Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Our Illinois bus accident attorneys know that most people probably don't consider the safety risks when using a charter or low-cost bus for a holiday tour or a quick trip to get across town but we want to remind you that there are dangers that you need to be aware of.

Many charter companies and even school districts don't take the necessary precautions to keep passengers safe by hiring experienced drivers or maintaining their fleet of buses. These failures can lead to severe injuries when a bus accident occurs and can be traced back to negligence on behalf of the bus operator.

The Chicago Tribune reports a Chicago bus operator caused an accident which injured 13 volleyball players who were being transported to a tournament. The bus driver was cited for failing to yield while making a left turn at an intersection. As a result, the bus flipped on its side after colliding with a pickup truck on Route 83.

Authorities report that 2 injured athletes were treated and released at the scene. Nine others were taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center with minor injuries. The two remaining injured athletes were transported to Grayslake Emergency Center with more severe injuries, one of which may have had a broken arm.

School bus accidents are not the only concern in the news recently when it comes to bus transportation. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is concerned about passenger safety when using curbside carriers or low-cost charters.

A series of accidents including the Bronx bus tragedy that injured and killed 33 people last March has led to a 6-month investigation on the fast growing bus transportation industry. The following are key findings of the NTSB study:

• Curbside carriers who have been in the industry for ten years or less and operate with 10 or fewer buses have higher rates of roadside inspection violations and accidents rates.


• In looking at fatal accident rates of curbside and conventional bus operators from January 2005 to March 2011, curbside carriers were 7 times more likely to be involved in a fatal crash than conventional charters; 1.4 per 100 vehicles compared to 0.2 per 100 vehicles respectively.


• Driver drowsiness is a common contributor in most bus accidents.


• Curbside carriers often avoid roadside inspections because they don't operate through terminals. This presents a problem in detecting safety violations being committed on a daily basis.


• There are far more motor carriers in the United States than what the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's investigators can handle when it comes to being thorough and completing safety inspections. The current ratio is 1.15 inspectors to 1,000 motor carriers which means, each investigator needs to complete roughly 80 inspections a month or average 4 a day.


• Curbside operators tend to use online brokers to sell tickets more so than conventional charters. Online brokers make it difficult to track sales and the FMCSA has no authority to regulate brokers.

Since March 2011, there have been 5 bus accidents resulting in almost 160 injuries and 22 deaths. More attention needs to be directed to passenger safety in order to save lives.

Tourists looking to take a holiday bus ride should use caution and consider the risks before you ride. There are many cost-efficient carriers that reduce their fares to consumers but don't take the necessary precautions to keep passengers safe.

Continue reading "Chicago Bus Passengers Using Curbside Carriers Are at Higher Risk of an Illinois Bus Accident" »

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers encourage riders and other motorists to consider taking a course on what to do in the event of a serious car accident. In particular, a course being offered about dealing with injuries before rescue crews arrive could mean the difference between life and death in the event of a serious or fatal traffic accident.

During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May, we published an article on our Illinois Injury Law Blog detailing some of the steps riders can take to help protect themselves from being involved in a Chicago motorcycle accident.

Now the Sun-Times reports that a trauma nurse is offering a class aimed at teaching riders and motorists about what they can do to assist before emergency crews arrive. The 40-year-old trauma nurse from Loyola Center for Heart & Vascular Medicine has seen it all in 10 years on the job, from bikers with scrapes and bruises to those dead on arrival. As an avid motorcycle rider herself, she was also involved in a motorcycle crash on I-55 in 2006, which dislocated her shoulder, fractured an ankle and left her with road rash. The accident was caused by a passing motorist, who threw a Gatorade bottle out the window.

She was with fellow riders who assisted her for 40 minutes until emergency crews could arrive. The experienced left her well aware of how ill-equipped most riders are for dealing with injuries until emergency personnel can arrive on the scene. Her class, called "A Crash Course for the Motorcyclist," is aimed at bikers, scooter riders, EMS specialists and nurses. Its aim is to educate those at a crash scene about what to do in the minutes following an Illinois motorcycle accident.

Tips on securing the scene, traffic control, when and how to move an injury victim, how to move a motorcycle, and how to properly provide a 911 dispatcher with life-saving information are all part of the course. Nearly half of all motorcycle riders are seriously injured and 98 percent of riders involved in an accident with another vehicle suffer some injuries. She also encourages all riders to take a CPR course and an accident management program. Basic and advanced courses are offered on the following Saturdays: July 24, Sept. 4, Sept. 18, Oct. 2, Oct. 16, Nov. 13 and Nov. 27 at Loyola University Health System in Maywood.

Fort more information visit www.accidentscene.org.

Continue reading "Chicago injury lawyers believe accident response course worthwhile for all motorists" »

On April 28, six students from Plainfield North High School in West Chicago were injured in a crash that involved two school buses and an automobile. The injured children were treated at Central DuPage Hospital for what were described as minor injuries. At the time of the accident, approximately 90 students were riding on the two school buses, on their way to watch a play.

A study published in the November 2006 issue of Pediatrics (the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics) concluded that the number of injuries to children riding in school buses had previously been significantly under-reported. According to the study, approximately 17,000 school bus-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms in the United States each year between 2001 and 2003. In older children, most of the injuries were to their lower extremities; however, in children younger than 10, more than half of the injuries treated were head injuries. Older children were far less likely to suffer a head injury. The conclusions of the study underscore the need for proper safety measures for children, especially young children, who travel on school buses.

If you or your child have been injured in a car accident and are concerned about your ability to be compensated for medical expenses, pain and suffering, or lost wages associated with the injury, you should consider a consultation with an experienced Chicago car accident attorney who would be able to evaluate the legal issues related to your circumstances.

Continue reading "School Bus Crash Causes Injuries in Chicago" »