Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

Guilty finding in deadly Chicago hit and run accident

September 12, 2012 | By Dave Abels

A former Chicago police detective has been convicted due to his involvement in a fatal DUI, hit and run accident that occurred in 2009, according to the Chicago Tribune. The wreck occurred on the Dan Ryan Expressway and two men were killed. A witness stated the defendant was traveling at a high rate of speed immediately before the accident occurred.

At the time of the crash the detective had been with the department for 18 years. He reportedly walked away from the accident scene as emergency workers were still frantically working to free two men that were trapped inside a burning car.

The two men that were killed in the accident were ages 23 and 21. The 21-year-old was a student at Depaul University.

Reckless homicide charges filed after deadly pedestrian accident

September 10, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Chicago pedestrian accident lawyers at our office know too well that the streets in our city can be a very dangerous place for people traveling on foot. Sometimes no matter what you do, no matter where you are, no matter how cautious you are, there are risks to pedestrians.

The Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Tribune are both reporting that today a taxicab driver has been charged with reckless homicide for his involvement in a pedestrian collision on August 14. The incident occurred in the River West neighborhood and a pedestrian, 30-year-old Eric Kerestes was pronounced dead at the scene.

The victim was innocently sitting at a bus stop bench at the intersection of Milwaukee Ave. and Chicago Avenue. At that time a taxicab struck several light poles before hitting the bench. He was reportedly thrown 15 feet or more in the collision.

The cab driver was initially charged with driving on the sidewalk, improper lane usage, disobeying a red light, damage to public property, speeding, negligent driving and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

The victim, a North Side resident, died from multiple injuries sustained in the accident, according to autopsy results from the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Two other people were seriously injured in the accident. One victim was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the other to Stroger Hospital.

According to newspaper reports, the defendant received more than 30 traffic citations from 1988 through 2009, including speeding and stop sign violations.

This accident occurred just weeks before a five-year-old child was killed in north suburban Highland Park when a vehicle jumped a curb and hit her. The Chicago Trib is now reporting that police are looking into whether the 18-year-old driver was using illegal drugs before she struck the child with her father’s car on Labor Day.

Our office works on pedestrian accident claims in regular basis. Injuries from these collisions can be severe, due to the fact that you have a motor vehicle hitting a totally unprotected pedestrian. These accidents often occur when drivers keep a sufficient lookout for other vehicles in an intersection but then fail to observe pedestrians in crosswalks.

Illinois MegaBus Accident a Reminder of Summer Travel Dangers

August 4, 2012 | By Dave Abels

As state police look at whether a blown tire may have caused a fatal Illinois bus accident downstate, the tragedy is a cautious reminder of the risks of accidents through the remainder of the summer travel season.

Dozens of passengers were injured. The Chicago Sun-Times reported some say a tire blew just before the bus crashed.

While busing companies have an obligation to provide safe passage, bus accidents are far from the only risk on the road. Our Chicago personal injury lawyers note the total number of fatal accidents nationwide spiked dramatically during the first three months of the year.

According to a CNN report, the overall number of nationwide traffic fatalities soared nearly 14 percent in the first quarter. Some 7,630 people died in traffic accidents on the nation’s roads during the first quarter of 2012, compared to 6,720 during the same period last year.

That doesn’t bode well for the rest of the year; the first quarter is typically the safest, with the number of traffic fatalities increasing each quarter, culminating with the busy holiday travel season at year’s end.

Still, those looking to vacation or travel by bus face unique challenges. These companies are in business to make money and are not all created equally. Too often serious or fatal accidents occur because a company puts profits before safety. Filing a civil lawsuit for damages will require a thorough review of all of the evidence pertaining to an accident, including truck maintenance logs and driver personnel records.

In this case, the Megabus crash near Litchfield claimed the life of a University of Missouri graduate student and injured numerous other passengers on the bus. The accident sent the packed, double-decker bus plunging off I-55, where it traveled across the median before slamming head-on into a concrete overpass pillar.

Investigators have not said whether triple-digit heat may have contributed to a blowout. Megabus has said the bus had passed a preventive maintenance check.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched a crackdown earlier this year after several high-profile fatal bus accidents in New York and elsewhere. In May, the government watchdog closed 26 bus operators, declaring them an imminent hazard to public safety.

“These aggressive enforcement actions against unsafe bus companies send a clear signal: If you put passengers’ safety at risk, we will shut you down,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said at the time. “Safety is and will always be our highest priority.”

In fact, the U.S. Department of Transportation now offers a SafeBus Mobile App for those looking to consider safety options when choosing a bus company.

-The app protects consumers from using illegal interstate bus companies that do not have the proper licenses to be operating or those that do not comply with proper insurance requirements.

-Consumers can review bus safety performance records. User-friendly access to the last 24 months of data is available for a number of important safety categories, including unsafe driving, vehicle maintenance and drug and alcohol violations.

-The app also alerts consumers about busing companies with unsatisfactory safety ratings.
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Car crash lawyer obtains $25,000 policy limits settlement for Chicago woman

July 5, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Injury attorneys at Abels & Annes have resolved a case for an Illinois resident. This claim arises out of an automobile collision which took place on August 30, 2010 at approximately 5:00 p.m.

Our client was driving southbound on Cumberland, approaching Bryn Mawr in Chicago, Illinois. The defendant was driving northbound on Cumberland approaching Bryn Mawr. The intersection of Cumberland and Bryn Mawr is controlled by a four-way stop light. The plaintiff had a green light at Bryn Mawr so she entered the intersection and continued driving southbound.

The at fault driver intended to make a left turn from Cumberland onto westbound Bryn Mawr. The defendant failed to yield the right-of-way to our client and entered the intersection when it was not safe to do so. He turned into her path and hit the front end of her vehicle with the front passenger side of her own. The force of the impact jolted the plaintiff forward and back violently in her seat.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene of the collision and determined the defendant was at fault. The negligent driver received a citation for failure to yield the right-of-way at an intersection while turning left.

We alleged to the defendant’s insurance carrier that their insured failed to keep a proper lookout, was driving at an excessive rate of speed, failed to yield the right-of-way at an intersection before making a left hand turn, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, including the Plaintiff. Based upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the occurrence at issue, it was clear that the sole proximate cause of the collision was the negligent conduct of their insured.

Following the incident the plaintiff had an onset of back, neck and abdominal pain. She was 31 weeks pregnant at the time of the collision.

She was taken from the scene of the occurrence by ambulance to Resurrection Medical Center‘s Emergency Department. A history was taken, she was examined and diagnostic tests were performed. She complained of abdominal pain and pressure and was concerned about her pregnancy. She also had pain in her back that radiated down into her left leg. She was discharged and instructed to follow up with a physician as needed.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, she followed up with a doctor on September 1, 2010. She complained of headaches, pain, stiffness, and numbness in her neck, radiating numbness to both shoulders, severe lower back pain radiating to both legs, and left leg pain. A history was taken and she was examined. She had severe tenderness and muscle spasms on palpation over her cervical spine and thoracic spine muscles, tenderness in both shoulders and severe tenderness in her lumbar spine. She also had limited range of motion in her cervical and lumbar spine. Diagnosed her with musculoligamentous injuries of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as sciatic and contusion of the head. Due to her pregnancy, a course of physical therapy was recommended and she was instructed to follow up for more treatment.

Our client returned to her physican on September 24, 2010. At that time, she continued to complain of headaches, neck numbness and stiffness, severe lower back pain that radiated into both legs, and radiating numbness in her shoulders. Her injuries were so significant that she was having trouble concentrating and sleeping. The doctor again examined her and maintained a diagnosis of musculoligamentous injuries of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as head contusion. As she was 34 weeks pregnant, he instructed her to stop physical therapy for the time being and to resume physical therapy after she delivered her baby.

The plaintiff next treated on December 1, 2010, where she continued to complain of severe pain in her low back that radiated into her left leg. On exam, she had severe tenderness and limited range of motion in her lumbar spine. She was with musculoligamentous lumbosacral spine strain and instructed her to return to physical therapy.

She returned to physical therapy for a period of time.

The claim settled for the defendant’s insurance policy limits of $25,000.
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Abogado de choque de camión en Illinois alcanza un arreglo de $100,000

May 30, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Abogado de accidente de camión en Chicago Gary Annes ha arreglado un caso para un conductor que resultó herido en una collisión de febrero, 2011. En este caso fue un camionero que resultó herido debido a las acciones de un conductor negligente.

Nuestro cliente estaba conduciendo un semi-tractor-remolque hacia el norte en la I-94 en el tercer carril de tráfico en el Condado de Kenosha, Wisconsin. El conductor de en-defecto estaba conduciendo un1997 Oldsmobile Regency en dirección norte en la I-94 en el primer carril de tráfico. Un tercer vehículo estaba conduciendo en dirección norte en el segundo carril del tráfico. En ese momento el acusado perdió el control de su vehículo y golpeó el vehículo en el segundo carril del tráfico. Este impacto causó que el vehículo girara y golpeara el camión del demandante con un impacto fuerte.

El diputado de investigacíon del Departamento de Sheriff del Condado de Kenosha determino que el conductor del Oldsmobile estaba conduciendo demasiado rápido para las condiciones y aún más falló de mantener el control de su vehículo. El diputado también encontró que el acusado no estaba asegurado. Quedó claro en los hechos indisputables que la única causa próxima del camión vs. accidente de coche fue la negligencia del conductor sin seguro.

El conductor del camion tuvo un inicio inmediato de dolor de cabeza, de espalda y hombro derecho. Poco después de la colisión él desarrolló dolor en la cadera derecha y dolor de tobillo derecho. Fue trasladado por ambulancia del lugar del incidente a la sala de emergencia del Hospital St. Catherine’s.

Chicago injury attorney representing woman hurt in collision

May 7, 2012 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago car accident lawyer at Abels & Annes is currently representing a local woman who was injured in an October 27, 2011 crash. The plaintiff was hurt when the Toyota Corolla she was driving was rear-ended by Ford Fusion driven by the defendant.

Our client was driving eastbound on I-90 in Chicago, Illinois, near Sayre. Traffic began to slow down and she brought her vehicle to a stop behind another car.

The defendant was also driving eastbound on I-90, behind the Toyota. He failed to slow down for traffic and rear-ended her. The force of the collision caused the plaintiff to hit her chest on the steering wheel.

The Illinois State Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. After speaking with both parties, the responding officer determined the defendant was at fault for causing the collision. The responding officer issued the defendant a citation for driving too fast for conditions/failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision. The officer also determined that he was following the plaintiff too closely and that he had a lack of driving skills, experience and/or knowledge that contributed to the collision.

We are arguing to the defendant’s insurance carrier that their insured failed to keep a proper lookout, drove too fast for conditions, failed to reduce his speed to avoid a collision, followed too closely, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area, and that based upon the facts and circumstances surrounding the occurrence at issue, it is clear that the sole proximate cause of the collision was the negligent conduct the insured.

Following the collision, the client had an immediate onset of neck pain, back pain, and right arm pain. She was transported from the scene of the occurrence by ambulance to the Resurrection Hospital Emergency Department. At the ER, a history was taken and she was examined. She complained of neck pain and back pain and underwent x-rays of her cervical spine which showed a straightening of the normal cervical lordosis. She was prescribed pain medication and muscle relaxants and instructed to seek follow up care.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, the plaintiff sought follow up treatment from a medical doctor on October 29, 2011. At that time, she complained of neck pain, back pain, right arm pain, chest pain, and constant headaches. The pain was affecting her sleep and was worse with prolonged sitting or movement. Her physician took a history and examined her. She had tenderness to palpation over C1-7, T1-12, and L1-S1. She had tenderness to both sacroiliac joints, upper trapezius muscles and bilateral gluteals. The doctor noticed muscle spasms in her cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines as well as multiple trigger points.

Deadly Chicago car crash caused by DUI driver

April 6, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Illinois auto accident lawyers at our office often deal with cases involving drunk drivers. The outcomes of these collisions are often deadly.

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that one such accident happened in Chicago last weekend. The incident occurred around 2 AM Sunday morning near the intersection of Sawyer and Archer. An alleged intoxicated motorist was traveling in a Chevy Malibu northwest on Archer Ave. when she failed to yield while making a left turn at Sawyer Avenue. She struck a 2011 Nissan Maxima that was headed in a Southwest direction on Archer. The Nissan was traveling straight and had the right-of-way.

The 28-year-old driver of the Maxima was pronounced dead in less than an hour later at Mount Sinai Hospital. The victim was a resident of Chicago Ridge in the 9700 block of S. Harlem Ave.

Chicago police officers arrived at the scene to find the defendant had an order of alcohol on her breath and bloodshot eyes. She admitted drinking alcohol before the accident. She said she never saw the other vehicle before the crash. The DUI driver injured her hands and legs in the accident and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital. There a blood-alcohol test showed her BAC level to be .094. She was placed under arrest at the hospital.

Police initially charged her with DUI, failure to yield, driving without a license and no insurance. Since then the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office have upgraded the charges to aggravated DUI.

The defendant, a South Side resident, is at the Cook County Jail with a $10,000 bond from the original charges. It is likely her bail will increase with the new felony charges.

Passengers from the Nissan were taken to Stroger Hospital and passengers from the Chevy were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center and Mount Sinai Hospital.

This accident serves as a strong reminder of the dangers of drinking and driving. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, accident fatalities have significantly increased this year. There has been 201 accident fatalities so far this year, up from 178 on this date last year. Of those fatalities this year, 59 were alcohol-related.

In the year 2010, of the 607 people killed in Illinois accidents, around 30% of them were over the legal drinking limit, and 12% had a BAC of over .20.

Illinois car crash lawyer representing injured Cicero woman

April 3, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Chicago personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes often work on auto accident claims. One case we are handling stems from a collision in North Riverside, Illinois that took place October 31, 2011 at approximately 9:22 p.m.

Our client was driving westbound on Cermak in her 2012 Mazda 3, approaching its intersection with 1st Avenue. The light at 1st Avenue was red, so she slowed down and brought her vehicle to a stop at the intersection. The at fault driver was traveling eastbound on Cermak in a 2010 Chevy HHR. He also had a red light but disregarded it, entered the intersection and struck a vehicle traveling northbound on 1st Avenue. The defendant then crossed into the westbound lanes of Cermak and struck our client’s vehicle. Her head hit the driver’s side window of her car and her body jerked from side-to-side. The force of the collision was so great that it pushed her vehicle into another car on westbound Cermak.

The North Riverside Police Department responded to the scene of the motor vehicle collision. After speaking with the parties involved, the responding officer determined the defendant caused the collision by disregarding traffic signals.

Our office is alleging to the at-fault driver’s insurance carrier that he failed to keep a proper lookout, failed to stop and/or reduce his speed to avoid a collision, failed to stop at a red light, failed to yield the right-of-way, and failed to exercise due care for the safety of those in the area.

Following the collision, our client had an immediate onset of pain. Shortly thereafter she sought treatment at the MacNeal Hospital Emergency Department. Upon arrival at the ER, a history was taken, she was examined, and diagnostic tests were performed. She complained of a severe headache and pain on the left side of her body. She underwent a head CT scan and a physical examination. She was diagnosed with a contusion of her head, prescribed pain medication and muscle relaxants, and instructed to seek follow up treatment from a physician.

Chicago auto accident attorneys set to file Cook County lawsuit

March 29, 2012 | By Dave Abels

While Illinois injury lawyers at our office are usually able to settle most claims out of court, sometimes insurance carriers are unreasonable and lawsuits need to be filed. Here are the facts of one case that is headed to Court in Cook County.

The claim arises out of a Chicago automobile collision which took place in December, 2010. Our client was injured when the automobile he was driving was hit head-on by a 2000 Chevy Impala driven by the defendant.

The plaintiff was driving eastbound on Grand Avenue in his 2008 Ford 250 approaching its intersection with Mulligan. The defendant was driving westbound on Grand, approaching its intersection with Mulligan.

As our client was driving straight and had the right-of-way, he proceeded into the intersection at Mulligan. The Chevy driver failed to yield the right-of-way and turned left, hitting the front of the plaintiff’s vehicle with the front passenger’s side of his vehicle. The force of the impact was so great that it pushed the Ford off the road and into a parked car.

The Chicago Police Department responded to the scene of the collision. After speaking with both parties, the police determined the collision was the result of the other driver’s failure to yield the right of way. They ticketed the negligent driver.

Following the collision, our client had an immediate onset of neck, back and head pain.

Shortly after the crash he sought medical treatment from a doctor. Our client complained of pain in his back, neck and head as well as pain in his knee. A history was taken and he was examined. Upon exam, he had paraspinal tenderness that was most severe at L4-S1, left knee pain and limited range of motion in his left knee. The physician diagnosed him with bursitis, contusion, and a knee injury, prescribed him pain medication, and instructed him to follow up as needed.

Due to ongoing and increasing pain, he sought follow up medical care with another doctor on December 22, 2010. At that time, he continued to complain of neck pain, headaches, and back pain. A history was taken and he was examined, revealing tenderness to palpation over C1-7, T1-12, L1-S1 and bilateral sacroiliac joints, tenderness to palpation over the bilateral trapezius muscles and the occipital region of the head. The physician noted subluxations throughout his cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as muscle spasms along the spine, severe at the cervical level. His range of motion was limited in his cervical and lumbar spine. He ordered x-rays of our client’s cervical and lumbar spine, which revealed a loss of normal cervical lordosis and pelvic and sacral unleveling.

Illinois truck crash attorney reaches $100,000 settlement

March 22, 2012 | By Dave Abels

Chicago truck accident lawyer Gary Annes has settled a case for a driver that was injured in a February, 2011 collision. In this case it was a trucker who was injured due to the actions of a negligent driver.

Our client was driving a semi-tractor-trailer northbound on I-94 in the third lane of traffic in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. The at-fault driver was operating a 1997 Oldsmobile Regency northbound on I-94 in the first lane of traffic. A third vehicle was driving northbound in the second lane of traffic.

At that time the defendant lost control of his vehicle and struck the vehicle in the second lane of traffic. This impact caused this vehicle to spin out and strike the plaintiff’s truck with a heavy impact.

The investigating deputy from the Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department determined that the Oldsmobile driver was speeding-driving too fast for conditions and further failed to maintain control of his vehicle. The deputy also found that the defendant was uninsured.

It was clear from the undisputed facts that the sole proximate cause of the truck vs. car accident was the negligence of the uninsured driver.

The truck driver had an immediate onset of severe head, back and right shoulder pain. Shortly after the collision he developed right hip pain and right ankle pain. He was taken by ambulance from the scene of the incident to St. Catherine’s Hospital’s Emergency Department.

Upon arrival at the Emergency Department a history was taken, he was examined and diagnostic tests were performed. The truck driver complained of severe head, back and right shoulder pain, as well as pain in his right hip and right ankle and pain with turning his head. X-rays showed separation of the acromioclavicular joint with the clavicle overriding the acromion in the right shoulder. His right arm was placed in a sling, he was given pain medication and muscle relaxants, told to stay off work and instructed to seek follow up care from an orthopedic surgeon.

Over the next couple of days the client’s pain worsened, especially in his right shoulder. He followed up with a medical doctor on February 23, 2011. There he complained of severe right shoulder pain with some low back pain as well. An initial conservative course of treatment was recommended. He was instructed to keep his arm in the sling, prescribed pain medication, stay off work and to seek follow up care.

On March 3, 2011 the trucker sought follow up treatment from an orthopedic surgeon. His most significant complaint was of right shoulder pain, loss of range of motion and loss of strength. The surgeon initially diagnosed him with a right shoulder Grade I acromioclavicular strain, prescribed a course of physical therapy and kept him off work.

Despite his compliance with the course of physical therapy he had no improvement in his shoulder. Based upon updated diagnostic testing the surgeon determined that the plaintiff may have torn and stretched the ligaments of his shoulder. He prescribed new medication and a course of occupational therapy.

Again, despite the truck driver’s compliance with the prescribed therapy he had no improvement in his shoulder pain. He went to see his primary care physician. He complained of right shoulder pain and head pain since the collision. His doctor instructed him to obtain a right shoulder MRI and head CT. There was a slight abnormality with the head CT and a brain MRI was ordered.

Following the head CT our client was seen by neurological surgeon on April 18, 2011. The doctor determined that the complaints of head pain were as a result of a concussion suffered in the motor vehicle collision.

The MRI revealed impingement in the shoulder. His orthopedic surgeon performed an injection of lidocaine into the shoulder on April 21, 2011. While there was some immediate pain relief, it only lasted a few days. The surgeon sent him for another course of therapy.

The orthopedic performed a second shoulder injection on June 16, 2011. Our client received limited relief from his shoulder pain with this second injection. The physician continued the plaintiff’s medication and instructed him on a home exercise program. He diligently performed the recommended course of home exercises.

He last treated with his surgeon on September 26, 2011. He had been continuing with his home exercise program and his shoulder was improved with better range of motion. He was cleared to return to work and discharged.