Articles Posted in Car Accident

Chicago saw its first snowfall of the season this weekend and it was one for the record books. The city got hit with the second-largest November snowstorm since records began in 1884. Total snowfall at O’Hare Airport was measured at 11.2 inches while northern Illinois saw 16 inches. Northern Lake County may have seen the heaviest total snowfall at 19 inches while Mundelein and Rockford each got about 15 inches.

Snow can be a problem for area motorists but this weekend was made even worse as ice began to blanket city streets, expressways, and interstates. Today, that ice and snow mixture has been blamed for multiple collisions that occurred between Friday and as late as Sunday morning with some of those winter car accidents resulting in injuries.

Continue reading

Every year, manufacturers introduce new technology designed to reduce the risk of car accidents and increase the odds that the people involved in collisions will remain injury-free. But no matter what these manufacturers have introduced in the past, they have not been able to adequately address the primary cause of collisions: human error. Though national surveys continue to show that more than 80 percent of drivers consider themselves “better than average,” crashes continue to happen and claim nearly 33,000 lives each year.

Recently, several of world’s leading auto manufacturers and technology companies have taken steps to change the landscape of driving through the creation and planned introduction of autonomous vehicles. Typically called self-driving cars, self-navigating vehicles, or driverless cars, several prototypes are already being tested on public roadways with estimates of consumer availability in the next four to 10 years.
Continue reading

Recently, General Motors has faced significant scrutiny in the face of safety-related concerns stemming from their handling of ignition switch failures in several popular vehicle models. The issue occurred when an ignition would switch from the “run” to “off” position without warning, often while a vehicle took a significant bump in the road. As a result of the ignition turning off, airbags failed to deploy when the cars were involved in some collisions which led to substantial injuries and even several fatalities.

Federal investigators reviewed claims that GM engineers knew of the defect for years prior to the formal recall of these vehicles which occurred in February of 2014. As part of a Deferred Prosecution Agreement, GM agreed to pay $900 million in resolution of the claims brought against it by the government, but that did not begin to address the claims of consumers who were either injured by a faulty ignition switch or who lost a loved one in a crash, claims that could cost GM billions in additional funds.
Continue reading

Have you ever been involved in a car accident while in Chicago? If you are of legal driving age, odds are good that you have been involved in at least one crash in your lifetime. Even if you cannot or do not drive, there is still a good probability that you have been involved in a traffic-related collision as a pedestrian, bicyclists, or a passenger of an automobile.

Typically, about one-half to two-thirds of collisions are considered to be property damage only. This means that while at the scene, no one involved appears to be physically hurt or that no one reports injuries. Often, those victims seek medical attention on their own at a later time so it is likely that some of these accidents do result in physical harm to the occupants involved. In the other one-half to one-third of car accidents in Illinois, it is clear that at least one person has been hurt and will need assistance for those injuries. This translates to tens or even hundreds of thousands of injury victims annually who will need help or, tragically, who lose their lives in accidents.
Continue reading

The year 2015 is only a fraction of the way over and already there have been tens of thousands of car accidents in the State of Illinois. Many of those collisions are located in highly populated areas including Chicago and a large number of the crashes caused damage beyond that sustained by the vehicles involved. Most often, these damages take the form of physical injuries sustained by the drivers and occupants inside vehicles. In some cases, those outside of a car, including pedestrians or bicyclists, may be injured as well. Regardless, when victims are hurt, the impact of a car accident stretches long after the day of the collision itself.

Victims who are hurt by the actions of another, including the actions of a negligent driver, may be entitled to financial compensation for their sufferings when these accidents happen in Chicago. A claim for relief may be possible and may enable a victim to obtain payment for expenses ranging from medical bills to lost wages and even pain and suffering. These claims are separate and distinct from any traffic tickets or criminal charges that a negligent driver may face and these claims are designed to provide payment directly to those who need it – the injured victims. When questions arise following a car accident in Chicago, speaking with a personal injury attorney in the area may provide answers to your questions if you have been hurt.
Continue reading

Travel by motor vehicle is the primary means of transit across America and for the majority of those that call this country home. It is a convenient means to get from one place to another with few hassles and with few delays – simply pick the time you wish to leave, follow your own plan, and you can make it to your destination. The convenience of car travel is why so many people utilize it even though the risks associated with it are high. Millions of car accidents happen every year and they were the number one cause of death for people ages three through 34 based on the most recent data. Though fatality rates have decreased as innovations in safety have emerged, many people continue to lose their lives annually and some of those victims previously called the Chicago area home.

These car accidents affect countless individuals when all is said and done. From the victims involved in the impact itself to the family members of those victims to friends and coworkers, the devastation can be immeasurable. While nothing can remove these losses, those who have been affected by a crash may be entitled to seek financial compensation for their losses when the accidents happens in Illinois. Victims can seek relief for losses including medical expenses and pain and suffering. In the event that a victim loses his or her life, the right to seek relief may belong to that victim’s surviving family members though no amount of compensation can ever be considered adequate in those cases. The legal issues surrounding these cases can be complicated so victims or others who have been affected may want to speak with a personal injury lawyer to verify the options available to them.

Several drivers were involved in a multi-vehicle accident in Gurnee on Friday morning and police are still sorting out all the facts that led to the impact. The crash happened near the intersection of Grand and Gurnee Mills Circle East shortly after 10:00 a.m. and began with a collision between two cars. That first crash reportedly pushed one of the vehicles into oncoming traffic where it collided with another three cars, making five vehicles in total that were involved.

Six victims were confirmed among the six vehicles and all were taken to area hospitals by ambulances. At this time, the conditions of the victims are unknown but all were expected to survive.

As police continue their investigation, they are reviewing information from all relevant witnesses in an attempt to determine whether any driver acted negligently or recklessly prior to the impact. If a determination of negligence is made, traffic tickets and/or criminal charges may be issued.
Continue reading

With April just around the corner, many who live in Chicago are lamenting the late winter storm that hit the area recently and brought with it snow and cold temperatures. Many in the city are anticipating warm weather and all that accompanies it but instead must put up with this most recent, and potentially, last winter weather front and the hazards it has created on area roads. From icy conditions to decreased visibility, the weather partially has been to blame for numerous winter weather car accidents across the Chicago area recently and may continue to contribute to them over the next day or two.

Some people believe that winter weather is bad luck and that any accident involving poor conditions is nothing more than that – an accident. Because of this common belief, some victims of these collisions are unaware that they may be entitled to seek financial compensation for their injuries and their suffering and that their family members may also be entitled to help. If you have been involved in a crash, it is important to understand how the laws may impact your claim so you may want to speak with a personal injury lawyer to clarify the relief that may be available to you.

This morning’s commute was full of dangerous conditions on the roadways for many of those who travel by car. Officials around Chicago and in many of the surrounding suburbs confirmed that icy conditions led to numerous collisions, some of which resulted in injuries.

Bedford Park experienced a pile-up involving between 10 and 15 cars on Harlem Avenue between 63rd Street and 71st street. Icy weather is believed to have started that crash though speed and other factors likely played a role as well. The collision started around 6:00 a.m. and prompted local officials to close parts of the road to traffic though the area was reopened prior to the end of rush hour.

Multiple accidents were also reported on Route 53 that were blamed on the weather and in suburban Wheaton in DuPage County. The City of Lombard confirmed a 10 car collision near the intersection of Highland and Butterfield Roads while Villa Park confirmed at least 11 separate accidents.

As Chicago has already had a few bouts of spring-like weather, this most recent storm caught many off guard and made many people revert to their winter coats and snow shovels. This made the storm a bigger threat as it was less anticipated than those that hit Chicago in December and January and also, in many cases, less welcomed.
Continue reading

The events that proceed a car accident in the Chicago area may not be foreseen by a driver before they happen. Often, things can seem normal as a motorist travels down the road or an expressway and nothing may be of concern. Yet in a moment, all that can change if a mechanical failure, a tire blowout, or another event occurs that makes a vehicle unsafe and that may lead to a collision or other incident, threatening the security of the driver of the car and the passengers that may be riding as well.

Car accidents are no laughing matter and nearly 300,000 of them occur in a typical year in Illinois. Tens of thousands of those incidents result in injuries to at least one person involved and hundreds prove to be fatal. Hundreds of factors may lead to or contribute to an accident and in some cases, those involved may not realize fully all that caused a crash. When in doubt, speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you understand the contributing factors of your collision and whether you are entitled to financial compensation if you have been hurt. In a typical case, victims can recover for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and future damages that result from a Chicago-area car accident.

The Illinois State Police Department was alerted to an unusual incident involving a car accident on I-55 near the King Drive exit yesterday at approximately 1:00 p.m. They have confirmed that a man was operating a passenger car in the area when the vehicle caught fire for reasons that are not clear. The man stopped his vehicle on the side of the expressway and exited the burning car to avoid injuries but unfortunately, another vehicle in the area collided with the man when he was out of his vehicle.

The impact left the drive with significant injuries and required him to be taken to an area hospital by ambulance. At this time, police are unsure who was driving the second vehicle as that driver fled the scene, contrary to and in violation of state law. Anyone with information about the fleeing second driver is asked to contact the State Police.
Continue reading

This weekend brought a significant storm to the Chicago area but unlike some earlier in the season, snow was not the biggest threat. While some new snow accumulated on area roads and expressways, the biggest threat to those that were driving was decreased visibility due to blowing snow and gusty winds. Reports across Illinois indicated “white-out” conditions in many areas and is now being blamed for a number of chain reaction accidents both in and around Chicago.

Chain reaction collisions can start for a number of reasons but poor driving conditions are one of them. Yet despite the conditions, the weather rarely is the sole reason that a car accident happens and more often combines with a mistake or error on the part of a driver. In those cases, an at-fault driver may be held responsible for the damages that result including any injuries sustained by victims. These victims can seek financial compensation for their injuries through the use of a civil claim for damages and speaking with a personal injury lawyer can help you evaluate your options for relief if a crash has affected your life.

Officials are still trying to determine which chain reaction accidents, if any, were related on I-55 near Gardner this Saturday morning because the poor weather lead to so many collisions. Around 11:00 a.m., several accidents happened near mile post 227 and multiple vehicles were involved. Officials are determining whether it was one chain reaction crash or whether several separate incidents occurred in a relatively short time span. Additionally, a significant crash happened on I-80 near mile post 111 at Morris that resulted in lane closures for eastbound traffic.

Police were on the scene for the I-55 collisions and the I-80 crash and noted white-out conditions in both areas. There were reports of some snow on the road but at this time, officials do not believe that the new snow was the primary cause; rather, decreased visibility due to gusting winds is being cited as a contributing cause to all crashes at this time.

Despite the apparent role the weather played this weekend, authorities are still reviewing the actions of all drivers involved to determine whether any errors or mistakes in judgment played a role. After their investigations are finalized, it will be determined whether anyone involved will be cited for their actions in causing the crashes.
Continue reading