Car Accident

Illinois warns of dangers of nighttime car accidents

September 1, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Nighttime is the deadliest time for Chicago drivers and motorists elsewhere in Illinois, according to a new report issued by the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Drunk drivers and low seatbelt usage were cited as two primary reasons for the drastic increase in car accidents and fatalities after dark.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes often see drunk driving accidents and other injuries that occur at night for reasons ranging from poor visibility to alcohol and reckless driving.

Motorists should use extra caution, especially when out late at night or on the weekend. In response to the report, authorities promised to make a renewed push to get drunk drivers off the streets at night.

“We are working closely with Illinois State Police and local agencies to make sure that all motorists behind the wheel are driving sober,” said Illinois Department of Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “One of our top priorities is to save lives and the data revealed shows that we need to focus our efforts on impaired driving at night.”

Illinois State Police announced increased enforcement through the Labor Day weekend.

“Drinking and driving is inappropriate regardless of the time of day,” said Director Jonathon Monken. “Data tells us the likelihood of being involved in a crash or fatal crash where alcohol is involved increases dramatically at night. Therefore, the Illinois State Police will focus our efforts on DUI and seat belt enforcement during night time details throughout the Labor Day weekend.”

The report found drunk driving a factor in 7 of every 10 Illinois fatalities occurring between midnight and 3 a.m. and less than 3 in 10 were properly seatbelted.

Those statistics are in marked contrast to higher-traffic daytime hours, where less than 2 in 10 crashes involved alcohol and less than half were not properly seatbelted.

According to the report and data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 2 of every 3 motor vehicle accidents that occur between midnight and 3 a.m. involved a drinking driver.

And data shows 3 of every 4 drivers who died between midnight and 6 a.m. were not properly restrained.

For more information about impaired driving in Illinois, please visit www.drivesoberillinois.org.

Chicago area driver killed in car accident

August 30, 2009 | By Dave Abels

A motorist from the far southwest Chicago suburb of Essex, Illinois was killed Saturday evening in a car crash, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. The accident reportedly happened when the driver of another vehicle ran a stop sign at an intersection near Wilmington, Illinois.

The deadly auto accident occurred around 6:50 p.m at the intersection of Illinois Highway 129 and Stripmine Road. The 34 year old victim and his wife were traveling southbound on Route 129 in a Hyundai when the driver of a westbound Chrysler 300M failed to stop at a stop sign and collided with them.

The Illinois State Police are handling the car accident investigation. The at fault driver, a 43 year old Oak Forest resident, was ticketed for disobeying a stop sign and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. There was no indication that drugs or alcohol played a role in the crash, however lab tests were taken as a precaution and the police are awaiting results.

All three people involved in the automobile accident were taken by ambulance to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Illinois. The victim was pronounced dead around 8 p.m. The Will County coroner’s office plans to conduct an autopsy Monday.
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3-year-old girl critically injured in Chicago area pedestrian accident

August 28, 2009 | By Dave Abels

A 3-year old girl was seriously injured in an accident after being dragged 200 feet by a car on Tuesday in Fox Lake, Illinois.

The Chicago Breaking News Center reported the girl was playing on the side of the road when she was hit and became stuck under a 1999 Dodge Intrepid as it backed out of a driveway.

The 36-year-old driver of the Dodge did not realize the child was trapped beneath the car and drove a block on Arlington Road in Fox Lake. Luckily, neighbors saw what happened and chased the car down. The witnesses then reportedly lifted the vehicle off the girl.

Chicago police launch effort to reduce pedestrian accidents at night

August 26, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Chicago police are launching an effort this week aimed at reducing the number of pedestrian traffic accidents and personal injuries at night.

The city’s enforcement effort targets four city areas with a high number of pedestrian crashes — River North, Austin, Wrigleyville, and 79th Street (Ashland to the Dan Ryan).

If drivers don’t yield to the pedestrians, as required by law, the vehicle will be pulled over by police officers farther down the street and face a fine of $50 to $500, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Brother & sister sustain personal injuries in Chicago rollover car accident, speeding driver flees the scene

August 22, 2009 | By Dave Abels

A brother and sister have been injured in a Chicago rollover car crash on August 16, 2009 in the early morning hours. Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have agreed to represent them in an accident claim against the at fault driver’s insurance carrier.

Our clients were traveling in an SUV on Interstate 55 in the middle lane near Harlem Avenue. The brother, a 36 year old Chicago resident, was driving, and at that time saw headlights coming from behind him. The car looked to be approaching at a speed of 80-100 mph. The speeding car hit an Oldsmobile immediately to their left and the Olds then ran into their SUV. Our clients went into a ditch and their car rolled over twice.

The driver that caused the accident fled the scene. The driver of the Oldsmobile was able to take down the license plate of the hit-and-run vehicle, and the plate was reported to the Illinois State Police who handled the crash investigation. The state police, working with the Stickney Police Department, were able to track down the owner of the vehicle, who admitted involvement in the accident. The hit & run driver was ticketed and has an early October court date in Bridgeview, Illinois.

Chicago Injury Lawyers reach $60,000 truck vs. car accident settlement

August 20, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Chicago personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes reached a $60,000 settlement today for a client who sustained personal injuries in a February 4, 2009 truck accident.

On the afternoon of the occurrence the plaintiff was driving her vehicle southbound on I-94 just south of I-290 in lane number 3. The defendant was driving his semi-truck southbound on I-94 just south of I-290 in lane number 2. The car crash occurred when the truck driver switched lanes into the plaintiff’s lane and struck her vehicle. The rear passenger’s side of the defendant’s trailer struck the driver’s side of our client’s vehicle. Her car was totaled as a result of the damage caused by the auto accident.

We alleged in the claim that the trucker failed to keep a proper lookout, improperly changed lanes, failed to yield the right of way, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including the Plaintiff.

Chicago car accident – 5 firefighters & 2 civilians injured

August 16, 2009 | By Dave Abels

On the South Side of Chicago, five firefighters and two others were injured when a vehicle and a fire truck collided on Saturday around 5 p.m., according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. The car crash occurred at 67th Street and Jeffery Avenue as the Chicago Fire Department engine was responding to an alarm on South Brandon Avenue.

The fire truck was eastbound on 67th when it was reportedly hit by a car. The engine then hit a pole.

5 firefighters were injured and taken by ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Trinity Hospital, and Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. One was in serious-to-critical condition.

Fatal Chicago area teen DUI crash results in personal injury lawsuit

August 14, 2009 | By Dave Abels

A fatal Chicago suburban car accident involving teens leaving a graduation party earlier this summer has led to a personal injury lawsuit in Kane County Circuit Court.

A 17-year-old from St. Charles St. Charles, has filed suit seeking more than $50,000. Her attorney claims she suffered a broken jaw and a brain injury as a result of the accident June 17. The plaintiff was one of four teenagers in an SUV that went off the road and slammed into trees on the 3100 block of Royal Fox Drive in St. Charles. The accident killed a front-seat passenger from West Chicago.

The lawsuit accuses the teen driver of driving more than 40 mph over the speed limit down the wrong side of the road, high on marijuana and alcohol while driving a group of St. Charles East High School classmates home from a graduation party at 3:30 a.m.

Illinois tougher uninsured motorist law passes

August 12, 2009 | By Dave Abels

Drivers who cause a car accident without automobile insurance face up to a year in jail under a tougher new Illinois uninsured motorist law signed by Gov. Pat Quinn on Friday.

Chicago personal injury attorney Dave Abels was interviewed about the new law earlier this summer and has published several blogs about the need to crack down on uninsured motorists and to raise the state’s mandatory minimum insurance coverage.

“The way the law stands right now it just doesn’t provide real protection for people who are seriously injured in auto accidents,” said Abels, of Abels & Annes, a Chicago law firm that handles car accidents, motorcycle accident and other personal injury claims. “It covers you for small accidents but not the big accidents that you really care about where your life is changed forever.”

The new law makes driving without insurance a misdemeanor criminal offense and carries a penalty of up to one year in jail and a $2,500 fine. The old law carried a fine of up to $1,000 and a license suspension of 3 to 6 months.

The new law, which The Southern newspaper noted was heavily supported by lawmakers this spring before heading to Gov. Quinn for his signature, is named after Johnston City native and Southern Illinois University graduate Michael Dean.

Dean was hit and killed by an uninsured driver while driving on Illinois 13 in July 2006.

Abels said the new law is a step in the right direction but noted that Illinois still needs to address its low mandatory insurance limits of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per occurrence.

“No amount of money is going to bring a loved one back or make a family whole again, but $20,000 is a slap in the face,” Abels said. “I have handled car accident death cases where the victim incurred over $500,000 in medical bills.”
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Child severly hurt in Chicago area car accident on I-290

August 10, 2009 | By Dave Abels

In the Chicago western suburb of Westchester, Illinois a 6 year old boy has been critically injured in an auto accident, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The car the boy was riding in hit a truck on the Eisenhower Expressway on Sunday just after 3:30 p.m.

A truck driver had pulled over to the eastbound highway shoulder, according to the Illinois State Police. The truck had pulled over to seek some type of assistance from an IDOT worker.

A short time later a woman driving a Ford Taurus drove onto the shoulder for reasons unknown and rear-ended the truck. The child was a passenger in the Taurus. The child was in a booster seat in the back.