Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog

Earlier this week, the Chicago Tribune reported a Chicago pedestrian accident involving a woman who was arrested for driving under the influence. Two hours later, she was released and thirty minutes after she was released, the woman was killed on the Eisenhower when a truck hit her while walking near the median . The victim's family questions why the police released her while she might have still been under the influence of drugs or alcohol, instead of keeping her held in custody until she was sober. When looking back on reports, police say that the woman appeared sober and alert when they dropped her off at a nearby gas station. Further investigation continues to determine why the woman was walking by foot on the Eisenhower after being released from the police station.

It is unclear in this case who is to blame, and whether or not the police should have released the woman. It makes our Illinois car accident attorneys question what is the proper protocol for releasing DUI drivers, even if they are able to post bond right away. If the police hadn't released her so close to her arrest, her death may have been avoided.

The story also brings up issues of pedestrian safety. Even though drivers on the highway probably would never expect to see a pedestrian on a roadway such as this, they need to pay close attention and avoid all distractions. In this case, if
the truck had seen the woman walking down the highway, he maybe could have
avoided hitting the walking woman. According to Directgov, "Pedestrians MUST NOT be on motorways or slip roads except in an emergency."

Our Chicago accident attorneys hope that readers take driving under the influence seriously and realize that it can lead not only to arrests, but to dangerous decisions that can lead to personal injury or death. If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, a DUI accident, or a distracted driving accident, or have lost a loved one due to another driver's negligence, please contact our Illinois accident attorneys to see how we may be able to help you to receive fair compensation, and also some peace of mind. Lawsuits do not only help to receive monetary compensation, but also bring attention and awareness to the issue at hand. Please contact us to talk about your legal rights and a potential lawsuit.

A 20-year-old man from Coulterville,IL was killed on June 1 in an Illinois auto accident. Four other people in the vehicle suffered accident injuries. It was reported that a pick-up truck struck their vehicle in the middle of an intersection in Perry County, IL. Unmarked roads may have been to blame for this tragic car crash. According to a Sheriff from Perry County, there were no stop signs at the intersection, forcing drivers to cross through the intersection with extreme care. The driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital after the accident but later released. The injured remain hospitalized. Read more about this Illinois car accident by accessing the link.

A man and woman, both from Chicago, were involved in an accident while driving out of state. The man was driving his pick-up truck in Tennessee when his vehicle slammed into a disabled truck sitting on the side of the road. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. The man and the driver of the disabled vehicle did not suffer any serious injuries. The Chicago man was tested for substances; however, police do not believe that drugs or alcohol played a role in the accident. Read the full account of this fatal accident.

A truck driver was cited for failing to stop his truck after he rear-ended a pick-up truck, leading to a chain-reaction accident involving two other cars. The accident took place roughly 100 miles from Chicago. The truck driver failed to stop and smashed his tractor trailer into the pick-up, causing it to crash into a Jeep which then collided with a Toyota Scion. No serious injuries were reported in the crash; however the pick-up driver and a passenger in the Jeep were both taken to a nearby hospital. A report also noted that narcotics were found in the semi driver’s possession. Read the full account of this truck accident.

A Creve Coeur, Illinois police officer in a squad car rear-ended a small truck, causing the truck to roll onto its side. The police officer caused the car accident by failing to reduce his speed at a stoplight. The driver of the truck, from Peoria, Illinois, was transported to OSF St. Francis Medical Center with injuries. Read more about this car crash.

The 17-year-old driver in a fatal car accident that occurred on July 8, 2008 has been indicted on charges of manslaughter. The high school student, who is being tried as an adult, could face 3 to over 12 years in prison. The teen failed to slow down at a curve and lost control of his Toytoa Tacoma truck, causing it to roll several times after going airborne and land on its rooftop. One of the passengers, another high school student, was pronounced dead at the scene. It is not yet known whether the passenger’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit. Read more about this fatal car crash.

Scientists are currently developing a car accident reporting system designed to automatically call for help when a car crash occurs. Scientists working on the project from Georgia Southern University say that in car accidents involving rollovers, drivers and passengers are often unable to call for help. Accidents like these occurring in remote areas are at risk for a delayed response by rescuers. The new technology would use a global positioning system device in addition to an inclinometer to detect rollover and wireless technology to evaluate the conditions of a vehicle involved in an accident. Read more about this car accident prevention system.

Two men were killed on Saturday, February 21 after sustaining serious injuries in an automobile accident. The driver was driving on I-495 with one passenger when he lost control of his pick-up truck in the early morning hours. The vehicle first hit the right guide rail before swerving across the other lanes of traffic. The vehicle crashed into the center divider and caught on fire.

The passenger was pronounced dead at the scene of the truck accident. The driver was flown to a local hospital where he later died from fatal injuries.

Follow the link to read more about this car accident.

A three car accident on U.S. 31 took place, leaving the driver of a pick-up truck dead. The driver of another car suffered personal injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. One other car was involved, but reported no injury. Witnesses stated that they saw the driver enter onto the highway, traveling north in the southbound lanes. Southbound cars swerved to avoid an accident, but the truck eventually struck another vehicle head-on. The highway was closed for a time in order for the police to perform an investigation into what occurred. Read the full story about this car accident.

Icy roads are the culprit again, as a 53-year-old Chicago man died recently in a car accident while driving in Indiana. The man was hit head on by a pickup truck, which had lost control after skidding on ice. The man was pronounced dead at the scene. Read more about this car accident death.

A rollover car accident with two people receiving personal injuries from being ejected caused all outbound lanes on a Chicago expressway to be closed early this morning. The car accident happened at about 5:00 this morning when a car hit a semi truck and then rolled over. The two people who were ejected in the rollover suffered personal injuries.

For the full article.

John J. Perconti of Levin & Perconti has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Kane County, Illinois on behalf of a woman who was killed in a serious car accident last fall. The 32-year-olc woman’s vehicle was hit by a truck, causing her to crash into the Illinois Department of Transportation dump truck in front of her. The woman is survived by her husband and 3-year-old son, who were both seriously injured in the truck accident. The truck driver was reportedly under the influence of marijuana and half of the brakes on his semitrailer were deemed out of alignment and inadequate for stopping. Although criminal charges have not been filed yet, the death has been ruled a homicide.

For the Northwest Herald article, click here.
For the Daily Herald article, click here.

The family of Charles Cason of Caseyville, Illinois has filed a personal injury lawsuit against the trucking company whose driver killed the 55-year-old and two others, and injured 15, in a serious car accident six months ago. The truck driver crashed into a line of 10 vehicles while distracted by his cell phone. An Amish couple being driven to a funeral by a hired driver was also killed in the automobile accident near the Illinois-Missouri border. For the full story, click here.

Three people from the south suburbs of Chicago were killed in an Illinois car accident today between New Lenox and Joliet. The car crash happened this morning on U.S. 30. One was pronounced dead at the scene and the other two were pronounced dead just hours later at Silver Cross hospital in Joliet.

For the full article.

Last week, a judge heard arguments for a change of venue in a careless driving case, five months after a car accident killed one person. In July, the driver lost control of his tractor-trailer while driving. The truck overturned and slammed into an SUV, killing the SUV driver. Four others were injured in the truck accident. A wrongful death lawsuit and personal injury lawsuit have also been filed against the driver of the truck.

For the full article.

A longtime Pennsylvania state senator has died after his Cadillac collided head-on with a truck. The Senator died from personal injuries he suffered after the truck accident while his wife was taken to the hospital with personal injuries. The two were headed to an official event when the pickup truck and his car collided head on. The state senator was traveling north when his Cadillac collided with a pickup truck traveling the other way. After the initial car crash, the state senator’s car then struck a third vehicle that had pulled onto the shoulder. At this time no lawsuits have been filed. To read the full story, click here.

Two men, injured as a result of a truck accident, have received $1.5 million from a jury. The truck accident occurred about two years ago. As a result of the truck accident, one of the men suffered a fractured vertebra and the other sustained serious damage to his right knee, requiring reconstructive surgeries, and mild traumatic brain damage.

For the full article.

Truck accidents are one of the most deadly and dangerous types of automobile accidents because the two motor vehicles can vary greatly in size and power. Some accidents can be caused by weather or an outside force, but too many result from the negligence of the driver. In recent years, truck traffic has increased, as have complaints of excessive speed by truck drivers. A family of five was recently killed by a truck driver in an accident. The family's car was stopped at an intersection when a truck pummeled into car killing the occupants almost instantly. The truck driver is being charged with five counts of dangerous driving causing death. The driver refused to provide a breath sample at the scene, but police reports indicate that excessive speed and alcohol were contributors. A wrongful death lawsuit against the truck driver has yet to be filed.

A Kentucky man has filed a personal injury lawsuit after a truck accident involving three motorcyclists that cost him his leg. The two other motorcyclists lost their lives in the accident. The surviving motorcyclist is suing for medical expenses related to the motorcycle crash. To date, the injured motorcyclist’s medical expenses are nearing $700,000.

Click here for the full article

In yesterday's Minneapolis bridge collapse 50 vehicles are said to be trapped, 4 people are confirmed dead, 20-30 people are still missing and 79 people were injured. Officials said that they expected the death toll to rise. Six years ago, the Minnesota Department of Transportation found minor problems with the bridge and a study suggested that if one of two support planes cracked the bridge could collapse. However, this was found to be unlikely and replacement of the bridge unnecessary. Two years ago, however, the US Department of Transportation said that the bridge was structurally deficient and received a rating of 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, meaning that there is "advanced section loss, deterioration."

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to the site of the collapse but a spokesperson remarked that the focus has to be on emergency response. While they will be performing a full forensic analysis to see what caused the collapse, the NTSB emphasized that right now, it is more important to rescue every person possible.

Click here for the full article