Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

A significant reduction in the number of Chicago car accidents, as well as serious and fatal traffic accidents elsewhere in Illinois, made the state the safest it has been since 1921, according to 2009 traffic statistics released by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

A total of 911 traffic fatalities were reported in Illinois last year and 89,090 were injured. Those figures indicate about 3 people are killed and 244 are injured every day on Illinois roads. Total economic cost was $5.3 billion.

Each fatality cost $1.3 million. An incapacitating injury cost $66,900, while a nonincapacitating injury cost $21,700.

Fatal Accidents in Illinois
-911 motorists were killed in 832 fatal crashes.
-25.7 crashes occurred at intersections.
-77.2 percent occurred on dry roads.
-48.3 percent occurred in daylight.
-56.4 occurred on urban roads.
-31.7 occurred in a crash with a fixed object.

Illinois Pedestrian Accidents
-111 pedestrians were killed in 2009.
-5,231 were injured.
-One in five fatal pedestrian accidents involved a senior citizen; 1 in 20 involved a child under the age of 15.

Illinois Motorcycle Accidents
-A total of 3,846 motorcycle crashes were reported.
-130 riders were killed and 3,152 were injured.

Illinois School Bus Accidents
-133 school-aged children were injured in school bus accidents.
-78 drivers were injured in school bus accidents.

Illinois Semi Accidents
-64 people were killed in tractor-trailer accidents in Illinois.
-3 fatality victims were occupants of tractor-trailers, while 55 were occupants of other vehicles.

Illinois Train Accidents
-One-fourth of fatal train accidents happened at crossings with gates.
-Three-quarters of fatal train crashes happened at crossings with other types of traffic control devices, including signs and flashing lights.

Illinois Work Zone Accidents
-31 people were killed in Illinois work zone accidents in 2009.
-5 of those killed were construction workers.

Continue reading "Fewer Chicago car accidents contribute to historic statewide reduction; nearly 250 a day still injured in Illinois car accidents" »

Illinois is among 10 states ordered by the federal government to improve safety at railroad crossings, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys continue to report on the large number of Chicago railroad crossing accidents. Our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog has reported at least one fatal railroad crossing accident in each of the last three months.

Between 2006 and 2008, a total of 98 people have been killed at 588 railroad crossing accidents in Illinois, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. In fact, Illinois had more railroad crossing accidents than any state in the nation except Texas.

States must submit a plan by August 2011 to reduce railroad crossing accidents and must pay extra attention to crossings that have been identified as particularly dangerous. Options include shutting down crossing or building tunnels or bridges to separate trains from vehicle traffic.

In Northeastern Illinois, four crossings in Chicago and the Bensenville Rail Yard in Franklin Park top the list of crossings where multiple accidents have occurred. Five crashes have been reported at each location during the past five years.

Other states under the federal mandate to improve crossing safety are Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Ohio and Texas. Federal statistics show that 7,077 crossing accidents have killed 873 people during the last three years. Just over half of those accidents occurred in the 10 states targeted for safety improvements.

Federal authorities rejected an argument by some states that fatalities be determined based on the number of crossings in a state and the number of vehicles traveling through crossings. Instead, the enforcement action is being taken based on the total number of railroad crossing accidents that each state has reported.

State authorities have yet to finalize a separate plan meant to reduce Illinois pedestrian accidents at railroad crossings. Twenty-eight pedestrians have been killed at crossings in the last three years, according to the Illinois Commerce Commission.

Continue reading "Chicago railroad crossing accidents in focus as Illinois under federal mandate to improve safety" »