Articles Posted in Auto Accident

Pedestrians are at risk for being involved in a collision as they walk along the streets of Chicago. Some people may notice or even appreciate the dangers faced by these walkers as they cross busy streets in pedestrian crosswalks or as they otherwise come near an area where motor vehicles travel. However, these are far from the only locations that may threaten the safety of pedestrians in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois. Every year, thousands of pedestrian accidents occur in a myriad of different settings and most of those result in injuries to the walkers involved.

In every state in the country, pedestrians are granted certain rights and protections under the law. These rights can vary from state to state and based upon the circumstances of any collision so it is important for victims to understand the intricacies of any law that may be a factor if they have been involved in a crash. In Chicago, pedestrians generally have the right to seek financial compensation when they are injured due to the actions of a driver and these claims can be brought against any responsible party. In many cases, multiple claims may be available and may enable an injured pedestrian to recover for the totality of the losses experienced, whether those losses take the form of medical bills, rehabilitative expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago or in Illinois can help those who have been hurt to understand the options and claims that may be available to them to help them recover.

Traffic accidents do not discriminate and can make anyone a victim, a fact that was reinforced this weekend when actor Ryan Reynolds was involved in a hit-and-run car accident on Friday, according to police in Vancouver. Reynolds, a Canadian native, reportedly was in Vancouver to film Deadpool, a spin off from the X-Men franchise that is expected to premier in theaters in 2016. Police have confirmed that the actor was walking in an underground parking garage when a paparazzo approached in a vehicle and struck Reynolds before fleeing the scene. Fortunately Reynolds was uninjured in the accident and was able to leave the area under his own power.

Police in Vancouver are still looking into the crash and are trying to identify the paparazzo involved to determine whether he should be issued any citations for his actions. Like in Chicago, fleeing the scene of an accident is against local laws in Vancouver as is striking a pedestrian with a vehicle even if injuries do not result.
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The State of Illinois has laws governing the minimum amount of automobile insurance all drivers must carry to be in compliance and to be legally authorized to drive. In 2015, these minimum requirements were increased to $25,000 per person injured or killed, $50,000 per accident where injuries or death results, and $20,000 for damage to the property of another. These limits may sound like they are adequate but in reality, many car accidents in the Chicago area cause damages far in excess of these minimums. Unfortunately, victims are at the mercy of at-fault driver and their insurance policy limits in some case; limited insurance can mean a limited recovery. But often, victims can still obtain the full relief they deserve by pursing an uninsured motorist claim. Speaking with a lawyer who handles personal injury cases can help you realize what insurance may be available if you have been injured and whether you may have one or multiple claims.

When a multi-car crash happens, victims in one vehicle may have no idea the type of insurance or the availability of coverage maintained by another driver. When a single car crash occurs, a victim riding in that vehicle may or may not know of insurance. Regardless of a victim’s knowledge before an accident, that victim may be entitled to seek and pursue a claim for his or her damages and against an at-fault driver or owner so that the victim can get financial relief to pay for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering as well as other injuries or losses that are due to the collision.

Chicago police have confirmed that a single car accident happened on the South Side in the Pullman neighborhood on Saturday, injuring two people inside the vehicle. The incident happened in the 500 block of 115th Street shortly before 4:00 a.m. and reportedly began when a driver lost control of the vehicle, left the road’s driving surface, and collided with a light pole near the shoulder. An adult man and an adult woman were in the vehicle and both were harmed though the nature and extent of their injuries is not clear at this time. Emergency crews transported both victims to a nearby hospital for additional help.

Police have not confirmed a suspected cause of the car accident but they have confirmed that an investigation into the matter is ongoing at this time.
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Many people who live in Chicago choose not to drive a personal vehicle even if they are of age to do so. The plethora of public transit options make travel by car unnecessary for some and the congested streets and limited parking make it undesirable for others. However, millions still ride in or drive a car on at least an occasional basis through the city streets in any given year as it fits their needs, and these drivers and passengers are at risk for becoming victims of a car accident.

In the simplest terms, a car accident is a collision involving one or more cars or similar vehicles. It may involve two cars colliding together or it may involve a single car striking a fixed object. In some instances, hundreds of cars may create a pile-up collision or an earlier crash may trigger a secondary one. With thousands of possible combinations of factors that can lead to a crash, it is not surprising that many victims of these incidents are confused about the legal implications of a collision in which they were involved and they may not know where to turn for answers. In Chicago and in the State of Illinois, victims are entitled to retain a personal injury lawyer to help them realize their positions and to enable those victims to get the financial compensation they deserve.

Police in Libertyville have confirmed that an incident occurred between a car and a home on Tuesday night and that two people were injured as a result. At this time, it appears that a driver was operating a vehicle on Ridgewood Lane after 6:00 p.m. when a medical condition caused the driver to lose control. The vehicle left the road’s surface and collided with a private home and broken through one of the house’s walls, partially entering the residence. Three people were in the car at the time and two people were inside the home.

An adult male and an adult female were in the front seats of the vehicle and were pinned inside from the impact. Both were freed by emergency responders and were transported to area hospitals for their injuries though both were expected to survive. A seven-year-old girl was in the backseat and appeared to be unharmed in the crash as were the two adults who were inside the house.
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Recent decades have focused on safety innovations within automobiles to increase the likelihood of passengers making it through accidents without injuries. Many of those innovations have focused on one group of particularly vulnerable passengers – children. With the redesign of car seats, the institution of booster seats, and the accompanying laws that require children to be restrained properly, cars are safer than they have ever been for the smallest of riders. However, despite these advances and innovations, thousands of children are still injured every year in car accidents in the State of Illinois and many of those crashes happen in the Chicago area.

When children are involved in car accidents, the complicated fallout can leave even the most experienced parent confused about their family’s rights and responsibilities to obtain the relief they need. The facts surrounding an individual accident may determine who is legally responsible and who will be required to pay if a victim chooses to seek a financial settlement. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago can help you walk through the steps that need to be taken to bring a valid claim and to help you and your child recover if a crash has affected your family.

A terrible car accident happened in March in South Carolina and officials have confirmed that three of the people killed were children from the Chicago area. The incident happened on I-26 in Spartanburg County on March 19th and began when the driver of a car veered off the road and collided with a tree. Following the first impact, authorities report that the vehicle returned to the road and struck a semi-truck, causing a second impact that eventually led to the vehicle catching fire. Five people inside the car died as a result: an adult male, an adult female, and the adult male’s three children, ages three, four, and six. In addition to the five people inside the car that lost their lives, another individual in the area was killed while acting as a Good Samaritan but that person’s involvement in the incident has not been specified further.

Police have not released a suspected cause of the collision or stated whether anyone involved was suspected of acting negligently prior to the impact. It is also unclear whether anyone in the semi-truck was hurt as a result of the impact.
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If you ask drivers around Chicago about their least favorite type of people behind the wheel, you may hear terms for elderly drivers used over and over again. The popular belief is that older Americans cause and are involved in more collisions than their younger counterparts, and in some cases, that is true. The complicated full picture illustrates that age alone does not translate into an increased risk for a car accident happening but rather that the medical and other conditions associated with aging may. Decreased vision, mental fogginess, and slower reflexes make these motorists a threat to themselves and to others on the road. At the same time, though, some older adults show no signs of impairment as they age and may pose no greater risk than anyone else.

Car accidents involving elderly drivers happen annually in the Chicago area and can leave numerous victims wondering what options are available to them to help them get relief. Generally, the laws of Illinois allow those who are hurt to seek compensation against an at-fault driver, the owner of an at-fault vehicle, an insurance company, a corporation, or even a city or municipality, depending on the specific facts of a crash. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago can illuminate all available options if you have been injured and you are unsure how to proceed or whether you have a valid claim.

Officials in Aurora confirmed that one of the drivers involved in a fatal car accident on Tuesday was an 89-year-old man and that, unfortunately, that man lost his life in the collision that occurred near Eola and Diehl Roads in the afternoon hours. Officials have stated that the man was driving westbound on Diehl with his 87-year-old wife in the car when he allegedly ran a red light, causing his vehicle to enter the intersection when opposing traffic had the right-of-way. A semi-truck was in the intersection at the time and the two vehicles collided with significant force, causing the driver of the truck to lose control of the vehicle which then struck a second car.

Emergency medical crews were on the scene and assessed all passengers in the three vehicles involved in the crash. The elderly driver and his elderly wife were both taken to nearby hospitals for treatment but the man’s injuries were too extreme and he was pronounced dead shortly thereafter. The woman survived with unspecified injuries and her condition at this time remains unknown.

Only the driver was in the semi-truck at the time of impact and that individual refused medical help as did two people in the second car involved. No one has been cited in the incident at this point in time and the outcome of an ongoing investigation will determine whether any charges will be issued or whether other action will be taken.
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At a minimum, a car accident in the Chicago area or anywhere across the country involved at least one person – a driver of a vehicle involved. But in many cases, the number of people involved is much higher and may include multiple drivers, multiple passengers, and others in the area. A larger number of individuals involved in a collision means a greater probability that at least one person will be injured in that crash. This means that collisions involving multiple vehicle, high occupancy private cars, or even buses and other forms of mass transit are at a high risk for leaving injured victims in their wake.

In many cases, someone other than the driver of a car is hurt when a collision happens and that can leave victims wondering what options may be available to them. Do the laws in Chicago provide them with any protections? Do they have the legal right to seek relief, and if so, must they do so on their own? When a collision happens and leaves you with questions, speaking with a personal injury attorney can help you realize the type of relief that may be available to you and your family. Following a typical crash, victims can institute a civil claim for damages against those at-fault in the accident and can seek financial compensation for their losses including medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. These options are available to victims who are hurt in the State of Illinois, including the greater Chicago area.

Illinois State Police were alerted to a collision between two vehicles overnight on Friday and they responded to the scene. Located on I-290 near Biesterfield Road in suburban Elk Grove, the area of the crash was temporarily obstructing traffic in the area, causing some motorists to be diverted from the area around the scene. Police officers have confirmed that two separate vehicles were involved in the incident and that the vehicles collided but police have not yet disclosed a suspected cause of the crash. However, multiple people were inside the vehicles at the time of the accident and seven of those people were injured, requiring them to be transported to area hospitals for medical treatment.

No descriptions of the injuries involved were released and police have not confirmed whether either of the drivers involved will be cited in this incident.
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The layout of streets and roads can contribute to a car accident in many situations. If you drive around Chicago, you may notice that the city still retains its character from the days before motorized traffic ran the town, meaning that roads may run crisscross instead of straight north and south or east and west. In some places, more than two roads may converge at an intersection, making it challenging for drivers to determine who has the right-of-way or where and when a driver is authorized to proceed.

Even when an intersection is a traditional two-road convergence where the roads meet at a 90 degree angle, car collisions are likely because the crossing of directional traffic means that vehicles heading in divergent directions will need to occupy the same space – but ideally, not at the same time. When a driver makes a mistake and enters the intersection when not cleared to do so, collisions are likely to result and may cause injuries to those involved. Legal relief is possible for those victims who are hurt in crashes and may provide compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering as well as any other damages sustained. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago may help you understand your legal options if you have been involved in a crash or if your loved one was injured or killed in an accident.

Police in Englewood confirmed a collision between two vehicles on Monday morning near the 7100 block of South Halsted Street and confirmed that two drivers were injured in the crash. At this time, authorities believe that an 18-year-old male was driving an SUV in the early morning hours and that the SUV may have been stolen. He allegedly entered the intersection when it was not clear to do so and collided with a sedan that was traveling in another direction, leading to an impact between the two vehicles and requiring both drivers to be taken to area hospitals for treatment. In addition to the 18-year-old male driver of the SUV, a 19-year-old female driver of the sedan was hurt as was a 36-year-old male passenger in the sedan. The nature of the injuries sustained is not clear at this time but all victims are expected to survive.

The 18-year-old male driver has been charged with offenses related to this incident and may face additional allegations depending on the outcome of the ongoing police investigation.
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Recently, Chicago has been known for having the nation’s largest red light camera system lining its streets, a fact that has been lamented by many who drive around the city or who use taxi cabs for transit. With the increased presence of red light cameras have come some dangerous driving activities like motorists who slam on their brakes to avoid the potential for a ticket; while slamming the brakes might sound like a safe move, in many cases, it can cause a driver behind the first vehicle to rear-end that car, causing a collision that results in monetary damages to all involved and may even cause physical injuries to some victims.

Publicly, some high-ranking city officials have claimed that the inclusion of red light cameras at area intersections has been to hold drivers responsible for their actions. The theory is that if a camera is present and captures a motorist running a red light, that motorist can be punished and hopefully the punishment will prevent that driver and others from engaging in the activity in the future. However, with the shortening of yellow lights at many camera intersections and with Chicago’s heavy traffic congestion, collisions caused in part by the presence of these cameras continue to occur.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has taken action in response to some negative views on these cameras by having some removed from intersections with few to no collisions in the prior year. Last week, the city announced that an additional 50 cameras would be removed from 25 intersections in the coming months and until they could be removed, they would be deactivated to prevent motorists from receiving automated red light tickets. When these cameras are removed, Chicago will have 302 cameras across the city at 149 different intersections. Though these numbers are still high when compared to other cities, they represent a 20 percent reduction in the number of cameras when compared to the height of camera use by local police in Chicago.

In addition to the alterations to the current camera locations, the City of Chicago is also taking steps to warn motorists of impending light changes by installing additional light “countdowns” – devices that literally warn a driver of the number of seconds until a light changes from green to yellow. The city claims that these countdown devices further will prevent potential rear-end collisions while simultaneously warning motorists of their requirement to stop at a red. It is also believed that these devices will add legitimacy to any red light tickets that are issued as the drivers who run these red lights will receive additional warning of the light’s character before entering an intersection.
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The weather in Chicago can be unpredictable at best. In some years, March arrives and ushers in periods of warmer weather coupled with sunshine and chirping birds. This year, as Chicago residents turned their calendars to March, they were met with bitter cold temperatures and, today, winter weather that is plaguing area expressways and surface roads, threatening the safety of those who commute by car, truck, or van.

When weather strikes, car accidents and winter weather collisions are more likely to occur because the conditions of the roads may be less than ideal. Ice, snow, sleet can blanket streets and cause drivers to lose control of their vehicles which may lead to a collision involving one or dozens of cars. While common opinion suggests that the weather causes these accidents to happen, the truth is that the weather generally combines with one or more other factors to increase the likelihood of a crash but not to be the sole factor in its creation.

The laws in Illinois and in the city of Chicago acknowledge the serious nature of car accidents and attempt to hold responsible drivers liable for their actions and the resulting fallout. To do this, victims possess the right to seek financial compensation for their losses and their suffering against an at-fault driver or insurance company and they may receive monetary payment to cover expenses like medical bills. If you have been involved in a car accident in Chicago, you may learn more about your options by speaking with a personal injury attorney.

Police in Illinois issued warnings this morning about the road conditions in the greater Chicago area. Recent precipitation led to icy roads and slick conditions that extended beyond Chicago to other areas of the state. Early this morning, multiple collisions along I-57 between Manteno and Chebanse led authorities to close the expressway temporarily as the wreckage of the accidents was cleaned and removed and as conditions along the roadway began to improve.

A winter weather advisory remains in effect in the Chicago area at this time which has been spared any serious collisions so far. Multiple spin outs have been reported and minor crashes have occurred but as of early Tuesday morning, no critical collisions or devastating injuries were being blamed on the icy conditions.
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Many drivers in the Chicago area thought that they avoided a bad winter because the early season was so mild. However, the last few weeks have brought multiple cold fronts and storms to the area, sending the city into a deep freeze that chills to the bone and can make driving difficult.

While you may not be able to do anything about the weather, there are certain steps you can take to ensure that you are as safe as possible when the cold descends on Chicago. With our experience representing the victims of winter weather accidents, the personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. suggest you keep the following in mind before you get behind the wheel:

– When Possible, Plan Ahead: This may seem like basic advice but the benefit of forward thinking cannot be overstated when it comes to driving in the wintertime. Nearly every vehicle is sluggish in the cold temperatures but some of these issues can be avoided by making sure your vehicle is in good working order. If it has been a while since your car has been serviced, consider taking it to your preferred garage or mechanic to get a tune up and make sure there are no underlying issues with your vehicle.

– Check Your Battery: One of the biggest issues when it comes to winter driving is a vehicle that simply won’t start. Unlike some other parts of a car, a battery is not designed to last the life of your vehicle and will need to be replaced periodically. Further, some batteries that are strong enough to start a car in summertime will not get the job done in winter because it takes more power to start a car in the cold. If you haven’t had your battery tested in some time or if your car is taking longer to start, get the battery checked and consider replacing it if necessary.

– Check Your Tire Pressure Regularly: Tires are a big contributor to the safety of a vehicle and yet too often, drivers overlook the importance of this aspect of their car. Air pressure will be lower in cold conditions and therefore it is even more important to check these readings in the wintertime when low pressure can lead to underinflated tires which can make a blown tire or a collision more likely.

– Be Prepared for Icy Roads: Even if it is not snowing, cold weather can cause icy roads when the temperature falls below freezing. Cold weather can cause slush and snow to freeze and create a hazardous condition for all drivers; often, there is little warning before arriving at an icy patch so drivers are encouraged to assume roads will be slippery and to drive defensively as a result.

– Drive with Plenty of Gas: The last thing you want to happen when the weather is cold is to run out of gas midway through your trip. In winter, traffic can back up and it may take longer to get to your intended destination than planned so make sure you have extra gasoline in your tank. The extra gas can provide an additional benefit by adding weight to your vehicle which may make it easier to handle and control on snow or ice, so before you hit the roads, consider filling up your tank.
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