Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

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.

A Chicago police officer that was involved in a fatal car accident over two years ago is now expected to be called in a civil lawsuit over the same accident, now that the criminal charges against him have been dropped. The police officer was seen on tape drinking earlier in the night prior to the November 2008 car accident in which two Chicago men were killed. According to CBS, in the criminal case, the police officer defendant chose to exercise his right to not testify in the trial, and therefore did not testify about the amount of alcohol that he consumed the night of the accident. The breathalyzer test was also not admitted in the criminal case, and the police officer ended up being found not guilty. To read more about this Chicago car accident lawsuit, please click on this link.

The families of the victims are now suing the bar that was serving the police officer shortly before the accident, in a civil lawsuit. In this lawsuit, the police officer cannot exercise the same right to not testify and is expected to have to testify as to how much alcohol he consumed the night in question. In this civil suit the family is seeking monetary damages from the bar for serving the police officer and allowing him to leave the bar and drive, given the condition the officer was in at the time he left the bar that evening. Chicago accident attorneys remind all citizens that the place of business, or person serving, an intoxicated driver that caused a crash is often held liable or can faces civil lawsuits for serving the driver and failing to stop them from driving. Please stop anyone you know is about to drive when they have been drinking to safe both their life and the lives of others on the road.

A Lakeview Chicago car accident that occurred on June 3rd was likely caused by a drunken driver who lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a three foot divider on Lake Shore drive. Luckily, no other cars were involved in the Chicago accident and the driver only suffered minor personal injuries and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital for treatment of those injuries. According to The Chicago Sun Times, following the accident the driver was temporarily stuck in his car, but was able to be extracted and was not seriously injured. No one else was traveling in the car when the accident occurred and at this time it is unknown what charges are likely to be filed against the driver. If you would like to read more about this Lakeview car accident, please click on this link.

While luckily no one died in this drunk driving accident, many people are injured or killed at the hands of drunk drivers every year. According the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, thirty two percent of all highway fatalities were caused by impaired drivers. These accidents are completely avoidable because no one should ever get behind the wheel after they have been drinking. Our Illinois injury attorneys remind readers that even "buzzed" driving is drunk driving and ask that you do not get behind the wheel if you have been drinking. It is always better to be safe than sorry so please hand the keys over to someone else or call a cab or another ride. Illinois police will charge you with drunk driving if you are pulled over and are found to be over the legal blood alcohol limit, so please err on the side of safety to protect yourself, your loved ones, along with other passengers and pedestrians on our streets and highways.

A young Rogers Park boy was killed when he was crushed between two sports utility vehicles while trying to cross the street. The deadlypedestrian accident occurred on May 30th after the young boy and his sister got out of their father's car to cross the street to go to their aunt's house. An allegedly drunk driver crashed into the back of one of the two parked cars causing that car to crash into the parked car in front of it, trapping the young boy between the two. According to The Chicago Tribune, the boy's younger sister who was crossing the street with him was not hit and did not suffer any personal injuries. The suspected drunk driver is still in custody pending charges for this horrific incident. To read more about this terrible Rogers Park accident, please click on this hyperlink.

This is one of the many accidents that are the result of drunk drivers during holidays such as memorial day weekend. Given the holiday weekend, the number of accidents greatly increases, the traffic on the road becomes more dense and busy, and the number of drunk drivers on the road increases. Chicago injury attorneys remind drivers not only to make sure to never drink and drive, but remind pedestrians and drivers to be even more aware and cautious of drunk drivers during holiday weekends. While the Chicago police do try to take extra measures to ensure the safety and well-being of Chicago residents, they can not be there to stop every drunk driver, so if you see a driver that you believe may be under the influence of alcohol, please call 911 immediately. Your vigilance may help to prevent others from being harmed or killed by an impaired driver.

The city of Chicago Heights is facing a lawsuit in connection with the fatal car accident in which the Chicago Heights police handed over car keys to an apparently drunk driver who then got into a fatal accident, which resulted in the death of his girlfriends five year old son who was a passenger asleep in the back seat of the car when the accident occurred. The police gave the keys to the passenger to take the car home after pulling a woman over and taking her to the police station for driving with a suspended license. The woman claims that she informed the police that her boyfriend, who was the passenger, was intoxicated because she had been with him when he was drinking earlier that evening, and that the police ignored what she told them. According to The Chicago Tribune, the woman, who was also the mother of the young boy who died in the accident, has filed a lawsuit against both the City of Chicago Heights and against her boyfriend who was driving while drunk when the car accident occurred. The Illinois car accident lawsuit seeks over $50,000 in damages. To read more about this tragic car accident and the accident lawsuit that was filed, please click on this link.

Illinois injury attorneys remind you that if you or a loved one was injured in an accident that you believe was due to the negligence of another, you may have a claim against that person. If you would like to call an accident attorney to further discuss the options you have available to you, please click on this link.

An Illinois drunk driving accident that occurred on May 10th is the topic of major discussion, since the drunk driver was given the keys to the car by a policeman shortly before the fatal accident. The Steger car accident occurred shortly after the cops pulled over the child's mother for failing to use her turn signal and then took her keys from her because she was driving with a suspended license. The police then gave the keys to her boyfriend, who was in the passenger seat, to drive himself and her five-year-old son home.

According to the Chicago Sun Times, the Chicago Heights policeman involved claimed that he had no idea that the boyfriend had been drinking when he gave him the keys to the car. About 40 minutes after the police let the car back onto the road, the boyfriend, who was legally intoxicated, slammed the car into a tree, instantly killing the young boy. The drunk driver has been charged with felony driving under the influence and reckless homicide for the accident. Aside from the death of a young boy, there are questions as to whether the police officers who pulled the car over should have realized that the man was under the influence of alcohol. The police officers at the scene say that there was no evidence that the man was impaired and that they did not realize that he could be drunk when they turned the keys over to him. If you would like to read more about this Chicago accident, please click on this link.

An Illinois car accident on April 30th left one man dead and is believed to have been caused by a drunk driver. The accident occurred on I-94 very early in the morning while the victim was doing road construction on this stretch of highway. The driver that struck the man fled the scene but his car was later tracked down and the damage to the car confirmed that it had been the one involved in the hit-and-run accident. The driver was then charged with driving under the influence and for leaving the scene of an accident.

According to Chicago Breaking News, the mother of the driver called police after seeing her son’s car and believing that he might have been involved in a serious accident. The area where the accident occurred was well marked and a couple lanes were closed off to keep the worker safe, but the drunk driver made an illegal u-turn in that area and struck the worker. The driver never stopped and that is why he is being charged with fleeing the scene.

Hit-and-run accidents are a very serious problem and if you are ever involved in an accident you should never flee the scene. Many people do because they are scared of getting into trouble, but the reality is that you face much more serious trouble if you are found to have fled the scene of an accident. Additionally, if anyone is injured you should stop and see if you can help them because it could be too late once the paramedics arrive and additionally if you do not call the paramedics to the scene because you flee, the person may not receive medical attention for way too long. To read more about this tragic hit-and-run crash, please click on this link.

As prom season approaches, please make sure to discuss with your children the importance of safe driving on prom night. Teenage drivers are a very high risk group to begin with, as car accidents are the leading cause of death for children aged 16-19 years old. According to the Center for Disease Control, this age group is four times more likely to crash than older drivers. The high likelihood of teenage driving accidents is due to inexperience , distraction, and other issues common to young drivers. Since teenage drivers are more likely to be involved in car accidents generally, it is important to talk to them about the additional dangers that may present themselves on prom night.

On prom night, many underage kids may consume alcohol and unfortunately may still decide to get behind the wheel. Given the inherent dangers in driving while under the influence, it is crucial for teenage kids to understand that they should never try to drive even after one drink. Additionally, it is important to make sure that they understand that other kids may try to drive while drunk and that it is important to tell an adult or the police if that person insists on driving while under the influence in order to stop them from getting hurt or from hurting others.

An additional problem that presents itself on prom night is that teenage drivers may be driving much later than they are usually allowed to or are familiar with. Make sure teenage drivers understand that if they feel in anyway uncomfortable driving in any situation on prom night that they should call an adult to come pick them up. For more information on teenage driving, please click on this link. Please remember these important tips and talk to your child before prom to try to reduce the number of teenage car accidents this prom season!

A car accident that occurred on April 2nd left two Illinois men with serious injuries. According to the Rockford Register Star, the car accident occurred when the car they were traveling in left the road, crossed over the center lane and left the road on the other side causing it to roll over multiple times and crash into a tree. Both the driver and his passenger were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their serious personal injuries and it was found that the two men were only wearing chest belts and not lap belts.

The driver of the car involved in this accident was found to be under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. He has been charged with driving under the influence, driving while his license was revoked, improper lane usage, and for driving with no proof of insurance. To read more about this particular Illinois DUI car accident, please click on this link for more information.

Car crashes caused by drunk driving are far more common than they should be, as this is a completely avoidable issue. If you or someone you know wants to drive home after consuming more drinks that the legal maximum, please do not drive and stop any person that is trying to. Driving drunk not only puts the driver at risk but puts anyone else in the car’s life at risk as well as anyone else on the road. Even if you have had below the legal limit to be considered able to drive, but do not feel like you should be behind the wheel of a car, please do not drive. Given how dangerous it is to drive drunk, it is always better to err of the side of safety.

A wrongful death lawsuit settled for just over $2 million dollars in connection with a June 2009 accident in which four people died and another was seriously injured. The car accident occurred after an off duty police officer was at a bar and drank a great deal of alcohol before getting behind the wheel of her car and then later drive into oncoming traffic. The court found both defendants, the police officer responsible for the accident and the bar responsible for serving her liable for the wrongful death of the four individuals. The lawsuit money was divided up between the families of the four victims, the sole survivor and the plaintiff’s attorneys. According to the Courthouse News Service, manslaughter charges are still pending against the police officer. To read more about this car crash lawsuit settlement, please click on this hyperlink.

It is important for bars and any establishment that serves alcohol to realize that they may be held liable for over-serving customers or for failing to stop them from leaving if they are aware that the person is clearly intoxicated. While not all drunk driving accident lawsuits choose to name the bar as a defendant in the case, this may be an option, so we encourage owners to be aware and alert of what is going on throughout your establishment in order to protect patrons and others on the road. If you or a loved one was injured in a drunk driving accident and would like to discuss your legal options, please contact an Illinois accident attorney today.

An Illinois man has pled guilty in connection with a drunk driving car accident that killed one person and injured two others last year. The fatal accident occurred when the driver crashed into a mailbox, car and two trees. The driver was going 77 miles per hour in a 25 miles per hour zone and his blood alcohol level was .277. According to Suburban Chicago News, the crash did not involve any other cars but killed one passenger and injured two others. from the car involved in the crash. The sentencing phase of the trial has not occurred yet, but the driver can face anywhere between three and fourteen years in prison in connection with pleading guilty to this criminal charge. To read more about this Illinois car accident, click on the link.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), drunk drivers accounted for over 30% of all traffic deaths in 2008, with over 11,000 victims to drunk drivers getting behind the wheel. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is so extremely dangerous because a driver’s reactions and ability to safely and defensively drive is lost when a person is drinks. While there is a legal drinking limit, if you are ever unsure of your blood alcohol level or feel that you are impaired and should not be on the road, hand over your keys and let someone else drive. With drinking and driving it is always better to err on the side of safety and not drive after consuming alcohol. Also remember that when you get behind the wheel after drinking, it is not only your own safety at risk!

A Chicago woman died in a car accident on March 9th in which a woman lost control of her car, drove of the highway and struck a light pole. The driver and her nine year old daughter were taken to Christ Medical Center for treatment of their personal injuries and are both expected to recover fully. According to South Town Star, a passenger in the car suffered fatal injuries. The driver of the car has been charged with drunk driving. To read more about this Illinois crash, please click on the hyperlink.

Drunk driving in a very serious crime and in Illinois drunk drivers can face up to a year loss of driving privileges, possible jail time of a year, and a $1000 fine. According to the Illinois State Police’s website, this punishment is just for the first offense and the punishment gets much more severe with more than one DUI conviction. Always remember that drunk driving is very dangerous and can hurt not only yourself but others and that in Illinois the legal limit is a .08 blood alcohol content to be considered under the influence and in turn subject to drunk driving tickets.

If you see a driver that you believe may be impaired please call 911 immediately to give the police the location of the driver. Make sure to stay out of the way of the vehicle but also keep an eye on it to give the police the most accurate description of where the car is on the road. Additionally, if you know that someone is getting behind the wheel and they are intoxicated, please try to stop them and offer them a ride to where they are going. If they insist on driving, please take note of their license plate number and call the police to inform them of the intoxicated driver.

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.

A car accident lawsuit has been filed in connection with a June 14th West Chicago car accident in which a recent high school graduate was killed. According to the car accident lawsuit complaint, the accident occurred when another young graduate was driving under the influence and crashed the car in which the victim was riding. According to The KC Chronicle, the family of the victim are suing the young man that was driving, who had a BAC over the legal limit as well as marijuana in his system, for more than $6 million dollars. The driver has already pleaded not-guilty to criminal charges of aggravated driving and reckless homicide. The family of another passenger in the vehicle, who was not killed but suffered serious permanent personal injuries, previously filed a lawsuit in connection with the car accident. For more information on this St. Charles car accident lawsuit, click on the link.

A man has been charged with a DUI after he injured five people in a car accident on December 11 in Evanston. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the drunk driver blew through a red light and collided with another car. Three passengers in his car were injured, along with two people in the other vehicle. No one suffered critical personal injuries, but the victims were taken to local Chicago hospitals following the crash. To learn more about this car accident in Evanston, click on the link.

An Illinois man faces felony charges in connection with a fatal Chicago car accident that occurred on December 6th. The Gage Park accident occurred when the driver was driving under the influence and was driving the wrong way on 58th Street, entered the California Avenue intersection and struck a car. According to Chicago Breaking News, the victim was in the car struck by the aggravated driver, and the driver and his passenger refused treatment. The driver was originally ticketed for driving without insurance, driving the wrong way on a one-way street, reckless driving and failing to yield, but upon finding drugs and alcohol in his system the felony charges for aggravated driving under the influence were added. To read more about this Chicago car accident, click on this link.

The autopsy of a teenager that was severely personally injured, causing her to be pronounced brain dead, is scheduled after she was taken of life support earlier this week. The victim was in a one-car accident on October 16th in Mossville. According to the Peoria Journal Star, the car accident occurred when the car in which the victim was a passenger in made a sharp right turn and slammed into a guardrail after it had been speeding on Route 29 just north of Illinois Route 6. The driver was arrested for driving under the influence after her blood alcohol content was tested and found to be over two times the legal limit (the driver was also a teenager and therefore not old enough to drink), leaving the scene after the accident and fleeing and eluding a cop after being initially approached following the tragic Mossville car accident.

A woman was charged with aggravated DUI after allegedly being the cause of a North Side Chicago car accident on August 1st in which a motorcyclist was killed. The accident occurred in the early morning hours at the Ashland and Wilson intersection. According to Chicago Sun Times, the woman took a field sobriety test and then was given a blood alcohol test when she was taken to a local hospital. In connection with this lawsuit, a nurse at the hospital has filed a civil lawsuit because she was arrested when she refused to give the driver a blood test when she arrived at the hospital. The civil lawsuit claims that an officer ordered the nurse to take a blood test and when she refused telling him that the woman would have to be a patient of the hospital before she could administer the test, she was arrested. For more information on the criminal and civil case in connection with this Chicago car accident, click here.

An arrest has been made in connection with a Park Ridge car accident that occurred on October 11th that left two dead and four more injured. The driver that caused the fatal car accident has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence. According to Pioneer Local, the crash occurred when a car, in which the victims were traveling in, was headed east on Oakton Street when it collided with a car going north on Riverside. The second car claims they had the green light at the time of the fatal Park Ridge car accident.

A DUI charge has been filed in connection with the previously mentioned Lakeview car accident on October 8th, in which five people were injured when the driver was driving drunk and struck a parked car. According to Chicago Breaking News, the driver has also been charged with three misdemeanor counts of the endangering the life and health of a child and with one count of reckless driving. For more information on this drunk driving car accident criminal case, click here.

A car accident that occurred late on the evening of October 8th in the Lakeview area of downtown Chicago, injured 5 people including three children. According to Chicago Breaking News, the driver of the car was drunk and driving on North Western Avenue when he struck the end of a parked car. All of the injured people were passengers in the drunk driver’s car and all but one woman, who denied medical attention, were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their personal injuries. There is no current information on the status of the victims. For more information on this Chicago car accident, click here.

An Ohio man has been charged with drunk driving and reckless homicide in connection with a car crash that occurred in Chicago at 59th and Ashland early on the morning of October 3rd. According to ABC news, the drunk driver allegedly ran a read light and struck a car in which two Chicago residents were riding and were immediately killed. For more information on this Chicago car accident, click here.

The widow of a Chicago man that was killed in a multi-car crash this past weekend is speaking out in anger. According to ABC news, the car crash was caused by a driver who had past reckless driving charges against him who was speeding and had drugs in his system at the time of the crash. The crash occurred in Crestwood on Cicero Avenue and involved eight cars, but the widow’s husband was the only person killed in the accident. She is speaking out over the problem with the driver being allowed on the streets when he already had a reckless homicide charge against him. For more information on this fatal Chicago car accident, click here.

A Chicago man was charged with reckless homicide following a fatal car accident that occurred on September 19th. The driver that caused the car accident was drunk while driving the car that he then got into a car accident. The driver has been charged with leaving the scene of a car accident resulting in personal injury or death, in addition to drunk driving charges, operating a motor vehicle without insurance and failing to stop at a red light. For more information on this fatal car accident and arrest, click here.

A St. Clair woman filed a car accident lawsuit against a driver who caused her to get into a car crash in 2008. The car accident occurred when the Defendant crashed into the back of the Plaintiff’s car, causing her to then rear-end another vehicle. The Defendant was cited for driving under the influence of alcohol when the crash occurred. The Plaintiff and her car accident attorney are seeking more than $50,000 in damages for the medical costs and pain and suffering that the Plaintiff suffered. For more information on this car accident lawsuit, click here.

A car crash that killed four people on May 24th of this year is believed to have been the result of an East Carondelet woman driving under the influence of alcohol. The drunk driver’s car crashed into a SUV and three occupants of the SUV were killed in the accident, as well as the passenger in the drunken woman’s car. The Illinois woman was charged with 32 counts of aggravated driving, some relating to the deaths and others relating to the other injured passengers (four more were injured in the SUV). The charges were recently filed against the driver after investigation into the car crash showed that she was under the influence while driving. For more information on this Clinton County car accident, click here.

A stolen SUV was involved in a South Side fatal car accident on the morning of August 17th. The stolen car slammed into concrete pillars after the driver lost control and was thrown from the vehicle and died immediately. There were beer cans found around the scene of the fatal accident but at this point it is unclear whether the victim was under the influence when the crash occurred. There were two other people in the car and they are both fine after the accident. For more information on this Chicago car accident, click here.

A Freeburg car accident that happened earlier today on Route 13 resulted in the death of a Lenzburg woman. The fatal car accident occurred when a pickup truck in which a teenager was driving crossed the center line and crashed head on with the victim’s car. The teenage pickup driver has been charged with a DUI. The teenager’s three passengers were taken to local hospitals for treatment of their personal injuries resulting from the car accident. For more information on this Freeburg car accident, click here.

A Pekin teen was charged with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs after causing a fatal car accident in Tazewell County in which two Peoria residents were killed on July 11th. In convicted of the charges, the Pekin teen may face up to 28 years in Prison. Other drivers claim that the teen’s vehicle was swerving all over the road and other drivers had to dodge the car prior to the fatal car accident. For more information on this fatal Tazewell County car accident and the pending case, click here.

A three-car accident that occurred in Illinois on August 9th may result in criminal charges. Four people were injured in the car accident which occurred when one of the cars involved was traveling at a very fast speed, crossed the center lane and then struck another car. The car that was struck then slammed into a parked car. Open containers of alcohol were found in the original car which caused the car accident. The car accident is still under investigation. For more information on this Illinois car accident, click here.

An Illinois man that was involved in a car accident when he hit a man and his dog, while allegedly rushing to get home, resulting in the death of both the man and the dog. The driver has been charged with aggravated driving under the influence and reckless homicide and bail has been set at $750,000. Witnesses say that the car went out of control, struck mailboxes and then ran into the victim and his dog. The driver then attempted to flee on foot and when caught admitted to having been drinking and smoking marijuana. The bond was set high and the driver has been appointed a public defender to represent him at trial. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

Charges have been filed against a South Side woman that is suspected to have caused a car crash after she drove the wrong way and killed one woman and injured two others on August 2nd, on the I-55. The driver has been charged with six counts of aggravated DUI, two counts for each of the three victims in the car crash. For more information on this fatal car crash, click here.

A lawsuit has been filed by four people who claim that an allegedly intoxicated driver hit them while they were crossing an intersection. The Illinois car accident occurred last July on Route 3 when the four plaintiffs were riding in a car and the alleged drunk driver failed to yield and ended up colliding with the vehicle in which they were driving. The complaint is for the personal injuries suffered by all as well as past and future medical expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering. The complaint also names the shop in which the defendant consumed alcoholic beverages prior to the accident as a defendant. For more information on this car accident lawsuit, click here.

A head-on collision occurred on the morning of July 12th when the driver of a car was going the wrong way on the Stevenson Expressway. The driver has been charged with drunk driving. Three people were injured and remain hospitalized, including the driver facing these charges. In addition to being cited for drunk driving, the driver was cited for driving the wrong way. For more information on this car accident, click here.

Illinois woman being held in jail after crashing her minivan into a motorcycle, killing the driver on the evening of July 9th. The driver was traveling west and allegedly crossed into the opposite lane and then struck the motorcycle. The motorcyclist was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime and was not wearing a helmet at the time the fatal crash occurred. The minivan driver was issued a ticket for failure to reduce speed and unlawful possession of a controlled substance after what was found to be cocaine was found in her vehicle. The tests have not yet come back showing if the driver had cocaine in her system at the time the car accident occurred. For more information on this fatal accident, click here.

It is important to remember over the holiday weekend to be careful when traveling. One important suggestion to help stay safe in your travels is to not text while you are driving a car. Don’t forget that other drivers could be texting while driving and so it is extremely important to pay close attention when driving in order to avoid car accidents. While holiday travel has been lower over the past couple years, more holiday car travel is expected this year because gas is lower than it was last year. Another important caution to take when traveling this holiday season is too make sure never to drink and drive. For more information of ways to stay safe this Fourth of July weekend, please click here.

On the morning of June 14th in West Chicago, a teen was killed in a fatal car accident in which he was a passenger. The Chicago car accident occurred when the sports utility vehicle in which the teen was the front seat passenger in struck a tree. The teen was pronounced dead on the scene and his death was caused by mass trauma. The driver of the vehicle has been charged with drunk driving, unlawful consumption of alcohol by a minor and failure to reduce speed to avoid a car accident. The two passengers in the backseat were taken to local hospitals to treat their minor personal injuries. For more information on this car accident in Chicago, click here.

A car accident occurred on the I-90 in the suburbs of Chicago on the afternoon of June 12th, leaving one person involved in critical condition. The driver of the original vehicle that caused the horrible accident was driving westbound and rear ended the car in front of him which then led to chain reaction of cars hitting each other. The victim was in a car in that chain reaction and suffered from brain trauma. The victim is currently in the hospital and his status is listed in critical condition. The driver of the original vehicle is facing a felony aggravated DUI charge, after he originally refused to take a blood alcohol test right after the car accident but was still over the legal limit hours later when he was tested. For more information on this car accident, click here.

A fatal car accident that occurred last Sunday left one man dead. The driver of the other vehicle is in custody and is cooperating and is believed to have been under the influence of alcohol when the fatal accident occurred. No official charges have been made as of now but the police chief said that the driver had a blood alcohol level that was twice the legal limit. The suspect also has an active warrant for failing for appear on another drunk driving charge. For the full story on this fatal car accident, click here.

The daughter of the victim of a fatal accident victim has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the other vehicle, the actual car owner and the City of Chicago. The accident victim was involved in the fatal crash this past May when he was driving home, with the rest of his family, from visiting his son in the Cook County Jail. The driver of the other vehicle ran a red light and hit the victim’s car. The other driver was criminally charged by the State for reckless homicide and aggravated drunk driving when his blood alcohol level was found to be more than double the legal limit. The daughter of the victim has since filed this wrongful death suit. For the full story of this wrongful death suit, click here.

Early in the morning of May 31st, a Chicago-area man was killed in a car accident that occurred when the car that he was a passenger in sped through a red light and struck a car that was driving through the intersection. The car that had been speeding then hit a pole and rolled over. The victim of the car accident was one of four passengers and was the only fatal injury. The driver of the speeding vehicle was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and the driver of the other vehicle sustained minor personal injuries. Police are still investigating whether alcohol was involved in the crash. For more information on this car accident, click here.

A man was killed in a Chicago car accident on the South Side after an alleged drunk driver blew through a stop light and struck his car. A total of three vehicles were involved in the accident and in addition to the death, seven others suffered personal injuries. Chicago Breaking News reports that the driver at fault ran a red light and collided with the deceased driver’s Lexus. The Lexus then crashed into a third car. The driver who caused the car accident was taken into custody by Chicago police. Read the full coverage of this tragic Chicago car accident by following the link.

A 27-year-old man from Kilbourne, IL was charged with aggravated DUI after killing two men and injuring another in a car accident in Mason County, IL. The driver’s farm truck struck a station wagon that the three victims were driving in around 6 p.m. on May 6. The driver, who is now being held on $250,000 bond, did not sustain any personal injuries. Read more about this tragic Illinois car accident.

Lee Blakes of Chicago has been charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after killing another man, Leroy Square, in a car accident on April 17. According to a report in the Chicago Sun Times, the accident took place on I-57 in Chicago and occurred when Blakes’ truck rear ended Square’s SUV. Square was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene of the accident. According to reports, Blakes was speeding before the crash occurred. To read more about this fatal car accident, follow the link,

Recently, the Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog posted an entry about a fatal crash on the Dan Ryan Expressway. More information has now come out about the Chicago police man who was driving drunk and caused the accident that killed two young people, Andrew Cazares, 23, and Fausto Manzera, 21. According to a report in the Chicago Tribune, the cop was released on April 12 on $500,000 bail, infuriating those close to the victims. The article also notes that the police officer had a history of driving offenses and was just ordered to pay damages for a 2005 car accident. Read more about the aftermath of this tragic accident by clicking the link.

A drunk driver killed herself and caused serious injury to four others in a car accident in Prairie Grove, IL on April 5. According to an article on Chicago Breaking News, tests revealed that her blood alcohol limit was over the legal limit. The intoxicated driver crossed the center line and smashed into a Mazda traveling in the other direction. The car was carrying a man, his fiancée, his mother and his 8-year-old son. All of the passengers of the vehicle were seriously injured in the car accident and were taken to local hospitals. The drunk driver was taken to the hospital where she later died during surgery. Read the full article about this fatal car accident near Chicago by following the link.

In the early morning of March 28, two car accidents occurred on the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago. The first accident left one person dead and three others injured. The first accident occurred when a car carrying four people flipped over a wall along the expressway. The driver of this vehicle was killed in the accident. Three other people were taken to local hospitals. According to a witness, the car was traveling at very high speeds before the accident.

Shortly after, a second car accident occurred. An intoxicated driver crashed into a fire truck that was called to the scene of the first accident. One firefighter suffered minor injuries and the driver was arrested for drunk driving.To read the full account of these car accidents follow the link.

A personal injury lawsuit has been filed in St. Clair Count, Illinois, in response to injuries caused during a multi-car accident. One woman rear-ended a car, causing collisions between four vehicles. The lawsuit filed by one of the drivers claims that the woman was intoxicated, driving unreasonably fast, failed to keep a lookout, and failed to maintain control of her vehicle, among other things. Read more about this car accident lawsuit.

An Orland Park, IL man was sentenced to 7 years in prison for the death of a man in 2006. The driver reportedly told police that he drank 12 beers before driving and causing the car accident that killed a father of two. In addition to causing the accident, the man fled the scene of the crash. He later plead guilty to aggravated driving under the influence resulting in a death. The accident occurred near the Chicago suburb of Willowbrook.

To read full coverage of this DUI sentencing, follow the link.

Several weeks ago, an Illinois man was charged with reckless homicide and aggravated DUI after his speeding vehicle rear-ended a car, causing it to cross the center lane and collide with a truck head-on. The car accident killed a 26-year-old man, his 24-yr-old wife and their unborn child.

The intoxicated driver who caused this accident had been arrested several times in the past for driving under the influence. According to a police affidavit filed March 10, the driver asked police how many people he had killed shortly after the car accident occurred. The affidavit also revealed that the driver’s blood alcohol level was .191, more than twice the legal limit. The article did not indicate that the victims' families had filed a lawsuit against the driver at this time.

To read more about the affidavit detailing this tragic car accident follow the link.

Earlier this month, the father of a 10-yr-old boy who suffered significant brain damage and injuries in a car accident filed a lawsuit, asking for almost $13 million in compensation. The boy was involved in a fatal car accident involving a drunk driver that killed all four other people in the vehicle, including the boy’s mother. The lawsuit, filed by the father's attorney, accuses the driver of traveling at high speeds and driving while intoxicated. Additional defendants include the establishment that served the driver alcohol and the woman who let him borrow her car.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for lost wages, as well as pain and suffering for the loss of the boy’s mother. Click here to read the full story of this devastating car accident.