Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog

Distracted driving is an increasing problem in Chicago and across Illinois. To address the issue, lawmakers in Illinois have banned hand-held cell phones while driving, an attempt to get motorists to put down their phones and to focus on the roads. Hands-free cell phones are still permitted though experts argue that the conversation alone on a phone is distracting, regardless of whether the phone is being held or not.

The law is now clear: drivers who use their cell phones in a non-hands-free manner may be ticketed as breaking the rules of the road. The idea is to increase the safety for everyone on the roads, including those who choose to use their phone, but also the passengers, drivers, and pedestrians in the area of cell-phone using motorists.

The victims of distracted driving car accidents may not be able to erase the accident but they may be able to obtain relief for their damages. A civil claim can enable a victim to recover for medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering in addition to any other financial and non-economic damages incurred due to the collision. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you understand your legal options if you have been victimized, including whether you are entitled to seek relief.

Police in suburban Lombard have noticed that cell phone usage has been linked to a number of collisions in their area. In fact, officials have estimated that 1/3 of all accidents in the area are contributed to by cell phone usage. To combat this hazard, officers are starting an enforcement campaign scheduled to begin this Friday, August 1, 2014. Officers will be looking for violators who use hand-held cell phones while driving and will be issuing citations as appropriate. The campaign is scheduled to run through the end of August but tickets will continue after that point as officers continue to enforce the new ban.

Drivers in Lombard are being encouraged to refrain from using their cell phones while driving or to use a hands-free method that complies with the new Illinois law if they wish to avoid a ticket.
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Car accidents in Chicago are responsible for thousands of injuries every year. Those inside the car as well as others in the area, like bicyclists and pedestrians, are at risk when a collision occurs. Any driver can be involved in an accident even if that driver is cautious behind the wheel because unlike some other aspects of life, the safety of those on the road depends on the actions of every single driver in the area.

Yet some types of drivers are more likely to be involved in a collision than others. Drivers with less experience, including teens, may not have the necessary skills to avoid a collision when an incident presents itself. Teen car accidents impact the entire state due to the physical toll and financial expenses that result from these collisions. Not only that, but in 2012 alone, 71 teenagers were killed in car accidents in Illinois and teen drivers were involved in more than four percent of all fatal accidents in the state.

Teenagers should not have to worry about things like car accident but unfortunately in Chicago, the reality of these crashes means that it must be of concern to teenagers and parents alike. Though nothing can undue a collision once it has occurred, the victims of these crashes may be entitled to seek legal relief for their injuries, including payment for any and all medical expenses incurred. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago may help you understand your legal options if you or if your teenage son or daughter have been involved in a crash.

Police in Chicago were called to the scene of a crash in the Loop last night, shortly after 8:00 p.m. The crash occurred in the 200 block of South Lower Wacker Drive and involved two vehicles, a Chevrolet Equinox and a Mercedes. Officials believe that a 16-year-old male was behind the wheel of the Equinox when the Equinox made an illegal turn in the area, putting the vehicle in the path of the Mercedes, which was traveling southbound. The two vehicles collided and one rolled over the crash.

Emergency medical crews responded to the scene and transported the driver and four passengers in the Equinox to area hospitals for treatment. Three of the occupants were teenagers and the fourth was 20-years-old, according to police. All suffered serious injuries but are expected to survive. The other driver, a 61-year-old male, reportedly was uninjured in the accident.
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Drivers are at risk for an accident every time they get in their car and begin driving. Most of those threats come from other motorists, defects in the road, or fixed objects like light poles. But debris in the road also poses a threat to safety and is responsible for numerous collisions every year.

Chicago car accidents cause thousands of injuries every year. Cook County is home to more car accidents than any other county in the state due in part to the large population and the large number of motorists on the streets every day. In 2011 alone, more than 280,000 traffic accidents caused more than 84,000 injuries and over 900 deaths. That averaged to more than two fatalities a day.

Those who are injured in car collisions in Illinois are not without help. They are often entitled to seek relief for their damages including monetary compensation to cover financial losses. This can help victims pay for their needed medical treatment and surgical expenses as well as provide compensation for lost wages. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago may help you understand your legal options if you have been involved in a crash.

Officials in Illinois have confirmed an unusual accident that left one driver dead on on Wednesday morning. Though it is early in their investigation, officials believe that a driver in a Chevrolet Blazer was traveling southbound on the I-94 near 130th Street when a tire came off from the vehicle. The tire reportedly crossed into the northbound lanes and struck the windshield of a vehicle, causing a serious collision that left the driver critically injured. Emergency medical crews tended to the victim and transported her to Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn but her injuries were too severe and she was pronounced dead shortly before 7:00 a.m.

Officials closed portions of I-94 in the area as they investigated at the scene and removed debris from the collision. The driver of the Blazer reportedly was not injured in the incident but was cited by police for driving with unsafe tires, driving without insurance, and driving without a valid vehicle registration. As the investigation continues, more charges may be brought.
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If you have been fortunate enough to never be involved in a car accident, consider yourself lucky. But even if that is the case, chances are that you know a friend, family member, neighbor, or co-worker who has been involved in a collision or who has had their life affected by a crash. There were over 280,000 traffic-related accidents in Illinois in 2011 alone and many of those collisions involved more than one individual.

Car accident can lead to financial distress among victims who are suddenly faced with mounting medical bills. The expenses felt by these victims may be exacerbated if they are unable to work and therefore are unable to bring in the funds necessary to support themselves and their families. When you have done nothing wrong but are injured by the actions of another, it may seem unfair that the burden rests on your shoulders. It does not have to, though, as victims of car accidents in Chicago are entitled to seek relief for their damages through the use of a civil claim. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help you understand your legal options if you have been involved in a crash, including whether you have a valid claim for your injuries.

Police in the Archer Heights neighborhood of Chicago learned of a two car accident on Monday that left one driver dead. According to officials and witnesses, it appeared that one driver may have been traveling in excess of the speed limit near the area of Pulaski Road and 41st Street around 4:00 a.m. The driver is believed to have struck part of a second car in the area, leading the first driver to lose control and leave the road’s surface. The first car then collided with a pole in the area, causing the vehicle to come to a rest.

Emergency medical crews responded to the scene and transported the driver in the first car to Mount Sinai Hospital where doctors tended to him. Unfortunately, the man’s injuries were too severe and he died as a result of the crash. It did not appear that the second driver involved in the crash was seriously injured though his current condition remains unknown.
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