Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

The Chicago Tribune reported this weekend on a car crash that severely injured two Chicago boys.

On Saturday afternoon two young boys, ages 11 and 15, were on 119th Street and Harvard Avenue on the city’s south side. Around noon they both were hit by a car driven by a man in his 40s. The car driver remained on the scene until emergency crews arrived. The victims were serious to critical condition following the crash and were rushed to nearby hospitals.

At the time of the report, officials were unsure of the cause of the accident. Of course a number of possibilities exist. The boys could have darted into the road at the wrong time, not giving the driver any chance to avoid the crash. On the other hand the driver could have taken his eyes off the road at an inopportune time leading to the collision. Investigation will hopefully reveal more.

This Chicago car accident emphasizes an often forgotten risk for drivers. It is imperative that all travelers remain on the look-out for children on or near the roadway. This is especially important in neighborhoods with yards and play-areas close to traveling cars.

Continue reading " Chicago Car Accident Severely Injures Two Young Boys " »

One of the risks of highly congested roadways is that even small accidents often ensnare many other drivers into the car crash. Highways filled with many cars filling up three, four, and five lanes of traffic are particularly apt for multi-vehicle accidents. The human injury and property damage often reach shocking levels in those events.

ABC Local News reported on one of those major Chicago car accidents that struck this evening. Reports indicate that 19 people were involved in a multi-car crash on the outbound Kennedy expressway. Specifically, the accident occurred in the express lanes of the highway near the Montrose exit. The myriad of vehicles involved in the crash means that it is difficult for police to piece together exactly what occurred.

Little is currently understood on the exact cause of the crash. However, early reports indicate that icy roads may have played a role. Wet snow falling rain, and windy conditions combined to create a dangerous driving situation.

What is known is that over a dozen people were injured in the incident. Six of them seriously, included two children. They were taken to local hospitals where their exact condition remains unknown.

Continue reading " Nineteen People Involved in Chicago Car Accident " »

ABC News reported today on criminal charges that were recently filed against a man involved in a deadly Chicago car accident.

The November car accident occurred in the 3900 block of West Addison on the city’s northwest side. According to police reports, the aggressive driver was traveling on Addison when he drove through a red light. Upon entering the intersection, his vehicle crashed into another car. The second car was driven by a woman with another male in the passenger seat.

Both the female driver and her passenger were killed in the accident.

Initially police officers ticketed the negligent driver for his failure to stop at a red light leading to the accident. However, upon further inquiry into the cause of the crash, police learned that there was more to the story. The driver was actually in possession of a stolen vehicle. He also attempted to leave the scene of the crash following the impact. The further inquiry has therefore caused authorities to charge the man with the more serious crime of reckless homicide.

Of course, besides criminal charges, all victims of these sorts of accidents and their families have the option of contacting an attorney and filing a civil lawsuit. These car accident lawsuits seek to compensate the victims for the specific suffering they incurred as a result of the mistakes of their fellow drivers.

Continue reading " Man Charged In Chicago Car Accident That Killed Two " »

Cold, rainy, and snowy weather across the Chicagoland area this week has led to several car accidents. ABC Local News reported on the dangerous road conditions this morning, including one crash that included a fatality.

For example, one driver was headed north on Route 53 in Schaumburg when he lost control of his vehicle. The car hit a concrete barrier on the left shoulder of the road. The 35-year old man got out of his vehicle to inspect the damage. However, upon leaving his vehicle he was struck by a passing car. He died from this second impact.

In Chicago, icy road conditions caused a crash on Lake Shore Driver, near 58th Street. The accident forced the Drive’s closure for over an hour.

Other Chicago area car accidents included a squad car that was rear-ended in Burr Ridge while responding to a multi-car crash on Route 83 near Interstate 55. Seven people were injured in a crash in Shorewood that involved a semi-truck. Even airports were seeing accidents, as one small plane slid off the runway at the suburban Palwaukee Airport.

Continue reading " Icy Roads Cause String of Chicago Car Accidents " »

Distracted driving is a growing problem on all city roadways. As more mobile tools become available to those behind the wheel, more drivers take their eyes of the road and risk deadly accidents.

CNET News reported on one such deadly car accident that has spurred a Chicago wrongful death lawsuit. The victim in this case was 70-year old man who was hit by a distracted driver just as he was stepping out of his car. The man had his leg partially severed as a result of the accident. He ultimately bled to death waiting for emergency crews to arrive.

The young female driver was updating her Facebook page on her phone at the exact moment that she hit the man. The ability to use mobile phones to perform all sorts of actions is just the latest in a long string of technological advances that may distract drivers. Of course, talking and texting on cell phones remain some of the most common causes of Chicago car accidents.

Officers in the Chicago area receive around 100 calls per month from people who report seeing drivers who are using text messages while on their phones on the interstate. Nationally, over 200,000 car accidents a year are caused by the practice.

Several states have already banned texting while driving. Surprisingly many reports indicate that accidents following the ban may have increased in those states because individuals now attempt to hide their phone while texting—causing even more distraction.

Continue reading " Driver Updating Facebook Caused Chicago Car Accident " »

Last week we reported on a pair of cars that crashed into an immobile freight train when emergency lights failed to function.

The two car crashes occurred on opposite sides of a crossing on the 9000 block of South Halsted Street, early in the morning, around 3 am. The train was headed eastbound in the night. The conductor noticed that the emergency lights and gates were not working. The lack of lights meant that the black train was almost invisible to the approaching cars.

The train was forced to stop before it completely crossed the tracks because another train was stalled in front of it. It was at that moment that the crashes occur. A southbound car crashed into the side of the stopped tanker first, following shortly after by a northbound vehicle. Four people were injured in the pair of Chicago train accidents. Three of them are currently listed in critical condition.

The Chicago Tribune is now reporting that, following investigations into these Chicago car accidents, officials now know that the emergency lights were disabled because of a buildup of road salt interfered with the electric circuitry running the device. Neighborhood residents dispute that claim, however. They assert that there have been problems with the lights for the past few weeks, before heavy salt was used following recent snow.

Continue reading " Salt Build-Up May Have Caused Recent Chicago Train Accidents " »

The Belleville News Democrat reported last week on the latest developing in a worker’s compensation hearing involving a police officer who recklessly killed two teenagers a few years earlier.

The arbitrator involved in the hearing connected to the high-profile officer who caused the car accident is seeking to keep the case secret from the public. It is only through the newspaper’s use of Freedom of Information Act they were able to discover information about the hearing in which the officer sought to receive money from the public. The hearing was moved to a different location and moved up several days in hopes of being conducted “on the sly” without public knowledge.

Of course, the secret actions taken on the issue has raised the ire of legal leaders in Illinois. The Illinois Attorney General’s chief of staff explained, “It is completely unacceptable for there to be any discussion to minimize press coverage or to thwart the public’s effort to attend a public hearing.”

Many community members are interested in the hearing because of the outrage around the police officer’s previous conduct. The trooper was involved in a deadly Illinois car accident in November of 2007 while conducting a high speed chase. The officer was following a runaway vehicle while traveling 126 miles per hour. While traveling at that speed the reckless officer was also talking on his cell phone and sending emails through the phone. He eventually lost control of the squad car and cause an accident involving a car nearby. That nearby car was carrying an 18-year old a girl and a 13-year old girl. Bother teenagers were killed.

Continue reading " Secrecy in Case Involving Texting Police Officer Who Caused Illinois Car Crash " »

Some of the worst accidents on our roadways occur at railroad crossings. Cars and drivers have little chance of escaping damage when involved in a run-in with a machine of the size and power of modern trains.

That is what makes the pair of train accidents that occurred this morning all the more tragic. According to the Chicago Tribune the two crashes occurred on opposite sides of a crossing on the 9000 block of South Halsted Street, early in the morning, around 3 am. It was obviously dark outside and the train was headed eastbound. The train conductor noticed that the emergency lights and gates were not working. The lack of lights meant that the black train was almost invisible to the approaching cars.

The train was forced to stop before it completely crossed the tracks because another train was stalled in front of it. It was at that moment that the crashes occur. A southbound car crashed into the side of the stopped tanker first, following shortly after by a northbound vehicle. Four people were injured in the pair of Chicago train accidents. Three of them are currently listed in critical condition.

Continue reading " Chicago Train Crash Critically Injures Unsuspecting Drivers " »

The Chicago Tribune is reporting on a car accident that has sent one man to the hospital in critical condition.

The 40 year old injured driver was in the Roseland neighborhood early this morning—around 3:45 am—when the crash occurred. He was driving near the intersection of Halsted and 115th Street when, for reasons that police are still investigating, the man failed to stop at a red light. His GMC minivan slammed into a Chevrolet Impala that was traveling through the intersection south on Halsted.

The collision caused the minivan to spin around and slam into a light pole in the corner of the intersection. The minivan driver was severely injured in the accident. He was listed in very critical condition after being rushed to a nearby hospital.

Police are still investigating the Chicago car accident and are unsure why the driver ran the red light. Fortunately, the Impala driver was not injured in the crash. In far too many accidents, the drivers and passengers who bore no fault in causing the crash are the ones who suffer severe injury and death.

Continue reading " Chicago Car Accident Caused By Running Through Red Light " »

The Chicago Tribune this morning is reporting on a car accident that took the life of an area teen and critically injured others.

The Dan Ryan Expressway was closed for several hours yesterday after a deadly accident involving a stalled school bus and a car. The Chicago car accident occurred inbound on the expressway, near 75th street. A school bus without any students on board was stalled in the left lane and shoulder. Around 2:20 in the afternoon a car apparently failed to notice the stopped bus. The vehicle was driven by a 17-year old and carrying two children, ages 8 and 9. The impact was so strong that the car became partially wedged underneath the bus.

The damage to the car was severe. The bus driver was uninjured, but the young car driver was pronounced dead at the scene. Emergency crews were forced to use heavy tools to extract the two children from the vehicle. They were rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition. The expressway was shut down for several hours while clean-up and accident reconstruction occurred.

Continue reading " Teen Killed After Chicago Bus Accident " »

This weekend the Journal Star reported on the death of a former Illinois man who was killed after suffering a medical complication while behind the wheel. The victim was a long-time philosophy academic who taught at a seminary following his attendance at DePaul University in Chicago. He earned his undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees from the institution.

Local police were alerted to the car accident after witnesses reported seeing a car leave the roadway and end up in the front yard of a house. This car accident occurred around10 a.m. on Sunday morning. According to information that authorities have pieced together since the accident, the man was driving northbound on the side street when he apparently suffered some sort of debilitating medical emergency—most likely a heart attack. That caused him to lose control of the vehicle, and the car ended up in the front yard of a nearby home.

The victim’s family explained that he had not shown any previous signs of illness or medical issues. They are awaiting the official autopsy results to determine if the heart attack was the conclusive cause of the man’s death.

As this case reveals, there will always be latent risks present when driving. In circumstances like these, car accidents are likely unavoidable. However, crashes caused by unknown medical situations while driving are quite rare. Instead, the vast majority of Illinois car accidents occur because of driver negligence, when someone fails to take appropriate care to ensure their safe travel.

Continue reading " Former Illinois Man Dies Following Heart Attack While Driving " »

Many headlines this week have involved the trail related to the deadly Chicago car accident that took the life of a 5-year old boy. The story has gained widespread attention because of the allegations against a police officer involved in the matter.

As reported by NBC News, the accident occurred last May after a woman, her boyfriend, and the woman’s 5-year old boy were pulled over by a Chicago Heights police officer. The woman was arrested for driving on a suspended license. Following the arrest, the officer gave the car keys to the boyfriend, telling him to drive the young child home.

Tragically, shortly after driving off, the man crashed the car into a tree, killing the young child.

Investigations into the Chicago car accident revealed that the man who was given the car keys had a blood alcohol level over three times the legal limit. Other witnesses explain that the man had slurred speech and was visibly intoxicated at the time. There has obviously been an outcry questioning the actions of the officer, allowing the drunken man to drive and ultimately killing the innocent child.

Continue reading " Trial Continues In Deadly Chicago Car Accident " »

The Pioneer Local reported yesterday on a fortunate outcome to a potentially tragic car crash.

A 73-year old suburban woman was caught up in a unique Chicago car accident when her vehicle became stuck on railroad tracks. Around 3:30 in the afternoon on Thursday the woman had just made a right turn onto Garfield Road from Chicago Avenue. Just after making the maneuver, the woman’s vehicle began crossing railroad tracks on Garfield Road. However, while atop the tracks, the woman’s car became stuck. She was unable to propel the vehicle forward or backwards.

While stranded there, the emergency gates and lights began flashing indicating an oncoming train. Luckily the elderly woman was still able to move quickly enough to get out of the vehicle and away from danger. This was aided by the fact that the approaching train was carrying coal and not moving at an accelerated speed. The train collided with the car, but no one was injured in the event.

This Chicago car crash highlights a little discussed potential risk at railroad crossings. In almost all cases, trains and car collide when a vehicle attempts to beat a train or drive around clear warning signs of an approaching train. However, there also remains the possibility, as here, of a car become somehow incapacitated while on the tracks. In those cases, the first step is to ensure that everyone is out of the vicinity of the car in case of collision. Once that is established, it is important to contact authorities as quickly as possible to see if communication can be made with any approaching train to avoid an accident.

Continue reading " Elderly Woman Lucky To Escape Before Car Hit By Train " »

All Chicagoans remain buried in piles of snow after a blizzard slowly dragged through the northern half of the state yesterday and this morning. Up to two feet of snow were piled on many areas, making the storm one of the largest to strike the city since records have been recorded over the last 120 years. The snowfall has been complicated by driving wind, piling ice, and snow drifts over 6 feet high.

Travel in the city has truly reached a standstill.

The transportation nightmare was perhaps most apparent on Lake Shore Drive. As The Beacon News explained this afternoon, Lake Shore Drive remains entirely shut down as emergency crews work to remove hundreds of stranded vehicles. The cars have been stuck since last night as the blizzard conditions hit the area hard.

A CTA bus jackknifed across the highway yesterday afternoon after coming upon another car accident on the highway. The stuck bus stopped all traffic behind it. Emergency crews were unable to get to the stranded bus because of worsening weather conditions, and so there was nothing to do but wait. In total over 700 cars were stuck on the highway, and some of them still remain trapped.

Continue reading " Blizzard Causes Chicago Car Accidents, Hundreds Stranded on Lake Shore Drive " »