Wrongful Death

West Chicago, Illinois Resident Killed in Arkansas Bus Crash

November 28, 2007 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago area resident has died in a bus accident in Arkansas. He was traveling to visit his mother when a bus he was a passenger on collided with a pickup truck and an 18 wheeler, according to Chicago SunTimes.com. Raul Lopez, 58, was on a Tornado Bus Co. bus that was traveling from Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, Texas. He was 1 of 47 people on the bus.

The motor vehicle collision happened in the rain on Interstate 40 in northern Arkansas around 10 pm on Sunday night when the bus crossed a median, hit the pickup, and then hit the larger truck. Lopez, another passenger, and the driver of the pickup truck died in the crash. Arkansas State Police are still investigating the crash, which seriously injured several more people.

Lopez was a father of 4, grandfather of 5, and worked in manufacturing. His mother lives in Mexico, and he usually drove there, but no one was available to make the trip with him. Lopez thought his vision was not good enough to drive at night, so he took the bus.

Chicago, Illinois Auto Accident Kills 2 – Police Officer Charged With DUI

November 25, 2007 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago, Illinois car crash early Thanksgiving morning resulted in the death of 2 people, and the off duty Chicago police officer that caused the collision has been charged with DUI, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. As of Saturday, the families of the deceased have already hired a Chicago wrongful death lawyer to represent them. The motor vehicle collision occurred in the 2900 block of North Damen when the officer who was traveling northbound in his SUV crossed the center line and struck a southbound Pontiac.

The two men that were killed were ages 22 and 21, and they were life long friends from Cicero, Illinois. The officer, age 33, is assigned to the Belmont district, and is being relieved of his duties from the Chicago Police Department. He is scheduled to appear in traffic court in January, 2008. The charges could be upgraded, and that decision will be made by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office.

This is the second time this week that an off duty Chicago Police Officer has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol as related to fatal motor vehicle accidents.

Lake County, Illinois Single Car Accident Kills 2 Passengers

November 18, 2007 | By Dave Abels

A Lake County, Illinois single vehicle auto accident has left two men dead after they were ejected from the automobile. The accident happened on Illinois 145 near Edwards Road in North Suburban Antioch, Illinois. The driver of an SUV lost control of his vehicle, crossed the center line, and rolled over in a ditch on the east side of the road.

One passenger was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was pronounced dead at Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, Illinois. The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, only sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from Victory Memorial Hospital in Lake County.

Lake County Sheriff’s Dept. and the Antioch Police and Fire Dept. were at the scene of the accident, and the Lake County Sheriff is investigating the cause of the crash. It has not been disclosed if the passengers were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. The driver has received a ticket for driving too fast for conditions.

Illinois Auto Accident Verdict Should Send Message to Insurance Carriers

November 12, 2007 | By Dave Abels

A recent Cook County verdict in a wrongful death auto accident case may send a strong message to insurance companies. On September 28, 2007 a jury at the Daley Center in Chicago awarded the Estate of an accident victim $250,000 in a personal injury lawsuit. The deceased was a passenger in her own car when the defendant driver of the vehicle lost control and rolled over. The plaintiff was ejected from the car and died from her injuries.

Prior to trial at the Daley Center in Chicago, counsel for plaintiff demanded $20,000 to settle, and there was no offer from the defendant. You may be asking yourself why the plaintiff’s demand was only $20,000 on a death case. In Illinois, the minimum coverage for an auto insurance policy is $20,000 per person, and $40,000 per occurrence. The insurance company normally would only be responsible for the first $20,000 of the verdict. However, here the attorney for the plaintiff, Debra Crystal of Harvey L. Walner & Assoc. has indicated she will attempt to collect the entire amount against the insurance company on a bad faith claim. She is alleging the insurance company acted in bad faith by not paying out the $20,000 policy and failing to protect the defendant from a verdict far in excess of the insurance policy. She will attempt to punish the insurance company for not paying on the claim prior to trial. Continue reading

Chicago, Illinois Single Car Auto Accident Causes Death of Teenager

November 7, 2007 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago, Illinois car crash took the life of a teenage girl whose identity has not been released. According to CBS News in Chicago, the teenager was killed when an SUV struck a pole on the South Side of Chicago on November 7, 2007. The one-vehicle accident near 74th St. and Maryland Avenue, Chicago, Illinois according to Chicago Police Department officials.

The teenager was believed to be about 16 years old and was a passenger in the vehicle. A second occupant in the car was hurt and taken to nearby Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn, Illinois. A firefighter also went to Christ Hospital because of getting hydraulic fluid in his eyes while taking victims out of the car.

Over the years, David Abels & Associates has handled many single car accident injury cases, some involving very serious injury and/or death. From an injury lawyer’s perspective, a single car crash case can be easier to handle as compared to other auto accidents, as there is usually no issue as to who is at fault. The only real issue is damages. In this case we are talking about the worst type of damages, that being the death of a young woman who had her whole life in front of her.

Chicago, Illinois Auto Accident Kills 5 People – Continued

November 6, 2007 | By Dave Abels

I recently wrote about a Chicago, Illinois car crash that left 5 people dead. (See Chicago, Illinois Auto Accident Kills 5 People 11/2/07 entry below). The accident was caused by a 29 year old man driving a Volvo at a high rate of speed going the wrong direction on the Eisenhower Expressway on October 28, 2007. The driver crashed head on with an oncoming BMW, caused a large explosion and instantly killed the 4 occupants of the car.

A week later the first wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in Cook County, Illinois. The family of a 27 year old victim, one of the occupants killed in the BMW has filed suit against the estate of the driver that caused the accident.

Chicago, Illinois School Bus Driver In Deadly Crash Sentenced to 6 Years

November 3, 2007 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago, Illiois school bus driver that caused a bus accident that left one pedestrian dead and injured eight others was sentenced to 6 years in prison for reckless homicide and aggravated DUI. He admitted drinking prior to the crash and his blood alcohol limit was nearly 3 times the legal limit, according to the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office. The accident was earlier this year on May 21.

The driver in the bus crash is 71 years old and the victim was a 22 year old father of 3. The driver was employed by Bryden Transportation. Cook County prosecutors said the school bus was traveling as fast as 70 m.p.h. when it hit an SUV on the South Side of Chicago, Illinois at the intersection of Garfield Boulevard and Wentworth Avenue. The crash involved multiple vehicles and the victim was a pedestiran killed as he was crossing the street.

The pedestrian’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County seeking damages in excess of $50,000 against Moncrease and Bryden Transportation.

Chicago, Illinois Auto Accident Kills 5 People.

November 2, 2007 | By Dave Abels

A Chicago, Illinois car crash left 5 people dead on the Eisenhower Expressway on October 28, 2007. A 29 year old man driving a Volvo was speeding down the highway in the wrong direction and crashed head on with an oncoming car. The auto accident resulted in a fireball explosion and instantly killed the 4 occupants of the car.

The Volvo driver was identified as Frederick Sy, 29, of Chicago, Illinois. He was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The occupants of the other car, a BMW, were badly burned and not immediately identified. Dental records are needed to identify the driver and 3 passengers. The Cook County medical examiner’s office has released the identity of one occupant of the BMW as Martha Gonzalez, 24. Frida Perez, 27, and Luis Munoz, 30, were also in the car according to family and friends.

The Illinois State Police are not sure why the driver entered the expressway going the wrong direction. Some witnesses estimate the Volvo was traveling around 100 mph, but Illinois State Police investigators have not yet made a final determination of speed.