Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A Chicago woman who was injured in a taxi accident has filed a car accident lawsuit. The accident occurred several months ago when the victim was the passenger in a taxi and the driver lost control and crashed into a tree. The victim was in a coma for a month after the crash and her husband was told she had less than a one percent chance of survival. Luckily, the victim has since recovered. According to ABC local, the victim and her husband have since filed a lawsuit against the taxi driver to cover their doctor’s bills of close to one million dollars. The taxi driver is claiming that the car sped up on its own and this is what caused the accident, and not his negligence, however the black box for the taxi that would store this data seems to have gone missing. To read more about this car accident lawsuit, please click on the link.

Taxi drivers are often involved in car accidents and if the victim believes that the driver may have been negligent and caused the accident, the passenger may be able to file a lawsuit against the driver. If you or a loved one have been involved in a taxi accident and feel that the driver may have been at fault and that you are entitled to compensation, please contact a Chicago car accident attorney.

There are certain issues that affect elderly drivers and that are important to keep in mind as you get older. Safe Roads Alliance offers some of the obstacles that elderly people may face on the road as well as links to other useful information regarding the elderly and driving. With age, certain physical changes can make it harder to driver, such as possible hearing and vision impairment, slower reflexes and medication interactions. To see more about what affects elderly drivers, please click on the link. According to the National Institute on Aging, the elderly body may be affected in many ways that can affect driving such as joints may get stick, muscles may weaken, visions may change, hearing may get worse and reaction time may be slower.

While many elderly drivers are aware of conditions that affect their driving abilities and are able to monitor themselves and know when they should not be on the road in order to hopefully avoid car accidents. Unfortunately, some times people do not realize that their conditions are affecting their driving and making it dangerous for them to remain on the road. According to the AARP website, there are certain steps someone should take if they believe an elderly friend or relative should not be on the road, and they include: assessing the situation by riding with the person firsthand, talking to the person about driving and your caring about their well-being, and then suggest alternate options to their driving such as taking a driving refresher course, limiting driving to certain times of day or in familiar areas only, or finding alternate modes of transportation, whether it be public transportation or rides with other drivers, in order to avoid car crashes.

Some states have taken a new approach to handle the dangers behind teenage driving. New York recently put certain laws into effect that will restrict young drivers in the hope that they will lead to fewer teenage car accidents. According to an article on WIVB.com, the law requires more driving time between when teenagers receive their driver’s permits and their driver’s license. Teenagers must clock 50 hours, certain ones at night time, with only people over 21 in the car with them at the time. This law relies on parents of teenagers to be honest and to respect the reasoning behind the law of trying to make sure teenagers are ready and have practice when they are allowed to be behind the wheel without any supervision. Illinois has been looking into their teenage driving laws, and while Illinois did recently add extended driving time with parents before licensing, many feel that Illinois could use stronger teenage driving rules. Please click here to see the discussion on Illinois driving laws.

The reason that stricter teenage driving rules are so important is because teen drivers are involved in so many tragic car accidents every year. According to the CDC's fact sheet on teen driving, in 2008, nine teenagers between 16 to 19 died daily from injuries sustained in motor vehicle accidents. Teen drivers are commonly involved in car crashes because of lack of experience, underestimation of dangerous situations, speeding, and drinking. If states impose stricter laws on teenage drivers, there will be a reduction in these tragic yet preventable automobile accidents among teenagers.

A Chicago car accident occurred early on February 20th and left three Illinois residents seriously injured. The accident was at the intersection of Clark and Division and was caused by a car crashing into a taxi as it was going through the intersection. According to The Chicago Sun Times, the taxi then hit a pole and the car that caused the accident crashed into another taxi. Three people were listed in serious to critical condition and two were in good condition following the accident. At this point it is not known whether any of the victims were pedestrians or if they were all passengers in the cars. To read more about this Chicago car accident, please click here.

Given the high frequency of taxis in the city, taxis are often involved in car accidents. As a passenger in a taxi, you should always wear a seatbelt to protect yourself in the event of a taxi accident. While many people ignore seatbelts in taxis or find it not as important and necessarily to wear a seatbelt in a taxi as they do in a car, an accident can be just as dangerous so seatbelts are very important. Please make sure to always make a conscious effort to wear your seatbelt while traveling in a taxi, and encourage others to as well.

A car accident wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in connection with the death of a Illinois woman who was killed when struck by a vehicle in October of this past year. This pedestrian accident occurred in Evanston when the elderly woman tried to cross Sheridan Road and the car accident lawsuit alleges that the driver was negligent because she failed to keep a proper lookout in addition to driving too fast given the weather conditions. According to The Pioneer Local, the suit seeks over $200,000 in damages. To read more about this tragic accident, please click on the link.

While there has been a decrease in pedestrian deaths over the last decade, this is still a serious problem that drivers and pedestrians need to be aware of. In 2007, 170 pedestrians were killed and 1000 were injured in Illinois. Pedestrian accidents are much more common in urban areas, so residents of Chicago need to be extra cautious when walking and when driving. The best way to try to avoid pedestrian accidents is to make sure you are always alert, paying attention to the road and following street signs while either driving or walking. To read more about pedestrian accident rates and ways to avoid these horrible accidents, please click on the link.

The family of a young Illinois man who was killed in December has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the car that killed their son. The car accident occurred when the Defendant was driving under the influence of alcohol and caused the crash in which the young man was killed. According to The Southtown Star, the family is seeking over $50,000 in damages in connection with this accident. The Defendant is also facing criminal charges for drinking and driving and is currently undergoing treatment for alcohol and drug abuse. He has also had his license suspended until 2013. To read more about this tragic accident and the wrongful death lawsuit, please click on this link.

Drunk driving is a leading cause of fatal car accidents and these types of accidents are very preventable. Please make sure that you never drive when you have had too much to drink and always try to encourage others to stay out of the driver’s seat when you feel they have been drinking. Drunk driving causes so many deaths a year, see here, and it will help greatly if everyone does their part to try to keep less drunk drivers off the road.

An Illinois woman is facing criminal charges for a car accident in which an Illinois motorcyclist was killed. According to Suburban Chicago News, the woman was allegedly painting her fingernails at the time she struck the man and is being charged with six counts of reckless homicide. The car accident occurred last May at the intersection of Route 12 and Old McHenry Road, when the Illinois woman struck the motorcyclist who was stopped waiting for the light to change. To read more about this Illinois car accident and the charges the woman is facing, please click on this link.

This accident is yet another example of why it is so important to always pay attention while driving. As seen by the cell phone ban going into effect all over the country, distracted drivers are the cause of a great deal of car crashes. Many people think that it is okay to take your eyes and focus off of the road when stopped in traffic, stopped at a light or when you are driving slow but being distracted at any point while the car is on the road can be very dangerous and it is important to always stay focused.

A recent study has found cell phone distraction is more likely to cause car accidents in densely populated areas. The study looked at the rates of car accidents in densely populated areas before and after the cell-phone ban laws went into effect. The results of the study showed that there was a higher drop in car accident fatalities in the heavily congested areas, as well as a higher drop in non-fatal car accidents. According to Science Daily, the reasoning that the conductors of the study believe that there is such a difference based on the congestion of the city, is because in a higher traffic area it is much easier to hit a car when distracted by a cell phone, because the cars are so much closer to each other. In other words, if you are driving on a road with no traffic and you get distracted and lose control of your car for a second, there is a much lower chance you will hit something than when you are stopped right behind another car in a heavily congested area. To read more about this study, please click on this link.

This study is very relevant for drivers in Chicago, because the city of Chicago is very densely populated and the streets are often very congested. To read about car accident rates in the city of Chicago, please click on this link. While the cell-phone ban is currently in effect in Chicago, many drivers still ignore the law and continue to use their cell phone while driving in the city. In addition to the law and potential citations you an receive for using your cell phone while driving in the city, this study offers an additional reason to not let yourself be distracted by your cell phone while driving in a heavily congested area.

The number of drunk driving accidents and drunk driving fatalities each year are very high and are avoidable and something that needs to be addressed. According to Alcohol Alert, Illinois is among the top ten states in terms of number of alcohol-related fatalities and in 2008 there were 434 alcohol deaths. Each state has two types of offenses that may be issued in connection with driving under the influence, one of which is the offense of driving under the influence and the other which is driving with a blood alcohol concentration of over 0.08. To read more about the drunk driving statistics and what legal measures are being taken to keep drunk drivers of the road, please click on this hyperlink.

While the state-imposed punishments are definitely a deterrent and hopefully do keep the number of alcohol related car accidents much lower than they could be, it is not possible for cops to see and in turn stop everyone that is driving under the influence. Because of this, it is important for drivers to make a personal choice to not drive while under the influence, to try to discourage others from driving under the influence, and to report any erratic drivers that they see while on the road. Making these choices to help fight the drunk driving problem in our state could make a huge difference and help fight this terrible and avoidable problem that leads to many deaths and car crashes every year.

The family of a Chicago baby that was killed in a fatal car accident last week has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the car that caused the crash. According to the Chicago car accident attorney who filed the case, the accident occurred when the plaintiff was fleeing from a previous crash at 100 miles per hour with headlights that were not operating correctly. According to Chicago Breaking News, the accident occurred at the corner of Parker and Cicero Avenues in Chicago and while the baby’s parents survived the crash, two of their friends who were passengers in the car were also killed. Read the report about this deadly Chicago car crash.

The driver who fled the scene but was later detained. He was released without criminal charges but faces several driving violations. The wrongful death lawsuit filed by the baby’s parents seeks an unspecified amount of money for both their baby’s death and their own injuries sustained in the collision. If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a car accident and feel that you may be entitled to compensation by the person responsible, please contact an Illinois accident attorney to further discuss the case and the possible options you may have.

An Illinois man has filed a car accident lawsuit in connection with an accident that occurred back in 2002. The lawsuit alleges that when the Illinois plaintiff was just a teenager he was struck by the Defendant’s car while he was a passenger in a car driving out of a parking lot. According to The St. Clair Record, the accident occurred in St. Clair County on Illinois Route 159 when the Defendant allegedly cut Plaintiff off while he was waiting to turn out of the lot. The complaint seeks over $50,000 in damages for pain and suffering as well as loss of normal enjoyment of life. To read more about this car accident lawsuit, please click on this link.

While this lawsuit was filed many years after the car accident occurred, this may be done in many types of accident lawsuits. If you or a loved one was involved in a car accident, even if it was many years ago, and you feel like you may be entitled to damages please contact please contact an Illinois accident attorney to discuss your case and see what your possible options may be.

An Illinois resident has filed a lawsuit against Toyota, the maker of the rented car that he was driving and got into an accident in. According to The Chicago Tribune, the car accident that occurred in St. Charles at the end of last year is believed to have been caused by the sticking gas pedals in many Toyota models that have been the source of recent Toyota recalls. This faulty pedal problem makes it difficult for drivers to stop their car in time to avoid an accident which is what this specific car accident lawsuit alleges happened. Although over 5 million vehicles are believed to be affected by this safety issue, the car accident attorney that is representing the victims believes that this lawsuit is the first of its kind to be filed in Cook County.

This specific lawsuit alleges that the driver, who had rented a car from a Chicago car rental, was unable to stop his car in time to avoid hitting another car which was caused by the stuck gas pedal. The car accident lawsuit also names the car rental company as a defendant, for failing to stop renting the vehicle after Toyota had recalled that specific model. The complaint seeks over $50,000 in damages. To read more about this car accident lawsuit and the Toyota recall, please click in this hyperlink.

Many people are concerned with the way that Toyota is handling their recent recalls in the past couple weeks. The problem that have been identified in several Toyota models involve an safety issue where gas pedals have been sticking. This is a huge safety issue as a stuck gas pedal can lead to severe car accidents if the driver is unable to control their vehicle. The more recent concern is not just over the fact that this safety issue exists but that Toyota has been slow in their response to address the problem. To read more about the Toyota recalls, please click on this link.

According to Yahoo News, the Transportation Secretary says that it took Toyota awhile to recall the vehicles once the problem was initially discovered and that the government is considered penalizing Toyota for their delay. Toyota is suffering a big blow to their image with these recent safety issues, with their stock falling, and the company that has always prided itself on safety, losing business to other companies that are stepping up in the wake of these Toyota safety issues. To read more about other companies stepping in, please click on this link. For additional info on the trouble that Toyota may be in for their slow responses, please click here.

These types of safety issues in vehicles are very important to deal with because of the severity of what these issues can cause. Many car crashes may result from these faulty gas pedals and other similar safety oversights, and this is why it is so crucial for car companies to be very thorough in their quality checks and to immediately address any issues that so come up. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of negligence on the part of a car company or another driver, please contact an Illinois accident attorney to discuss your case and see what your possible options may be.

A chain reaction car accident occurred in Chicago today, which was initially caused by the snow fall earlier this morning. Very early this morning an intoxicated driver lost control on the snowy roads and hit a median on the highway, and then a truck struck the car after it hit the median. According to Chicago Breaking News, another truck trying to avoid the accident was struck by another truck traveling behind it and jack-knifed across all the lanes of traffic. The highway had to be closed for several hours to deal with this horrible mess of cars. To read more about this Chicago accident, please click on this link.

While the city of Chicago does try to prepare for the weather and reduce car accidents by clearing the snow as soon as possible, drivers need to be cautious because all roads usually cannot be cleared in time for the morning commute. Drivers need to be aware of the weather and drive slower and more cautiously given the harsh conditions. If the roads have a lot of traffic make sure not to follow others cars too closely as it is much harder to stop quickly in icy road conditions. Also keep in mind that right when snow (or rain) begins to fall is when the roads may be the most dangerous because the roads are just becoming slick.