Articles Posted in Auto Accident

Drivers in the State of Illinois are eligible to begin being licensed to operate a motor vehicle at the age of 16. But simply being of age is not enough to qualify a motorist for a license. Instead, a driver must pass tests and demonstrate that he or she is capable of exercising the skill and judgment needed to be safe while behind the wheel. Additionally, all drivers who operate in Illinois, regardless of when they were licensed, must agree to follow all applicable laws and rules of the road. This includes obeying posted speed limits, heeding traffic signals, and driving on the proper side of the road.

Failure to follow traffic laws can lead a driver to receive a traffic ticket, a criminal charge, or worse. But in addition to any punishments that may be levied by local authorities, the fallout can become more severe if an at-fault driver causes a collision that ends in injuries to one or more individuals involved. In these cases, victims can seek financial compensation for their suffering and a driver who caused the collision may be held personally liable for those damages. If you have questions following a car accident, speaking with a personal injury attorney may help you understand your options including whether you have a valid claim.

A collision on Saturday is now being blamed on a driver who may not have obeyed a red light, according to local police. The incident happened at Oakton Street and Prospect Avenue in Park Ridge shortly after 12:00 p.m. and may have started when a woman failed to stop for a red light, entering the intersection against traffic and causing a collision.

The car believed to have run the light turned onto its side and collided with a third car waiting near the intersection. That second impact then pushed the third car into a fourth and fifth vehicle and caused at least two people to sustain injuries.

The driver of the first car and one of the other drivers were assessed at the scene and transported to area hospitals for treatment where their current conditions are not clear. However, both victims are expected to survive.

Police have reported that the suspected at-fault driver claimed that her brakes failed and that is why she was in the intersection allegedly after the light turned red. Police are reviewing that possibility at this time as well as several other scenarios but not official conclusions have been made; however, they have confirmed that the first driver has been cited for operating without a license and for running a red light.
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In 2011, more than 84,000 people were injured in car accidents across the state of Illinois. Many of these collisions happened in some of the most densely populated areas including Chicago where heavy traffic and congested streets are some of the leading causes of crashes. Often, victims in Chicago do not see a car accident until it happens and they can be injured even when they do nothing wrong to cause the collision.

When a car accident happens, damage to a vehicle is likely to result. But in addition to that property damage, injuries may happen and victims may need to get medical treatment to lessen their suffering and to return them to their pre-accident states. It is hard to know the full value of the needed treatment immediately following a collision as some injuries may take time to fully reveal their degree or severity. Consulting with a personal injury attorney can help victims understand whether they are entitled to compensation for their damages and whether they have a valid claim following an accident, regardless of what injuries were sustained.

An incident in Pennsylvania is reminding nostalgic drivers across the country that an accident can happen at any time and at any place. An Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, known for its resemblance to a giant hot dog, lost control on an icy road on Sunday in Enola and collided with a pole near the road’s surface. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident and the Wienermobile only sustained moderate damage to its front end and windshield.

The Wienermobile involved was one of six full-sized models that drive around the country, each assigned to a specific geographic area. In addition to the full-sized vehicles, two mini and food truck models that serve hot dogs can also be found on American roads. Thousands of children across the country have received a wienerwhistle – a whistle shaped like a miniature version of the Wienermobiles – from the drivers of these truckswho are known as Hotdoggers.

In addition to the iconic position the Wienermobile holds, it also has strong ties to the Chicago area. The original Wienermoblie truck was built in Chicago in 1936 following designs by company executive, Carl Mayer and Oscar Mayer is currently owned by Kraft Foods which is headquartered in Illinois.
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Pileup car accidents pose a particularly deadly threat to Chicago area residents in the winter months though they can occur at any time during the year. In many situations, however, poor driving conditions and wintery roads lead to an initial impact between two or more cars and from there, the conditions worsen as additional vehicles are unable to avoid the collision and become involved in the chain reaction.

When many vehicles are involved in a crash, it is difficult to understand who is at fault or whether any motorist bears the responsibility for the results of a crash. In some cases, it can take local authorities weeks to sort out the wreckage and to recreate the conditions prior to the collision to determine whether anyone is properly to blame. Victims of these crashes may be forced to deal with the fallout in the meantime and may need to seek medical help for their injuries, leaving them to wonder if anyone will be forced to pay for their bills or whether they will have to continue to suffer long after the accident ends. If a collision has affected your life, you may receive the answers you need by speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Chicago area who can help you understand the laws as they apply to your case.

On Sunday morning, 38 drivers and numerous passengers on the Kennedy Expressway learned firsthand the threatening nature presented by a chain reaction accident. The incident happened shortly after 10:30 a.m. in the inbound lanes near Armitage and North Avenue exists and involved 38 different vehicles. While the investigation is still ongoing, police suspect that the crash may have begun due to slick roads attributed to the winter weather conditions that struck the city recently.

The crash prompted emergency crews to respond to the scene and 12 victims were evaluated for injuries and taken to area hospitals. Reports indicate that at least one of the victims may have been a firefighter who was there to assist with the crash. While the current conditions of these victims are not clear at this time, all were expected to survive and it was believed that most sustained minor or moderate injuries.

It took crews nearly seven hours to remove all the vehicles involved from the Kennedy Expressway and to reopen all inbound lanes to traffic heading towards the city. While crews were working, warming buses arrived on the scene to temporarily house those who were involved in the accidents but were unharmed; the warming buses were able to occupy space on the outbound side of the expressway and eventually left the scene once drivers and passengers found alternate transportation.
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Tragedy can befall anyone who is involved in a car accident and it may not matter whether a victim is a driver, a passenger, or even a pedestrian in the area. When a collision occurs, those involved are at the mercy of the physics of the crash and may suffer serious, even permanent harm regardless of what precautions were taken. Unfortunately, car crashes continue to be one of the largest causes of death across the country and neither Chicago nor the State of Illinois are spared from that devastating reality.

Today, officials in the State of New York have confirmed a catastrophic car accident that left at least one man dead. That man was Bob Simon, longtime employee of CBS, regular correspondent on 60 Minutes, and known for his war time coverage of more than 40 overseas conflicts.

At this time, police have reported that Simon, 73, was riding in the back of a Lincoln Town Car that was traveling southbound on the West Side Highway in New York City near West 30th Street. The vehicle, driven by a 44-year-old male, reportedly slammed into the rear of a Mercedes in the area that was being operated by a 23-year-old male; the impact caused the driver of the Town Car to lose control of the vehicle as it cut across the highway and struck a center divider. The totality of damage done during those two separate impacts caused much of the Town Car to be destroyed and pinned Simon inside the back seat which forced emergency responders to take drastic measures to remove him.

Crews cut away a portion of the Town Car, including the roof, to free Simon who had head and body injuries before he was transported to a local hospital. Unfortunately, the injuries he sustained were too severe and Simon was declared dead at the hospital not long after the crash.

Those who knew and worked with Simon have taken to expressing their sorrow with many noting that it was tragic for a man, known for his journalistic integrity and kind demeanor, to survive so many dangerous wars only to be killed in a car accident in the town he called home.

Simon was born in the New York City area and first began working for CBS in 1967. He began his tenure on 60 Minutes in 1996 and during his career, he amassed 27 Emmy Awards, a testament to the coverage and virtue he brought to his chosen profession.
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When you enter a vehicle in the Chicago area and you intend to ride as a passenger, you give up control over your own personal safety to the person who will be driving your vehicle as well as the other drivers on the road. Additionally, you must trust that the car you are riding in is safe and in good working condition and that things like inclement weather will not lead to a dangerous drive for you.

In theory, passengers may think about these things before they enter a car. In practicality, though, safety is assumed and passengers trust that others will put safety first when they drive in Chicago. Once you are in a vehicle, there is little you can do to ensure that you will not be harmed as you are unable to control the actions of others.

Often, the passengers of car accidents who are hurt in a collision are left to wonder about what can be done to alleviate their suffering. While the injuries sustained cannot be magically erased, in many cases, these victims may be entitled to financial compensation for their suffering and they can seek this relief through the use of a civil claim for damages. If you are unsure of the options that may exist following a car accident, you may want to speak with a personal injury lawyer to ensure you comprehension of local and state laws is complete and so that you can get the help you need.

On Sunday morning, a passenger car was traveling westbound on I-80/94 near Gary, Indiana when the driver, a 22-year-old male, attempted to pass a semi-truck. The driver entered the left lane, passed the semi, and then attempted to return to the right lane but reportedly lost control of the vehicle during the final lane change. The vehicle struck a concrete barrier along the side of I-80/94 near the Cline Avenue exit and then flipped over, landing on a pole in the area that holds an expressway sign.

Police have confirmed that the collision was devastating and that the vehicle split into two pieces as a result. Five people were inside the car and all were injured or killed; a 21-year-old female passenger was ejected and killed at the scene, a 20-year-old male passenger was killed at the scene, a 21-year-old male passenger initially survived before dying later at an area hospital, a and a 22-year-old male passenger survived and is receiving treatment at this time in the Chicago area. Additionally, the driver was hurt in the crash but is expected to survive.
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When driving, a situation can arise in a moment that turns a normal trip into a nightmare. It only takes one motorist not paying attention or otherwise being distracted for a crash to happen and the results of that accident can affect victims for the rest of their lives.

Police in Malibu, California are confirming a fatal collision that happened on Pacific Coast Highway today around 12:00 p.m. PST and have confirmed that former Olympian and current reality TV star Bruce Jenner was involved. Eyewitnesses state that Jenner was driving a Cadillac SUV and approaching an intersection. Reportedly, a white car in front of Jenner began to slow for a red light but Jenner allegedly did not slow and instead collided with the white car. The car accident pushed the white vehicle forward into the intersection where it was struck a second time by a Hummer and then collided a third time with a Prius in the area. Some reports indicate that the impact with the Prius happened before the impact with the Hummer.

The damage done to the white vehicle was particularly severe and emergency crews were called to the scene of the accident. Unfortunately, the driver of the white vehicle lost her life due to the accident and eight other people were hurt in the crash with injuries ranging from minor to severe. Police have stated that Jenner denied drinking before the accident happened and that he volunteered to have blood alcohol testing done to prove it; officers took Jenner to have the testing done but the results are not yet known. Further allegations indicate that Jenner may have been being pursued by multiple paparazzi prior to the incident and that Jenner may have been attempting to avoid them when the crash happened.

Early indications are that Jenner may have been at fault for the accident but police have not stated whether he will face any civil or traffic charges at this time. The investigation into the crash remains active and it may be some time before any official conclusions are released.

Jenner was well-known for winning the gold medal in the 1976 Olympic decathlon. In recent years, he has seen a reemergence into the public light as he has starred in several reality TV shows including Keeping Up With the Kardashians where he was portrayed with his wife, Kris Kardashian and children and stepchildren, including Kim Kardashian. Jenner divorced his wife, Kris Kardashian, in December of 2014 but the divorce will not finalize until March of 2015.
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The roads were far from ideal when many Chicago residents began their morning commutes yesterday and as a result, numerous car accidents happened across the city. Many were minor and fortunately did not cause injuries; however, local officials have confirmed that several were serious and sent the victims involved to area hospitals for treatment.

When a car collision happens and injuries are caused, it can be challenging to know whether the laws in Illinois protect those victims or enable them to seek financial compensation. Generally, the laws are on the side of those who are hurt by the actions of another and the laws enable those individuals to obtain financial payment to cover their losses. The goal of these claims is to place a victim in the financial state they would have been had the collision not happened, and to do this, the laws hold negligent drivers responsible for the damages they cause. If you have questions or if you are looking for more information, you may obtain the guidance you need by speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Chicago area.

Of all the accidents that happened yesterday, none caused the damage that a massive 45 vehicle pileup on I-294 caused. State police responded to the scene near 95th Street in Hickory Hills yesterday morning shortly after 9:00 a.m. and determined that the incident began when one vehicle struck a trooper’s stopped car. They believe the trooper had stopped on the shoulder of the expressway to respond to a prior crash but for unknown reasons, a vehicle in the area collided with that trooper’s car and caused a chain reaction accident that involved cars, semi-trucks, and vans.

When the dust settled on the collision, the damage spanned nearly 3/4 of a mile and triggered a response from at least a dozen local police agencies. Several other vehicles in the area were stopped due to the blocked lanes of traffic and were able to avoid an impact, leading to inconvenience for these motorists but fortunately no injuries. Unfortunately, at least eight people were not as lucky as they were hurt in the Chicago-area pileup and were transported by ambulances to area hospitals. The nature of those injuries are not clear at this time nor is it known whether anyone will be cited in the crash.
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Any road that is open to vehicular traffic can be the site of a car accident in Chicago. Whether one vehicle is in the area or multiple cars are around, a crash can happen in an instant and can affect the lives of all those involved. In a typical year, almost 300,000 collisions occur in the State of Illinois and many of those are located in the greater Chicago area due to Chicago’s heavy traffic load, high population, and congested streets.

When an accident takes place, there are many legal aspects that can complicate or affect the rights and options of the victims involved. Initially, these victims cannot help which driver strikes them and therefore are at the mercy of the actions of others and potentially the coverage carried by those at-fault drivers. Victims can pursue a claim for financial compensation when they are hurt in a traffic crash but the insurance available may be limited or the damages caused by a collision may exceed the available help. In these cases, multiple claims may be possible to enable victims to recover fully for their losses and may include an underinsured motorist claim against a victim’s own insurance carrier. If you have been involved in a collision and you have questions or you need help, speaking with a personal injury attorney in Chicago may help you realize your options and the viability of your claims.

State Troopers in Illinois have confirmed a collision on I-80 that occurred early Sunday morning and that injured at least two people. At this time, the cause of the crash and the specific details surrounding the incident remain unclear.

The incident happened in the eastbound lanes of I-80 just east of I-355 in Mokena and took place prior to noon but the exact time of the collision has not been confirmed. A semi-truck was involved in the accident and two people at the scene were evaluated for injuries and taken to area hospitals. It is not clear whether those victims were in the semi-truck or in another vehicle that was involved but authorities have stated that the injuries sustained were believed to be non-life threatening.

Immediately following the collision, officials in the area closed part of I-80 while they began an investigation and cleaned up debris from the incident. All lanes of I-80 were reopened prior to 1:00 p.m. and traffic was moving normally at that time.
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The type and layout of a road can influence the types of collisions most likely to occur in an area. Roads with intersections, stop lights, and stop signs may lead to failure-to-yield crashes which often include multiple cars colliding in a T-bone crash. Highways, expressways, and interstates usually involve high rates of speed and directional traffic separated by a median or a guardrail. Along these roadways, sideswipe accidents are relatively common and are likely to cause serious damage.

With the major expressways that feed into Chicago from the surrounding suburbs, sideswipe collisions are a common occurrence in the city and are one of the reasons that collisions enact such a devastating toll. From the financial impact of a crash like the physical destruction of a car to the emotion toll enacted when a loved one it injured, it is difficult to fully measure these losses but it is clear that a typical expressway accident can range from thousands to millions of dollars in total suffering. When a car accident in Chicago leaves you injured or harms your loved one, laws may provide you with certain protections and may entitle you to relief. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the area can help you understand your options and your rights if you have questions following an accident.

On Saturday night, shortly before 11:00 p.m., police confirmed that three vehicles collided on Lake Shore Drive and injured at least two. Officials believe that a northbound Jeep collided with two separate vehicles near the 1300 block of South Lake Shore Drive before the Jeep came to a rest. The suspected cause of the crash has not yet been released but authorities have reported that the Jeep sideswiped the two other vehicles and that charges are currently pending against the Jeep’s driver.

Both the driver of the Jeep and a passenger were injured in the crash and were assessed at the scene by emergency medical personnel. The victims were in need of greater medical help and were transported to area hospitals for assistance where their current conditions are not known.
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Insurance estimates indicate that a typical American driver will be involved in three to four car accidents over the course of their lifetimes. If you drive more than average or if you are often a passenger in a vehicle, the odds of being involved in additional collisions increases with the time spent inside a car, truck, or van.

The good news is that many of these accidents that happen are considered minor and, while they may cause damage to vehicles, they do not result in injuries to those involved. However, while many are minor, many others are serious and can leave victims permanently altered following a crash with injuries, damages, and emotional suffering that can last from days to a lifetime. In the worst collisions, a victim may lose his or her life and that victim’s family members may never recover from that loss.

The majority of car accidents that take place in the greater Chicago area are not actually accidents but rather are due to an error, mistake, or negligent conduct on the part of someone involved. When these instances lead to injuries, the laws of the state recognize that it is unfair to expect innocent victims to pay for their own damages and therefore the laws enable these victims to seek financial compensation following a crash. Relief may be available to cover things like medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost wages but it is up to a victim to affirmatively take the steps necessary to obtain this help if they want it. If a car crash has affected your life or injured your loved one, you may obtain the answers you need by speaking with a Chicago personal injury attorney who handles these types of claims.

Shortly before 6:00 a.m. Thursday, Illinois State Police were alerted to a single vehicle car accident on I-55 near Western Avenue, prompting an on-scene response. Officials assessed the car and determined that two people inside were injured in the crash and were in need of additional medical treatment so those victims were transported to area hospitals. While officials have confirmed these injuries, they have not stated the nature of the harm sustained other than to state that both victims are expected to survive.

Police are conducting an investigation into this incident to determine what caused the crash and whether the driver involved was at-fault for the collision. Officials believe that the driver lost control of the car for unknown reasons, leading the vehicle to collide with a cement median while traveling inbound, causing a crash that left at least two lanes of I-55 closed for an hour. During rush hour this morning, authorities were able to remove the vehicle and reopen all lanes of traffic for other commuters.
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