Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

Deadly Chicago area auto accident – woman killed when SUV crashes into apartment

November 13, 2010 | By Dave Abels

An Illinois car crash has claimed the life of a woman from Bolingbrook when an alleged drunk SUV driver crashed through her apartment window early Saturday morning, according to WGN news. The 17-year-old driver was arrested after the accident and another person was being questioned. The investigation is being handled by the Bolingbrook Police Department, and the Will County States Attorneys Office is in the process of determining what charges are to be filed.

Police suspect the teen had been drinking alcohol. The teen was reportedly lost control of his vehicle, left a roadway and crashed through a bedroom window of a first-floor apartment where the woman was sleeping. The victim, age 48, was trapped underneath the SUV after it struck the apartment.

Before impact, the SUV reportedly traveled through a common area at the apartment complex, passed by another building, and then hit the victim’s apartment. The woman’s husband was also in bed act the time of the accident. He survived and was taken by ambulance to Adventist Bolingbrook Hospital.

Government reports that children remain at high risk for Chicago car accidents, bicycle accidents, pedestrian accidents

November 12, 2010 | By Dave Abels

New data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that children continue to be at high risk for Chicago car accidents, bicycle accidents and pedestrian accidents.

Traffic accidents continue to be the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14. Last year, 1,314 kids were killed and 179,000 were injured in traffic accidents nationwide. An average of 4 children are killed and 490 were injured in car accidents every day last year.Our Chicago accident lawyers frequently report on the common causes of serious and fatal car accidents, including speeding, distracted driving and drunk driving. When it comes to children, obeying car seat and booster seat laws, and ensuring that your child is properly seat belted, can go a long way to ensuring their safety in the event of an accident. The government reports that child safety seats reduce the risk of fatal injuries to infants by 71 percent and to toddlers by 54 percent.

-Children also face significant risk of being seriously injured or killed in a Chicago pedestrian accident. Nationwide last year, 244 children under the age of 14 were killed in pedestrian accidents and more than 13,000 were injured.

-And, while the popularity of cycling has witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of serious and fatal injuries involving middle-aged men, young children have always faced significant risk. Last year, 74 were killed in bicycle accidents and more than 8,000 were injured.

-Tragically, drunk driving accidents killed 181 kids last year and in half of those cases the children were passengers in the vehicle with the intoxicated driver.

-Illinois car accidents killed 34 children last year, including one victim under the age of 1 and 18 victims who were 1 to 7 years old.

Bond set by Judge in deadly Illinois DUI car crash

November 11, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A Cook County Circuit Court Judge has set bond at $200,000 for a defendant due to his alleged involvement in a fatal Chicago area DUI auto accident, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center. The accident occurred early Saturday morning by the westbound Arlington Heights Road exit ramp on the Jane Addams Tollway.

The defendant, 21-year-old man from Hoffman Estates, has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after he was released from Northwest Community Hospital. The accident resulted in the death of his passenger, a 20-year-old man who was also from Hoffman Estates.

The defendant appeared in Rolling Meadows branch court. Assistant State’s Attorneys said that witnesses to the crash observed the defendant driving a Toyota Camry at a high rate of speed and then roll over as it approached the off-ramp. The victim, a former Conant High School athlete, was pronounced dead a short time later at Northwest Community Hospital.

2 firefighters hurt in Chicago car crash

November 10, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Two firefighters were injured in a Chicago auto accident that occurred on the South Side early Saturday morning, according to WGN TV. The collision occurred when a minivan rear-ended a Chicago fire truck as the driver was getting off the Dan Ryan Expressway S. Lafayette Ave. and W. 71st St. The incident occurred around 1 AM as both vehicles were moving southbound on Lafayette.

The firefighters were taken by ambulance to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park in fair condition. Chicago Police Department’s major accident investigation unit came out to the scene, but they ended up not handling the investigation.

The driver of the minivan was also hurt and was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in serious to critical condition. It has not been reported if the at fault driver was ticketed by the Chicago Police Department or if drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident.

Drowsy driving prevention week aims to reduce risk of Chicago car accidents

November 9, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A new study reports that drowsy driving may be responsible for an increasing number of car accidents in Chicago and elsewhere. As the Los Angeles Times reported, if the driver beside you is not talking on his phone, texting, speeding or drunk, there is an increasing chance that he or she may be just barely awake.

The AAA Foundation for Highway Safety reports that more than 2 in every 5 drivers admit to having fallen asleep while behind the wheel. One in 10 drivers say they have fallen asleep at the wheel in the last year.

One in 4 drivers said they have driven in the past month, despite being so tired they could barely keep their eyes open.

Chicago Bears receiver involved in car crash

November 8, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Wide receiver Earl Bennett of the Chicago Bears is reportedly thankful to be alive after being involved in an Illinois auto accident early Monday morning, according to ESPN. He is reportedly “okay” after being rear-ended on the Ohio Street feeder ramp just after midnight.

Bennett was driving a 1973 Chevy Impala when he was rear-ended by 1998 Pontiac Sunfire. There may have been one other passenger in the Impala whose name has not been reported, although it is being speculated that it is another Bears player. After the impact both vehicles slammed into a wall on the highway.

The Illinois state police responded to the scene of the accident, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The at fault driver was ticketed for driving on a suspended or revoked license and for failing to reduce speed to avoid an accident. No injuries have been reported so far due to the accident.

Alleged DUI driver arrested in connection with fatal Chicago hit-and-run accident

November 8, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago man has been arrested due to his alleged involvement in a deadly Illinois pedestrian accident that took place on a South side on Saturday. NBC news is reporting that Chicago police officers believe he was drinking at the time of the hit-and-run accident.

The defendant, age 36, resides in the 6900 block of S. Laflin St. and he has been charged with aggravated DUI. The collision resulted in the death of a 35-year-old woman.

The at fault driver was also cited for improper lane usage, hitting a pedestrian in the road, and driving without a valid insurance. It is further alleged that his blood-alcohol level was above the 0.08 limit, but test results have not been released.

2 deaths in separate Chicago area pedestrian accidents

November 6, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Illinois pedestrian accidents claimed the lives of two people in separate accidents last night in the Chicago area, according to WGN news.

One of the deadly pedestrian hit-and-run crashes occurred in suburban Des Plaines. A teenager was found around 6:20 PM on Friday evening in the area of 906 E. Algonquin Rd. lying in the westbound lanes traffic just East of S. 3rd Ave.

The driver involved in the collision left the scene of the accident before police arrived. The pedestrian was taken by ambulance to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where he was pronounced dead just after 6:30 PM.

Illinois school bus crash – vehicle hits school building

November 5, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago area school bus accident occurred on Thursday around 5 PM when a bus drove through a brick wall into a classroom in South Suburban Orland Park. Trib Local in Orland Park is reporting that the accident occurred at Central Junior High School, part of Orland School District 135. The bus was on school grounds for a volleyball game.

The crash reportedly occurred when the accelerator pedal stuck to the floor and would not release. By Thursday night maintenance crews started work to repair the damage.

The Orland Park Police Department is investigating the accident. No injuries have been reported and no children were on the bus at the time of the incident.

Illinois bicycle accident attorney takes new case for Kane County resident

November 4, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Chicago personal injury lawyers from Abels & Annes have signed on to represent a Kane County man that was injured in a bicycle crash. The collision occurred in October, 2010 in the far western suburb of Sugar Grove.

The plaintiff was riding a bicycle on Wheatfield Avenue when a driver did not see him on the roadway and struck the bicyclist’s handlebars with his side view mirror. This caused our client to crash, hitting his shoulder directly on the pavement.

The Illinois bicycle rider started having significant pain and swelling in the area of his left shoulder. He was seen at the ER at Provina Mercy Medical Center soon after the collision. X-rays at the hospital show the plaintiff suffered a separated shoulder in the crash. ER physicians then recommended the client see an orthopedic physician for follow-up treatment.