Articles Posted in Auto Accident

Three people were critically injured and a fourth person hurt in a Chicago car accident last Friday night when a car crashed into a South Side building, the Sun-Times reported.

As we reported last summer on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, accidents involving vehicles striking buildings is not uncommon in the Chicago area, and frequently result in injuries to vehicle or building occupants.

In July, a vehicle crashed into a Curves fitness center in Lake Zurich and several restaurants were damaged in Chicago last year, including two incidents at Starbucks and two other accidents that struck Petterino’s restaurant in downtown Chicago.

The Governors Highway Safety Association is joining forces with Oprah Winfrey to promote “No Phone Zone Day” this Friday, April 30. The campaign is part of a nationwide effort to combat distracted driving, particularly the use of cell phones by motorists.

Distracted driving is a leading cause of Chicago car accidents and serious and fatal traffic accidents across the country. As we reported in January on our Chicago Car Accident Lawyers blog, the “No Phone Zone” campaign launched with an initial 50,000 motorists pledging to not use a cell phone while behind the wheel.

This Friday, affiliates will air a live special episode of the Oprah Winfrey Show dedicated to the dangers of using a cell phone or text messaging while driving. Special viewing rallies will be held in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and will include victim’s families, elected officials, parents, youth, law enforcement and advocacy organizations. Additionally, the show will debut a new nationwide public service campaign.

In Illinois, the Illinois Department of Transportation is partnering with the Ford Motor Company Fund to hold two “Ride and Drive” teen training programs this week — one in Springfield and the other here in Chicago. More information is available at www.drivingskillsforlife.com.

“While state legislation and enforcement are both critical factors, education efforts are also important-and what better person to raise public awareness than Oprah Winfrey,” said Association Chairman Vernon Betkey. “As a society, we need to make cell phone use while driving as unacceptable as drunk driving. We are very grateful to Harpo and Ms. Winfrey for their leadership and commitment.”

The federal government has grown increasingly vocal about distracted driving, especially the use of cell phones behind the wheel, which it contends involves all three forms of driver distraction — visual, manual and cognitive.

According to government statistics:
-Using a cell phone while driving delays a driver’s reactions as much as driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08, the legal threshold for drunk driving in Illinois.

-Nearly 6,000 people were killed and more than 500,000 were injured in traffic accidents involving distracted drivers in 2008.

-Drivers who use hand-held devices are four times more likely to be involved in a motor vehicle accident.

Common forms of driver distraction include using a cell phone, eating or drinking, talking to passengers, dressing or grooming, reading, using navigation systems, watching video or using other on-board electronic devices, including stereos and Mp3 players.
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Just days after Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes settled a very similar case, 2 women were badly injured in a single car accident in Plainfield, Illinois. The Chicago Breaking News Center is reporting that their car was headed westbound on East Renwick Road in the area of its intersection with South McClellan Avenue when the driver lost control and crashed.

The car left the road and hit a phone pole moving backwards, ejecting one of the women from the car. The impact broke the utility pole in half.

A medevac was called to the scene, but due to bad weather, the helicopter could not take off. An ambulance then rushed both women, who were both in their 20s, to Provena Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet, Illinois

City Council approved a $3 million settlement this month in the case of a young woman who suffered serious brain injuries in a Chicago car accident resulting from a police chase, the Tribune reported.

The woman was 17-years-old when she was seriously injured in August 2004. She was a passenger in a vehicle westbound on Addison Street at Kedzie Avenue when her vehicle was broadsided by a stolen van being chased by police.

Occupants of the van and a witness on the street testified that police had been chasing the van for several blocks with lights and sirens activated. The officers said they had just activated their emergency equipment and were several car lengths being the van when the accident occurred.