driver of the car he was traveling in lost control and struck a tree, according to the Chicago Tribune. The accident took place early Sunday morning in the West Woodlawn neighborhood of Chicago at Interstate 57 and Kedzie Avenue.

The at fault driver was reportedly speeding in a 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora heading northbound on Interstate 57 from 167th St., this according to witnesses. The driver then lost control near Kedzie, drove off the highway into a ditch, through a fence and then into a tree.

The passenger was taken by ambulance to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where he was pronounced dead at 3:15 AM. The driver was seriously injured and taken to Christ Hospital as well.

The Illinois state police are handling the crash investigation. Police believe alcohol played a role in the fatal Chicago auto accident.

In other Chicago accident news, and in a very similar situation, one person was killed and another injured in a single car crash on the South Side around 4 a.m. on Sunday morning. ABC News is reporting that the car involved crashed into a pole in the 5800 block of S. Racine.

A 28 year old was killed and a 20 year old was taken to an area hospital. It was not reported if the occupant fatally injured was the driver or the passenger. The accident is still being investigated.

An Illinois pedestrian accident has resulted in a 58-year-old woman losing a leg and a 21-year-old hit and run driver being held in police custody, according to the Chicago breaking news center. The collision took place on the south side of Chicago when a driver, who resides in the 6500 block of South Claremont, drove a 1993 Buick onto a sidewalk and hit the pedestrian who was waiting for a bus. The vehicle struck a bench and a light pole.

The incident took place at the intersection of 69th and State Street on January 26 just before 4 PM. The pedestrian suffered severe injuries and was in critical condition. She lost her right leg, her left leg was fractured and she lost vision in one of her eyes.

After causing the accident, the 21-year-old driver fled the scene. The news story does not report exactly how she she was caught, however police are giving praise to community members for distributing more than 500 pamphlets regarding the incident and canvassing the area.

The motorist has been charged with leaving the scene of a personal injury accident, damaging public property, driving without a license, driving without insurance, failing to render aid to an injured person, failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident and negligent driving. On Saturday a Cook County Judge ordered the defendant's bond be set at $100,000.

As far as a civil claim is concerned, no amount of money will be able to make this pedestrian victim whole again. That being said, the defendant in this matter is uninsured. Once a Chicago personal injury lawyer gets involved in the case, he or she will look into whether the victim has auto insurance and if an uninsured motorist claim can be pursued.

Click here to read more about Illinois hit-and-run claims.

Read the story as reported by the Chicago Sun-Times here.

A fatal Chicago area car accident has been caused by an intoxicated driver with an alleged blood alcohol level of .291, more than 3 times the legal limit in Illinois, according to Fox News Chicago.

The Chicago motorist allegedly watched the Bears game on Sunday in an Oak Lawn bar where he reportedly drank about 8 beers and had a shot of alcohol. He then drove to another Oak Lawn bar and continued consuming alcohol.

After the man left the second bar on Sunday night, he fell asleep in his Ford Explorer parked outside. When he awoke, he drove north on Cicero Avenue and allegedly crossed into the southbound lane where he crashed head-on into a GMC Yukon. A Cook County State’s Attorney official has stated the driver did not have on his headlights at the time of the accident.

All three passengers in the Yukon were takenby ambulance to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn where the driver of the Yukon was pronounced dead. His wife suffered a broken wrist and a broken pelvis and is expected to undergo several surgeries in the coming weeks. The couple’s 15-year-old daughter was also in the SUV and luckily suffered only minor injuries.

The driver of the Explorer has been charged with two counts of aggravated DUI and is being held on $250,000 bond. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 16, 2011 at the Bridgeview Courthouse.

It is not been reported if a Chicago personal injury and wrongful death attorney is involved in the case yet. In an accident like this, the victims will possibly have two different claims. First, the car accident lawyer will pursue a civil claim against the DUI driver. Further, the attorney will explore an Illinois dram shop claim against the Tavern that may have over-served the motorist.

An Illinois car accident has left a 17-year-old Iraqi refugee dead, according to the Chicago Tribune. A Chicago resident has been arrested and charged with a felony after his involvement in the early Sunday morning collision.

The at fault motorist was driving north on Artesian Avenue near North Shore Avenue in an SUV when he allegedly failed to obey a stop sign, according to Chicago police. The SUV hit a Nissan Maxima traveling west on North Shore Avenue. The SUV continued north, struck two parked cars and hit a tree before coming to a stop.

The passengers included the 20-year old driver, 17-year-old victim, and four other teenagers. All of the passengers in the SUV had to be removed from the vehicle by responders to the scene and all were injured.

The teen fatally injured was pronounced dead at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge a short time later. The driver of the Maxima was not hospitalized after the car crash.

The SUV driver was charged with one felony count of aggravated driving under the influence/accidental death as well as a misdemeanor DUI charge. He also received a citation for failing to stop at a stop sign.

The teenage victim, an Orthodox Christian, fled from Iraq to America with her family to avoid religious persecution about five years ago.

It has not been reported if a Chicago accident lawyer is involved in the case yet or if a civil lawsuit has been filed.

Read the story as reported by ABC News and WGNtv here.

An Illinois auto accident that occurred on Saturday night in West Suburban Naperville was reportedly caused by winter road conditions, according to the Chicago breaking news center. The crash injured five people and occurred in the area of 75th St. and Naper Boulevard around 8 PM.

The collision took place when a westbound vehicle slid on ice, loss control and struck a tree in a median. Multiple emergency vehicles responded to the accident, shutting down the roadway for a period of time. The road was reopened later the same evening.

The people injured in the accident were all taken to Edward Hospital. None of the injuries were supposed to be critical.

The Naperville Police Department is handling the crash investigation, and no traffic tickets have reportedly been issued to the driver.

Over the next several days drivers in the Chicago area need to use extra precaution to avoid accidents. The National Weather Service is warning that hazardous driving conditions are headed to Chicago, including freezing drizzle. Further, extreme cold is supposed to arrive next weekend bringing more dangerous conditions.

An Illinois auto accident has been caused by a Chicago man that allegedly drove his vehicle with a blood alcohol level of .425, approximately 5 times the legal limit of .08, according to the Chicago Tribune.

The driver was traveling north on McCormack Boulevard near Oakton Avenue in Skokie on January 14. He allegedly crossed the double yellow center line and crashed head on into a southbound Toyota.

The driver of the Toyota reported that he saw the other vehicle, an Audi, coming at him and not slowing down. He said that all he could do was brake and wait for an impact because there was no way to avoid the collision.

The Audi driver was arrested at the scene and charged with driving under the influence and other traffic violations. He was transported to St. Francis Hospital in Evanston for treatment where allegedly he was combative and had to be restrained. The driver of the Toyota was also injured.

The at fault driver is due in traffic court on February 24, 2011 at the Skokie Courthouse. The arresting Skokie officer reportedly stated at the scene that “if you drink and drive you’re going to be caught.”

It has not been reported if a Chicago injury lawyer is involved in the case or if a civil claim is being pursued.

It's not recognition we would wish for, but our Chicago car accident lawyers were not surprised to see we were ranked as Number One in road congestion.

The Breaking News Center reported the Urban Mobility Report, released by the Texas Transportation Institute found that commuters in Chicago waste an average of 70 hours on the road each year.

The congestion alone is enough to increase the risk of a Chicago car crash. It also increases the risk of other dangerous driving behaviors, including aggressive driving, distracted driving, running red lights and even speeding, when and if a motorist can break out of the gridlock.

The report of the traffic issues in Chicago comes even as some other major metropolitan areas are seeing some relief when it comes to heavy rush hour traffic, if only because of high unemployment and the struggling economy.

The 70 extra hours spent behind the wheel each year by Chicago drivers was more than twice the national average of 34 hours. Chicago had ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the past. Chicago motorists spent an extra 64 hours behind the wheel in 2008, compared to 55 hours in 1999 and 18 hours in 1982.

Los Angeles had previously held the top spot.

All that extra time behind the wheel comes with a price. On average, congestion cost each commuter $1,738 last year. In all, the nation spent $115 billion on congestion, wasted an additional 4.8 billion hours behind the wheel and consumed just shy of 4 billion extra gallons of fuel.

The study looked at 439 urban areas and found the issues associated with congestion would have been even more acute without mass transit, which saved 785 million man-hours and 640 million gallons of fuel.

And, unfortunately, all this could amount to the good news. Congestion is expected to get worse as the economy recovers.

Continue reading " Chicago congestion ranked worst in nation - increases risk of car accidents " »

A downstate Illinois car crash lawyer has received an $8 million Court of Claims award for the family of two sisters killed in a 2007 collision, according to the Chicago Tribune. It is being reported that this is possibly a record award for a tort claim against the State of Illinois.

The victims, ages 18 and 13, from Collinsville, were killed when an Illinois state trooper, allegedly driving 126 mph while using email, slammed into their car, causing it to burst into flames. The Illinois traffic accident took place on Interstate 64 near Fairview Heights.

The auto accident lawyer representing the family asked for $46 million, however the family believes that justice was done through the $8 million decision. Four million dollars was awarded for the death of each girl. The mother of the victims stated Tuesday at a press conference that she hopes this award deters negligent behavior in the future.

The ruling still must be approved by the Illinois Legislature in a special bill. These bills generally are introduced near the end of April.

The family was represented by Thomas Q. Keefe Jr., P.C. of Belleville, Illinois.

The police officer was injured in the crash and resigned from his position last year. He has also pleaded guilty to two counts of reckless homicide and was sentenced to 30 months probation.

Click here to read the story as reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Belleville News-Democrat.

The Chicago Police Department is asking for the public's help in locating a truck driver that may have been involved in an Illinois hit-and-run bicycle accident, according to the Chicago Tribune. The accident occurred on Monday around 5:50 PM. The victim and a seriously damaged by were found next to the eastbound lanes in the 300 West block of Pershing Road on the South Side, which is in the Wentworth Gardens neighborhood.

Chicago police believe the bicycle rider was hit by a semi tanker-truck that had a red extended cab. They also report that the truck was traveling at a high rate of speed heading eastbound.

The victim was a 65-year-old male, address still unknown, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office. Autopsy reports show the bicyclist died from multiple injuries sustained after being hit by a motor vehicle.

Chicago police are asking anyone with information about the accident to immediately contact the major accident investigation unit at 312-745-4521.

It is not been reported if a Chicago bike accident lawyer is involved in the case yet. As far as a civil case is concerned, we can only hope that the truck involved in the accident is located. This would enable the victim's family to make a claim against the truck driver's commercial insurance policy. If the truck is not located, the attorney representing the victim's family would explore the possibility of making an uninsured motorist / hit and run claim against the victim's own auto insurance policy.

Illinois personal injury lawyers Abels & Annes have reached a settlement in a Cook County auto accident lawsuit. The case involved a collision that occurred on Roosevelt Road near Ridgeland Avenue in Berwyn, Illinois. Our law firm worked with co-counsel from the Elman Law Group in representing the plaintiff.

Our client was in her vehicle and stopped at a red light when the defendant failed to stop in time and rear ended the plaintiff’s car. The Berwyn Police Department responded and determined the defendant caused the crash by exceeding safe speeds for conditions.

The plaintiff incurred neck, back and chest injuries in the Chicago car crash. She was treated at Mt. Sinai Hospital a short time later.

Over the next several days our clients pain did not resolve and only got worse. She received additional medical care from a neurologist who prescribed physical therapy. The plaintiff underwent physical therapy the consisted of electric stimulation, therapeutic exercise, heat and cold treatments, joint mobilization, and ultrasound therapy.

A complaint was filed in the Circuit Court of Cook County and alleged that the defendant was negligent in failing to yield the right of way, failing to keep a proper and sufficient lookout, driving too fast for conditions, and failing to keep his vehicle under control. The parties settled the lawsuit prior to going to trial for $12,000. Allstate insurance is paying on the claim.

If you have been hurt in an Illinois car accident, contact a Chicago injury attorney at Abels & Annes for a free case evaluation. Call 312-924-7575 to speak to an attorney now.

Whether Illinois car crash attorneys will exist years down the road is starting to become a legitimate question. Recent advances in automotive technology are indicating that cars may drive themselves in the not so distant future. While there will still be accidents and injuries, they may occur much less frequently.

Google recently announced that, in an effort to reduce traffic collisions, they have developed the technology necessary for cars to drive themselves. They believe this will also free up people's time and reduce carbon emissions.

Google states that as of October, 2010 its automated cars (occupied by trained drivers) have been in use in various parts of California and have been driven for over 140,000 miles. The vehicles use video cameras, radar sensors and lasers to navigate traffic. The system also uses detailed maps made possible by Google's data centers.

The company says they have made safety its first goal in the program. The cars are always manned by a safety operator who can disengage cruise control at any time. They also have a computer software technician riding as a passenger to monitor the vehicle. As an extra precaution, Google also alerts police when operating the vehicle in any given area.

The World Health Organization estimates that more than 1.2 million people die each year in motor vehicle accidents. Google believes its new program has the potential to reduce that number in half. Further, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation estimates that the average person spends 52 minutes a day traveling to work. Google states that self driven vehicles will have the effect of giving that time back to commuters.

Google does not give an estimate as to when the program could become a reality for motorists. Due to the amount of lives lost in accidents and serious injuries incurred by countless others, hopefully they can push the program and make it available sooner rather than later.

In the meantime, until a future where everyone's car is driving on its own, if you have been hurt in an Illinois auto accident, contact the Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes for a free consultation. Call 312-924-7575 to speak directly to an attorney now.

Click here to read about other technology for vehicles that drive themselves as reported by CNN.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration apparently got the memo because it finally posted safe winter driving information on its website this week as the season shapes up to be one of the toughest in recent memory.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that snowy conditions were at least partly responsible for 4,289 Chicago car accidents in 2009, injuring more than 900 motorists. Nearly 130 were injured in accidents where sleet, wind and hail were a contributing factor and almost 3,600 motorists suffered injuries in accidents involving rain.

Just last week, the Associated Press reported a woman was found dead a month after wandering into a snowy field following a Chicago car accident.

Our Chicago injury attorneys remind motorists to allow extra time to reach their destination and to practice other safe driving habits to reduce your chances of being involved in a serious or fatal auto accident.

The government offers a number of safety tips for winter driving in Chicago, including:

-Have your car serviced now. Complete routine maintenance and have hoses, tires and belts checked for repair or replacement.

-Check your battery. Cold weather requires more power to start your vehicle. Battery should be checked for sufficient voltage and charging system should be inspected.

-Cooling system should be serviced. Improper mixture can cause coolant to freeze and can severely damage your engine.

-Keep windshield washer fluid filled with "no freeze" fluid. Buy an extra bottle to keep in your vehicle.

-Check wipers and defrosters.

-Pay particular attention to tires. Keep a pressure gauge in your vehicle.

-Practice cold-weather driving. After snow, practice driving in an empty parking lot in daylight before tackling main roads.

-Drive slowly.

-In the event of a skid, stay calm, apply firm pressure if your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, otherwise pump gently and steer into the skid until you regain control.

-Properly plan winter travel. Check traffic and road conditions. Don't rush.

-Keep gas tank close to full.

-Avoid driving in hazardous conditions whenever possible.

-Keep an emergency kit in your vehicle, including shovel, broom and ices scrapper, sand or kitty litter for traction, jumper cables, flashlight, warning devices, blanket, food and necessary medicine.

-Travel with a fully charged cell phone.

-If stranded, don't overexert yourself. Stay with your car. Tie bright cloth to antenna or window. Don't run car for long periods to avoid carbon monoxide.

-Always wear your seat belt.

When it comes to talking to your teens about the dangers of being involved in a Chicago car accident, advice cannot come too early or too often.

Our Chicago accident attorneys note the new program being launched by Safe Kids USA, which is aimed at teenagers ages 13 and 14. The Countdown2Drive program aims to arm young teens with safe driving and passenger knowledge so they can protect themselves as they become more independent.

"Our goal is to educate young teens, as they begin to transition from passengers to drivers," said said Safe Kids CEO John Formisano. "Our research shows teen pre-drivers are eager to learn, and they are focused on the freedom a driver's license and access to a car can provide."

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that car accidents are the leading cause of death for teenagers, both those ages 15 to 20 who are old enough to drive, and those 13 and 14 who are anxiously awaiting the day they can get behind the wheel. Nationwide, nearly 6,000 teen drivers were involved in fatal crashes in 2008. A total of 516 motorists lost their lives in Illinois car accidents involving young drivers that year.

"By preparing them to be good passengers, Countdown2Drive can help decrease the number of crashes and injuries that occur during their first and most dangerous year of driving," said Formisano. "Motor vehicle crashes are the number one killer of teens, with driver inexperience and distractions among the main causes of teen crashes."

Teens are four times more likely to be involved in a crash than other drivers. Those ages 13 and 14 have twice the risk of dying in a car accident than younger children and that risk continues to grow as a teenager gets older. Teens are at risk for all types of poor driving habits -- among the most serious is distracted driving and the high number of teenagers who use cell phones or text message while behind the wheel.

"Texting and talking on cell phones may feel like second nature to a tech-savvy generation, but the truth is, no one can talk or text while driving safely," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "Driving distracted is a dangerous and deadly practice, which is why we need to reach teens early on - before they get a permit and a license to drive."

Continue reading " Program targets young teens in effort to prevent Chicago car accidents " »

As our Chicago car accidents lawyers reported last year, we have come a long way since the debut of the "car phone" in a Chrysler K car at Soldier Field in the 1980s. Gone from marketing efforts are any mentions of "car" and "phone" in the same sentence as companies increasingly distance themselves from the liability of driving while using their products.

An effort to form a lobbying group of cell phone makers to push back against anti-texting laws in Congress even failed last year for lack of participation on the part of the phone companies. Meanwhile, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports some 5,000 people are killed each year and another 500,000 are injured in accidents caused by distracted driving. Cell phones and text messaging are high on that list of blame.

Text messaging and driving is now illegal in Illinois, as is using a hand-held cell phone in a school zone or construction site. Hand-held cell phone use is illegal everywhere in the City of Chicago. But those laws do not stop thousands of motorists feom endangering themselves and others each day.

At particular risk are teenagers -- who are more likely to text message and more likely to drive distracted than any other age group.

AT&T is launching "It Can Wait," a campaign meant to combat the dangers. The 10-minute documentary features a teen killed the day before her high school graduation and another who killed a bicyclist while texting "lol."

“This documentary is a raw look at the reality and hazards of texting while driving, and we hope it will make wireless customers think twice before pulling out their cell phones in the driver’s seat,” said AT&T spokeswoman Cathy Coughlin. “As a global telecommunications company, it is our responsibility to bring these risks to light.”

In May, Sprint joined the Oprah Winfrey Show to educate drivers about the risk of distracted driving.

And a Florida company has even developed an app for that. The Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel reports the $29.99 PhoneGuard app uses GPS to prevent a cell phone from texting, e-mailing or surfing the web when traveling more than 10 mph.

The device can also alert parents or employers when a vehicle travels more than 65 mph by sending a text with a locator map of the vehicle's speed and location.

Continue reading " Phone companies pushing anti-distracted driving message to reduce risk of Chicago car accidents " »

A Chicago car crash that occurred early Monday morning has left several people injured, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. The collision involved two vehicles and occurred on the Northwest Side around 1:40 AM on the Kennedy Expressway.

Police reported that several people were hurt and taken by ambulance to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge. The nature and extent of the injuries has not been reported.

The expressway's left lane was closed following accident, but reopened around 2:20 AM.

The Illinois State Police are handling the accident investigation. No traffic tickets were issued immediately after the accident, however police remained at the hospital as of early Monday morning.

What caused the two vehicle Illinois car crash has not been reported.

A Central Illinois car crash has caused significant injuries to five people on Saturday afternoon in Schuyler County, according to the Quincy Herald Whig. The collision occurred when a 1997 Chevy SUV driven by a 61-year-old resident of Versailles was traveling westbound on Illinois 103 near Sugar Grove Road when he lost control of the vehicle and ran off the road. The vehicle then came back on the highway, crossed the center-line and struck a 2010 Hyundai head-on that was being driven by a 66-year-old man from Beardstown.

There were three passengers traveling in the Hyundai, two of which were children ages eight and four. All parties involved in the accident were taken by ambulance to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield. The specific injuries sustained have not been reported.

The Illinois State Police are handling the investigation, which is ongoing. It is not been reported what caused the motorist to lose control and cross the center-line.

The following entities reportedly assisted at the scene of the accident: Schyler County Ambulance, Schuyler County Volunteer Fire and Rescue, Beardstown Ambulance, Air Evac and the Schuyler County Sheriff's Department.

The holidays are generally about gift giving and making resolutions so this year should be no different. Health and safety are two common things that I think we can all ask for this year. If everyone were to make their New Year’s resolution to be safer on the roadways in 2011, it’s possible that Chicago car accidents would decline thus leading to less fatalities next year.

Though there are many variables that can lead to increased holiday traffic fatalities such as increased volume of traffic, inclement weather, driving under the influence and distracted driving, the most common causes of accidents are as deadly throughout the year as they are during the holidays.

Drunk driving, speeding, distracted driving and aggressive driving account for the vast majority of all serious and fatal car accidents in Illinois and elsewhere in the United States.

We all tend to view holidays as a special time of year. Traffic is at a high volume due to the holiday shoppers, holiday parties, and family gatherings that take place this time of year. Drivers tend to get distracted during the holidays because they have so much on their mind and so little time to get everything accomplished successfully by their own standards.

The chances you will be faced with a drinking-and-driving decision are much greater due to the number of holiday parties and family gatherings that we are attending during the holiday season. But the truth is that the holidays mostly exacerbate our poor driving habits. If we drive while talking on the phone, we do it more during the holidays. If we are prone to stopping for happy hour and driving home, we do it more during the holidays. If we speed, tailgate or drive aggressively, we do it more during the holidays.

Stay safe by adding the following possible New Year’s Resolutions for 2011:

-Make notes and plan your schedule far in advance so that you are sure to allow plenty of time to accomplish everything on your to-do list.

-Don’t drive if you have had something alcoholic to drink. You always have other options so resolve to do the right thing.

-Set aside time each week for reflection and relaxation. A little deep breathing never hurt anyone.

-Set a goal to pick up holiday gifts throughout the year by having 80% of your shopping done by Labor Day weekend rather than wait until the last minute. This can help save money with sale purchases as well as provide an opportunity to feel less stressed during the holidays.

-Recognize the dangers of speeding, aggressive driving and distracted driving and vow to do something about your part in contributing to those risks in 2011.

Continue reading " New Year’s resolutions for Chicago drivers: Safer driving, fewer accidents " »