Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Because summer is coming to an end, our Illinois car accident attorneys thought it would be helpful to remind drivers of what to do when driving near school buses, or through school zones. According to the Illinois State Police website, drivers should operate with caution when sharing the road with school buses. The Illinois state laws requires that all school bus drivers stop prior to crossing a railroad, and when doing so, use the warning lights. Drivers should be aware of these stops and should be prepared to stop behind school buses. Other drivers should also always maintain a safe following distance behind buses in case an emergency occurs and the bus needs to back up.

There are also specific laws to protect children when they are being picked up or dropped off by school buses. When buses are stopped with their lights on and the stop arm fully extended, children assume it is safe to cross. In actuality, this moment is where the majority of injuries and fatalities occur due to motorists who don’t stop or illegally pass a bus. It is important to always remember to stop whenever you see flashing signals, red signs, or the stop sign on a bus. All buses have the extended control arm to warn drivers behind and ahead to stop. If you see flashing yellow lights, that means that the school is preparing to stop and you must come to a full stop. Drivers who do not stop can be ticketed. The penalty for a first offense of passing a bus of $150. The second offense within five years of the first conviction has a minimum fee of $500 and a suspended license.

With many kids starting back to school this week and after the holiday, our Illinois injury attorneys also thought it was important to reminder drivers of school zone laws. According to CyberDriveIllinois, a school speed zone is a “special speed limit while passing schools.” On school days, there are more children around schools than on weekends or evenings so the speed limit is reduced to protect children on or near the streets. The legal speed limit in a school zone is 20 miles per hour. Drivers who do not follow this limit will be ticketed.

As the new school year begins, we hope that it is a safe one for students and all drivers who share the road with them. Our Illinois injury attorneys advise readers to practice extreme caution in school zones, around buses, and near children. If you or a loved one has been injured during a school bus or school zone related accident, please contact us to see how we may be able to help you.

The Times-Georgian recounted an accident that occurred recently involving a student killed in a school-bus accident. The student was partly flung through a bus window when the bus rolled over on a highway near the student’s school. The driver claimed that he gazed down momentarily, and once he looked up road, the bus had already veered off the road. He attempted to brake in order to stop the bus, but stopped short, hitting a duct causing the bus to roll over.

According to the report, the family of the student has filed a lawsuit against the bus driver, school district and other school officials. The family’s car accident attorney hopes that the investigation will reveal who is responsible for this terrible accident. A police investigation revealed that the bus driver had cough medicine in his blood at the time of the accident. It also appears that the operator of the vehicle had not been certified by state regulations that allow motorists to drive students. The driver’s reckless decision to drive while groggy from the cough syrup, coupled with the school district’s failure to abide by state regulations that required bus drivers to be properly trained and licensed, resulted in the wrongful death of this young student.

Victims who are injured in car, bus, truck or bike accidents caused by distracted or overly-medicated drivers may be able to file lawsuits against the driver at fault. These types of accidents may result in serious injuries that can become costly in regards to medical attention, doctor visits, and potential surgeries, or even more costly, the grief that family members must deal with in the case of a fatality. Filing a lawsuit may result in compensation for medical needs, and may be able to bring family members some peace of mind.

Moreover, our Chicago injury attorneys have handled many cases of this type successfully. If you have been the victim in an Illinois bus accident, or have lost a loved one, our lawyers may be able to help you receive compensation and taking action will draw attention to the severe consequences driving under the influence and distracted driving pose.

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.

A car and bus accident occurred on May 20th in which ten people were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their personal injuries. The Chicago bus accident occurred in Old Irving Park Neighborhood on North Pulaski Road when a car tried to make a turn and ended up turning directly into the path of the bus. According to Chicago Breaking News, at least six ambulances arrived at the scene and of the ten people injured, six were listed in serious to fair condition, three were listed in fair condition and one was listed in serious to critical condition. While little more is known about this Chicago bus crash, please click her for an article about the accident.

While bus crashes can be very dangerous and result in serious injury when they do occur, they are still, for the majority of the time, a very safe way to travel. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, in 2008 there were 247 total bus crashes that resulted in a fatality and only twelve of those occurred anywhere in the state of Illinois. This low number of accident compared to the number of car accidents in a given year show that bus travel is overall very safe. Illinois accident attorneys remind drivers to be careful when driving near a bus and to make sure to always give them an appropriate amount of safe. Busses are large and much more difficult to maneuver in emergency situations and also have much larger blind spots than a passenger car does.

A Chicago car accident occurred in the Humboldt Park neighborhood on May 10th that resulted in the injury of twelve people, two of whom suffered serious personal injuries. The accident occurred when a sports utility vehicle tried to pass a car that the driver felt was driving too slowly by getting into a lane in which a Chicago Transit Authority bus was traveling, causing the bus to hit another car while it swerved to avoid hitting the original sports utility vehicle that had cut into the bus’s lane. The bus then struck the side of the Rowe-Clark Math and Science Academy Building. The driver of the SUV tried to leave the scene, however he did not get very far because his car had suffered damage in the accident which caused him to have to stop about a block away. So far the driver of the SUV has been cited for following too closely. According to The Chicago Sun Times, the scene was not as bad as initially thought and many bystanders helped out by helping get the injured passengers of the bus. Of the twelve injured, none were children and two people have since been listed in critical condition, nine have since been listed in fair condition and one has since been listed in good condition. The accident occurred around four in the afternoon and while the bus routes on that street had to be rerouted temporarily, the buses were back on schedule by around seven that same evening. To read more about this Chicago bus accident, please click on this hyperlink.

A Hanna City car accident occurred on the morning of March 4th in which three vehicles were involved, including a school bus full of eighteen students ranging in ages. According to PJ Star, eleven people were injured in the car accident that occurred when the school bus was stopped to pick up a student and another car was stopped behind the bus and a third car struck the stopped car from behind, causing that car to strike the bus. Between the three cars there were multiple injuries and the victims were taken to local hospitals for treatments of their personal injuries. To read more about this Illinois bus accident please click on the link.

Luckily, buses are built to stand up to accidents well and are one of the safest vehicles to be riding in at the time an accident occurs. This is likely why only several of the children on the school bus suffered injuries and none of them seemed to be too severe since all children were reported to have been released from the hospitals later that same day. While the statistics show that school bus accidents result in less injuries, there are still safety measures that could be implemented on school buses to further improve safety. According to Web MD, one major improvement would be a mandatory seat belt law for school buses and another very helpful improvement would be compartmentalized seating that would better protect the kids in the event of a bus accident. While school buses are safer than some other vehicles, it is important to always be aware of stopped school buses to avoid accidents. School buses stop frequently so make sure to always be paying attention to the road, and pay extra attention in areas where you know school buses often travel.

A Madison County car accident occurred in January of last year when a Madison County Transit bus driver hit the back of an Illinois driver’s car. The driver and passenger in the car have filed a car accident lawsuit against the bus driver as well as the transit company. The lawsuit alleges that the bus driver is responsible for the accident for failing to yield the right of way to the car, driving too fast, following too closely, and multiple other violations. The plaintiffs are seeking over $450,000 in damages for their injuries. To read more about this Illinois bus accident, please click here.

As you can see given this type of accident, it is important to always be aware of your surroundings while driving and to be sure to maintain a safe distance from other vehicles and to be extra cautious when sharing the road with mass transit vehicles. This type of cautious driving can help prevent car accidents. If you were in a car accident that you feel like was the fault of the other party and would like to file a car accident lawsuit, please contact a Illinois car accident attorney for more information on how to go about this.

A bus accident lawsuit was just filed in connection with an Illinois accident that occurred in May in which two people died in a double-decker bus accident. The two victims in the accident were killed when they were standing on the open deck of the bus and the bus traveled under a I-57 bridge not allowing enough clearance. According to the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier, the two victims suffered massive head injuries and later died of the personal injuries sustained. The accident lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the driver and the company, citing that there were other higher overpasses they could have used. For more information on this fatal Illinois bus accident lawsuit, click here.

One of the victims in the South Side of Chicago van and CTA bus accident on October 6th has died as a result of injuries sustained in the bus accident. According to Chicago Breaking News, the victim was in the van which appears to be an adult day care van and was pronounced dead early this morning. The bus accident occurred when the bus was stopped at 83rd and Cottage Grove and the driver of the van was driving too close behind and struck the bus. The van driver has been cited for tailgating the bus. For more information on this bus accident, click here.

A car accident lawsuit has been filed in connection with a 2008 accident in which a man was struck by a car after stepping of a bus. According to Philadelphia Daily News, the victim was a passenger on the bus and exited the bus after the driver failed to pull over into the bus lane and remained in the traveling lane. The car accident lawsuit alleges that because the bus driver did not pull over into the appropriate lane, a car hit the victim as it tried to pass the bus. The victim suffered serious personal injuries and is confined to a wheelchair. The damages sought are more than $50,000. For more information on this car accident lawsuit, click here.

A bus accident on September 22nd on Chicago’s West Side left five people injured. The bus accident occurred when a CTA bus was rear-ended by a car. Two of the five people injured were listed in serious-to-critical condition and taken to Mt. Sinai Hospital and the other three victims of the bus accident were taken to other local hospitals and are listed in good condition. According to Chicago Breaking News, the bus driver was among the injured people. For more information on this Chicago bus accident, click here.

A Chicago man was fatally injured after being hit by a bus late in the evening of September 20th. The victim had been standing on the sidewalk near a bus stop when a bus struck him as it pulled away from the stop. The victim was killed instantly according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office. No one on the bus was injured resulting from the fatal accident. The bus accident is still under investigation. For more information on this fatal pedestrian accident, click here.

One person was critically personally injured when a CTA bus hit a light pole on the West Side of Chicago. Eleven people were transported to area hospitals with personal injuries. One was in critical condition, eight were in fair condition and two were in good condition after the bus accident. The bus accident was originally reported as having involved a bus and a car, but it was simple the CTA bus hitting a light pole. If you have been injured on the CTA, please find an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the bus accident, please click the link.

Nine people received personal injuries after a CTA bus collided with a car on the west side of Chicago. None of the injuries sustained were believed to be life threatening.

For the full article.

A car struck a CTA bus in South Side Chicago this afternoon and nine people received personal injuries. The Chicago car accident also caused a bicycle accident after the initial collision. Nine people were taken from the Chicago car accident scene to area hospitals. Six of those receiving personal injuries were listed in fair condition, two in good condition, and one listed in serious-to-critical condition.

For the full article.

No one was personally injured when a school bus with three kids aboard overturned in the Chicago suburb of Lake in the Hills. The bus crash happened in the afternoon at the intersection of Reed Road and Northbridge Drive. A vehicle and a school bus somehow collided and caused the bus to turn over on its side in the bus accident. Everyone was out of the bus after the bus accident, including the three children when emergency crews arrived on the scene. No personal injuries were reported in the bus accident. The location of the bus accident spreads over the Chicago suburbs of Huntley and Lake in the Hills. While the investigation continues, no bus accident lawsuits have been filed. To read the full story, click here.

A man died after his sport-utility vehicle collided with a school bus in Orland Park, Illinois. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment of his personal injuries and was pronounced dead about an hour after the automobile accident. The man was traveling east on Southwest Highway at 179th Street in his SUV when he collided with a mid-size school bus owned by Alpha Bus Services in Crestwood, Illinois. Two men were also treated for minor personal injuries at the scene. At this time no bus accident lawsuits have been filed. To read the full story, click here.

Twenty people were personally injured after a car rear-ended a CTA bus on the Near West Side of Chicago. The bus accident happened in the morning at Roosevelt Road and Blue Island Avenue. A third car apparently careered off the road and into a fence in the car accident. A total of 20 people were taken to the hospital with personal injuries. Most of those personally injured were on the No. 12 Roosevelt Bus. Their personal injuries mostly consisted of scrapes and bruises. The drivers of the two cars were also personally injured, and the driver of the blue car that slammed into the back of the bus is in serious condition. The bus was stopped at the intersection when it was rear-ended in the car accident. There were roughly 30 passengers on the bus at the time of impact and the driver was one of those personally injured. Police could not comment on why the driver hit the back of the bus in the car accident or if any citations have been issued. At this time no personal injury lawsuits have been filed. To read the full story, click here.

The family of a man killed in a bus accident involving a collision with a pickup truck is suing the driver of the bus, along with the operator and owner. The personal injury attorney filed a lawsuit alleging that the three defendants were negligent. The incident was blamed on driver fatigue; the bus veered off the road, colliding with the truck. Several other passengers were injured. The family is also asking that the bus company be shut down based on its failure to properly assess drivers' qualifications and history.

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