Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

ABC7 is reporting progress in a hit-and-run Chicago pedestrian accident that injured four, including three children.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers know the devastating injuries that can result when careless drivers crash into pedestrians. We have represented clients who have sustained spinal cord injuries, organ damage, traumatic brain injuries, permanent disfigurement, and other serious injuries caused by reckless drivers.

Chicago law enforcement have found the SUV involved in a recent hit-and-run accident that left a mother and her three children -- ages 7, 3 and 3 months -- injured. All four were hit while crossing a street near Jackson and Paulina. Witnesses say the driver of a green Mazda SUV was heading northbound on Paulina when a red Chevy Blazer ran through the red light on Jackson, striking the Mazda, which in turn struck the victims crossing the street.

"We had victims in the crosswalk at the time of the impact from the two vehicles causing this vehicle, the Mazda, to strike the pedestrians in the crosswalk," said Chicago Police Department Investigator Elliott Musial.

The red Chevy Blazer, the alleged hit-and-run vehicle, was found by police a few blocks away, but the driver was gone. Police have identified the owner of the vehicle but don't know if he was driving at the time of the crash. Thanks to witnesses, police have a description of the driver and hope to have him in custody soon.

Common causes of pedestrian accidents include drunk driving, text messaging, talking on a cell phone, speeding, failure to obey traffic signs and lights, driver inexperience and poorly designed roads.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates a pedestrian dies every two hours as a result of traffic crashes. Nationally in 2009, at least 4,000 pedestrians lost their lives and an additional 59,000 were injured in traffic-related crashes. In Illinois, over 12 percent of the total traffic-related fatalities were pedestrians (111).

Other facts related to pedestrian fatalities include: 72 percent of pedestrian deaths occurred in an urban setting compared to a rural setting; 76 percent of pedestrian deaths occurred at non-intersections compared to at intersections; roughly 90 percent of pedestrian fatalities happened during normal weather conditions, versus rain, snow and fog; and almost 70 percent of pedestrian fatalities happened at nighttime.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers remind you that even if the driver that hit you wasn't charged in criminal court, you might be able to hold them accountable in civil court. You may be entitled to personal injury compensation, which means the negligent driver could be ordered to pay damages for the injuries you have suffered.

Continue reading "Pedestrians at High Risk of Hit-and-Run Accidents in Chicago" »

A hit-and-run Chicago car accident that injured the brother of state Sen. Anthony Munoz (D-Chicago), has led to felony charges against the 24-year-old driver, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

Our Chicago personal injury lawyers represent clients injured in hit-and-run accidents. We encourage those dealing with these crashes to contact an experienced law firm as soon as possible. Do not wait until a defendant is found an arrested -- drivers frequently flee the scene because they are not properly licensed or lack insurance. By bringing a veteran attorney into the case from the start, you stand the best chance of protecting your rights. In some cases, we will file suit against the assets of an at-fault driver. In other cases, we may be able to collect on other insurance policies in the household. In still other cases, particularly when a driver is not located or other means of collection are not available, we may be able to assist you in making a claim against your own insurance company.

The Sun-Times reports the crash happened outside a polling place in the 4000 block of South Archer. Shortly after the crash, a 24-year-old South Archer Street man was arrested and charged with a felony for leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. Chicago police report he admitted his involvement.

He is also accused of driving without insurance, and failure to exercise due care for a pedestrian in the roadway.

Martin Munoz, 40, was crossing Archer Avenue when he was struck by a westbound car. The force of the accident caused him to land on the car, damaging the windshield. An off duty Cook County Sheriff's deputy, who was working at the polling place, was able to pursue the vehicle and get its license plate number. The pursuit was stopped after the car ran a red light and went the wrong way down a one-way street. But the plate number matched the defendant's 1994 Nissan.

Munoz suffered a broken leg and head injuries. He has undergone surgery to have screws and a rod inserted into his leg.

The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that unlicensed drivers have been involved in 145 of the state's 718 fatal crashes thus far in 2010.

Continue reading "Chicago car accident injures State Senator's brother at polling place " »

Our Chicago pedestrian accident lawyers know that the city can be particularly deadly for pedestrians. Over the span of just hours, two women this week were struck in a pair of hit-and-run incidents – one critically and one fatally – while walking along Chicago roadways, the Chicago Examiner reports.

The 66-year-old female, who died, sustained extensive head and chest injuries after being hit shortly after midnight while walking in Long Grove. A 21-year-old was struck shortly before 7 p.m. while walking along North Long.

In the Chicago area alone, there were 52 fatal pedestrian accidents in 2009 and 3,484 traffic accidents that involved pedestrians. Of those, more than 2,900 victims reported some injury and another 461 sustained incapacitating injuries. In Illinois, in 2008, fatal traffic accidents claimed the lives of 1,043 drivers and passengers and 135 pedestrians, or nearly 13 percent of all traffic-related deaths.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, across the U.S., pedestrian-related traffic fatalities occur every 120 minutes and pedestrians are injured about every 8 minutes. Almost three-quarters of fatalities happen in urban settings. In an effort to promote safety, the NHTSA offers a handful of precautionary tips for drivers and pedestrians alike:

FOR DRIVERS:

~ Make scanning sidewalks and shoulders for foot traffic a habit.

~ Before making a turn, check for pedestrians as well as fellow drivers.

~ Yield to pedestrians – especially when signage and signaling indicate they have the right-of-way.

~ Drive slowly and anticipate unexpected, if not distracted, foot traffic when driving in a parking lot.

~ Respect that in or near school-zones and public parks, children and families are likely to pop out from anywhere.

FOR PEDESTRIANS:

~ During the day, wear bright colors.

~ When walking at dusk and dawn – or any time in between – carry a flashlight and wear reflective gear.

~ Don’t assume crosswalks and traffic signals will protect you. Anticipate driver inattention – in most cases they are watching other cars and road conditions – they aren’t looking for you.

~ Make eye contact with drivers before stepping onto any roadway. Look both ways before entering a crosswalk.

~ Avoid distractions like headphones or cell phone chatter – pay attention to your surroundings.

~ If there is a sidewalk, use it; if not, walk facing traffic. DON’T jaywalk.

Continue reading "Just hours apart, two Chicago pedestrians involved in separate hit-and-run accidents " »

A 30-year-old man is jailed and charged with felony DUI and reckless homicide in connection with a Chicago pedestrian accident that claimed to life of a 10-year-old boy. The Sun-Times reports the driver also faces other charges, including driving with a suspended license. The Chicago man faces up to 14 years in prison if convicted. He was jailed on Monday, when a Cook County judge set bail at $350,000.

The crash happened just before 6 a.m. Saturday in Rogers Park when a van driven by the defendant slammed into a parked SUV, pushing it into another parked SUV and crushing the child between the two vehicles. The third-grader and his sister had just arrived to visit their aunt so their father could work as a caddy over the Memorial Day weekend.

Prosecutors say the driver tested .109 -- above the limit of .08 for drunk driving in Illinois -- and failed field sobriety tests. Police report finding several empty beer bottles in the van following the collision. Authorities say he ran a red light and lost control of the van before slamming into a Ford Explorer. The Explorer was pushed into a Toyota SR 5, trapping the child, who was walking between the two vehicles. Some media outlets reported that the defendant's van was being followed by a police cruiser at the time of the crash.

Chicago drunk driving accidents continue to be responsible for a significant number of serious and fatal traffic crashes. In 2008 Illinois traffic accidents in which alcohol tests were performed, about half (328 of 655) involved a driver with alcohol in their system, according to statistics from the Illinois Division of Traffic Safety.

The U.S. Department of Transportation reports that traffic fatalities are the leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14. An average of four children a day were killed and 529 injured in traffic accidents in 2008. Forty-four were killed in Illinois traffic accidents involving children.

Continue reading "Child killed in reported Chicago drunk driving accident " »