Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Motorists headed downtown from the O’Hare Airport this past weekend had to sit in traffic for nearly 2 hours, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. Illinois State Police crews had to find a way to get a semi-truck back on its wheel after a Chicago trucking accident on the outbound Dan Ryan Expressway.

The late morning accident happened on the southbound Ryan at 26th Street. Only two lanes were open as crews worked on the scene. The lanes were reopened nearly 12 hours after the accident. The overturned semi spilled fuel all over the road.

Local officials say that this accident couldn't have happened at a worse time as many residents and visitors were heading to either the White Sox game or the Air and Water Show. Luckily, the driver of the big rig was not injured in the accident.

Our Illinois trucking accident attorneys understand that this accident could have turned out much differently. Accidents with semis, especially when they happen on our Expressway, oftentimes turn deadly. Motorists are urged to travel with extra caution in these areas as the fast-traveling traffic can cause mass chaos and wind up causing fatal motor-vehicle accidents.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 400,000 large trucks involved in traffic accidents in the United States in 2008. A large truck is a vehicle with a gross weight of more than 10,000 pounds. Of these accidents, more than 4,000 resulted in fatal accidents and nearly 4,300 people died in these incidents. These fatalities accounted for more than 10 percent of all of the traffic deaths that were reported in 2008. Another 90,000 people were injured in these accidents. It is estimated that one out of every nine traffic accident-related deaths involved a large truck.

Of deadly trucking accidents:

-74 percent of the people that died were occupants of another vehicle.

-10 percent of those who died were nonoccupants

-The remaining 16 percent of people that died were the occupants of a large truck.

Of injury-resulting trucking accidents:

-More than 70 percent of injuries were sustained by the occupants of another vehicle.

-Less than 5 percent were nonoccupants.

-The remaining 26 percent of injuries were sustained by the occupants of a large truck.

Of the roughly 1,500 vehicles that were involved in fatal traffic accidents in Illinois in 2008, about 150 were large trucks.

Motorists are asked to be cautious when traveling along our Expressways with large trucks. Adjust your driving when one is near. Don't travel alongside one for a prolonged amount of time. Don't hang around in its blind spots as these are the areas in which the driver cannot see you. Don't cut one off because trucks are not able to stop as easily as passenger vehicles and you run a risk of being rear ended. And lastly, look ahead at all times. Knowing what kind of traffic patterns you're approaching can help to keep you safe and to help you adjust to potential roadway changes sooner.

Continue reading " Chicago Trucking Accident Shuts Down Dan Ryan Expressway for 2 Hours " »

A recent motorcycle accident in Illinois has left a local firefighter brain dead, according to The Herald-News. The firefighter was riding his motorcycle on Interstate 80 through a work zone late one night. He was driving home from Tinley Park after he and his passenger attended a Kid Rock concert. The motorcyclists were thrown from the bike after passing over a large bump in the road. The bump was from construction work that was going on in the area. Both of the motorists were taken to Silver Cross Hospital.

“It was determined that he had a brain bleed. He was then flown to Loyola University Hospital and received brain surgery Saturday morning,” said Chief Joe Formhals.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand how dangerous it can be to navigate through a construction zone. For this reason, motorists are asked to pass through with extreme cautious and alertness. Many work zone car accidents can be avoided if motorists pay attention and pass through these areas at a cautious speed. These risks are even higher for motorcyclists. Their lack of protection makes them extremely vulnerable to serious injury in the event of an accident.

Once at the hospital, doctors made several attempts at relieving the firefighter's intercranial pressure, but they were unsuccessful as of last reports. The hospital's tests have concluded that the firefighter's brain is not responding. It is showing no signs of any activity.

The firefighter is a father to two young daughters. He has been a member of the fire department since 1998.

“He loved coming to work and always had a smile on his face. He was one of those guys who never thought about himself,” Capt. Ron Fox said.

The family has chosen to keep their firefighter on life support to allow his organs to be donated to the hospital.

Motorists are asked to follow these safety tips to help avoid a potentially fatal accident in a construction zone:

-Turn on your headlight when driving through these zones so that other motorists and construction workers are more likely to see you.

-When required to merge before a work zone, do so as soon as possible. Don't wait until the last minute and put yourself in a compromising situation.

-Try not to ride in the center of your lane. This is where oil builds and debris collects. It's easily for a motorcycle to fall over in these areas.

-Abide by all speed limits. Speed limits are there for a reason and help you to safely travel through these areas.

-Consider taking a motorcycle safety course. This type of course can help you to learn new driving skills or to reinforce your current ones.

According to the Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA), there were more than 4,500 fatal traffic accidents that involved a motorcycle in 2009 in the United States. More than 84,000 people were injured in these incidents.

Continue reading " Firefighter Left Brain Dead after Motorcycle Accident through Construction Zone in Illinois " »

OnStar isn't the only device these days if you want to keep track of an elderly or teen driver who is lost or in an emergency situation. State Farm is getting in on the action by offering a new program to Illinois drivers which can report a car accident in Chicago or elsewhere in the state, as well as, locate a stolen vehicle or vehicle driving outside a pre-determined boundary.

Our Illinois car accident lawyers know that a program like this can potentially save lives in addition to saving money so drivers should consider the options. Emergency situations while driving can be terrifying, so having some peace of mind with a similar device can make driving less stressful.

CNET reports that the new program, In-Drive, will be offered this fall to policy holders in Illinois and then eventually branch out to other states throughout the nation.

The technology contains two small devices. One is a small device that plugs into the vehicle's On-Board Diagnostics port and the second device slides onto your visor. Two levels will be offered to customers. A basic package called Connect offers carbon footprint reports, fuel economy, and vehicle diagnostics. It has the capacity to locate a stolen vehicle and it can assess driving risks, meaning how hard you brake or how fast you turn corners among other things. This package costs $5.99 a month.

The Guardian, with an $11.99 monthly fee, offers the basic package plus an emergency roadside assistance operator available at your fingertips. Drivers involved in an accident can push the button located on their visor; reach an emergency operator who will then send a first responder to the accident. The technology also allows the operator to reach out to the driver if they detect an accident has occurred but no one has pushed the button.

A third option is also available for policy holders with a teen or elderly driver in their family. Co Pilot is tagged with a $9.99 monthly service fee but can alert a parent or caregiver if the device detects a vehicle going over the speed limit or beyond a pre-determined boundary otherwise known as geofencing.

Customers may not want to pay the extra money for these services but State Farm has made it affordable by offering the new program in conjunction with the Drive Safe & Save Program.

This savings program helps drivers who don't travel a lot of miles and practices save driving behaviors. In-Drive customers will now be eligible for the Drive Safe & Save Program and can save anywhere from 3 to 20 percent on their insurance premium.

The In-Drive program can give drivers involved in an accident the peace of mind that someone is a touch away from sending help. Monitoring your whereabouts could potentially save a life with this new safety technology offered by State Farm.

Continue reading " Tracking Device Should Quicken Response Time to Car Accidents in Chicago, Statewide " »

There are a number of things to consider when a teenager gets ready to purchase their first car. On top of the priority list is vehicle safety in hopes of reducing the risk of injury if your teen is involved in an Illinois car accident.

Other things that should be given extensive thought include: who is going to pay for the car, is your teen mature enough to have their own car to drive, how can insurance premiums be lowered, is a new car safer and more cost effective than a used car and what boundaries should be set once a teen gets their license?

Our Chicago car accident attorneys know that purchasing a teen's first vehicle can be stressful and overwhelming because every teen has a brand new sporty car on their wish list once they become fully licensed but the reality is, it probably isn't the safest or financially sound decision a parent could make for their child.

Contrary to popular belief, an article in Daily Finance reports that teens should not assume that a car will be waiting for them the day they pass their exam and get their license. There are financial ramifications that need to be considered first. Parents can help with finances by making it a learning experience for their teen. Set up a "My First Car" account that you're teen driver can deposit into money earned from gifts, summer jobs, or chores so that it teaches them the responsibility of owning and maintaining a vehicle.

When you purchase a vehicle, the most consideration should be given to whether to buy new or used. Newer cars come equipped with all the important safety features like electronic stability control, air bags and anti-lock brakes but also contain lots of distraction devices like stereo systems, GPS devices and in-vehicle technology which make the car unsafe for a teen driver who becomes distracted. Essentially, you just need a vehicle that handles well, brakes quickly and has controlled steering which can often be found in a certified pre-owned vehicle. Used vehicles should be considered because they are more affordable.

There is no shame in doing your homework on crash-testing and safety ratings. Once you narrow down the list of vehicles you are interested in, several online sources can offer safety ratings on the vehicle. These organizations include: safercar.gov, J.D. Power and Associates, and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety to name a few.

Once you determine whether new or used is the way to go, there are some other things that you can do to save some money and make purchasing the car for your teen more affordable.

Many insurance companies will offer discounts for teens that are good students, who take a defensive driving course, or maintain a clean driving record. Communicate to your teen the importance of these behaviors and reward them when they are successful over a period of time. The U.S. Department of Energy is another helpful online source that can help you save money because it tells you how to get the best gas mileage, as well as, other money saving tips.

Before you hand over the keys to your teen, develop and sign a Parent-Teen Driving Contract , which sets up rules and boundaries that both you and your teen agree on.

Knowing your teen is committed to being a safe driver can give you some peace of mind that they will be safer while they are behind the wheel.

Continue reading " Purchasing a Safe Vehicle Can Reduce the Risk of Injury in Chicago Teen Car Accidents " »