A Chicago bicycle accident claimed the life of a rider on the Dan Ryan Expressway Sunday night, according to CBS 2.
The Chicago Breaking News Center reports the accident happened in the northbound lanes near 55th Street. The 28-year-old rider was struck and killed by a Sports Utility Vehicle, according to Illinois State Police.
The accident happened shortly after 9 p.m. and police were trying to determine why the rider was on the freeway.
The Chicago bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes are representing two clients who were struck by cars in separate accidents earlier this month.
The first accident occurred Aug. 14 at about 7 p.m. on the Lake Shore bike path near Burnham Harbor. The 24-year-old cyclist was northbound on the bike path near Soldier Field when she was struck by a taxi cab, according to Chicago Police. The 2008 Crown Victoria did not stop for a stop sign at the bike crossing, but actually accelerated. The cab struck the cyclist with its left front fender.
She was taken to the hospital with back pain and multiple bruises and contusions. The cab is owned by Royal 3 CCC Cab Company. She is also seeking follow up treatment with an orthopaedic doctor.
In the second case, an 11-year-old boy was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk along 98th Street when an Oldsmobile left the roadway and struck the child before fleeing the scene. The accident happened about 7 p.m. A witness at the scene was able to report the license plate number to police.
The boy was taken to Trinity Hospital for treatment of multiple injuries.
As our Chicago accident attorneys reported earlier this month, the city has been named one of the 10 best in the nation for cycling and continues to make great strides in bicycle safety. But serious and fatal bicycle accidents continue to be a significant safety issue.
In 2008, the Illinois Department of Transportation reported 28 riders were killed and 3,331 were injured as a result of almost 4,000 Illinois bicycle accidents. More than 3,700 of those occurred in urban areas, primarily Chicago.
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The host of NPR’s “Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me,” was injured in a Chicago bicycle accident while riding through the west suburbs, Trib Local reported.
Peter Sagal, who is an Oak Park resident was hurt in an accident with a hatchback at an intersection. He remained hospitalized with minor injuries last week, while awaiting additional testing.
Our Chicago injury attorneys continue to report on the large number of serious and fatal bicycle accidents. The next two months will be especially dangerous for riders, as cyclists seek all the riding time they can get before the onset of winter. More kids will also be riding to and from school as classes resume.
Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have reached a personal injury settlement for a bicycle rider that was injured earlier this year on the North Side. The bike vs. car accident happened at the intersection of Clark and Cornelia back on February 6, 2010 in the afternoon. Our client was riding his bicycle southbound on Clark Street when the driver of a 2005 Ford Escape that was northbound turned left and hit him. The driver was attempting to turn to go westbound on Cornelia and failed to look for bike riders.
The Chicago Police Department investigated the accident and ticketed the driver for failing to yield when turning left.
The bicycle rider suffered left shoulder and right knee injuries in the accident. He went to the emergency room at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. There x-rays were taken that were negative for fractures.
Over the next week our client’s pain did not go away. He went for further treatment with an orthopaedic physician. The physician in turn ordered physical therapy for the client.
After several weeks the bicyclists shoulder pain remained so the doctor ordered an MRI. The scan showed our client had a mild AC joint separation in his shoulder.
Our client continued with physical therapy and the pain eventually dissipated.
The case settled for just over $31,000 and no lawsuit needed to be filed. Nationwide Insurance paid on the claim.
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Police are searching for a hit and run driver that killed a bicyclist in Stone Park, a northwest suburb of Chicago, according to Chicago Breaking News. The victim, a 47 year old woman who lives in the 1700 block of North Mannheim Road was struck and killed Monday night.
The accident occurred in the 1800 block of Mannheim when she was hit by a southbound vehicle. The driver fled the scene of the accident. It is being reported that police are possibly looking for a Chevy with front end damage.
The victim, Marina Gonzalez, was rushed to Loyola University Hospital in Maywood and was pronounced dead a short time later.
Chicago B-cycle — a new bike sharing program operated by Bike and Roll Chicago — debuted a week ago and runs through Oct. 31, according to Explore Chicago.
Our Chicago injury lawyers have high hopes for this program. It’s another sign that Chicago has become one of the premiere cycling cities in the nation. We reported in May when Chicago was named the 10th best city in America by Bicycle Magazine. The city has made great improvements to area bike lanes and other cycling infrastructure. With B-cycle, Chicago joins Denver, Montreal and other European cities where bike-sharing has become a popular public service.
But we remain concerned about the danger for serious and fatal bicycle accidents. David Abels was interviewed by Medill Reports Chicago regarding safety concerns for the new program.
“We do see a lot of bicycle accidents in the Chicago area,” Attorney Dave Abels said. “The concern here is with new bikes hitting the streets in The Loop — where driving is especially aggressive — that these drivers are paying attention.”
Click here to watch the story from Medill Reports Chicago.The program is designed to allow pedestrians to make short bike rides for health or for fun. Simply check out a bike at any of six conveniently located “B-Stations” located throughout downtown:
•John Hancock Center, Michigan Ave. & Delaware Pl.
•Daley Plaza, Dearborn St. & Washington St.
•Buckingham Fountain, Columbus Dr. & Congress Pkwy.
•Shedd Aquarium, Museum Campus •McCormick Place, 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive •541 Fairbanks Court at Grand Ave.
Bikes may be dropped off at any of these locations or at Bike and Roll’s rental stations at Navy Pier, North Avenue Beach and Millennium Park. Visit www.chicagobicycle.com for a map and look for the iPhone App coming soon.
This is the latest in a series of efforts by the city that have allowed for significant increases in the number of cycles on the road, even as safety advocates work to reduce the number of serious and fatal Chicago bicycle accidents.
Still, the Illinois Department of Transportation reports more than 3,000 serious bicycle accidents occur each year in the state, primarily in the Chicago area. And the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that 27 people were killed in Illinois bicycle accidents in 2008 — up significantly from the 18 riders killed in 2007. Nationwide, 716 riders were killed and more than 52,000 riders were injured in cycling accidents.
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Gov. Pat Quinn signed a law into effect today aimed at reducing the number of serious and fatal Chicago bicycle accidents and cycling accidents elsewhere in Illinois, the Examiner reported.
The legislation signed Monday at the Campbell Street Bicycle Shop in suburban Arlington Heights provides new consequences for motorists who travel carelessly or too closely to bikes on the road and will create a “Share the Road” license plate. Profit from the plates will go toward education campaigns.
As our Chicago injury lawyers recently reported, the city has been named the 10th best in the nation for bike riding by Bicycling Magazine. The city’s bike plan aims to increase cycling infrastructure by 50 percent to 150 bike-lane miles. Overall, the system will grow to 500 miles.
But Illinois bicycle accidents continue to threaten the health and safety of riders. In 2008, 27 riders were killed and nearly 3,400 were seriously injured in bicycle accidents.
The League of Illinois Bicyclists hailed the new laws, which will make it a Class A misdemeanor or Class 4 felony to drive recklessly near or toward a cyclist. The penalties will depend on whether or not a rider was injured.
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The Chicago injury lawyers and staff at Abels & Annes congratulate the Chicago Blackhawks and urge fans to stay safe during Friday’s Blackhawk Stanley Cup parade.ESPN reports the ticker-tape parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. at Wacker and Washington and will proceed east on Washington to Michigan and then to Wacker. The parade will be carried live on ESPN3.com and ESPNChicago.com. The Blackhawks beat the Philadelphia Flyers in a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory in Game 6 on Wednesday night to capture their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961.
The Chicago Tribune reported that 19 people were arrested during the post-game celebration and Friday’s celebration could get rowdy.
Allow yourself plenty of time to arrive downtown, celebrate responsibly and stay safe. Heavy traffic and enthusiastic celebration will increase the risk of Chicago car accidents, pedestrian accidents and bicycle accidents in the downtown area.
Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes have entered into an agreement to represent an Illinois woman who was injured recently in a bike accident on the North Side of Chicago. The crash took place at Chicago Ave. & Sangamon. The plaintiff was bicycling eastbound on Chicago when the defendant who, was westbound, failed to yield while turning left and hit our client.
The bicyclist was taken by ambulance to Illinois Masonic Medical Center. There she was treated for multiple injuries and lacerations. She has since followed up for treatment with a medical doctor.
As warm weather arrives in Illinois, Chicagoans are again riding, and the Chicago bicycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes are receiving more and more phone calls regarding accidents. Drivers in the Chicago area, especially when Downtown, need to be on the lookout for bike riders.
If it has two wheels, watch out for it in May.
As state and federal officials gear up to promote May as Motorcycle Awareness Month, city officials are reminding motorists it is also National Bike Month and are urging motorists to do their part in reducing Chicago bike accidents.
Last month, we reported on Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog that the city has been named one of the nation’s best for cycling. But Illinois bicycle accidents killed 27 riders in 2008 and seriously injured 3,385. BicycleSafe.com offers a number or rider safety tips to help cyclists enjoy the spring and summer riding season as safely as possible.On May 1, KMart stores in the Chicago area will be working in conjunction with Mayor Daley’s Safe Routes Ambassadors program to educate parents and children about safe riding skills. Each store will also be holding a sweepstakes for a chance to win a children’s bike.
Click here for more information and a list of participating stores.
Summer is prime riding season for kids. The Chicago Department of Transportation offers an online safety booklet for parents and children.
Safety tips for children include:
-Slow down and say “excuse me” or ring a bell or horn to avoid scaring or colliding with people you approach from behind while riding a bike.
-Ride one in front of the other when riding with friends.
-Take special care when approaching alleys and driveways. Look left, right, left. Slow down and stop if you can’t see whether anything is coming. Look left first and last because that is the direction of oncoming traffic.
-Make sure a driver sees you before proceeding into the path of a vehicle.
-Never cross a street in the middle of the block.
-Before entering the street, stop at the curb and make sure parked cars are not about to move. Look left, right, left for oncoming traffic and make eye contact with any drivers before proceeding.
-Always ride in the same direction cars are traveling.
-Ride three feet from parked cars to avoid being hit by an opening car door.
-Never ride against traffic; it’s the easiest way to get hit.
-Don’t ride in the street unless a parent has determined it is ok.
-Ride in a straight line, don’t zig-zag or move in an out of traffic or parked cars.
-The safest way to cross a busy street is to get off a bike and push it across in a marked crosswalk.
-Keep an eye on what’s behind you.
-Watch for potholes, sewer grates or other road hazards.
Parents are encouraged to review the entire manual with their young riders as spring and summer riding season begins.
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