Articles Posted in Wrongful Death

In Chicago, Illinois a bicycle rider has been killed as a result of a collision with a motor vehicle in the Logan Square neighborhood, according to the Chicago Tribune and several other news sources. The accident happened early Sunday morning when the bicyclist was turning left from westbound Logan Blvd. to proceed south on Western Avenue.

The bike rider was hit by an eastbound car that was traveling through the intersection on a yellow light that was turning red. The driver, a 29 year old woman, was given a ticket for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. The bicyclist, a Logan Square resident, was later pronounced dead at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center on the North Side.
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In Chicago, Illinois on the far South Side, an auto accident has claimed the life of a woman, and two others were sent to the hospital this afternoon, according to NBC 5 News. The accident is being described as a pin-in crash.

The car accident happened around 3:25 p.m. in the 11200 block of South Ewing Avenue in Chicago. The woman was reportedly dead on arrival at an area hospital. Two others injured in the crash were taken to local hospitals, one to Trinity Hospital and the other to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. The severity of their injuries has not yet been reported.

The crash involved two vehicles, and one of the cars may have rolled over. The cause of the car accident is still not known.

An auto accident involving two sport utility vehicles near the Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois has resulted in the death of a Park Ridge resident and injuries to three others, according to the Associated Press. The car crash occurred around 8:30 am this morning and involved a 2001 Infiniti QX4 and a 2003 Ford Explorer.

John Moore, 87, of Park Ridge was

killed in the collision. He was a passenger in the Infinity.

On Monday night an 8 year old child was hit and killed by an SUV on the South Side of Chicago just before 10 p.m., according to the Chicago Tribune and several other news outlets. The driver of the SUV, Theresa Alexander of Chicago, has now been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, negligent driving and driving without insurance. The SUV vs. pedestrian accident occurred in the 5600 block of Princeton Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood.

The boy, Tishaun Fields, reportedly was crossing the street when he was hit by a northbound Jeep Grand Cherokee. He was pronounced dead a short time later at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital.

The Chicago pedestrian accident was initially thought to be a hit and run, but the driver returned to the scene shortly after the collision according to police. The Chicago Police Department’s Major Accident Investigation Unit is handling the crash investigation. The driver is scheduled to appear in traffic court on May 15. There is no word yet if the charges will be upgraded to felonies.

A husband and wife riding on a motorcycle were killed, and two others were injured, in a chain reaction crash involving three vehicles in Macoupin County, Illinois, according to the Edwardsville Journal. The couple from Brighton, Illinois were westbound on a motorcycle on Illinois State Route 16 in Shipman, Illinois when a pick-up truck struck them on Monday afternoon.

The Central Illinois accident happened when a pick-up truck that was attempting to make a left hand turn was rear-ended by an eastbound SUV being driven by a teenager. The pick-up truck was knocked into the path of the westbound motorcycle and then the collision occurred. The motorcycle and the pick-up truck both reportedly burst into flames after the crash. The Shipman Fire Department responded to the accident and extinguished the fire.

The husband and wife on the motorcycle were pronounced dead at the scene. The other two drivers in the accident were taken to area hospitals and their injuries have not been reported. The Illinois State Police are investigating the accident and no tickets have yet been issued.

On Monday night an 8 year old boy was struck and killed by an SUV on the South Side of Chicago just before 10 p.m., according to the Chicago Tribune and several other news outlets. The pedestrian accident happened in the 5600 block of Princeton Avenue in the Englewood neighborhood.

The child, Tishaun Fields, reportedly was crossing the street when he was hit by a northbound Jeep Grand Cherokee. He was pronounced dead a short time later at the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital.

The driver was reportedly in police custody as of early Tuesday, but no charges have yet been filed and no tickets have been issued. The Chicago Police Department Major Accident Investigation Unit is investigating the accident and they have stated she may face charges of drunken driving and striking a pedestrian in the roadway, according to NBC 5 News. The pedestrian accident was initially thought to be a hit and run, but the driver returned to the scene shortly after the collision according to police.

A Chicago truck driver who caused a rear end collision on a tollway in 2003 that resulted in the death of eight women was sentenced to four years in prison this past Thursday for reckless homiside, according to the Northwest Herald and several other news sources. The truck crash occurred in October, 2003, near the Marengo-Hampshire toll plaza on Interstate 90 in McHenry County, Illinois. The truck, driven by a 54 year old driver, struck a 25-seat bus in which the eight women were passengers from behind as the bus slowed for traffic.

At trial in November, 2007 McHenry County Judge Sharon Prather found the driver guilty of eight counts of reckless homicide and also failing to maintain his truck’s brakes. Crash scene investigators testified that the truck was at least going 60 mph when it collided with the bus. The accident also occurred in a 45-mph construction zone.

The eight women killed were from the Chicago area and were returning from a day-trip at a Rockford garden. The driver was taken into custody after sentencing, as he had been out of custody on a $40,000 bond. He will only have to serve 18 months of his 4 year sentence if he receives crdeit for good behavior.

On Wednesday last week a car that was stopped in traffic on Northbound Illinois 53 in the area of Rolling Meadows, Illinois was rear-ended by a semi-trailer truck and then pushed into another truck, according to the Chicago Tribune. As a result of the truck accident, the driver of the car, Janet Cummings, 41, of Lake in the Hills, died Saturday at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

The driver of the truck was ticketed with driving too fast for conditions and for driving without insurance. The Illinois State Police investigated the accident.

As shown by this Illinois motor vehicle collision, injuries resulting from truck accidents can be very deadly. The difference in size between a semi truck and a car can result in grave injuries to people inside average size cars. The United States Department of Transportation reported that in 2003 alone there were 4,986 fatalities and 122,000 injuries in large truck accidents throughout the United States.
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In Chicago, Illinois personal injury lawyers were recently awarded a nice verdict in a premises liability wrongful death case, according to the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin. The fatality happened as a result of a fire in an apartment building owned by the defendants. The deceased, a tenant in the building, died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

The Cook County lawsuit alleged that the defendant failed to have smoke detectors in common areas of the building. The defense argued that the decedent was under the influence of cocaine and alcohol at the time of the fire.

Prior to trial the Estate demanded $910,000 to settle the case, and the defendants made no offer. The jury awared $1,353,249 (10% off 1,503,610 for comparative fault). The trial was in front of the Honorable Susan Ruscitti Grussel, Cook County Case No. 03 L 11032.

The plaintiff was represented by Kirk A. Moyer of Chicago. The defendants were represented by Alton Haynes and Brian O’Neill, and John F. Brennan. Continue reading

In Winnebago County, Illinois a woman was killed in a car crash when the vehicle she was a passenger in lost control and flipped over, according to NBC 13 News. David Garrison, 59, of Rockford was driving south on Springfield Avenue on Thursday night when he lost control of his car, left the roadway, and rolled over.

Darcie Eckhardt, 45, of Rockford was the passenger. She reportedly died at the scene. Garrison has been ticketed with improper lane usage and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

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