Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

More than 1,100 motorists per day were involved in crashes on Illinois roadways in 2008, averaging 3 fatalities and 11 injuries a day, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation.

Last Sunday, the Chicago Sun Times reported that 11 people were transported to hospitals in Naperville and Dowers Grove after an I-88 crash on Saturday left two with non-life threatening critical injuries.

Multi-vehicle accidents – like the recent I-88 crash – mean multiple accident victims which means multiple insurance claims and injury reports. If you have been involved in a multi-car accident on Illinois roadways, turning to an experienced Chicago car accident attorney can help you figure out how to best protect your rights.

The IDOT reports that in 2008, more than 10 million registered Illinois motor vehicles logged an estimated 106 billion miles throughout the state with 408,258 crashes. Most injuries and fatalities involved passenger cars driven on city streets and surrounding interstates and highways. In fact, Cook County has the most dangerous roads in the state for Chicago drivers, racking up 163,799 crashes that caused 203 deaths and more than 32,100 injuries.

The aftermath of a car accident, whether minor or severe, can be a confusing, painful time filled with decisions and choices that are fortunately unfamiliar for most Chicago residents.

When it comes to seeking long or short-term post-emergency medical care, dealing with medical bills, insurance adjusters and filing claims, lost work and wages, repair or replacement to your vehicle, perhaps even funeral expense, talking with an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer can help you better understand your rights.

Continue reading " Cook County roads most dangerous in the state for Chicago drivers " »

Talk to almost any Illinois driver and they’ll admit to knowing that texting or eating while driving can lead to an Illinois car accident. Illinois is, after all, one of 32 states that has enacted a texting-while-driving ban. But do drivers understand how dangerous and distracting driving with an unrestrained pet can be?

According to a recent AAA/Kurgo survey, apparently not.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports nearly one-fifth of all car crashes involved distracted drivers, claiming nearly 6,000 lives and leaving 500,000 people injured each year.

But what about the dangers of driving with Fido? The AAA/Kurgo survey-takers interviewed 1000 drivers nationwide and found that nearly a third of those polled admitted to being distracted by their dog while on the road. And while 80 percent of respondents admitted to bringing their beloved pooches along for a ride, less than 20 percent said they use a pet harness to restrain their dog.

The degree of potentially accident-causing distraction that comes with taking your eyes off the road to pet, feed or play with your dog is just one part of the problem. In the event of a crash, your pet becomes an unrestrained missile regardless of size.

Jennifer Huebner-Davidson, the AAA National Traffic Safety Programs manager told AAA/Kurgo survey-takers that a 10-pound dog in a 50 mph crash exerts 500-pounds of pressure on impact with a stationary object (such as an injured, seatbelt-wearing, driver or passenger), while an 80-pound dog in a 30 mph collision will generate almost five times that amount of pressure, or about 2,400 pounds.

Not to mention that an injured or traumatized dog large or small is an unstable creature that poses both a potential threat and an impediment to themselves, rescue workers, other accident victims, other drivers and your passengers.

We all love our dogs. Turns out, leaving them at home might be the best option. If you want to take them to the park, taking safety into account should be job one.

Continue reading " Dogs pose distracted driving danger for motorists; increase risk of Chicago car accident " »

The Chicago Tribune reports that the railroad crossing on Nagle Avenue near Avondale will be rebuilt after being the site of numerous accidents.

Our Illinois Injury Law Blog reported in July that Illinois was on a list of 10 states under federal mandate to improve railroad crossing safety. The state reported 78 serious or fatal crossing accidents last year. Our Chicago injury attorneys reported that a semi driver was forced to jump from the cab of his truck to avoid a collision with a train at the Nagle crossing on the same day the government released its list of dangerous crossings.

Authorities plan to rebuild the crossing before school starts next month; many students walk across the tracks to a nearby high school. The crossing has also been plagued by vehicles stopping on the tracks and becoming trapped in bumper-to-bumper traffic. More than 100 tickets have been issued to drivers in the past three years. The Illinois Commerce Commission has strongly recommended that the city take corrective action.

Better safety measures had been put off because of the expense. While building a bridge is the preferred option, officials announced that new signs, better pavement markings and other minor improvements should be in place by the first week of September.

Continue reading " Chicago railroad crossing accidents prompt improvements to intersection " »

A Chicago man pleaded not guilty this week to charges in connection with a fatal Chicago car accident that killed two teenagers, including a girl out celebrating her 18th birthday.

The Sun-Times reported that the 20-year-old man was indicted last month on charges of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide. He has also been charged with DUI, improper lane usage, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and having no insurance. He is in jail on a $2 million bond.

Tragically, some of the worst drivers on the road carry little or no car insurance. It is even more critical to seek the advice of an experienced Chicago injury lawyer in cases where an at-fault driver claims little or no insurance. An experienced law firm may be able to assist you in obtaining a judgment against the assets of an at-fault driver or in winning a settlement from your own insurance company.

In this case, police say the defendant was speeding down Sheridan Road in Wilmette at about 2:30 a.m. when he lost control and struck a fire hydrant and a tree. Three of the five people inside the car were killed, including two girls, ages 17 and 18, who were seated in the back. One of the girl's had just celebrated her 18th birthday. Two other passengers, ages 16 and 18, were hospitalized.

Teen are at high-risk for car accidents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that 3,500 teens ages 15 to 19 were killed in car accidents in 2008 and more than 350,000 were treated in emergency rooms. While those ages 15 to 24 account for only 14 percent of the U.S. population, they account for about 30 percent of the total cost of all motor vehicle accidents.

Teen risk factors include:

Teens are less likely than adults to recognize hazardous situations.

Teens are more likely to tailgate and engage in other risky driving behavior.

One-third of male drivers involved in fatal crashes were speeding and one-quarter had been drinking.

Male students are less likely than female students to wear seat belts.

In 2008, half of teen deaths occurred between 3 p.m. and midnight and more than half occurred on the weekend.

Continue reading " Homicide charges filed in wake of deadly Chicago car accident " »