Articles Posted in Auto Accident

During this time of year, many families in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs pack up and head on a trip for spring break. Public schools are generally on vacation for at least a week, giving families an ideal opportunity to take kids someone away from the city to enjoy another town or another state. Many people choose to travel by car when they take a vacation because it can offer a convenient and affordable means of transit. Driving also can provide families with flexibility in the event that a last minute trip becomes a possibility.

The majority of families who drive for vacation make it to their destination and back without any problems, but unfortunately, that is not the case for everyone. Each year, families are involved in car accidents when they are on a driving vacation, potentially leaving those involved with injuries or even claiming the lives of some family members. When these tragic accidents occur, the victims of those car crashes may be entitled to relief for their damages. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who handles Chicago cases may help you understand the legal implications of your accident and whether you have a valid claim for your injuries.

Police in Arizona have confirmed that three people killed in a crash on Friday were members of a family from Lincolnshire. A fourth member of the same family was involved in the crash but survived with critical injuries.

Police believe that a man, woman, and their two children, ages 16 and 9, were traveling westbound on Route 160 in the general direction of the Grand Canyon when a truck traveling eastbound approached. The truck was being pursued by local police after a report was made that the truck was driving in an erratic manner. Route 160 in the area is a two lane highway which kept police approximately 1.5 miles behind the truck as they continued their pursuit, which is believed to have begun some 25 miles earlier. The truck crossed the center line for reasons not yet known and struck the vehicle driven by the victims in a head-on collision while both cars were still on Route 160.

The 16 year old and both parents, ages 50 and 42, in the car were killed in the accident as were two occupants of the truck, who have not yet been identified. The 9-year-old is expected to survive but the extent and permanency of her injuries are not known at this time.
Continue reading

Congested traffic, roadway construction, aggressive driving, speeding, and weaving in and out of lanes are some of the most common triggers of road rage among drivers, both in Chicago and across the nation. Everyone has the ability to get frustrated or annoyed while behind the wheel but it is up to each individual driver to control their emotions and drive in a safe, reasonable manner. Failing to do so and giving in to an upsetting situation is often what leads to a road rage accident.

Road rage is difficult to measure as it is usually combined with other factors to lead to and cause a crash. Officials generally distinguish road rage as a type of particularly aggressive driving and is characterized as an assault with a car or other deadly weapon. In many states, road rage is not simply a traffic offense but rather is a criminal violation that can lead to a range of punishments, including incarceration.

When an aggressive driver causes an accident, that driver may face liability for his or her actions. In addition to any tickets received by the driver, a civil claim can be brought by the victims of the accident in an attempt to obtain adequate compensation for any and all damages inflicted. These claims can help an accident victim receive payment for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering following a crash. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the greater Chicago area may help you understand whether you have a valid claim for your injuries.

Police in Kentucky confirmed that an arrest was made in a road rage incident Monday night in Madison County shortly before 8:00 p.m. Police received a call from a motorist on I-75 in the area saying another driver had cut off the motorist and flashed a handgun several times in the motorist’s direction. With a description and location of the suspect vehicle, police pulled over the car and searched it. The police reportedly found a handgun inside a purse in the vehicle, leading to an arrest of the vehicle’s driver. Authorities have confirmed that the driver was Orson Charles, a member of the Cincinnati Bengals team in the NFL. He faces at least one charge of wanton endangerment and was held on $5,000 bond.

Charles was drafted by the Bengals in 2012 during the fourth round. He was arrested and charged with driving under the influence approximately one month before the draft, an incident that allegedly caused some NFL teams to worry about the potential for future off-the-field issues with Charles.
Continue reading

Some sports fans see this time of year as an exciting time worthy of celebration. Regardless of your views on college basketball, March Madness, and the NCAA basketball championship, it is likely that you know someone who will want to participate as a fan or even by filling out a bracket. Even if you do not know anyone interested in college basketball, you are likely to walk the streets with people who are, share space in a restaurant with them, and importantly, share the road with them during the next few weeks.

Watching sports with friends can be a great way to enjoy some down time and to bond over common interests but there are potential pitfalls, especially if alcohol will be consumed. Drunk driving in Chicago and Illinois and can be punished by fines, loss of a driver’s license, and even incarceration in prison or jail if you are caught driving impaired. The punishments only become more severe if you cause an accident while drunk and that accident leaves another person injured.

When a drunk driver is responsible for an accident, many victims do not realize that they may be entitled to relief for their damages. This can be obtained through a civil claim that is separate and distinct from any charges brought by the State of Illinois and these claims can help pay for expenses like medical and surgical bills, lost wages, and even pain and suffering. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who helps accident victims is a good place to start to learn about your legal rights and what options may be available to you after an accident.

Before the tournament officially begins, it is a good idea to remember why drinking and driving is such a bad idea. Alcohol is a depressant that slows the central nervous system which means a driver under the influence is less able to process new information in a quick manner, leading to an increased chance of causing an accident. Alcohol also is linked with dangerous driving techniques like failing to stop at a stop sign, failing to signal a turn, and speeding. And somewhere in American, someone is killed by drunk driving every 51 minutes, and often it is not the drunk driver who loses his or her life. If you choose to drink, please do so responsibly and use a designated driver or take public transportation when you need to travel.
Continue reading

Of all the various types of car accidents that occur in Chicago, rollover accidents are relatively rare. Yet though they make up a small proportion of the overall collisions that occur in the city, rollover crashes are more likely to cause serious injuries or even death than many other types of accidents. Often, the forces involved in a crash that cause a vehicle to roll over are severe and often these accidents involve multiple vehicles, though they do not have to. Rollover crashes are possible with many vehicles or even with just one vehicle involved.

Often, speeding, ignoring traffic signals, or driving on defective or faulty tires contributes to a rollover collision. Certain vehicles like SUVs and passenger vans are at a higher risk of rolling over than other cars because of their raised center of gravity and the often heavy weight that accompanies those vehicles. In many instances, it can be difficult for a civilian to determine what factors actually caused a car to roll and whether negligence on the part of anyone involved contributed to the crash. Speaking with a lawyer who handles car accidents and personal injuries is often a good place to start to learn about your legal rights and options if you have been involved in a car accident.

Police in Chicago have confirmed that a rollover accident occurred on the city’s southwest side early this morning. Though police are still in the early stages of their investigation, they have confirmed that four women and a 2-year-old child were inside the vehicle as the vehicle traveled near the intersection of Pershing Road and Kedzie Avenue shortly after 5:00 a.m.

It is not yet clear what caused the vehicle to roll but at this time, it is believed that the rolling car was the only one involved in this accident. Following the crash, the 2-year-old child and the four women in the car were all listed in serious to critical condition and were transported to area hospitals for treatment. The women ranged in age from 19 to 24 and it is not clear which individual was behind the wheel at the time of the rollover.
Continue reading

Every driver that travels upon the streets of Chicago and the surrounding areas is required to abide by all local traffic laws. Often, these laws govern thousands of potential actions by drivers from the maximum speed they may travel to who has the right of way at an intersection and even where and when a U-turn can be attempted.

Failing to follow the rules of the road may be negligent conduct on the part of a driver and may lead to a collision. Car accidents in Chicago can range from minor fender-benders with minimal property damage to severe accident where multiple people are injured, or worse, killed. When negligence or an error on the part of a driver causes an accident that leaves others injured, the victims of those accidents may be entitled to seek relief for their damages against the at-fault driver or even against the victim’s own insurance policy in some cases. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who represents victims of car accidents can help you understand your legal options following a car crash.

Local police have confirmed an accident with a tragic result this morning that began with a car chase and ended with the death of an off-duty police officer. According to authorities, police officers from Calumet Park attempted to stop a van but the van fled from authorities, traveling both on and off the Dan Ryan Expressway as it headed towards the city. Police officers remained in pursuit of the van but at some point, an order was reportedly given for officers to end pursuit. According to Calumet Park Police, that order was obeyed.

Thereafter, the driver of the van collided with a vehicle driven by an off duty Chicago police officer, a 42-year-old male and 10 year veteran of the force The collision occurred in the area of South Layfayette Avenue and 87th Street and caused the area to be closed for some time. Reportedly, the officer was traveling home after a shift and was still in uniform at the time of the collision.

Emergency crews responded to the scene of the crash but the officer sustained injuries too severe to survive. The driver of the van, reportedly a female, was arrested and charges are believed to be pending at this time. Reports indicate that marijuana was found in the van after the arrest of the driver.
Continue reading

Winter weather has wrecked havoc across Chicago over the last few months, but if drivers thought it was over, they may have been surprised this morning to find several inches of new snow blanketing the roads across the city. In addition to reminding those in Chicago that winter is still going strong, the fresh snow combined with icy and slushy roads in some areas created dangerous driving conditions across the state and forced many to alter their transportation plans.

Authorities with the Illinois State Police Department confirmed that at least 46 winter weather car accidents occurred between midnight and shortly after 4:00 a.m. with dozens more taking place during morning rush hour. At this time, it appeared that those early morning crashes did not result in any critical or life-threatening injuries.

Snow fell quickly and heavily through much of the Chicago area with some meteorologists attributing the heavy accumulation to the presence of thundersnow. Thundersnow is a rare type of storm with snow falling in place of rain in what otherwise would be a traditional thunderstorm. Though the phenomenon is rare, Chicago has experienced it several times in the last few winters.

The snow that fell during this snowstorm pushed total winter totals higher with O’Hare Airport reporting the third largest amount of snow in any winter since it began keeping totals. Hundreds of flights had to be cancelled or delayed due to the weather and thousands of Chicago residents are without power due to the storm.

Though winter weather is often a contributing factor to a car accident, it rarely is the sole cause. Generally, winter weather combines with hazardous or negligent driving to create an accident that otherwise may not have happened. These crashes can be serious and can lead to injuries among the drivers and passengers involved.
Continue reading

Drunk driving is illegal in every state across the nation. The rules governing drunk and impaired driving may differ slightly between states but the overarching result is the same; if you drink and drive, you are breaking the law and you may face punishment if you are caught. In Chicago, drunk driving is taken very seriously because it poses a threat to everyone on the road. Drunk driving accidents are common because alcohol reduces a driver’s ability to perceive details and nuances when operating a vehicle and lessens a driver’s ability to react to hazards in the roads.

When a Chicago-area car accident occurs and it is due to the negligence of a drunk or impaired driver, that driver may face criminal and/or traffic offenses brought by the State of Illinois. These charges can result in a driver facing jail time, losing his or her license to drive, being sentenced to community service or even being forced to pay large fines and fees. But these may not be the only damages experienced by the impaired driver. In addition to any claims brought by the state, the victims of a drunk driving crash may choose to seek financial relief against the responsible driver for any and all injuries they sustain. These claims can be brought with the help of a personal injury lawyer in Chicago and can help someone who was injured receive compensation for medical expenses incurred, time missed from work, and even pain and suffering.

Early reports indicate that an Illinois State Police trooper was injured on the job Saturday morning when an allegedly drunk driver collided into the officer’s vehicle. The officer was stopped on the side of Interstate 64 in Saint Louis shortly after 3:30 a.m. on Saturday. He had pulled over one driver on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and was in the process of arresting that driver when a second vehicle approached. According to officials, it was the second vehicle that struck the trooper’s car as it was stopped, causing a collision to the rear of the police car.

At the time of the impact, the trooper was in the driver’s seat of the vehicle and the first suspected drunk driver was in the rear seat. The trooper was able to climb out of his own vehicle and the arrested suspect had to be helped from the car by a passerby. Following the impact, the trooper made the determination that the second driver was under the influence and initiated procedures to arrest that driver as well.
Continue reading

Mutli-car accidents and pile-ups can happen in any month of the year, but as this rough winter has shown, these accidents are more likely to occur when weather is poor. Snow, ice, and fog are just some of the leading causes of pile-up crashes but those factors alone are not usually responsible. Instead, in most cases, the weather is simply one factor that gets combined with the negligence of one or more drivers in the initial start of a mutli-vehicle crash in Chicago or elsewhere in Illinois.

Personal injury lawyers who handle car accident cases in the city know that these crashes can be serious, and in the worst cases, even fatal. Often, victims who bear no fault are involved in these crashes and may become injured as a result. The best way to learn about your legal rights is to speak with a lawyer following a car accident so that you can learn whether you may be entitled to financial relief for your damages.

Unfortunately a very serious pile-up crash happened on Thursday, February 20 near Peotone, Illinois. Though it is still early in the investigation, police believe that fog in the area likely played some role in the crash. A six mile stretch of I-57 experienced accidents involving at least 7 semi trucks and at least 12 other vehicles and the highway had to be closed in both directions for several hours. Police and emergency crews were on the scene but there were so many disabled vehicles that it proved a challenge to sort through the facts. Eventually, an extraction team had to be called to help remove the debris from the scene and to allow for the eventual reopening of the area. At least one semi truck caught fire and burned for some time, unable to be reached by emergency crews, and at least one passenger vehicle was trapped underneath a tractor trailer in the string of accidents.

At least 10 people were injured in the series of accidents on Thursday and needed medical attention at area hospitals. Though their current conditions remain unknown, all 10 people were expected to survive.

Police are still trying to determine all of the factors that started the collisions and whether any citations will issue as a result. Investigators have spoken with some drivers and passengers involved in the accidents as well as bystanders in an attempt to learn about the conditions that day and to evaluate the actions of those involved.
Continue reading

Rollover accidents in Chicago are not as common as many other forms of collisions, like rear-end crashes or even head-on collisions, but rollover crashes are likely to cause serious injuries or even death. Though safety advances have made vehicles safer over recent decades, few advances have been targeted at a vehicle’s ceiling or roof, meaning that there is little protection for passengers in the event of a rollover crash.

Victims of rollover accidents are often left with injuries that require medical attention. Some may require surgery or rehabilitative care. If a rollover accident in Chicago occurs due to the negligence of one or more drivers, those victims who are injured may be entitled to seek financial relief through the use of a civil claim. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer can help you understand what legal options may be available to you and whether you are entitled to relief for your damages.

Police have confirmed that a rollover accident occurred in Chicago on Friday, shortly after 4:00 a.m. Two women were inside the sole vehicle involved and both were trapped in the vehicle by the time emergency crews responded. Once they were removed, both victims were transported to area hospitals where their current conditions are unknown.

The accident happened near the inbound ramps from the Dan Ryan and Stevenson Expressways by Chinatown in Chicago and required that the area remained closed for several hours while crews worked to clear the scene.

Car accidents are serious problems in Chicago and across Illinois every year. In 2010 alone, over 280,000 automobile collisions occurred in Illinois, and among those accidents, over 84,000 people sustained injuries. An additional 918 people were killed. But accidents do not simply affect those involved; rather, the impact of a serious crash can stretch to the families of the victims as well.
Continue reading

In crowded areas or on streets with a lot of traffic, an accident is likely to turn into a chain reaction, involving multiple vehicles and often, multiple, separate impacts that all result from a common trigger. In many cases, the vehicles involved in an accident can spin out or their drivers can lose control, leading those initial vehicles to strike others, causing additional impacts that may lead to even more. When this happens, officials use the term chain reaction accident, and unfortunately in Chicago, they are relatively common.

Once the dust settles and all vehicles come to a stop, it can be difficult to determine which vehicles initiated a chain reaction and whether any of the drivers involved were acting negligently or recklessly. Investigators and police officers are tasked with the job of sorting out the wreckage and determining what happened immediately before the crash as well as determining whether any drivers should be ticketed. But when one person involved in a chain reaction accident is injured, they may be entitled to a different form of relief for their damages. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer can help those victims learn whether they are entitled to payment for their injuries to cover expenses like medical bills and lost wages as well as providing relief for non-economic damages like pain and suffering. These claims are separate from any charges brought by the State of Illinois and can be available to accident victims even if no driver involved in the crash received a citation.

Shortly after 11:00 p.m. last night, police in Chicago were notified of a multi-vehicle accident. When they responded to the scene, they determined that the crash likely began when an older model conversion van ran a red light on southbound Clark Street. The van reportedly collided with a cab in the area that had a green light and was traveling eastbound, and the force of the impact forced the cab to strike a parked SUV. The SUV then collided with another four parked cars before all vehicles came to a stop.

Police reported that the driver of the SUV fled the scene on foot before officers could arrive. They are still looking for the driver at this time and are still investigating the crash to determine if the van ran a red light, and if so, why. The driver of the cab and three passengers inside the van all suffered injuries and were taken to area hospitals for treatment. Their current conditions remain unknown.
Continue reading