Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Accidents on our roadways occur in a myriad of forms, at different times of the day, caused by various errors, and occurring between many different types of vehicles. The most damaging accident in terms of both physical injury and property destruction typically involves crashes where there is a clear size difference between the two moving objects. That damage is compounded as the speed of the crash increases. It is for that reason that truck accidents are particularly harmful. Also, for the same reason, damage skyrockets when smaller vehicles like motorcycles or bicycles are involved.

A recent bicycle accident struck on the north side of the city late on Sunday night that took the life of the bike rider. The Indiana Gazette reported on the tragic accident. Around 9:15p.m. that night, Christopher Hippchens was on his bicycle heading home from Soldier Field where he worked as a cook. He traveled about three miles north, around the 5200 block of North Sheridan and began trying to cross the Dan Ryan Expressway.

Unfortunately, while trying to make the crossing, Hippchens was struck by a fast-moving vehicle. Emergency personnel pronounced Hippchens dead at the scene.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti encourage all users of the roadways—whether in cars, trucks, bikes, or pedestrians—to take extreme care when traveling near other fast moving vehicles. Our city is filled with bike riders who use many of our roadways as their primary means of travel. Because of the size difference and exposure of the individual rider, the risk of injury is drastically increased when a bike rider is involved in a road accident. It takes only a split-second mistake to cause lifelong damage. If you have suffered at the hands of another driver who has made the mistake, please contact a Chicago accident attorney to learn about your rights.

The posts on this blog discuss car accidents, particularly in the Chicagoland area, analyzetheir causes, recommend practices to ensure road safety, and advise victims on their legal rights following those crashes. Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti have decades of experience advising families after terrible accidents. Those crashes are quite often the result of negligent drivers who fail to take basic precautions to ensure safety on the road.

With all of the analysis of bad drivers, it is often easy to forget that the roadways are also filled with millions of Americans who diligently drive with care and caution. Severe accidents always cause intense pain and suffering. But at times, those accidents also bring out the very best in everyday citizens who attempt to help others in the wake of the tragedy.

Chicago Breaking News recently reported on one such situation following a tragic car accident yesterday on the south side of the city. Shortly before 7pm last night in the Altgeld Gardens neighborhood, a young woman and two young children were driving east on 130th Street. Witnesses say that the car abruptly veered off the road, crossed the median, and smashed into a pole.

Several people who saw the accident stopped their own vehicles and rushed the scene to provide help. When they reached the car they saw flames beginning to build underneath the car. In an amazing act of bravery, four men reached into the wreckage and managed to pull the two children out of their car seats and into safety. One man was injured in the effort. Unfortunately, they were unable to pull the female driver out of the car before it was engulfed in flames. She died in the accident. The two children were flown to a nearby hospital where they remain in serious condition.

The cause of the accident remains unclear. But there is no doubt that the men who rushed to the scene and saved the lives of two young children deserve immense praise for their selfless sacrifice. Even with repeated examples of negligent driving, it is important to remember the many drivers among us who are willing to stop at a moment’s notice and lend a helping hand.

A southern Illinois man died yesterday following a motorcycle accident in Greene County, southwest of Springfield. As reported by KSDK News, the man was driving his motorcycle in the Illinois Route 108 around 3p.m. when the accident occurred.

The victim was driving behind a tractor on the two-lane roadway. He attempted to pass the slower moving farm vehicle and entered into the left hand lane before speeding forward. However, just as he was attempting to drive past, the tractor made a left hand turn into a farming area near the road. The motorcyclist was unable to stop in time, ultimately slamming into the front side of the tractor. The impact sent the driver flying off the motorcycle. Unfortunately, he was not wearing a helmet. He was pronounced dead at the scene by arriving emergency personnel. The driver of the tractor was uninjured.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti send sincere condolences to the victims of this accident. Our years of legal work have repeatedly shown the consequences of these car crashes—the suffering it causes is staggering. For that reason, we encourage all drivers to take every possible precaution when traveling. Simple steps like wearing safety helmets and belts and driving at safe speeds for the conditions can truly be the difference between life and death. Risk on the road can never be fully eliminated, but simple steps decrease it tremendously. With the cost of injury so high, those steps are worth taking.

Anyone who has taken a walk in or around Chicago knows that Chicagoans love their pets. Dogs of all shapes and sizes can be seen traveling on the sidewalks alongside their owners in virtually every neighborhood at all times of the day. However, a new WGN TV article mentions that the friendly animals are now frequently making their way off the sidewalks and into cars.

The results can be deadly.

It is not surprising that many dog owners travel with their animals in the car. After all, car travel is often the only way to move the pet long distances. However, what is alarming is that 21% of owners who travel with their pet admit to holding the animal on their lap while behind the wheel. A majority of owners—even those who do not drive with the dog in the driver’s seat—admit to petting the dog while moving in the vehicle.

As with any other distraction in the car, these interactions with dogs while moving at high speeds could very well lead to tragic accidents. When accidents strike both the people in the car and the animals are likely to be hurt. The risk of harm increases with animals in the car, because in many crashes they act as projectiles. A design company confirmed that a large dog, around 80lbs, exerts 2,400 pounds of force if involved in a 30mph crash.

In the end, the risk and potential harm make travelling while distracted by pets an ill-advised choice. Be sure to contact a Chicago car accident lawyer if you have been involved in any car crash with a distracted driver.

NBC Chicago reported on another deadly car accident south of Chicago yesterday on Interstate 57.

Joseph Nestor was walking southbound along I-57 near 183rd Street late in the evening with his brother. The two were walking along the shoulder of the road, but at one point Nestor accidentally veered into the left lane of the roadway. It was then that an Infinity slammed into the back of him. Obviously the impact of a highway-speed traveling vehicle and a pedestrian causes extreme physical injury. Nestor was dead when police arrived at the scene, suffering multiple injuries from the collision.

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident. They are not yet sure if speeding was involved (the limit is 55 mph at that location). It is also unclear exactly how Nestor and his brother were walking along the highway. Authorities mentioned that for a pedestrian to reach that point of the road, they would have had to scale a fence. Nevertheless walking anywhere near a highway lane or shoulder should be undertaken only when absolutely necessary in emergency situations.

This marks the end of a particularly deadly weekend on I-57, with 4 deaths occurring in three separate incident s on that particular freeway. These large, well-traveled, high-speed roadways offer particular risks to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians alike. The speed of the vehicles often makes highway crashes more frequent and deadly than other accidents. It is for that reason that our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti urge particular care be taken when using these highways. It takes virtually a split-second of error to create a chain reaction of events that destroy property, cause emotional havoc, and destroy countless lives.

Car accidents can occur virtually anywhere, from parking lots to freeways. Most of the time the damage from these events occurs instantly from the physical impact on the vehicles. Protection from the physical jolt and collision is what most safety experts protect against in vehicle manufacturing. It is for that same reason that seat-belt laws swept the country, requiring all drivers and passengers to be strapped into the car to limit harm following an impact.

However, a much less common, but still deadly risk occurs following these accidents, in the moments when those involved let their guard down. Cars are complicated, heavy machinery that include countless heavy movable parts and combustible substances. When these machines are torn and smashed in an accident, the after-effects can never be fully known. Most dangerously, fuel spillage after a crash has the potential to seep far away from the initial site and ignite. The potential damage from a fire after the accident is high.

For example, the Lincoln Courier published a story today on an Illinois car accident that struck I-55 on Thursday. A twenty year old driver attempted to change from the right lane to the left while on the highway. However, she misjudged the lane change and hit the end of a trailer, bounced off a guardrail and then smashed into the truck yet again. The semi’s gas tank ruptured during the incident, spilling nearly 130 gallons of diesel fuel onto the roadway and into a creek below.

Fortunately, rescue crews, including hazardous material teams, were able to arrive on the scene quickly enough to keep all onlookers away from the dangerous location while clean-up was underway. No further injuries were reported.

The lesson to be learned from this crash and similar accidents is that the scene of any car wreck may pose many hidden dangers. As our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti know, extreme care should be taken at all time at or near these scenes to protect against lurking risks.

A young Chicago preschool student is dead and a 24 year old woman is in police custody after a deadly car accident last weekend on the north side of the city.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports that shortly before 7 a.m. on Sunday morning, Leticia Medel was driving eastbound on Fullerton Avenue in her Dodge Avenger with her husband in the front seat and her two small children in the back, a 2 year old and a 4 year old. Eventually her vehicle rear-ended a Honda Civic that was stopped at a traffic light. The force of the initial crash caused the Civic to hit another vehicle in front of it before stopping against a building. After the first impact the Avenger then crossed over into the second eastbound lane, striking a Chevy Tahoe. All told, four vehicles were involved in the car accident.

Following the wreck, Medel and her husband grabbed the two children from the back of the Avenger and ran from the scene. The two children were eventually brought to nearby Children’s Memorial Hospital. Jonathan, the four year old, had suffered a lacerated liver and multiple contusions. Doctors did everything that could to save the young child, but he was pronounced dead shortly after 2 p.m. that afternoon.

The causes of the car crash that led to Jonathan’s death are varied but all involve extreme negligence of the part of Leticia Medel. Perhaps most damaging of all, Medel was drunk at the time of the crash. She had a blood alcohol level of .151, nearly twice the legal limit. Two beer cans were also found by police inside the vehicle. On top of that, Medel was driving between 15 and 20 miles over the speed limit at the time of the impact, significantly contributing to the seriousness of the accident. Those factors combined with her failure to properly buckle-in her two young children created the tragic accident that claimed the life of the innocent 4 year old.

It is difficult to read these car accident stories and comprehend how anyone could engage in this type of extreme, reckless driving. However, the sad reality is that our roads are filled with many drivers who continually engage in conduct that places themselves, their children, and all other drivers at extreme risk. Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti encourage everyone to not only operate their own vehicles with caution but to also vigilantly monitor all other potentially negligent drivers.

An 80 year old Chicago area man was taken into police custody yesterday after a bizarre act of felony driving that led to a serious car accident involving three vehicles and resulting in severe injury to an innocent driver.

As Fox News Chicago reports, a week and a half ago, George Smith, a St. Charles resident, was driving east on Illinois Route 38 when he suddenly veered his car onto the other side of the road, directly into westbound traffic. Mr. Smith was driving a large SUV, and the vehicle collided head-on with a Volvo, which subsequently hit another smaller car.

The driver of the third car was uninjured, but the Volvo driver remained stuck in his vehicle with severe injuries following the crash. It took emergency crews using special extrication equipment to release him. He was airlifted to a nearby hospital where doctors are still treating his injuries. The intentionally reckless driver, Mr. Smith, was also injured in the car accident. He broke several vertebrae, both legs, shattered his hip, and suffered head trauma leading to bleeding on the brain.

The shocking circumstances of the car crash symbolize in the most egregious way the sad reality that even the more careful drivers are not completely safe while on the road. The decades of legal experience of our car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti have shown that often the most severe vehicle accidents involve one negligent driver who takes other innocent drivers and passengers in their wake.

Rarely will someone come upon a driver so suicidal that they are willing to drive head-on into oncoming traffic. However, virtually everyone will share the road with drivers who go too fast for conditions, become distracted while on the phone, or make risky lane changes in an effort to save a few seconds.

There is only so much care that a single driver can take to avoid deadly car accidents, because no one can control the negligent drivers around them. All it takes is being in the wrong place at the wrong time and a risky fellow driver may cause untold destruction. If you or someone you know has been the unfortunate victim caught in the crosshairs of a negligent driver, please contact our office today to learn more about your rights.

A fatal Chicago area car crash this week took the life of woman in her 20s and left three others in very critical condition.

As reported in My Fox Chicago, the accident occurred near Antioch very early Thursday morning, around 2 am. On a country road outside of town, an SUV collided head-on with a Mitsubishi hatchback. As is virtually always the case in high-speed head-on collisions, the damage was daunting.

The female driver of the hatchback was pronounced dead on the scene and had to be extricated from the car. The driver of the SUV was ejected from the vehicle following the impact, and both of his passengers required emergency personnel assistance to be removed from the wreckage. All three survivors were airlifting to a local hospital where medical professionals continue to work to save their lives.

Experts are still piecing together the cause of the deadly collision. However, they suspect that alcohol and speed are two likely factors. The accident occurred on a curve in the road, where the speed limit lowers to 40 mph. The location of the vehicles and the outcome of the collision makes is a virtually certainty that the accident occurred at speeds well over the legal limit.

Authorities may never know for certain what caused the tragedy of this accident. However what remains clear is that all dangerous speeds on dangerous portions of roadway under the influence of alcohol is a lethal combination. All it takes is one driver willing to risk these conditions to cause a deadly accident like the one here. In fact, the tragedy of many of these accidents is that one party is often driving with perfect care and caution. They just happened to be caught in the crosshairs of a negligent fellow driver.

Nothing can be done to fully fix the damage caused by these vicious car crashes. However, the legal rights of the injured parties can still be respected and honored. That is where our car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti come in. We are committed to helping victims of these accidents receive the compensation possible to best preserve their legal benefits. Please contact our office if you have suffered at the hands of a car accident.

The Chicago Tribune reported on the end of a Chicago lawsuit connected to tragic drunk driving accident that led to the death of the driver’s passenger, another innocent driver, and the unborn child that she was carrying.

The lawsuit involved Diamond’s Gentleman Club, an adult club located in West Chicago. The drunk driver, John Homatas spent the evening at the club before leaving drunk in January 2006. Mr. Homatas was found vomiting in the bathroom of the club by bouncers. After being found, the bouncers ejected him from the club and placed him in his car. He subsequently drove the car onto Illinois Highway 25 before driving head-on into a car driven by twenty-seven year old April Simmons who was eight months pregnant at the time. Mr. Homatas’s passenger, Mrs. Simmons, and her unborn child were all killed in the accident.

The club argued that they were not at all responsible for the crash, because Mr. Homatas brought his own alcohol into the club. However, the Illinois Supreme Court disagreed in a ruling that preserved the logical right of injured victims to hold all responsible parties accountable.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti offer sincere sympathies to all the individuals whose lives were destroyed by this tragic accident.

Everyone understands the dangers of drunk driving, but many continue to risk that harm. That risk-taking ruins lives. Traveling by car involves many natural risks even when all drivers are alert. Any lowering of senses dramatically increases the risks. On top of that, all third parties (like the dance club) need to understand the role that they play in these deadly accidents. Placing an obviously intoxicated individual behind the wheel of the dangerous machine is never acceptable. Mr. Simmons lost his wife and unborn child on that tragic night. Even slightly more responsible behavior by the employees of the club might have saved those lives.

If you have similarly suffered at the hands of irresponsible conduct on the road, please contact ourcar accident lawyers today.

Chicago city officials have finally admitted that a dangerous train/road intersection is too risky to remain in place and will be improved this month. The Chicago Tribune reported on the planned changes to the crossings in the Union Pacific Railroad Corridor on Nagle Avenue between Avondale and Northwest Highway.

This particular crossing near the Kennedy Expressway is a high-volume location, presenting many opportunities for car accidents. An earlier report by the Tribune uncovered how this intersection was one of the most dangerous on all of Chicago's roads. The set-up around the road/train track crossing makes it common for cars to build up while waiting for the light in front of them to change. Many vehicles end up getting caught on the tracks, unable to move until the light changes. That means that many drivers find themselves in the predicament of hoping for a light change before a train comes down the line.

A bridge appears to be the ideal way to remove the danger from the railroad crossing. However, the current plan is simply to improve signage, add concrete panels, and a few other smaller changes in the upcoming month. The more expansive measures (like bridge building and improved electronic circuitry) are too expensive for the city.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti encourage all drivers not to take unnecessary risks in order to save time on the road. The potential harm is simply too high to take ones chances while waiting on a live train track. As this report suggest, all across the city there are driving locations that offer particularly high chances of getting in a vehicle accident. It is not possible to eliminate risks of the road completely, but no one should increase that risk unnecessarily.

According to the Daily Herald, a local man was killed last week when his car was struck by a fast moving Metra train.

Authorities explain that the man was driving his vehicle at a high speed last Wednesday while it was raining. As he was coming upon the railroad crossing, the lights were flashing indicating that a train was approaching and that driver's should stop. However, witnesses report that the man ignored the flashing lights and barreled through the intersection anyway.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated and his car struck the front of the Metra train that was traveling through the intersection. The man's vehicle was crushed and began spinning for several seconds. It eventually burst into flames. When authorities arrived at the scene, the vehicle was on its roof and the driver could not be saved.

The tragic accident is an example of how driving risks often compound on one another. Obviously, all train traffic signals should be carefully obeyed. Human perception is often inaccurate, and even when someone believes that they can make it without getting hit, they are often wrong. In this case, witnesses also noticed that the man was driving way too fast for the conditions, indicating that he may likely have been unable to stop in time to obey the warning signal. Two driving risks, speeding and disobeying signals, combined to cause the deadly accident.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti offer condolences to all those suffering after this accident. Crash crashes leave devastated family and friends in their wake. Occasionally they are caused by completely accidental circumstances, at other times by driving mistakes. In all cases, however, countless victims suffer enduring emotional and physical pain.

If you have been connected to any car accident, feel free to contact our offices to learn more about your potential legal rights.

Another traffic accident that occurred in Chicago last night is a reminder that transportation always pose a risk no matter what form it takes. Whether you are in a car, plane, boat, public bus, or any other form of travel, there is always a chance that an accident might occur.

My Fox Chicago reported on the two vehicle crash involving a CTA bus and a car.

Shortly before 8am yesterday morning, the CTA bus was at a stop in Lawndale on the west side of city. The other vehicle was coming up behind the bus and was unable to stop before smashing into the back of it. Authorities are still investigating and have not yet determined the exact cause for the car's failure to properly stop to prevent the accident.

Nine passengers on the bus were injured in the rear collision. They were all sent to nearby hospitals with various injuries.

As this car crash yesterday demonstrates, the risk of injury when traveling is present even in the moments when we feel most secure. The nine injured passengers likely felt they were in no danger while sitting on a large public bus stopped at a light on the west side of the city. Yet, it was precisely at that calm moment that the likely negligence of another vehicle caused it to careen into them in the harmful accident. The lesson is clear: danger exists any time we are on the move.

Our car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti have decades of experience examining the legal side of accidents and injuries on the roads. Our years of legal work have exposed our attorneys to vehicle accidents of all shapes, sizes, and forms. We understand that traveling is inherently risky. All that can be done is for each person to follow ordinary standards of care when traveling. If you or someone you know is injured in an accident caused by another driver who failed to follow those basic standards of care, please contact our offices to learn about your rights as a driver.

Another harmful car accident occurred on Lake Shore Drive this week, as several women were injured in a late night single car crash.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the incident. Shortly after 2:30am, the driver lost control of a hard top jeep in which five other women were riding. One of the wheels came off the car, it hit a guard rail, and barrel-rolled at least six times until finally coming to a stop. A 200 foot debris path was left in the wake of the careening vehicle.

All six women were in serious to critical condition when medical professionals arrived at the scene. One of the injured passengers was 6 months pregnant.

Authorities investigating the accident believe that the driver was traveling too fast, with the dangerous speeds contributing to the loss of control. Also, empty beer cans were found strewn around the crash area, presumably coming from inside the vehicle.

Obviously, all drivers are told repeatedly that driving under the influence of alcohol and driving too fast can have deadly consequences. But all too often, those common truths are ignored, causing injury, death, and heartbreak to millions. Our Chicago car accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti continue to help victims of these tragic events protect their legal rights. We also strive to raise awareness of the far reaching consequences of even a single car accident. This wreck on Lake Shore Drive involved only a single car, but still has the potential to affect six individuals, an unborn child, and the family and friends of all of these young women.

All drivers should remain vigilant of their own speed and alcohol intake when driving a motor vehicle. Not only that, but all drivers should also be aware that other cars on the road may be helmed by careless or impaired drivers.