Articles Posted in Car Accident

As a driver, probably the last thing you might expect to encounter while driving is the occurrence of a 40 foot wide sinkhole in the middle of the street. However, that’s precisely what several drivers encountered last week on Chicago’s South Side, as they were driving in the area near 9600 South Houston Avenue, where the road spontaneously caved in.

A total of three cars fell victim to the hole, with a fourth car towed out just before it was about to go over the edge. According to sources, two of the cars were driven in, while one was a car parked nearby that fell in as the hole expanded.

According to various reports, one of the drivers was taken to the hospital as a result of the injuries he suffered as a result of crashing into the hole.

The sinkhole in this case was caused by a nearly 100 year old water main break, according to a spokesperson for the Water Department.

Sinkholes are generally the result of major changes in the water balance underground, whether through massive removal, or great saturation such as that experienced following a massive storm or other weather event. You can find more information regarding how sinkholes are formed here and here.
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According to various accounts, which include a journalist as an eyewitness, an accident that occurred earlier this month caused quite a disruption in the Woodlawn, South Side area of Chicago.Several people, including children and adults, were injured when their vehicles collided outside of a fire station on the 1400 block of East 67th Street. Witnesses reported that the sound of metal crashing could be heard from at least a mile away. According to one witness, a white van failed to stop at a stop sign, and hit a sedan, causing another van to crash into the white van. A nearby shopkeeper who had witnessed the scene expressed her concern that the sedan would have been headed for her business if it hadn’t been able to correct its trajectory.

Seven individuals were sent to local hospitals for treatment. Three adults were in fair to serious condition, while four children were determined to be in good condition.

Based on what has been reported so far, this is at least the second accident in recent weeks that was caused by a driver failing to stop at a stop sign.

According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), a study of five busy intersections over a period of several months found that, on average, a driver ran a red light every 20 minutes at each intersection. Furthermore, during peak travel times, red light running was even more frequent. An analysis of red light violation data from 19 intersections in four states found that 1,775 violations occurred over 554 hours, which resulted in an overall violation rate of 3.2 per hour, per intersection. While stoplight running is somewhat different than running a stop sign, logically the failure to yield to the traffic signals, as well as the potential for causing devastating car accidents, is the same.

Another IIHS study, this time regarding urban crashes, found that those involving drivers who ran red lights, stop signs and other traffic controls were actually the most common reason for this type of crash in 22% of cases. Regarding car accidents where drivers disobeyed traffic controls, such as the one in this report, injuries resulted 39% of the time.
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Three people were seriously injured, and two more were also taken to local hospitals for treatment, following a four car collision that occurred last week near Palos Hills. According to authorities, the four vehicles were all traveling northbound on LaGrange Road, and crashed into each other near 107th Street.The cause of the crash has not been determined, but authorities described it as a “bumper-to-bumper” crash. The Cook County sheriff’s police towed the vehicles away, and are currently conducting an investigation. The nearby surrounding area is a forest preserve.

Car crashes in and around the Chicago area are probably more common than you may think. According to statistics from the Illinois Department of Transportation, based on data collected in 2011, there were:

A commonly reported statement used to ease the minds of anxious flyers, is the fact that you are more likely to die in a car accident than in a plane crash. In Illinois, and in many– if not all– states across the country, car accidents remain the leading killer of 15-24 year olds. Comparing the numbers against time, an average of one person dies every ten hours in a car accident within our state, and someone is injured in a vehicle accident approximately every six and a half minutes.
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The Illinois Senate voted to increase the state maximum speed to 70 miles per hour on highways, a 5 mile per hour increase over the state’s current limit of 65 mph. The bill has some flexibility and would allow Cook County, some collar counties, and two counties near St. Louis to opt out of the increase if officials determined it would be proper to do so.Sponsored by Senator Jim Oberweis, R-Sugar Grove, the bill has been touted as being business-friendly by allowing commerce to move at a quicker pace. The bill passed easily in the Senate with a 41-6 vote and now moves onto the House. If the bill becomes law, the speed increase would take effect January 1, 2014.

Faster speed limits allow all drivers to get to their destinations quicker than they would in a slower speed zone. But fast transit time is not the only thing to be concerned of when considering highway speeds. Studies have routinely found that higher highway speeds are correlated with greater numbers of fatal accidents in the State, which in turn costs the state millions of dollars each year.

In 2009, car accidents caused by speeding on interstates resulted in 51 fatalities in Illinois alone. Of those fatalities, 41 took place in areas with a speed limit in excess of 55 miles per hour. This is because as vehicles travel at higher rates of speed, the force of a collision likewise increases, causing the vehicles involved to suffer greater damage and more serious injuries than they would in a crash with slower speeds.

Increased speeds also cause drivers to have slower reaction times, a critical tool when it comes to defensive driving and avoiding dangerous situations. With less time to react to danger, a crash is more likely to occur.

As car crash lawyers, we handle cases every day where one driver caused a collision by driving faster than necessary. Many of these collisions could be eliminated or at least reduced in severity if drivers slowed down and paid attention to their surroundings. While an increased speed limit may appear to have some benefits, it certainly has some negatives that should be considered before new law is enacted.

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A tragic accident occurred late Friday night in the South Austin neighborhood of Chicago, leaving one young man dead, and four others were injured.

According to a police spokesperson, the accident happened at around 11:20 p.m. in the 5200 block of West Harrison Street. Reportedly, a car carrying three passengers struck a squad car near the intersection of West Harrison Street and South Laramie Avenue.

One witness’s account stated that, “That [car] had to be traveling at least 80. “He had a red light. He came across the red light. He hit the police vehicle, and after that he spun and hit the parked vehicle, and continued to hit a couple more people before he hit the pole.”

According to reports, a passenger was ejected from the car and hit a pole, killing him. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office pronounced the 18 year old dead just before 3 a.m.

The two officers involved in the crash did not sustain serious injuries, and were transported to Stroger Hospital. The two remaining individuals involved in the crash were brought to Mt. Sinai Hospital in critical condition.

Later reports of the accident stated that the driver was intoxicated when he drove head on into the police car, and then hit a light pole. The driver has since been charged with reckless homicide, aggravated DUI involving death and aggravated DUI involving bodily harm. Police stated that he was also cited for driving while his license was suspended and not having insurance.

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This past weekend, a 32 year old man was killed in a single car rollover crash early Saturday on the West Side.

Authorities stated that the man was driving a Mercury Sable northbound in the 3100 block of South Western Avenue at around three in the morning, when he suddenly lost control, causing him to hit a light pole, which resulted in the car rolling over at least once.

According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, the man was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where he died 30 minutes later. He was the only person in the car at the time of the crash.

The police Major Accidents Investigation Unit is investigating.

Unfortunately, as the large number of one-car accidents in recent weeks has shown, tragic single car accidents such as this one are very common in Chicago. Tired drivers, unexpected hazards in the road, malfunctioning vehicles, and even swerving in order to avoid another collision may potentially be to blame in causing a single-vehicle traffic accident.

Many times we can forget that if we take our eyes off of the road for even a second, we could potentially be leading ourselves towards suffering or causing a serious injury or death. It is these sorts of incidents that state handheld cellphone texting bans are intended to address.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a traffic accident in the Chicago area, you may be entitled to receive damages or compensation related to your claim. For example, potentially recoverable damages include, but are not limited to:

• property damages, including damage to your vehicle
• financial compensation for pain and suffering you endured as a result of the accident
• any work related losses, such as loss of wages or benefits, both past and future
• any resultant disability
• costs related to physical therapy
• funeral expenses (in some cases)

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A new survey on fatal car crashes shows that drivers who were daydreaming or lost in thought are five times more likely to cause a collision resulting in death than those drivers who were distracted by a cell phone. The study was conducted and published by Erie Insurance Company and showed that over a two year period, the U.S. had more than 65,000 fatal car accidents, a staggering amount.

Not all of those fatal car crashes were due to distracted driving, about 10 percent, according to the study. And surprisingly the majority of these fatal accidents were due to daydreaming – 62 percent. Cell phones caused 12 percent of those collisions, while rubbernecking or the “gawker effect” caused 7 percent. Other contributing causes included other occupants in the vehicle, reaching for an object, eating or drinking, adjusting controls on the dashboard, reaching for an ashtray, and pets within the car.

Young drivers are the most likely to drive while distracted. In fact, of drivers under the age of 20 who were killed in a collision, 11 percent were reportedly distracted at the time of the crash. This is a higher percentage than found among any other age group.

The results of this survey should alert all drivers of the need to focus on the task at hand: driving. While Americans lead busy lives, there is no time to be distracted or to split your attention while driving. Focus on the road and pay attention to traffic when you are driving, and if you need to make a call, send a text, or discipline your children, please pull over in a safe area before doing so.

It only takes a second of distracted driving to cause a fatal crash, meaning that it is crucial that drivers are aware of their surroundings and aware of other drivers who may be distracted.

Any distraction while driving is unsafe and many are illegal. For example, young drivers in Illinois are prohibited from using a cell phone and all drivers are banned from texting. What many drivers many not know is that cell phone use is also banned in school zones or in highway construction zones. Violations of these laws can result in significant fines or even imprisonment if the distraction causes a crash.

Be smart and be safe when driving. Do not drive while distracted and watch out for other drivers who may be distracted.

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A single vehicle crash that occurred recently in unicorporated Stickney has left a 24-year-old woman and the unborn child she was carrying dead, it is being reported.

According to a spokesman for the Cook County Sheriff’s department, the accident occurred on the 4900 block of South Central Avenue at approximately 7:40 in the evening, on March 22. The woman was travelling northbound on Central Avenue in her Pontiac G6 when she hit a mailbox on the northeast side of the street, which caused her vehicle to spin around and hit a metal pole located on the same corner.

The woman and her unborn child were pronounced dead at about 8:30 p.m. at Loyola University Medical Center, according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Officials said that an accident reconstruction team is investigating the crash, and that no one else was in the vehicle.

Tragically, fatal one car accidents such as this one occur much too frequently within the greater Chicago area. The causes of these single vehicle collisions can include anything from a malfunctioning motor vehicle, unexpected obstructions in the roadway, inclement weather conditions, and even over-correcting one’s vehicle in order to avoid another crash. Additionally, a distracted driver or otherwise impaired motorist can also be the cause of these types of accidents.

For example, in 2011 alone, across the State of Illinois, more than half of the 918 fatal traffic collisions involved only one motor vehicle. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests that a large proportion of those one-car traffic accidents occur in larger urban areas like Chicago.

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An absolutely tragic accident occurred on Thursday evening, which left one person dead and four others critically injured. The accident took place on the Far North Side of Chicago, in the West Rogers Park neighborhood, on the 2900 block of West Howard Street, at the Evanston border.Reportedly, at least five ambulances were sent to the scene of the crash, according to a media source. Fire officials reported that the injured individuals were taken to Lutheran General Hospital, Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center and Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston.

The Chicago Tribune reported the crash before all the details were available, but provided one minute and thirty seconds of un-narrated video footage. The footage shows a midsized sedan which looks like it is partially wrapped around a tree, particurlarly in the area where the driver’s seat used to be. Additionally, the footage captures the car encircled with police tape, with no other cars nearby, it thus appears to have been a single car crash.
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A southwest suburban teen died Monday, three days after she was hit by a car. According to a statement from Olympia Fields police, the girl had been wandering down the middle of the 3600 block of Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) in Olympia Fields at five in the morning. Police told the girl’s family that her blood alcohol content level was high, perhaps providing an explanation for why she was in the middle of the road. Police also said that they had received multiple 911 calls regarding a person walking in the middle of the roadway before the girl was hit.

Members of the girl’s family told reporters that the girl had suffered in the hospital for three days following the accident. In attempts to save her life, doctors reportedly had to revive her five times. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office, the girl was pronounced dead at 3:31 p.m. Monday at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.

A 21 year old man is being criminally charged for allegedly purchasing alcohol for the girl before the accident occurred. Police said that before the girl was involved in the accident, they believe she was at a party at the man’s house, where alcohol was present.

Police said that the Park Forest man was charged with with one count of providing liquor to a minor and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.

In addition to these criminal charges, the man could potentially face a civil law suit from the girl’s family. The act of providing alcohol to the girl may give rise to a wrongful death claim. Generally speaking, if an accident results in a fatality, a wrongful death claim may be brought by the family of the deceased when the negligence of another party caused his or her death. Wrongful death suits are usually brought against the parties directly responsible for causing the death, such as the driver of the car his or herself. If successful, a wrongful death claim can provide a family with compensation for their pain and suffering, medical bills, loss of earnings of the deceased, funeral expenses, and in some cases punitive damages.
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