Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog

Chicago injury lawyer files lawsuit in Illinois trucking accident case

September 21, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Illinois truck accident lawyers from Abels & Annes filed a lawsuit stemming from a truck vs. car accident that took place in Bellwood, Illinois. The accident occurred back on October 18, 2009 at the intersection of 25th and Madison.

The plaintiffs (both driver and passenger) were northbound on 25th St. stopped at a red light at its intersection with Madison Street. At that time there vehicle was rear-ended by a truck.

The accident was investigated by the Bellwood Police Department. After speaking to the parties involved, the police issued the truck driver citation for driving too fast for conditions.

Chicago woman killed in car crash – at fault driver uninsured

September 20, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A woman from Chicago was killed a week ago Sunday in an Illinois car crash that occurred in suburban Glendale Heights, according to the Daily Herald. The accident took place around 9 PM at the intersection of Bloomingdale Road and North Avenue.

The victim, Lual Mang, 67, was riding as a passenger at the time of the accident. Glendale Heights police ticketed the driver of the car she was riding in with disobeying a traffic control device and driving without insurance.

The passenger was rushed by ambulance to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood were she was pronounced dead a short time later.

Illinois pedestrian accident – Libertyville fire truck strikes woman and children

September 18, 2010 | By Dave Abels

The Chicago Tribune is reporting that a woman and her two children were hit by fire truck in suburban Libertyville, Illinois on Wednesday morning. The Illinois truck vs. pedestrian accident occurred as the fire truck was returning to the station, turning from Cook on to Milwaukee Avenue when it struck the pedestrians crossing the street in a crosswalk, according to police. A lieutenant that was driving the truck was ticketed after the collision for failing to obey a traffic control device.

According to the Lake County News-Sun, the lieutenant turned right on a red light. There is a no turn on red sign from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the intersection.

The kids were being pulled across the street by their mother in a wagon. The truck hit them, knocking the wagon over. The truck immediately stopped.

Driver arrested in connection with deadly Chicago area hit and run car accident

September 17, 2010 | By Dave Abels

The Chicago Daily Herald is reporting that a man from Carpentersville, Illinois has been arrested and is being held in jail due to his alleged involvement in a DuPage County hit-and-run car accident that occurred early on Sunday in West Chicago. The accident resulted in the death of a 27-year-old Schaumburg resident.

The victim was headed northbound on Route 59 in a 2001 Ford escort when the defendant, who was headed eastbound in a 2003 Ford Explorer, disobeyed a traffic signal. The crash was hard enough to cause the Explorer to flip over. The accident victim was rushed to Central DuPage Hospital where he passed away a short time later.

There were six occupants in the Ford Explorer and they all fled the scene of the accident before police arrived. All of the occupants were found at a home in West Chicago shortly after. The investigation is being handled by the West Chicago Police Department.

Chicago injury lawyers hired in car accident case after insurance company makes lowball settlement offer

September 16, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Illinois car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes have entered into an agreement to represent a Plainfield woman who was injured in a Will County crash. The accident occurred on September 1, 2010 at Interstate 55 & Route 30 in Joliet. Our client was traveling on Route 30 through the intersection with a green light when another driver failed to yield while making a left turn and struck her vehicle.

The Joliet Police Department responded to the accident. After an investigation, police issued a citation to the other driver for failure to yield.

The plaintiff had immediate onset of back pain after the accident. She was taken by ambulance to Provina St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet. Over the following week her pain only increased and she followed up with a medical doctor.

Distracted driving message embraced by celebrities as authorities focus on reducing car accidents in Chicago and nationwide

September 15, 2010 | By Dave Abels

It started in Chicago with Oprah, but the Boston Globe is the latest media outlet to report that celebrities are the latest weapon being used to combat distracted driving caused by cell phone use or text messaging behind the wheel.

We reported in January on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog when Oprah launched her “No Phone Zone”pledge in an effort to combat Chicago car accidents and traffic accidents nationwide caused by distracted driving.Now, as the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gears up for the second annual Distracted Driving Summit in Washington D.C., next week, celebrities are being enlisted with increasing frequency.

Oprah’s pledge has drawn 400,000 participants and has been followed by celebrity pitches as diverse as American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, the Incredible Hulk Lou Ferrigno and Today host Meredith Viera. Eighty-eight year old actress Betty White has gotten in on the action, as has 23-year-old Olympic snowboarding champion Shaun White.

It’s clear that the federal government is pulling out all the stops to get states to enact laws banning text messaging while driving and to get motorists to pay attention to the dangers. As our Chicago injury lawyers frequently report, the federal government pins 6,000 deaths and more than 500,000 injuries each year on distracted driving, making it the most dangerous road hazard after speeding and drunk driving.

Thus far 30 states have banned text messaging by all drivers, according to the Governor’s Highway Safety Association. Eleven of those states have passed measures this year.

Illinois’ law took effect January 1 and makes it illegal to text message while driving or to use hand-held cell phones in school zones or construction sites. Drivers in Chicago have been prohibited from using hand-held cell phones since 2005.

The latest push has occurred among young celebrities, including the Jonas Brothers, as studies show that young drivers are the most at-risk for a serious or fatal accident caused by distracted driving, and particularly text messaging.

The government is also participating in anti-distracted driving campaigns in partnership with the National Football League and NASCAR.

Wrong-way driver kills 2 in Illinois car crash

September 13, 2010 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago area car accident on the Tri-State Tollway (I-80/294) has resulted in the death of to motorists, the Chicago Sun-Times is reporting. The deadly Illinois accident occurred when a car that was going the wrong way on the Tollway hit an SUV head-on near East Hazel Crest.

The collision happened early Sunday morning around 3 AM. The at fault car was traveling southbound in the northbound lanes, according to the Illinois State Police. The vehicles collided near the Indiana state line. A witness to the accident stated the car going the wrong way was traveling around 90 miles per hour.

The driver moving in the right direction, 24-year-old Mohammed M. Musa of Chicago, died at the scene. The at fault driver was taken to Advocate South Suburban Hospital in Hazel Crest and he was pronounced dead a short time later. No one else was injured. It has not been reported if alcohol or drugs played a role in the accident.

Chicago auto accident attorney settles lawsuit

September 13, 2010 | By Dave Abels

Illinois car crash lawyers at Abels & Annes have reached a settlement in a lawsuit for case pending in Cook County, Illinois. The accident occurred at 6600 South Martin Luther King Dr. in Chicago.

Our client was traveling northbound on King Drive when the defendant, who was southbound, crossed the center line and struck the plaintiff’s vehicle. The defendant had been traveling too fast for conditions for the road and had to slam on his brakes to avoid hitting a bus, and that is why his vehicle lost control and crossed the center.

Our client was taken by ambulance to Trinity Hospital with neck and shoulder injuries. Due to ongoing neck pain he went to follow-up treatment at University of Chicago Hospitals. Our client eventually had an MRI scan that showed he sustained a bulging disc in the crash.

Chicago injury lawyers review 2009 accident stats; percentage of Illinois drunk driving accidents increases slightly

September 12, 2010 | By Dave Abels

For the first time in recent history, the number of fatal accidents declined in all categories nationwide in 2009, including fatal motorcycle accidents, which broke an 11-year string of annual increases, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Our Chicago injury lawyers will be examining the data as it is released. A total of 33,808 were killed in car accidents nationwide, the lowest number since the 33,186 recorded in 1950. A total of 37,423 people were killed in accidents in 2008.One-third of all highway fatalities are still alcohol related. While fewer Illinois drunk driving accidents were reported in 2009, the percentage of alcohol involvement actually increased. Last year, 35 percent of Illinois traffic fatalities involved drunk drivers, or 319 of 911 deaths. In 2008, 34 percent of the state’s traffic deaths were linked to alcohol — 356 of 1,043.

So far in 2010, Chicago car accidents are responsible for about 15 percent of all Illinois traffic fatalities, accounting for 95 of 601 road deaths.

Fatal motorcycle accidents declined by 850, accounting for 24 percent of the overall drop in traffic fatalities. And passenger car occupant fatalities declined for the 7th year in a row and are now at the lowest level since NHTSA began recording them in 1975.

Among the findings:

Total Traffic Fatalities: 33,808 — down 9.7 percent from 37,423
Passenger Vehicles: 23,382 — down 8.2 percent from 25,462
Large Trucks: 503 — down 26 percent from 682
Motorcycles: 4,462 — down 16 percent from 5,312
Pedestrians: 4,092 — down 7.3 percent from 4,414
Bicyclists: 150 — down 12 percent from 188

Injuries were also down across the board:

Total Injuries: 2.217 million — down 5.5 percent from 2.346 million
Passenger Vehicles: 1.976 million — down 4.6 percent from 2.072 million
Large Trucks: 17,000 — down 26 percent from 23,000
Motorcycles: 90,000 — down 6.3 percent from 96,000
Pedestrians: 59,000 — down 14 percent from 69,000
Bicyclists: 51,000 — down 1.9 percent from 52,000

Fewer Chicago car accidents no surprise: Government reports lowest number of traffic fatalities since 1950

September 11, 2010 | By Dave Abels

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration officially announced on Thursday that the U.S. recorded the fewest traffic fatalities last year in six decades.

Our Chicago car accident lawyers have been reporting all year, both here and on our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, that the number of serious and fatal Illinois traffic accidents has continued to decline in 2010. As of Sept. 10, a total of 601 fatal crashes have occurred so far this year in Illinois — 32 fewer than the 633 reported last year, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation. Ninety-five fatal accidents have been reported so far this year in Chicago.

Nationwide, a total of 33,808 fatal accidents were reported in 2009 — down 9.7 percent from the 37,423 deaths reported in 2008. The record decline marks the lowest number of fatalities since 1950, which recorded 33,186.

An estimated 2.217 million were injured — a decline of about 5 percent from the 2.346 million injured in 2008. That marks the 10th straight year that the number of people injured in car accidents has declined.

“Today’s announcement shows that America’s roads are the safest they’ve ever been,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said. “But they must be safer. And we will not rest until they are.”

The NHTSA and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that car accidents are the leading cause of death for U.S. residents between the ages of 3 and 34.

The number of fatal drunk driving accidents also declined, dropping 7.4 percent to 10,839 from the 11,711 reported in 2008.

“Today’s numbers reflect the tangible benefits of record seat belt use and strong anti-drunk driving enforcement campaigns,” said NHTSA Administrator David Strickland. “But we are still losing more than 30,000 lives a year on our highways, and about a third of these involve drunk driving. We will continue to work with our state partners to strictly enforce both seat belt use and anti-drunk driving laws across this nation, every day and every night.”

Other highlights:

-33 states and Puerto Rico reported a decline in the number of fatal drunk driving accidents.

-41 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico reported an overall reduction in fatalities.

-Florida (422 fewer) and Texas (405 fewer) reported the largest declines.

We will continue to report how Illinois compares to the rest of the nation as the government releases more detailed information in the coming weeks. Please check back.