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Speeding, or driving over the posted speed limit, continues to be a common cause of car accidents, sometimes fatal accidents. According to the United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), speeding is among the most frequent causes of car accidents. This is certainly true here in Illinois, too.   

A couple weeks prior to this post, at around 5:30 p.m., a black Toyota Camry was speeding above the posted speed limit on I – 94 North near 87th Street. This vehicle was occupied by its driver and one passenger. Suddenly, this speeding Camry moved slightly out of its lane of traffic. It powerfully struck a stop sign and, unfortunately, struck a concrete barrier head on. The vehicle’s two occupants were not wearing their seatbelts. They were rushed to a nearby hospital. The car’s driver, 24 years of age, was pronounced dead at the hospital and the passenger, 31 years of age, remains in critical condition.

Speeding poses major costs to our society. The NHTSA estimates that speeding-related crashes costs our society around $40 billion. In the year 2012, speeding was a cause in nearly 30 percent of all fatal car accidents. In that same year, 10,219 traffic fatalities were caused by speeding out of a total 33,561 traffic-related fatalities.        

It does not take much snow to cause serious traffic problems. As you may remember, earlier this January here in Illinois, on one particular rush-hour snowstorm, it snowed less than one inch of snow but caused traffic chaos. The snow was mixed with ice and reduced visibility. This created a cocktail for disaster. The storm led to several car crashes and the death of a pedestrian when an out of control car struck him. An Illinois state trooper was also injured in a car crash. Witnesses said that, despite the conditions, people were driving too close to other vehicles.  

This article will list ways of avoiding accidents when driving in the snow. First, if you were involved in a car accident, it is important that you hire an attorney for your case.

How to stay Safe in these Conditions

Recently, in March 2016, a 20-year old and a 16-year old driver were street racing against one another on Eola at a high rate of speed. The 20-year old, driving a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix allegedly caused a 2011 Dodge Charger, driven by the 16-year old, to crash into a 2004 Toyota Highlander as it was making a left turn.  

Inside the Highlander were a 49-year old man and his 15-year old daughter. The 49-year old man died from this accident and his 15-year old daughter was seriously injured. The driver of the Grand Prix was charged with nine counts of reckless homicide, two counts of aggravated street racing, aggravated speeding and reckless driving. The driver of the Charger was charged with one count of reckless homicide and two counts of aggravated street racing.   

If you were involved in an accident at the fault of another driver it is imperative that you seek legal representation. Doing so will increase your chances of receiving adequate compensation for your injuries or damages incurred.

As I am sure you know, seatbelts save lives. By not wearing your seat belt, or by wearing it improperly, this can be deadly. Recently, a 41-year old driver was headed northbound on Interstate 55, north of Lincoln, Illinois, when his vehicle got jammed in the guardrail and became totally disabled. He was stuck in the middle of the left and right lanes.

While stuck in this position, his vehicle was struck in the rear by a vehicle headed northbound. From here, his vehicle was struck yet again by a second vehicle. The 41-year old driver was killed in this car accident.

It was discovered that he was not wearing seat belt. Had he been properly wearing his seat belt, there is a chance that he would have survived this car accident. Nearly every day of the year, around 6,400 people are injured in a car crash. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the proper use of a seat belt reduces serious injury and death in auto accidents by around 50 percent! Simply put, and per the CDC, wearing a seat belt is the most effective way to save your life and reduce the risk of being seriously injured.

As you probably already know, there are a lot of car accidents here in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 76,352 crashes reported in 2012 for which damage to any one person’s property totaled between $501 and $1,500. There are also a lot of fatal auto accidents here in Illinois. Also according to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 886 fatal car crashes resulting in 956 fatalities in 2012 alone. With all of these reported car accidents, some common causes stand out.

Common Causes of Auto Accidents

Here is a quick non-exclusive list of common causes of car accidents. This list also explains how you may avoid these common causes.

Earlier this month, two individuals were driving northbound on Fosterburg Road in Alton, Illinois. During their commute, an oncoming southbound vehicle drifted into their lane, hitting them head on. Witnesses say that the at-fault driver was texting while driving. The passengers in the northbound car sustained serious injuries including, but not limited to, broken toes, a shattered hip, broken ribs, fractured sternum, and fractured vertebrae. The southbound driver received citations for improper lane usage and illegal use of a cellphone while operating a motor vehicle.

Do not text and drive, it is against the Law!

As you may already know, it is against the law to text and drive here in Illinois. Per Illinois’ statute 625 ILCS 5/12-610.2, a person shall not drive a vehicle on a roadway while using an electronic communication device to either compose, send, or even read an electronic message. A personal cellphone is one of the items Illinois identifies as an “electronic communication device”.

After you are injured in a car accident, you need to take decisive steps in order to be fairly and fully compensated for your accident. As a driver or passenger, you need to be well informed regarding what to do after an accident happens, because car accidents continue to happen with alarming frequency in the Chicago metropolitan area.

The Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Traffic Safety issued reports indicating the number of crashes in each county of Illinois for 2013 . These statistics are illustrated in the following table indicating the number of car accidents in Cook County and collar counties.
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Despite the fact that bikers are roughly 35 times as likely to be involved in a deadly accident than those driving cars, motorcycle use continues to grow nationwide, with new riders registering every day. We’ve had a few cold patches here and there, but it appears spring is just around the corner – and that means a lot of motorcyclists are excited to get back out on the open road.

Our lawyers want to remind you that motorcycle safety is not only important for motorcyclists, it is essential to ensure the safety of each of the drivers sharing the road with these vehicles. With that in mind, our Chicago car accident lawyers want to share a few important tips and precautions for every beginner or novice motorcyclist. (Center for Disease Control & Prevention; motorcycle.org)
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Chicago is an extremely busy city always filled with people on the move. This is especially true at our major places for transportation, such as our airports. On any given day at Midway or O’Hare, you can see long lines of traffic and streams of vehicles surrounding departures and arrivals to pick up and drop off passengers. Oftentimes, and understandably, people are on a tight schedule to pick up a flight, and they tend to be in a hurry. However, despite the sense of urgency and the rush, we must always be aware of our surroundings and never forget that safety should come first. When we fail in this regard, serious accidents can and do occur, which result in personal injuries and death.

According to an article by the Chicago Tribune, a man from Carol Stream was killed after he was ejected from a service vehicle he was driving during a crash at Midway Airport. He was driving in the airport in the 5700 block of South Cicero Avenue when his service vehicle struck another service vehicle, according to the Chicago Police Department. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he died shortly after. Currently, the Chicago Police Department Major Accident Investigation Unit are investigating.
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Many different transportation agencies encourage bicycling as an enjoyable and healthy alternative mode of transportation to motor vehicles. The exercise is good for your body, and it’s great for the environment, what’s not to like? However, when riding your bike on your local roadways, especially in urban centers like Chicago, they can come with very real safety concerns. According to the law, bicycles on the road are vehicles with the same rights and responsibilities as the larger passenger vehicles that they share the road with, but the law can’t change the fact that cyclists are at a far greater risk of serious injury.
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