Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

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.