Articles Posted in Car Accident

Buying a new car from a well-established, trusted manufacturer usually leaves buyers with peace of mind that they are purchasing a safe vehicles for themselves and their families. Most of the time, that is precisely what happens, and the owner of the vehicle does not have to deal with safety threats from the design or manufacture of the car. Yet in some cases, things are not quite right, and safety may be at issue. When these issues are learned, American manufacturers issue recalls so that all other affected vehicles can have the problem fixed.

Usually, these recalls do not occur until the problem becomes known, and generally that means that accidents must first happen. These car accidents can leave passengers injured, or in the worst cases, killed and can leave others behind to suffer losses, whether in Chicago or elsewhere across the nation. Even after a recall is issued, the defect can still present a threat to those who are driving the cars without the problem being rectified, either through a lack of notice of the recall or because their designated time for service had not arrived. Regardless of how the facts fall, if an accident involving a safety flaw or manufacturing error leaves a victim injured, that victim may be entitled to seek relief for his or her injuries.

Auto giant General Motors recently announced a recall for two models of vehicles due to problems with the ignition. Now, the recall has been greatly expanded to cover additional models and additional years of manufacture. In all, 1.37 million GM vehicles have been recalled, including Chevrolet Cobalts, Pontiac G5s, Saturn Ions, Chevrolet HHRs, Pontiac Solstices, and Saturn Skys manufactured between 2003 and 2007.

Officials say that the design of the ignition has led to a problem with power. When the vehicles encounter a particularly large bump, especially when a vehicle is operating off-road, the bump can move the ignition from the “run” position to an “off” position. The change cuts power to the vehicle which therefore does not let certain safety devices, including airbags, function. If a vehicle is involved in an accident when the power is off, the occupants of the car may be more likely to sustain serious injuries or even death. To date, GM is aware of 13 such deaths and 31 accidents linked with these ignition problems.

GM believes that extra weight hanging off the ignition is either causing or contributing to these issues and therefore it recommends that all owners of these vehicles do not drive with excess weight, like key chains, hanging off the key in the ignition until the problem is fixed.
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Government regulators, local officials, and automobile manufacturers are constantly looking for ways to make driving safer. Whether it is through a redesign of a safety feature inside a vehicle, an alternate layout for a busy and congested intersection, or even changing some of the rules of the road, people want driving to be a safe and efficient means of transportation across the nation, including within and around Chicago. But despite all these efforts, car accidents continue to happen every day and they continue to claim the lives of thousands of Americans.

Often, these accidents are caused by the negligence of one or more drivers. More and more, drivers are distracted while they are behind the wheel and they fail to devote their full attention to the road, leading to an increased chance of a collision. Many drivers are distracted by their cell phones or tablet devices while others have reported distractions from the radio, a child inside the car, or even a conversation with an adult passenger. Regardless of what form the distraction takes, the results are clear: distracted drivers are a danger not only to themselves but to others on the road and they are responsible for a large number of Chicago-area car accidents every year.

Distraction is not the only way that drivers can cause an accident, though. Failing to follow the rules of the road, including running a red light, failing to stop at a stop sign, or even speeding may cause an accident. Drivers who are under the influence of alcohol or drugs are also more likely to be involved in a crash than are those who refrain from intoxicating substances.

After an accident occurs, officials, including police officers, will try to determine what happened immediately before the impact that led to the collision. That is the point where officials in Antioch find themselves after a serious collision occurred there yesterday. Police know that in the late morning hours, a van and a truck collided while traveling in opposite directions near I-173 and Eagle Ridge Drive but they do not yet know what caused the crash to occur.

Upon impact, the pickup truck involved in the accident rolled over, killing the male driver inside. At least two people were inside the van and both of those individuals were injured but were expected to survive after receiving treatment for their injuries, though their current conditions remain unknown.

Passersby who witnessed the aftermath of the collision attempted to help the driver of the truck but they were unable to save his life due to the severity of his injuries. He was 45-years-old.
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When no witnesses to a car accident are found, it can be difficult for police to understand exactly what happened immediately before a crash occurred. Through an investigation, though, often the factors involved in a crash are determined and officials learn whether one or more drivers were to blame for a crash. Tickets may or may not be issued, potentially leading to a criminal charge in the matter, but regardless of whether a citation is received, a responsible driver may be held liable for the financial damages done in a collision.

The ability to seek financial relief is available to victims who are hurt in a car accident that was the fault of another, whether it was the driver of the car the victim was riding in or the driver of another vehicle that caused a crash. Speaking with an injury lawyer who handles these cases in Chicago is the best way to understand what legal options may be available in your case.

Many people do not realize that they can be cited in a collision even if they were not initially at fault. Most often, this occurs when a not-at-fault driver flees the scene of a collision after a crash without speaking with police first. The laws in Illinois require all drivers to remain at the scene, regardless of who was at-fault, with limited exceptions to seek immediate medical care. Failing to stay at the scene may lead to a traffic or criminal charge and may result in fines, loss of license, or even incarceration.

Police are currently investigating an unusual accident that claimed the life of an Illinois man early this morning. They believe that the driver, a 33-year-old man, was traveling in his Toyota Camry on I-80/94 near I-65 shortly after 1:00 a.m. The driver collided with something on the road at a high rate of speed, causing significant damage to his vehicle and leaving him seriously injured. Police responded to the collision and attempted to help the man who was unresponsive and in distress. Though he was transported to a local hospital in Gary, the man’s injuries were too severe and he died as a result of the crash.

At this time, police believe that the man may have collided with the rear of a semi truck on I-80/94 and that the semi truck fled the scene of the crash. When they arrived at the scene, the victim’s car was still on the expressway’s driving surface, suggesting that the collision occurred while the car was traveling along the road. Authorities have not determined the identity of the other driver involved but they have spoke to individuals at area truck stops, trying to turn up any leads.

It appears that alcohol may have been a factor in this crash and that the 33-year-old driver may have been traveling at a high rate of speed immediately before the collision. Officials will not know more until they complete their investigation into this crash, at which time they will determine what factors led to the collision.
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Some consider potholes or chuck holes just to be a part of driving in Chicago and a pain that cannot be avoided. But potholes often are more than just an annoyance to drivers and bicyclists. They can be a threat to safety and they are responsible for numerous accidents every year. No driver is immune from the threat of a pothole but some are at greater risk than others.

Potholes can cause a car to be knocked out of alignment or can even entrap a car’s wheel if the hole is large enough. Too often, though, a pothole causes a driver to lose control of a vehicle and then to cause a collision with another car or an object in the road. This can lead to serious injuries to a driver, a passenger, or others in the area.

Motorcycle riders and bicyclists may face the greatest risk of injury by potholes because a pothole can easily cause a crash among these riders, even without another vehicle being involved. Any time the rider of a motorcycle or bicycle comes into contact with a pothole, there is a chance that the rider will be thrown off and may land on the ground. These incidents often result in injuries or in the worst cases, death.

Pothole accidents may not be avoidable and in some cases may not be the fault of a city or a state. But in some cases, a local or state government knows of the dangerous condition but fails to take action to correct it, allowing others to potentially become injured in the meantime. When the existence of a pothole is known but ignored, a city or other entity may be liable for the injuries that result from an accident. Speaking with an injury lawyer is the best way to know whether you have a valid claim for your damages and if you are entitled to financial relief.

A major cause of potholes if the cycle of freezing and thawing that occurs in cold weather climates like Chicago. Snow and ice fall on the road and turn to water as cars run over it or as the weather warms. The water runs underneath the road’s surface and then freezes, causing the ground beneath the roadway to freeze. This causes the area to expand and crack, creating more ways for water to again travel beneath the road’s surface and further freezing. This cracking and expanding of the road can cause large sections to fracture and falter, leading to potholes. Though the weather may cause many of these road defects to occur, the roads must still be maintained in a reasonably safe manner by those in charge of their care.
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Car accidents are a regular sight in Chicago, especially among those who use the expressways on a regular basis. The volume of traffic on the roads, interstates, and highways means that collisions between vehicles result with some regularity. Some of those crashes are due to the weather while others may be blamed on poor road design. But in the majority of accidents, multiple factors, often including negligence, combine to result in an impact.

When a driver or a passenger is injured in a crash that is properly blamed on another, whether it is a driver, owner or a car, or even a city or town, the victim of the crash may be entitled to financial compensation for the injuries that were sustained. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you understand your legal options following an accident, including whether you may be able to bring a civil claim for your losses.

Sometimes, a mechanical failure can occur that leaves a vehicle non-functional or otherwise interferes with a driver’s ability to maintain control of the car. According to police, that may have been what caused a serious crash on the Eisenhower Expressway that left two women dead and two other individuals injured.

The crash happened on Sunday morning at approximately 3:45 a.m. and involved a minivan and an SUV in the center lane of I-290. For reasons that are not yet clear, police believe the minivan stalled on the expressway, bringing the vehicle to a complete stop. An SUV approaching from behind collided with the rear of the minivan in what has been described as a serious crash. Two women in the minivan, including the driver, lost their lives as a result of the incident. The driver of the SUV and another passenger in the minivan were injured but were expected to survive.

No charges have been filed against the drivers involved in the crash at this time. Authorities are continuing their investigation into the incident, including the factors that led to the minivan stalling and whether the issue was preventable.

Mechanical issues can arise from a number of failures, including improperly designed parts, negligent maintenance on a vehicle, or even failing to maintain a car or truck. Understanding the cause of a mechanical failure can be very difficult and often, speaking with an expert or someone familiar with mechanical failures is the best way to learn about the possible causes of a crash.
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Car accidents are commonplace in Illinois and in the Chicagoland area. With so many drivers hitting the streets, it is inevitable that collisions will occur. Some are the result of inclement weather while others may occur due to road construction. But the most common factor leading to an automobile collision is negligence on the part of one or more drivers, which can lead to a crash that causes injuries or even death.

When an accident leads to injuries, many victims choose to consult with a Chicago car accident lawyer to learn about their legal rights and whether they may have a claim for their damages.

This may be a thought experienced by nine individuals injured in a car accident in Chicago early Monday morning after a three car collision left them injured. Though police are still investigating, it appears that an unmarked police car was stopped on the side of the road, engaged in a routine traffic stop on South Indianapolis Avenue.

A passenger sedan approached the scene and collided with the unmarked police car, pushing the car into the vehicle stopped by the police, involving three cars in the crash and leaving nine people injured. Three of those injured were reported to be police officers while the other six were reported only as civilian adults.

It is not yet known what caused the first driver to strike the police car or whether any traffic citations will be issued but it is a possibility as the facts are learned.

Depending on the facts of any auto accident, an injury victim may be able to make a claim for their losses, whether that claim is against a responsible driver or against the victim’s own insurance company. If a claim is possible, it can include monetary damages that have already been incurred, like ambulance and hospital bills, as well as future expenses likely to be incurred, like surgery that will be needed at a later time.
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According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 281,788 automobile collisions in Illinois in 2011 alone. In those accidents, more than 84,000 people sustained injuries and 918 people were killed. These numbers are very large and they show how prevalent motor vehicle accidents are and how many people are affected by collisions in a single year.

Safety continues to be at the forefront of automobile innovation and advances in this area have led to a decrease in the number and severity of injuries as well as the number of fatalities that result from crashes when compared to the numbers several decades ago. Yet even with all of the best safety advances, a driver or a passenger can be injured or killed in a crash. Experts all agree that the only way to guarantee that no one gets hurt is to prevent a collision from ever occurring.

Collision prevention is the goal but drivers must be willing to do their parts for this to happen. Chicago area car accident lawyers know that today, many crashes occur due to driver error, whether that is operating under the influence of an intoxicating substance, failing to pay attention to the road, or not possessing the skills necessary to drive a vehicle in a safe and cautious manner.

One of the most dangerous types of collisions is a head-on crash where the front ends of two vehicles collide, generally as they travel in opposite directions. The impact produced in these crashes is generally violent and is more likely to cause injuries than other types of collisions, meaning that drivers involved in a head-on crash are more likely to suffer serious injury or death than those involved in a rear-end or other accident.

Unfortunately several drivers learned this first hand on Sunday as they were driving in Kane County near Route 38 and Elburn. Police believe that a 23-year-old female driver crossed the center line and entered the path of travel of another vehicle, causing a serious collision that left the 23-year-old dead. The driver of the other car, a 40-year-old man, and his 32-year-old female passenger both sustained serious injuries and were transported to area hospitals for treatment.

The 40-year-old man had to be airlifted to Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital due to the severe nature of his injuries but authorities expect him to survive. His passenger is also expected to live but the extent of their injuries are not currently known.
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Studies routinely show that a majority of American drivers – over 80 percent – consider themselves to be better than average while behind the wheel, less dangerous, and less likely to be involved in an accident than others. Yet even if the perceptions of these drivers were correct, the safest motorist in the world can still be involved in a crash if another on the road is acting in a negligent manner.

Failing to obey traffic laws, driving while distracted, and failing to check for traffic are some main reasons that car accidents occur in Chicago. Lawyers in the city are used to hearing from drivers every year who did nothing wrong but were injured nonetheless, becoming a victim of another’s negligence.

When a motor vehicle accident leaves one or more people injured, those individuals may be able to bring a civil claim for their damages against the person or entity who caused the crash. Most often, this is another driver who in some way failed to act with the safety of others in mind and whose actions led to an impact with another vehicle. Yet not every collision is due to a driver’s error with some crashes caused by an improperly designed or manufactured car or tire, a poor road design, or bad maintenance performed on a vehicle, leaving it faulty and dangerous.

Police are still trying to sort out a five car collision that occurred on Sunday morning in Chicago’s Logan Square neighborhood around 2:15 a.m. At this time, it appears that one driver attempted to make a u-turn in the area of Armitage and Western Avenues, placing the vehicle in the midst of oncoming traffic and causing a collision that involved five separate vehicles. In all, 11 people sustained injuries and needed medical treatment at local hospitals but it appears that none were critically injured with all expected to survive.

U-turns allow a driver to reverse direction without changing roads or making a more traditional three point turn. Though they may provide some convenience, u-turns can pose a significant threat to public safety which is why they are restricted in many areas ans prohibited in others.
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Illinois drivers owe the passengers in their car a duty to drive safe and carefully, using caution while behind the wheel and avoiding unnecessary accidents. Yet despite this duty, many Chicago-area car crashes continue to occur, injuring drivers and passengers alike as well as others on the road, bicyclists, and pedestrians.

When a negligent driver injures a passenger, a personal injury lawyer can help that passenger obtain a financial recovery for his or her damages including any medical bills that passenger was forced to incur. In some cases, multiple claims may be possible to enable a victim to receive the maximum recovery available but these claims must be made within a certain period of time following a crash.

Some car accidents are due to a driver’s negligence while others may be caused by road conditions. In a Lake Forest crash on Thursday morning, alcohol is suspected to be a factor.

The one-car collision took place on Route 41 shortly before 3:00 a.m. Police believe that a single vehicle left the road near a bend and struck several trees before rolling over, trapping three men inside the car. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and removed the men and transported two to area hospitals for treatment while the third man, a 20-year-old, was killed at the scene. At this time, it is not clear whether the man that was killed was a driver or a passenger in the car.

It is illegal for any driver in Illinois to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of an intoxicating substance, including alcohol, and those drivers that do drive under the influence may be subject to serious criminal charges. In the event that a drunk driver causes a collision that results in death or serious bodily injury, that driver may be charged with a felony and face several years incarcerated in prison as a result.

The liability for a negligent driver can continue if the victims of the accident bring a civil claim for compensation against the driver that caused an accident. These claims can be brought against a driver’s insurance company, against a driver personally, or both, depending on the accident and what injuries resulted. A claim can be made for past expenses incurred and often can also include future medical expenses that are anticipated, like future surgical or nursing costs that will be required in the future.
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Authorities in the north suburb of Long Grove were called to the scene of an accident last night. When they arrived at the area of Illinois 83 and Westmoreland Drive, they determined that a pickup truck and a minivan collided near the intersection, causing serious injuries and damage to at least one vehicle. The driver of one car died and her passenger was critically injured while the conditions of those in the other vehicle are not presently known.

At this time, it is not clear why the two cars collided and whether either driver is at fault. In the area where the crash occurred, Illinois 83 is a four lane divided road that intersects with Westmoreland Drive in a “T” intersection where drivers can turn from north or southbound I-83 onto eastbound Westmoreland Drive only. The speed limit on I-83 is 45 miles per hour and on the quiet Westmoreland, drivers are limited to traveling only 25 miles per hour.

Officials have been able to confirm that a female was driving a blue 2011 Honda CRV and that this vehicle collided with a red 2007 Ford F10 pickup truck. The driver of the CRV died at the scene and a female passenger in her car was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville in critical condition.

There are hundreds if not thousands of factors that can lead to or cause a car crash and in many cases, it is the combination of several factors that actually cause a collision to occur. In 2011 alone, there were over 281,000 car accidents within the state of Illinois and in those accidents, 918 people lost their lives. An additional 84,172 people involved in car accidents sustained personal injuries. This means that statistically, about 2 percent of all Illinois residents are involved in a car accident every year, meaning that the chances are high that you know someone who has recently been a victim of an accident or had their family affected by a car crash.

To reduce the number of accidents, injuries, and fatalities, people on all sides of transportation are taking steps to increase awareness and safety. Legislators have enacted tough laws against driving and driving or driving under the influence of drugs. Additionally, police officers look for traffic violations and attempt to curb unsafe behavior by issuing citations or warnings to offending motorists. Hopefully, if a driver is warned about speeding or running a red light, the driver will alter his or her behavior before a collision happens.

Car manufacturers have also taken significant steps in recent years to increase safety features on cars. Many modern vehicles have been designed to warn drivers when a car is in their blind spots, when a driver starts to veer outside of a designated lane, and when a driver is too close to a vehicle in front of him or her. In the event of an impact, most cars now have airbags and exterior bodies designed to absorb an impact, leaving the passengers protected from as much harm as possible.
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