Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

A teenage girl was killed in a car accident that the authorities believe to be a result of her text messaging while driving. The teenage girl was driving in a Chicago suburb and lost control of her vehicle because she was attempting to text while driving. The police are saying that texting while driving is even more dangerous than trying to change the radio while driving. The General Assembly of Illinois is trying to pass a bill that would make text messaging while driving illegal, as a result of the increased car accidents resulting from text messaging while driving. Current Illinois law makes talking on the phone and texting illegal while driving for anyone under the age of nineteen. For more information on this car accident, click here.

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Posted In: Automobile Accident , Illinois Accident , Injuries to Minors and Children , Legislation-Illinois

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According to an article on Mystateline.com, over 25% of reported car accidents are caused by distracted drivers. One of the ways that many drivers are distracted is by text messaging while driving. This dangerous practice takes drivers' eyes and minds off the road and can have devastating consequences.

Recently, the Illinois state House passed new legislation that bans people from texting while driving in Illinois. Those who are caught texting while driving will receive tickets and repeat offenders can end up in jail. The new rule will help to decrease the number of car accidents in Illinois. To read more about the new legislation banning text messaging while driving, follow the link.

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Posted In: Automobile Accident , Chicago Car Accident , Current Issues , Illinois Accident , Legislation-Illinois

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New policies in Illinois have been put into place to protect police and drivers from future car accidents. A lawsuit is currently pending against an Illinois State Police trooper who caused a fatal car accident last year in Rockford, IL. The police officer attempted to make a U-turn after witnessing a vehicle drive through a red light. As the policeman made the turn, his car collided with an SUV. The front-seat passenger sustained fatal injuries as a result of this collision. The new policies aim to prevent accidents like this from occurring.

Under previous Illinois law, police vehicles were permitted to go against traffic signals such as stoplights and stop signs with no speed limitations. A new code system was implemented in late 2008, giving police guidelines for how to react, depending on the severity of the situation.

Follow the link to read more about how these policies can prevent future car accidents.

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Posted In: Automobile Accident , Legislation-Illinois , SUV/Van Accident

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Motorists convicted of drunken driving in Illinois will have to blow into device to prove their sobriety every time they get behind the wheel come January 1, 2009. If the driver fails to blow into the device their car will not start. The restriction is part of a new law that is a huge Illinois crackdown on drunk drivers. The measure is one of the strictest in the nation and is aimed at first-time offenders convicted of driving under the influence. Those convicted will have 14 days to get a breath-alcohol ignition-interlock device installed in their vehicle’s dash. If the driver has a blood-alcohol content above .024 the engine won’t start. Those with multiple DUI convictions previously could have been ordered to install the device. This legislation could affect as many as 40,000 offenders a year. Sponsors responded to a concern from Mothers Against Drunk Driving that alcohol-related crashes and arrests had stopped declining in recent years, thus the group argued that technology could be used to get more drunken drivers of the roads. Last year in Illinois, there were 508 deaths from car crashes involving alcohol. Other states who have implemented this legislation have found a decrease in their alcohol-related traffic fatal car crashes. To read the full story, click here.

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Posted In: Legislation-Illinois

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Under Illinois law, adults who willfully provide alcohol to persons under 18 years of age are civilly liable for death or injuries caused by a minor’s intoxication. If a child was killed in a car crash because he was intoxicated, the adults who served the child would still be liable if a wrongful death lawsuit was filed.

Of course criminal repercussions accompany this conduct too, illustrated by the recent jury verdict in Lake County finding a Deerfield couple guilty of allowing underage drinking in their basement last October where two of the guests were killed in a car accident after leaving the couple’s home.

Yesterday, two Cook county parents were cited for permitting a minor to become intoxicated. The parents would have also been responsible for any death or injury that came as a result of their serving these minor’s alcohol.

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Posted In: Automobile Accident , Current Issues , Legislation-Illinois

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