Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

Chicago auto accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have signed on to represent a local resident that was injured in an April, 2011 collision. The accident occurred in the 3500 block of Montrose Avenue. Our client was driving westbound in a 2000 Dodge Neon when she was rear-ended by the driver of a 1995 Subaru that was also moving westbound.

Immediately after the accident the plaintiff started experiencing neck pain and headaches. She was seen shortly there after at the Resurrection Hospital emergency room. There she was examined by emergency room physicians. The ER doctors diagnosed her with acute neck sprain, prescribed pain medication and instructed her to follow-up with a physician.

Since the date of the accident her pain has only increased and she is now treating with orthopedic doctors in Chicago.

The Chicago Police Department handled the crash investigation.

A Chicago car crash has resulted in injuries to a police sergeant and two others, according to the Chicago Tribune. The collision occurred when a motorist ran a red light, striking a police car that was then knocked into another car.

The crash occurred on the South Side just after 9:40 PM on Tuesday at Stony Island and 83rd Street. The at fault driver was traveling in a 2006 Audi southbound on Stony Island when she failed to stop at a stop light and struck a marked Chicago police car that was moving westbound 83rd St. The squad car was then knocked into a 1992 Mercedes.

The driver of the Audi, a 32-year-old woman, was taken by ambulance to Jackson Park Hospital. The sergeant was taken to Advocate Trinity Hospital and later released. The Mercedes driver was taken to South Shore Hospital. The exact injuries of each motorist were not reported.

The Audi driver was ticketed for driving to fast for conditions and driving without insurance. The Mercedes driver was ticketed for operating a vehicle with a suspended or revoked license.

A Chicago man struck by a distracted teen driver dies after suffering severe brain injuries from the accident, according to The Chicago Tribune.

The teen driver was reportedly downloading ring tones on her cell phone when the accident occurred. The rider was reported to have been taking all the necessary safety precautions while riding his bicycle that afternoon. He was wearing his helmet and riding on the shoulder of the road, but that wasn't enough to save him from the deadly Chicago bicycle accident.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers urge drivers to be extra observant on the roadways as cyclists, motorcycle riders and pedestrians take to the street in large numbers this spring.

Distracted driving reports show that inattentive drivers are responsible for an increasing number of accidents in the Unites States. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 5,500 people were killed, and an additional 448,000 injured, in motor vehicle accidents involving a distracted driver. Of the thousands killed, roughly 1,000 of the accidents reported cell phone usage as the form of distraction. This means cell phones contributed to nearly 20 percent of the distracted driving-related accidents.

As we recently discussed on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, Illinois is making every attempt to help reduce the risk of bicycling accidents. Twenty riders were killed in bicycle accidents in 2009, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Through spring, Chicago is hosting various distracted driving awareness events to help reduce the risk of these accidents.

Distracted driving needs to be addressed not only to help protect cyclists and pedestrians but to help protect other motorists as well. Illinois recently kicked off National Distracted Driving Awareness Month with the Illinois Distracted Driving Summit, presented by the National Safety Council & FocusDriven. The Summit was used to engage key groups to determine how best to reduce crashes involving distracted drivers.

"Still, too many of our friends and neighbors are killed in preventable roadway tragedies every day. We will continue doing everything possible to make cars safer, increase seat belt use, put a stop to drunk driving and distracted driving and encourage drivers to put safety first," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The NHTSA offers this list of potential in-car distractions you should avoid:

-Cell Phones. This includes both hand-held and hands free phones.

-Computers. With the convenience of laptop computers, it is easy to access them while at the wheel.

-Distractions caused by other passengers.

-Your radio. Changing the station, changing the CD or messing with your MP3 player all requires you to take your eyes, and attention, off the road.

-GPS Systems. Use these features only when pulled over and stopped on the side of the road.

Continue reading " Distracted Driving Greatly Increases the Change of Chicago Motor Vehicle Accidents involving Pedestrians, Bicyclists and Motorcyclists " »

Illinois car crash attorneys at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent a woman who was injured in an April, 2011 collision that occurred at 150th St. & Broadway in Harvey, Illinois. The plaintiff was northbound on Broadway, proceeding through the intersection after stopping at a stop sign. At that time, the defendant, who was westbound on150th St., failed to stop at the stop sign and T-boned our client's vehicle.

The Harvey Police Department investigated the accident. The defendant driver admitted to what happened and was issued a citation for failing to stop at the stop sign.

Shortly after the crash, our client developed neck and back pain, right shoulder pain, and right arm pain. Since then, she has started with an orthopedic physician in the Chicago area.

Contact the Illinois injury attorneys at Abels & Annes for free, no obligation consultation you've been hurt in a Chicago area traffic collision. Contact us online or call 312-924-7575.

The United States Department of Transportation recently reported a 2 percent drop in motorcycle deaths. The country experienced 80 fewer motorcycle fatalities from January through September of 2010 as the same time period the year before, according to The New York Times.

Typically this wouldn't be cause for celebration. However, motorcycle accidents had been on the rise for more than a decade, despite a steady decline in the overall number of traffic accidents nationwide.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers remind motorists that spring is the most dangerous time of the year for Illinois motorcycle accidents. While officials are cautiously optimistic regarding the decrease, many do not expect it to last. As conditions in our state improve along with the nation's economy, officials worry that the risks of a motorcycle accident in Illinois will increase as well.

"The drop is all in the front half of the year," said report author Jim Hedlund, a safety consultant. "It looks very much as if we've hit bottom and may be starting back up again."

More than 5,000 motorcyclists were killed in 2008, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. There were an additional 96,000 motorcyclists injured in the same year. Illinois saw more than 120 fatalities in 2009.

“Motorcyclists are among the most vulnerable of highway users, and we want to work together to promote motorcycle safety and help protect all of the motoring public,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig.

As we recently discussed on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, a campaign was launched in Illinois to address the number of accidents that involve fault on the part of the rider. The "Gear Up" campaign kicked off statewide in effort to encourage riders receive the proper motorcycle riding training and to wear proper equipment while biking. The Illinois Department of Transportation, the Gold Wing Road Riders Association and a Brotherhood Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) were the organizations behind the campaign.

The Illinois Department of Transportation offers these motorcycle safety tips to help our riders stay safe on our roadways:

-Drive to survive. As the smallest vehicles on our roadways, a motorist is not offered much physical protection in the event of an accident. Drivers are asked to pay close attention to signals, other vehicles and brake lights. Always practice defensive driving and be extra cautious of the movement of other vehicles.

-Never ride between lanes, share a lane with another vehicle or drive aggressively.

-As motorcycles accelerate faster than other vehicles, it is important for you to keep a close eye on your speed.

-Wear protective gear. Motorcycle riders should often wear a helmet, a jacket, gloves and boots to protect themselves from debris, unpleasant weather conditions or an accident.

-Be aware of no-zones. As all vehicles have blind spots, be sure to steer clear of these areas. If you can't see the driver the driver can't see you.

Continue reading " Decreasing numbers of motorcycle accidents could be good news for Chicago " »

Illinois semi truck crash lawyers at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent a group of Chicago residents that were injured when the vehicle they were traveling in was rear-ended. The truck accident occurred on Interstate 94 just outside of Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.

The plaintiffs were at a complete stop in traffic headed westbound on the interstate when the driver of a tractor-trailer/18 wheeler failed to slow in time and rear-ended their vehicle. Witnesses to the accident stated that the defendant was traveling too fast for conditions on the road.

The accident was investigated by the Wisconsin State Police. After interviewing the parties, the state troopers issued moving violations to the defendant truck driver.

Three of the passengers riding in the plaintiff's vehicle were children. They were all taken to Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. The driver of the vehicle sustained neck and back injuries, and an adult passenger sustained back injuries. They are both treating with an orthopedic doctor in the Chicago area.

If you've been injured in an Illinois trucking accident, contact the Chicago personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes for a free consultation. Click here to contact Abels & Annes online, or call 312-924-7575 to speak directly to a lawyer now.

Illinois personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes have recently settled an auto accident claim against a driver insured by Geico.

The first case arises from an accident that occurred back on May 26, 2010 at 9 AM, in the City of Chicago. Our client was driving a 1995 Mazda Protege northbound on Cottage Grove Avenue approaching 88th St. when the defendant, who was operating a 1992 Chevrolet Van southbound on Cottage Grove, attempted an illegal U-turn at the intersection of 88th and Cottage Grove. As the defendant attempted to U-turn he struck our client's vehicle.

The Chicago Police Department came to the scene of the accident. After interviewing the drivers, the investigating officer ticketed the defendant with making the illegal U-turn.

The plaintiff sustained back injuries in the crash. She was seen at the Jackson Park Hospital emergency room shortly after. x-rays were taken she was diagnosed with ace thoracic sprain. She was also prescribed pain medication.

The plaintiffs pain became worse in the days following the accident. She also developed neck pain, shoulder pain and headaches. She sought follow-up treatment with a chiropractic physician. The doctor prescribed course of physical therapy the consisted of electrical stimulation, therapeutic exercises, neuromuscular reeducation, heat treatment, manual therapy, mechanical traction and ultrasound therapy. She attended physical therapy on 15 occasions through August, 2010.

The case settled for just under $8,500. No lawsuit had to be filed. This is the second case we resolved with Geico Insurance over the last few weeks.

In the other claim against Geico, our client was the victim of a hit-and-run auto accident. He was stopped at a stop sign at the intersection of 71st and Michigan in Chicago when he was rear-ended. The at fault driver then fled the scene.

The plaintiff sustained neck, shoulder and back injuries in the accident. He was seen in the ER at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital and then had follow up treatment with an orthopedic in Chicago.

Our client had hit-and-run / uninsured motorist coverage with Geico. The case settled for just over $6,000.

If you've been injured in a traffic collision, contact the Chicago auto accident attorneys at Abels & Annes for free consultation. Call 312-924-7575.

Single vehicle Illinois auto accidents that took place this month in the southwest suburbs of Chicago illustrate the need to avoid distracted driving. The Beacon News is reporting that one of the accidents occurred in Aurora and the other in Kendall County. Both accidents occurred due to drivers reaching for devices in their cars instead of watching the road.

One crash occurred back on April 6, 2011 in the afternoon near the intersection of Shorline and Baybrook in Aurora. The driver was looking down trying to locate his ipod and struck a tree. The car then rolled over. There were two passengers in the car, but police have not disclosed if anyone was injured. The driver was charged with failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The second happened several hours later just after 12:00 a.m. on April 7. It was again a single car accident. It occurred in 400 block of North Johnson Street in Newark, Illinois. Two people were hurt in the crash when a 30-year-old driver lost control of her car after reaching for a CD player and driving off the road.

The car struck a phone pole. The driver and passenger were taken by ambulance to Valley West Community Hospital. The severity of injuries have not been reported. The driver was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid the collision.

These accidents occurred as a Chicago car accident lawyer at our firm is in the middle of negotiating an injury claim on behalf of a pedestrian that was injured by a distracted driver. The motorist was driving in Chicago when his cell phone rang. He lost control of his vehicle while trying to grab the phone, drove up onto a sidewalk and struck our client.

Illinois drivers need to remember that when they drive while distracted, they are putting their lives and the lives of others at risk.

As we previously reported on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. Throughout the entire month, the National Safety Council (NSC) and FocusDriven are teaming up to urge drivers to curb distracted driving by putting away their cell phones and other forms of distraction. The NSC estimates that, each year, roughly 30 percent of all motor vehicle accidents -- -- 1.6 million crashes -- involve a distracted driver.

The National Safety Council will be holding webinars throughout the month to help inform the general public about the dangers of distracted driving. They will also be covering ways to decrease your risk of being involved in a distracted driving accident in Chicago or elsewhere in the U.S.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers frequently deal with accidents caused by some form of driving distraction. Hand-held cell phones have been illegal for drivers to use inside the city limits of Chicago for years. And all drivers have been prohibited from text messaging since a state law went into effect last January. Still, both are common causes of car accidents.

The first webinar, The Ripple Effect of Distracted Driving Crashes, will be aimed at helping viewers to understand why these new technologies are posing such a threat to the safety of everyone our roadways. This webinar will include stories from families who have been directly affected by these dangerous driving habits. The main focus of this session is to help drivers to better understand how the mind is distracted behind the wheel and what you can do to regain control on the road.

The second of these webinars, Do You Really Know What's Going on in Your Fleet?, will focus more on the frequency and the main causes of distracted driving accidents. This webinar will bring to light the risk for drivers and employees.

These webinars are made possible by the support of various advocates for safe driving, DriveCam Inc. and FirstGroup. Both companies are proud sponsors or National Distracted Driving Awareness Month 2011.

Distracted Driving research provides us with the following statistics:

-Distracted driving was a factor in nearly 5,500 deaths in car accidents and caused more than 448,000 motor-vehicle accident injuries in 2009.

-Drivers under the age of 20 are most likely to be involved in an accident caused by distracted driving. Nearly 20 percent of all their fatal accidents were caused by a distracted driver.

-The use of a cell phone while driving delays the reaction time of a drive to that equivalent of a drunk driver, testing with a BAC of .08 or higher.

-Roughly 20 percent of all accidents reported in 2009 involved distracted drivers.

-Of the near 5,500 deaths caused by distracted driving, almost 1,000 of them reported the use of a cell phone as the form of distraction.

-Cell phones make drivers four times more likely to be involved in an accident resulting in significant injury.

Continue reading " Distracted Driving Webinars may help reduce risk of Chicago car accidents during awareness month " »

An Illinois auto accident in suburban Northfield has claimed the life of a 22-year-old Chicago woman, Winnetka Talk is reporting. Another person was seriously injured in the collision that occurred on Friday.

The accident occurred at 2220 Willow Road. Northfield police are stating that the woman was eastbound on Willow when she crossed the center line for unknown reasons and struck a westbound driver head-on.

The woman was taken by ambulance to Evanston Hospital and pronounced dead hours later. The driver of the other vehicle, a 63 year old Glenview man, was also taken to Evanston Hospital. He was in critical condition.

The Northfield Police Department is being assisted by the Major Crash Assistance Team, which is a joint operation run by several suburban departments. The collision is still under investigation and it has not yet been reported if drugs or alcohol played a role.

The Glenview Patch is reporting that the accident occurred around 8 pm and that Willow Road remained closed due to the accident late into the night.

Click here to read the story as reported by WGN tv.

A Chicago area accident has resulted in the death of a woman, and criminal charges against an alleged drunk driver, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. The accident occurred on Monday just after 5 AM at Balmoral Park Racetrack in Crete, Illinois.

Will County prosecutors allege a 41-year-old man was intoxicated when he drove his truck into a horse on the track, killing a woman that was riding it. They allege the motorist drank approximately five or six shots while at a barn at the track prior to the collision.

The victim, age 25, died from head injuries, while another woman riding on the horse, age 21, sustained a fractured leg which required surgery to repair.

The driver allegedly had a blood-alcohol level of 0.147, almost twice the legal limit. He has been charged with four counts of aggravated DUI. A Will County Judge set the defendant's bond at $500,000 and he faces up to 14 years in prison.

It is also being reported that the defendant may have been engaged to the victim, however the victim's family has stated that is not true.

Click here to read the story as reported by the Chicago Tribune and NBC News in Chicago.

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

Illinois officials and federal leaders are joining forces to determined the best way to reduce accidents involving distracted driving, according to the National Safety Council (NSC). Illinois officials will be joined by various leaders from the medical, education, researched and traffic safety communities at a distracted driving summit planned for later this month. The focus will be on tackling the increase in distracted driving accidents in Chicago and the surrounding areas.

“I first met several of the founding members of FocusDriven at our Distracted Driving Summit, and I’m deeply impressed by their commitment to turn these tragic events into positive actions that will help save lives,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Their stories are not just heartbreaking; they’re also a clear and compelling call to action.”

Our Chicago car accident lawyers understand the severity of the issue. Few accidents are accidents in the strictest sense of the word; many are caused by a driver who simply fails to pay attention. We urge all motorists to help keep the roads safer for everyone by avoiding distractions behind the wheel.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that, at any given moment, 9 percent of drivers are talking on their cell phone. This type of driving makes drivers four times more likely to be involved in a car crash, according to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety.

“FocusDriven is an important organization that puts faces and names to the tragedies caused by cell phone use while driving,” said National Safety Council President Janet Froetscher. “The members of FocusDriven have powerful stories to tell about their loved ones. We hope their stories will help people realize the dangers of using cell phones while driving.”

The Government reports the following distracted driving trends

-Those between the ages of 15 and 20 have the highest proportion of distracted drivers involved in fatal accident.

-7 percent of drivers were reported to be distracted during the time of the accident in 2005, that number has now increased to 11 percent.

-Nearly 5,500 people were killed in accidents involving a distracted driver in 2009 -- 16 percent of fatalities. Another 448,000 were reportedly injured under these conditions.

-Of the 1,517,000 accidents resulting in injury, an estimated 20 percent reportedly involved distracted driving.

The Illinois Distracted Driving summit offers online registration for this free event on the NSC website.

Continue reading " Illinois Distracted Driving Summit aims to Reduce Risks of Distracted Driving Accidents " »

More than 100 schools statewide were selected to participate in the Operation Teen Safe Driving Program. Schools were asked to use their imagination and creativity to develop programs to help educate their peers about the importance of safe driving.

The Illinois Department of Transportation funds the program along with Ford Motor Company, the Allstate Foundation and Illinois State Police (ISP). This is the fourth year the program has been offered to our Illinois students. The program is offered in our region to help reduce the risks of teen driving accidents in Chicago and the surrounding areas.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers understand the importance of these driving programs as they may have affected the recent decrease in Illinois teen motor-vehicle fatalities. Records show that teen driving fatalities have significantly decreased since the program began back in 2007.

“When I established the Teen Driver Safety Task Force the goal was to improve Illinois’ graduated driver licensing (GDL) law and, even more importantly, to save lives,” said Secretary of State Jesse White. “I am encouraged that teen driving deaths have dropped by 50 percent since the law took effect January 1, 2008. This law, in conjunction with the Operation Teen Safe Driving initiative, is having the intended impact on teen driving safety. My congratulations to the winners as well as to all schools that participated in this important program. Working together, we can save more lives and make Illinois roads safer for all of us.”

Thirty-five schools have been invited to join Ford Motor Company in Springfield for their Driving Skills for Life, “Ride and Drive” events. These events offer hands-on experiences with speed/space management, hazard recognition/accident avoidance and handling/skid control.

Students will be able to jump behind the wheel to complete rigorous driving exercises. In addition to event participation, the top five schools in each of our seven regions will receive cash prizes between $500 and $2,500 to host a post-prom event.

"The proper education of our teen drivers is a crucial component in the short and long term reduction of traffic crash fatalities," said ISP Interim Director Patrick Keen. "The partnerships formed between public and private entities, and the accomplishments achieved by the students in the program, are a testament to the dedication of everyone involved in the Operation Teen Safe Driving program. The ISP is encouraged by the ongoing dialogue and commitment of these young adults who share their time, talents, and energy to promote awareness and safe driving practices."

Car accidents are the leading cause of death in those 15 to 20 years of age. In the U.S., nearly 2,400 young drivers died in car accidents and roughly 196,000 were injured in 2009, showing a 15 percent decrease from 2008. Illinois suffered more than 130 fatalities from car accidents involving young drivers between the ages of 15 and 20 in 2009.

Ford's Driving Skills for Life offers parents with this safe teen driving interactive toolkit to help educate their young drivers on how to travel safer on our roadways.

Continue reading " The Operation Teen Safe Driving Program aims to help reduce risk of Illinois car accidents " »

Chicago is teaming up with more than a dozen state agencies, road builders and unions to kick off Work Zone Safety Week. These safe work zone advocates gathered in Chicago to put Scott's Law in the spotlight to help prevent Chicago work accidents, according to The Chicago Tribune.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers urge you to abide by the rules set forth by Scott's Law, or the Move Over Law, to protect our road workers in construction areas and our emergency responders. Penalties for violating Scott's Law can range from $100 to $10,000 and automatic license suspension.

Scott's Law was enacted in 2002 after Lieutenant Scott Gillen of the Chicago Fire Department was killed by an intoxicated driver on the Dan Ryan Expressway. Since then, the Illinois State Police have issued nearly 19,000 citations to those who has failed to comply with the regulations, according to the Illinois Criminal Justice Authority.

"Every day, law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency response personnel, and highway workers place their lives in jeopardy to protect the citizens of the state of Illinois. The most important thing we do is to ensure citizens return home safely to their families," said Illinois State Police (ISP) Director Larry G. Trent. "Scott's Law helps these workers safely perform their duties so that they, too, can return home to their families each day."

State Transportation Gary Hanning is urging drivers to proceed through these construction areas with a heightened sense of caution this spring. He urges motorists to obey the posted speed limits and to drive distraction-free without cell phone and other hand held devices.

The Chicago Tribune reports that more than 30 people were killed in work zone crashes last year. The transportation department reports the state is launching an $11.5 billion construction plan this year, that will include work on nearly 500 miles of road and 105 bridges this summer.

“Illinois State Police Troopers will strictly enforce work zone speed limits and the ‟move over„ law which requires motorists to slow down and, if possible, change lanes when approaching police, emergency or construction vehicles displaying flashing warning lights,” Interim Director Patrick Keen said. “We will also strictly enforce Distracted Driving laws which restrict the use of a cell phone in a construction zone and texting while driving.”

In the United States, motor-vehicle accidents are the leading cause or work-related fatalities. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that approximately 5,700 fatalities are reported annually, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Illinois State Police Department offers you these tips to help you get through work zones and out of the way of emergency-responder vehicles without potential injuries or fines:

-Reduce speed. Maintain a safe speed for road conditions and obey all posted speed limits. These speed limits have a tendency to change with the amount of construction and workers present so be aware of all official signs.

-Proceed with caution. Yield to the right-of-way when changing lanes.

-Remember that under Scott's Law you are required to proceed with caution, change lanes if possible and reduce your speed in any driving scenario involving these construction workers or emergency responders.

Continue reading " Work Zone Safety Week Kicks Off by Raising Awareness of Chicago Work Accidents " »

An increasing number of Chicago Heights car accidents are being caused by distracted drivers, according to The Patch.

Our Chicago injury lawyers continue to report on the dangers of distracted driving, particularly text messaging and hand-held cell phone use behind the wheel.

So far, authorities don't believe any fatalities have resulted from text messaging, but the fire department has seen an increase in distracted driving accidents, beginning with a 2008 crash in which a vehicle was struck by a motorist tuning the radio. The accident claimed the life of an 8-year-old boy.

Still, texting is a big problem in the village, despite the Illinois texting ban, which went into effect in January 2010. The law makes it illegal to text while driving and also prohibits the use of hand-held cell phones in school zones and construction sites. Using a cell phone while driving is prohibited inside the city limits of Chicago by separate city ordinance.

Chicago Heights Police Chief William Joyce wants motorists to eliminate all forms of distracted driving. “Five seconds to text, five seconds to do a radio scan, five seconds to discipline your kids," Joyce said. "It only takes a second to travel the length of a football field when you are driving 40-45 mph. And you are driving a 2,000 to 3,000 pound weapon (while doing so).”

The Chief will be making several presentations through spring, with an emphasis on warning teenagers about the dangers of distracted driving. He uses a video from AT&T titled "The Last Text" and photos of accident scenes involving drunk drivers.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 5,474 people were killed and 448,000 were injured in accidents caused by distracted drivers.

Continue reading " Chicago Heights concerned about increase in car accidents caused by distracted driving " »

A deadly Chicago pedestrian accident on the North Side has claimed the life of a 75-year-old man, according to the Chicago Tribune. The collision occurred in Logan square just after 8 PM last Friday evening at the intersection of Kimball Avenue and North Avenue.

The victim was transported by ambulance to John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County in critical condition and pronounced dead less than an hour later.

After the accident the driver involved fled the scene. Chicago police located the car in the 4700 block of W. Washington Blvd. The Chicago Police Department's major accident investigation unit is now involved and a man has been taken into police custody.

As the weather warms up in the Chicago land area, drivers have to be on the lookout for more and more pedestrians in crosswalks and at other locations. In the year 2009 alone, 111 pedestrians were killed in Illinois accidents, and 13 of those pedestrians were age 75 and older, that according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

It was not reported if an Illinois pedestrian accident attorney is involved in this case yet.

Click here to read the story as reported by the Chicago Breaking News Center.

Anyone with information regarding the collision should contact the major accident investigation unit at (312) 745-4521.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced this week it is delaying a mandate that all new vehicles be equipped with backup cameras, which had been aimed at reducing Chicago parking lot accidents and accidents involving vehicles backing over victims in driveways.

Chicago personal injury attorneys understand the tragic consequences of such accidents, which frequently occur around the holidays and often involve a relative who strikes a small child or a child or older adult who is run down in a busy parking lot.

As we reported in December on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, the government had been set to require some new vehicles be equipped with the cameras next year, with the goal of having the cameras installed in all new vehicles by 2014.

In a carefully worded statement the NHTSA said it will now seek to have a permanent rule by the end of this year, following a public hearing on the issue, at which it apparently got an ear full from the auto industry. Automotive World reports the new rule will be postponed after the NHTSA indicated it needs more time for analysis and comments.

"Every year, nearly 300 people are killed and 18,000 more are injured when someone, often a parent or grandparent, backs over them," said Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. "To put an end to these tragedies, we have proposed a new safety rule and are seeking further public feedback."

The goal of last week's hearing was to permit industry groups and other interested parties a chance to comment.

"Safety is our top priority and the steps we are proposing, with the public's help and input, will reduce back-over fatalities and injuries not only to children, but to the elderly, and other pedestrians," NHTSA Administrator David Strickland said.

U.S. News & World Report referenced a study that indicates the new rule could cost the industry about $2.7 billion a year.

Continue reading " Feds delay rule aimed at preventing backover accidents in Chicago, elsewhere " »