Attorney Blog

Chicago Plagued By Pedestrian-Car Accidents In January

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

The first month of 2012 was a tragic one for several pedestrians who were struck by vehicles.

During the first week of January:

And there were two other serious pedestrian-car accidents that occurred in Chicago last month. Back on January 17, a 72-year old woman was struck on the South Side by a hit-and-run driver. About 4:30pm, the woman was walking on South Carpenter Boulevard near West 63rd Street about a quarter mile west of Kennedy King College. A car driven by a 26-year old woman collided with the pedestrian, and the vehicle then fled the scene. The victim succumbed to her injuries early Monday morning at a hospital in Oak Lawn. The driver, who had had her license revoked before the incident, was placed under arrest and has been charged with felony failure to report an accident.

Then on January 28, a 32-year old man was injured after being hit by a vehicle in the West Town neighborhood. Right before 2am, the man and some friends were walking near the intersection of Ogden and Grand Avenues just southwest of the Kennedy Expressway. The group was crossing Ogden when a 2003 MINI Cooper tried to turn left from Grand and collided with the victim. The 32-year old man was hospitalized with serious-to-critical injuries and had to undergo surgery. The unidentified driver was ticketed for failure to exercise due care.

The family of the 72-year old woman may wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the 26-year old woman who was arrested. And the 32-year old victim has strong grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the driver of the MINI Cooper.

4-Car Red Light Accident After Driver Fails To Stop, South Side Chicago

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

It's really hard to figure out why some people insist on speeding through a red light. Do they somehow think that other traffic will simply stop when the red-light runner bolts into the intersection? Do they consider that another motorist might have the right of way? Or are they just so arrogant that they don't care about the possible consequences?

Unfortunately, none of those questions were answered after a weekend four-vehicle red light accident on the far South Side of Chicago that was caused by a motorist running a red light. On Sunday morning at about 7:30am, a person driving an Oldsmobile was observed by witnesses to be traveling southbound on South Ewing Avenue at a high rate of speed. The driver ignored a red light at 106th Street and subsequently slammed into a Dodge Durango. The impact began a chain reaction red light accident which also enveloped a Cadillac and a Chevrolet Malibu. The collision, which occurred less than a half mile west of the Indiana state line, sent the driver of the Durango to the hospital in serious-to-critical condition.

Although no citations have been written as of yet, it appears that the Oldsmobile driver is clearly at fault in this red light accident. Therefore, the injured Durango driver might wish to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver of the Oldsmobile in order to receive reimbursement for medical expenses, compensation for missed time at work, and perhaps damages for emotional distress.

Thousands of people die each year in motor vehicle collisions in Illinois and throughout the United States that were caused by reckless motorists running red lights. It's true that some of these red light accidents are the result of drivers misjudging the timing of traffic signals. But many others involve drivers who inexplicably speed through red lights without any perceptible concern for the safety of the drivers around them. These are the very drivers who need to be held accountable for their negligent behavior.

10 Hurt In Chicago Fire Truck Accident

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

It has been drilled into our heads from the moment we begin studying to get our driver's licenses: the law requires that you yield the right-of-way to emergency vehicles who are traveling with lights and sirens. But as simple as this rule sounds, it does not always play out that way in the real world - and sometimes, the results are heartbreaking.

A total of 10 people were injured when a fire engine collided with a passenger car in Chicago’s fire truck accident on Tuesday evening. Shortly after 6:15pm, Engine No. 62, with lights flashing and sirens blaring, was traveling south on Halsted Street in the city's West Pullman neighborhood. A sedan was stopped at the intersection of 128th place and Halsted, which is between Vermont Street and the Joe Louis Golf Course. The driver of the fire truck thought that the car had stopped for the fire engine, but then the sedan inexplicably pulled out in front of the emergency vehicle. The fire truck crash caved in the passenger's side of the sedan.

The car's six occupants had to be taken to a hospital in Oak Lawn; and five of them, including the 18-year old male driver and three children, were trapped and had to be extricated from the sedan. In addition, four firefighters in the truck sustained slight injuries and were transported to a medical center in Blue Island in good condition.

One news source is reporting that the teenaged driver may have been intoxicated at the time of the crash. Even if alcohol were not involved, it appears from the information given that the man was at fault in the fire truck accident. That means he could be named as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit filed by the sedan's passengers and/or their parents (unless they are all part of the same family).

Pedestrian-Car Accident Involving An Elderly Woman Right Outside Home

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 08:00:00 EST

However, few people expect to die in an auto accident right outside their home.

Tragically, that's what befell an 81-year old woman in Merrionette Park a few weeks ago. On Tuesday morning, the woman was walking on West 115th Street near the intersection of Kedzie Avenue, which is near both Mount Olivet and Mount Hope Cemeteries as well as the Merrionette Park campus of Everest College. The location is also very close to the woman's house in the 3100 block of West 115th. Around 6:15am, the woman was struck by a car, and she died less than half an hour later at Oak Lawn's Advocate Christ Medical Center. Cook County medical examiners confirmed that she succumbed to her injuries sustained in the auto-pedestrian accident.

The news story does not give any details about how the incident occurred, who the driver was, or where on the street the victim was walking (only that no criminal charges have yet been filed). But from the information given, the elderly woman's family may have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit to be filed against the driver of the offending vehicle. The victim is survived by three children; so because she has no living spouse, they would be the ones who would be named as plaintiffs in the suit.

This lawsuit could provide reimbursement for expenses incurred during the woman's short stay in the hospital as well as for her interment. A jury may also award damages related to the family's mental anguish and loss of care or companionship.

Lake County School Bus Accident, T-boned by Squad Car

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

We told you about a school bus in Kane County that rolled over on Friday and injured nine special-needs children. As it turns out, that wasn't the first school bus accident in Illinois that week. A bus in Lake County had also been involved in a collision; but what's even more disturbing is that the vehicle which T-boned the school bus was a deputy sheriff's squad car.

On Thursday afternoon about 4pm, the bus carrying 42 middle school students was traveling west on Illinois 60 and had just passed Round Lake. At the same time, a Lake County sheriff's deputy was responding to a domestic disturbance report, and was driving west on Illinois 60 with its lights and sirens activated. The car moved into the eastbound lanes to pass traffic; but when it reached Blackhawk Trail, the school bus began turning left. The squad car rammed the school bus on its left side. Three students aged ten through twelve had to be transported to a hospital for treatment.

This school bus accident raises questions which are not usually present in auto accident cases. Was the sheriff's deputy negligent by trying to pass slower traffic, even though his car's sirens and lights were on? Or should the bus driver have seen the squad car passing her bus before making her left turn? The director of Fremont School District 79, which was operating the bus, says, "all the evidence shows the driver did everything properly." But the law states that police vehicles have the right of way when they are responding to an emergency and have lights and sirens activated.

So who is at fault? Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the parents of the three injured kids might file personal injury lawsuits against either the deputy sheriff and the sheriff's department or the bus driver and the school district (or perhaps all of them).

Left Turn Accident in Springfield Caught on Surveillance Video

Mon, 30 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

In order to be successful in an auto accident case, the victim must prove that another party caused the crash. To do that, the plaintiff (and the plaintiff's attorney) often have to acquire police reports, obtain witness statements, and gather evidence from the scene in order to bolster their case. But every now and then, plaintiffs get lucky - when the wreck is caught on surveillance video.

Such was the case last week in Springfield in a left turn accident which sent two people to the hospital. On Friday about 4pm, a 21-year old man was driving westbound on South Grand Avenue East about halfway between Albany Street and North 19th Street. He attempted to turn left onto North Wheeler Avenue, but the passenger side of his car was hit by another car heading eastbound on South Grand. The 46-year old female driver and an 18-year old female passenger in the eastbound car had to be transported to a nearby hospital.

The entire wreck was captured on surveillance video from a camera at a nearby business. From the footage, police were able to determine that the 21-year old man did not yield the right of way to the other vehicle before he made his turn - and he was issued a traffic ticket after the wreck. Assuming there are no other significant factors, the video footage by itself might be enough evidence for an attorney to prove liability in any personal injury lawsuit that may be filed by either of the injured women. As a result, the two victims could receive reimbursement for medical expenses, compensation for missed time at work, and possibly other types of damages. It can be difficult to determine liability in a left turn accident, but the left turning car is almost always at fault.

Some people frequently voice "Big Brother"-type concerns about the omnipresence of video cameras in Illinois and across the country - often with good reason. But sometimes, the presence of these cameras can assist auto accident victims with obtaining the compensation that they are entitled to.

Accident With Bus Kills Visually Impaired Pedestrian Near Oak Park-Forest Park Border

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

There are some motor vehicle collisions where you can tell with a single glance which party was at fault. And then there are some which require a lot more investigation and information before liability can be assigned - and even then, questions may still exist as to who was responsible.

An auto-pedestrian accident with bus which occurred Thursday afternoon in suburban Chicago falls into that latter category. About 12:15pm, a westbound Pace Suburban Bus reportedly "made contact" with a man on Madison Street near the intersection of Harlem Avenue. That location is about a half mile north of the Eisenhower Expressway, and right on the border between Oak Park and Forest Park. The rear of the #318 North Avenue bus struck the man and then ran over his legs, and the victim was transported to Loyola University Hospital in nearby Maywood.

Here's another caveat to complicate matters: the man was visually impaired.
As you can see, it is virtually impossible to assign blame in this auto-pedestrian accident with bus based on these facts alone.

Some of the questions which must be answered include

Was the man in a crosswalk or attempting to cross at an intersection?
Were there audible signals of some sort which were instructing the man to enter the street?
How "visually impaired" is the man? Can he see shapes and lights, or is he completely blind?
Was the man being assisted by another person or a service animal?
Did the bus have the right of way?
Did the driver see the victim at all prior to impact?
How did the rear of the bus first make contact with the victim (and not the front)? Was the bus turning or going in reverse? Or did the man wander into the moving bus?

Presumably, these questions and others will be answered in the subsequent investigation by police. The results of the probe could affect whether the bus driver, Pace, or even the cities of Oak Park and Forest Park will be named as defendants in a future wrongful death lawsuit.

School Bus Accident in Kane County Injures 9 Special-Needs Kids

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

For many parents, it's difficult to watch their kids get on the school bus on the youngsters' first day of kindergarten. That's because it's hard for parents to accept the fact that they will no longer get to control every aspect of their children's lives and protect their "babies" from harm. Instead, they have to place their trust in the hands of strangers to keep their children safe - people from teachers and school administrators to the person that drives them to and from school on that bus.

That's a big reason why school bus accidents are so disturbing for parents. They see it as a violation of that sacred trust that they bestow upon others to protect their kids.

So there are probably quite a few scared and angry parents in Illinois today. A school bus transporting special-needs students to school crashed Friday morning east of Big Rock in Kane County. Shortly before 8:15am, the bus was traveling eastbound on Granart Road a few miles west of Aurora Municipal Airport. The bus had just passed Mary Drive when it drove off the roadway into a drainage ditch, rolled onto its side, and stopped in a cornfield. A total of nine students and the bus driver were rushed to nearby hospitals, but none of the injuries appears to be life-threatening.

The bus was taking the children to Krejci Academy in Naperville, which educates kids with autism and similar learning disabilities. The vehicle is owned by Illinois Central School Bus and contracted to carry the kids to the academy. There's no word yet on the cause of the school bus accident.

There is a high probability that some of the parents will file personal injury lawsuits in connection with this school bus accident. Potential defendants in these suits include the bus driver, Illinois Central School Bus, and Little Friends, Inc. (which runs Krejci Academy).

Distracted Pedestrian Accident, Teen Struck by Semi Near Chicago School

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

On this blog, I have talked at length about the different types of "distracted driving" which lead to injury collisions as well as fatal crashes. But I would be careless if I didn't point out that pedestrians sometimes become victims of auto-pedestrian accidents because they are not paying attention to their surroundings.

In fact, a new study published in early January shows that U.S. pedestrian fatalities almost tripled between 2004 and 2011 among individuals who were walking while wearing headphones that were connected to mp3 players and other digital music devices. The report by a Baltimore researcher, which appeared in a British journal, also indicated that two out of every three of these fatalities were males under 30 years old.

An incident Tuesday morning in Chicago served as a scary illustration of this new pedestrian accidents trend. About 11:15am, an 18-year old male student at Curie High School was leaving campus to get lunch and was reportedly wearing headphones and not paying attention while walking. He tried to cross Archer Avenue near the intersection of Pulaski Road when he was struck by an 18-wheeler that was trying to turn left. The impact caused the young man to be dragged underneath the semi. The teen was transported in serious-to-critical condition to Mount Sinai Hospital, although his injuries don't appear to be life-threatening.

Police said that the driver of the tractor-trailer was not cited in connection with the truck-pedestrian accident. However, just because the driver was not criminally charged does not mean that any personal injury lawsuit filed by the victim would not be successful. The truck driver (and the company who employs him) might be held partially responsible for the teenager's injuries depending on the precise circumstances of the incident. If legal action is taken, there is a high probability that the plaintiff and defendant(s) would come to an out-of-court settlement which could help the victim obtain some reimbursement for his medical expenses.

Elderly Woman Struck By Car Outside Home

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

There's a perception that most auto accidents occur when drivers or pedestrians are in unfamiliar surroundings far away from where they live and work in Illinois. But in reality, the opposite is true: the highest prevalence of auto accidents is found within a five mile radius of a victim's home.

However, few people expect to die in an auto accident right outside their home.

Tragically, that's what befell an 81-year old woman in Merrionette Park last week. On Tuesday morning, the woman was walking on West 115th Street near the intersection of Kedzie Avenue, which is near both Mount Olivet and Mount Hope Cemeteries as well as the Merrionette Park campus of Everest College. The location is also very close to the woman's house in the 3100 block of West 115th. Around 6:15am, the woman was struck by a car, and she died less than half an hour later at Oak Lawn's Advocate Christ Medical Center. Cook County medical examiners confirmed that she succumbed to her injuries sustained in the auto-pedestrian accident.

The news story does not give any details about how the incident occurred, who the driver was, or where on the street the victim was walking (only that no criminal charges have yet been filed). But from the information given, the elderly woman's family may have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit to be filed against the driver of the offending vehicle. The victim is survived by three children; so because she has no living spouse, they would be the ones who would be named as plaintiffs in the suit.

This lawsuit could provide reimbursement for expenses incurred during the woman's short stay in the hospital as well as for her interment. A jury may also award damages related to the family's mental anguish and loss of care or companionship.

Did Cop Help Cause Drunk Driver Accident In Steger Illinois?

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

This blog has detailed numerous accounts of people making the appalling decision to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after they have had too much to drink – and the tragic drunk driver accidents which result all too often. When drunk drivers try to rationalize their behavior, their reasons usually ring hollow when you consider the destruction that these individuals can wreak while driving under the influence.

Which is why this story is so disturbing: it has been alleged that a drunk driver who killed a five-year old child was told by a police officer to get behind the wheel.

Last Friday, a 24-year old Steger man was sentenced to 9 ½ years in prison in connection with the fatal crash that occurred in May of 2010. The man was reportedly driving a Chevy Cavalier at least 65 miles an hour across several lawns lining 34th Street in Steger. The car collided with a tree, killing a five-year old boy who was riding in the vehicle with him. The man’s blood alcohol level was subsequently tested to be .18, and he was convicted last February of aggravated driving under the influence.

Here’s the unusual part of this case: prior to the crash, the Cavalier was being driven by the boy’s mother, and the man and the boy (who are unrelated) were passengers. But she was pulled over and then arrested by police for driving with a suspended license. A Chicago Heights police officer told the Steger man to drive the car away from the scene.

This week, the mother told the media that she blames the officer for ordering the 24-year old man to drive drunk, and insisted that she told the cop that the man had been drinking. The officer involved says that there were no signs that the Steger man was impaired – and a jury agreed with the State’s assertion that the man responsible for the fatal accident.

Wrongful Death Lawsuite

If the child’s biological father wished to file a wrongful death lawsuit, they would undoubtedly name the Steger man as a defendant – and he almost certainly would be held at least partially liable for the boy’s death. But if it can somehow be proven that the officer knowingly allowed the intoxicated man to drive – or a jury believes that the cop was negligent in making sure that the man was not drunk – then the Chicago Heights Police Department may also be forced to pay damages in any such lawsuit.

"Impassable Sidewalk" Leads to Pedestrian-Car Accident in Niles Illinois

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Cities, villages, townships, and neighborhoods in Illinois install sidewalks in an effort to prevent pedestrian-auto accidents. The idea is that if vehicles and pedestrians can each occupy their own stretch of pavement, the number of spots where they share the roadway is reduced - and the likelihood of these types of accidents decreases.

But what happens when a sidewalk is impassable at a given location due to weather?

Unfortunately, this problem may have contributed to pedestrian-car accident in a Cook County township. Early last Friday morning, three pedestrians were walking on Touhy Avenue near the intersection of Harts Road, which borders a forest preserve. The trio was walking in the roadway because the sidewalks were reportedly impassable due to weather conditions.

Around 1:30am, a vehicle sideswiped one of the pedestrians and then fled the scene. A 20-year old man from Chicago was hospitalized in stable condition. The two other individuals were not struck by the vehicle.

Obviously, the fact that the vehicle fled the scene will bolster the argument that the driver was mostly or completely at fault in the pedestrian-auto accident. This would mean that the victim would have strong grounds for a personal injury lawsuit, through which he could recoup medical expenses, wages lost from work absenteeism, and perhaps compensation for other damages.

But if we put aside the hit-and-run aspect of this incident for a moment, the case could be made that the pedestrian may have been partially at fault for walking in the roadway (in the dark, as well) - even though the sidewalk was "impassable." Weather conditions aside, pedestrians still have a duty to walk outside of the roadway when possible - even if it means trudging through snow or navigating icy pavement. If sidewalks are indeed impassable, then pedestrians should either take another route that is safer - or at least leave the roadway when a vehicle passes by.

Service of Process in an Auto Accident Lawsuit

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

If you are injured in an auto accident which is the fault of another driver, you know to get the other driver's name, address, contact information, and insurance information. Then you should engage the services of an experienced auto accident attorney who can help you determine what your damages are and then file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf with the proper court.

At this point, you may be asking yourself:
Do I have to inform the person I am suing
that he or she has been named as a defendant in a lawsuit?

Fortunately, you are not responsible for notifying an individual that you are filing suit against him or her. The courts and/or your attorney will take care of that procedure, which is known in the legal community as process of service. In a nutshell, process of service is the collective group of laws and regulations which govern how a defendant must be legally informed of an impending lawsuit. These guidelines have been implemented to prevent people from being surprised by lawsuits of which they were not advised.

The actual document which tells someone that he or she has been named in a lawsuit is called a summons, so named because it "summons" the individual to court on a given date to respond to the lawsuit. The primary way that individuals are notified of lawsuits is by the sheriff's office. One of the major duties of any county sheriff is to ensure that all court summonses are delivered to the correct recipients in a timely fashion.

In smaller counties, the sheriff, a sheriff's deputy, or another member of the sheriff's office personally conveys the court summons to its recipient. But in larger counties (like Cook County), courts often employ licensed process servers to handle these duties. These process servers are hired to find defendants and deliver court summonses in order to free up the sheriff's office to focus on other law enforcement functions.

The simplest way that a court summons is served is by delivering it to the defendant's home address. If the person to be served is not home, Illinois law allows the summons to be accepted by any other person who lives at the same address and is at least 13 years old. (In these cases, another copy of the summons is usually sent to the residence via certified mail.) Sometimes, process service can take place at the defendant's workplace or another location. In the worst case scenario where the defendant cannot be located despite several attempts to serve him or her, your attorney can file a motion with the court to make other arrangements and/or allow the suit to proceed.

Your attorney can answer any question you might have about process of service. All you have to remember is that it's not a problem that you'll have to worry about.

Newlywed Dies In Lincolnshire Car Accident One Day After Her Wedding, Potential Wrongful Death Lawsuit?

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

On the day that a person gets married, he or she is ideally embarking upon a brand new "life" - one that is being lived in perfect harmony with another individual. That day is one of hope and promise for a future in which every successive day brings the couple closer together - until death do they part.

But no one expects that "death" to come as quickly as it did for a Buffalo Grove woman.

On January 12, the 26-year old woman was married to her husband. The following day, she was victimized in a head-on collision in Lake County. Five days after the Lincolnshire car accident, the woman succumbed to her injuries at a Libertyville hospital.

Around 9pm on Friday the 13th, a Honda CRV was spotted by a Lincolnshire police officer traveling north in the southbound lanes of Illinois Highway 21 near Aptakisic Road, which is just west of the Ryerson Conservation Area. The CRV then collided head-on with a Toyota and a Jeep, and four people had to be hospitalized. The 26-year old woman, who was sitting in the front seat of the Toyota when it was struck, was pronounced dead last Wednesday.

Charges are pending against the driver of the CRV. But based on the accounts of the head-on collision, it appears that the widowed husband of the Buffalo Grove woman has a solid case for a wrongful death lawsuit against the CRV driver. Because the husband had married his wife the day before the wreck, it is he who has the standing to file such a suit in Illinois. Had they not been married, the parents of the deceased victim would have been the people allowed to be the plaintiffs in this type of legal action.

A wrongful death lawsuit could allow the husband to collect reimbursement for medical and burial expenses, lost future wages that his bride would have earned, and damages for emotional distress and loss of companionship.

Car Pushed Into South Side Building in Chicago Car Accident

Sat, 21 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Auto accidents where vehicles strike stationary objects are all too common in Illinois. Passengers cars run into everything from trees and street signs to fences, cement walls, and light poles. In the majority of cases, the driver of the vehicle involved in the crash is the party that is held liable for the resulting damage (as well as any injuries to bystanders or passengers).
But sometimes, the blame in these auto-object collisions cannot be placed on the driver of the wrecked vehicle. One example of this occurred this past weekend in Chicago.

On Sunday morning around 10am, an elderly woman was driving her Hyundai on West 79th Street between Halsted Street and Auburn Park on the city's South Side. A truck then rear-ended the Hyundai and sent it crashing into a storefront located on 79th between Emerald and Union Avenues. The car barreled through the brick exterior of the building and into the front room of a small medical center. No one was injured inside the business, but the driver of the Hyundai had to be transported to a nearby hospital with injuries.

The exact cause of the rear-end collision has not yet been determined by investigators. However, it appears that the driver of the truck will be held responsible for the crash and the injuries to the elderly woman. If that is indeed the case, the victim could file a personal injury lawsuit against the truck's driver in order to recoup the costs she spent on medical bills, ambulance charges, and hospitalization expenses. If her injuries are serious enough to keep her away from her job, the woman could also receive compensation for any wages she would have earned at work had the accident not occurred. (The article does not say whether the truck was a personal vehicle or owned by a business. If the latter is true, the business owner could also be named as a defendant in the lawsuit.)

3 Hurt, 1 Critically When A Motorist Ran A Red Light In Plainfield Car Accident

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Interstates, freeways, and tollways are advantageous for drivers because they don't have to worry about stopping for traffic signals at intersections. But many highways do have traffic lights, some of which are spaced far enough apart to where vehicles can reach high rates of speed between them. When red light-running accidents occur on these types of highways, they can be more serious than those that occur on city streets simply because of the potential speeds involved.

One such collision happened last weekend in Will County. On Sunday morning about 7:30am, a 25-year old woman was driving her car on Lincoln Highway (U.S. 30) and reportedly ran a red light at 127th Street in Plainfield. Her vehicle slammed into the side of a sport utility vehicle and pushed it into a utility pole. The 40-year old driver of the SUV had to be extricated from the wreckage, and she was rushed to a hospital in extremely critical condition. Also in the SUV were the woman's 17-year old son and his 17-year old girlfriend. They were both hospitalized with injuries as well.

Illinois State Police have not yet written any citations in the Plainfield car accident, but it certainly appears that the 25-year old woman will be held accountable for the injuries to the occupants of the SUV. (There are also reports that alcohol "played a role" in the crash.) If that is the case, she could be named as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit filed by the 40-year old Plainfield woman. The victim could file suit both on her own behalf and on behalf of her son, who is a minor. In addition, the parents of the girl could file their own personal injury lawsuit on her behalf against the 25-year old woman.

Both of these lawsuits could seek reimbursement for medical expenses incurred as a result of the crash. The 40-year old woman could also receive compensation for any time missed at work as well.

Teen dies in multiple car accident in Antioch Illinois

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

It's certainly sad when someone causes an auto accident and loses his or her life. It's even sadder when a person dies after being struck by another vehicle on the roadways. But what's even worse is a motorist dying because another vehicle swerved to avoid a different collision.

That was how a teenaged girl perished in multiple car accident earlier this month on a snowy afternoon on Interstate 94 in Lake County. A six-car pileup took place just before 1pm on January 5 in the northbound lanes of the Tri-State Tollway about a mile past East Townline Road. According to Illinois State Police, one vehicle crashed into two others, and a tractor-trailer swerved to avoid the trio of vehicles. In the process, the 18-wheeler struck the 2004 Jeep Liberty being driven by a 19-year old Antioch woman. The Jeep was then pushed into a Ford pickup truck that was stopped on the left shoulder of the tollway. As a result, the teen was pinned inside her vehicle, and she eventually succumbed to her injuries at a Libertyville hospital last Friday.

Another heartbreaking aspect to this tragedy is that it's not clear exactly who is responsible for the multiple car accident that killed the woman. Most likely, the truck driver (and, by extension, the driver's employer) will bear some liability. But the driver who caused the entire chain reaction wreck might also share some of the blame for her death. The ultimate determination of responsibility in the accident will have an impact on who might be named as defendants in any subsequent wrongful death lawsuit filed by the teen's family.

Whomever is held liable for the collision may be ordered to reimburse the victim's family for medical expenses, which are probably steep given that the teen spent over a week in the hospital. Also, the plaintiffs may be entitled to damages for pain and suffering and loss of companionship, as well as compensation for lost future wages which would have been earned by the college student after she graduated.

Two Killed, Four Hurt When SUV Rams Other Vehicle In Little Village

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

There are several frequent causes of auto accidents in Illinois. Drivers get distracted and fail to notice red lights, pedestrians crossing a street, or other vehicles in adjacent lanes. Often, crashes occur when a vehicle is traveling too fast. Many others involve inclement weather or unsafe road conditions. The common factor among all of these accident causes is that the drivers were not intending to become involved in a wreck. This does not seem to be the case in a recent SUV accident in Little Village Illinois.

But believe it or not, sometimes people get hurt (or killed) because of a driver who intentionally tries to cause a motor vehicle collision.

That was reportedly the case in a weekend crash involving a pair of sport utility vehicles that killed two people and injured four others in Cook County. The incident happened early on Saturday morning around 3:30am in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago. A 1994 Chevy Suburban was driving near the intersection of Western and Archer Avenues near McKinley Park when it attempted to ram a 2004 Ford Expedition. The driver of the Suburban lost control of the vehicle, and it rolled over violently into a parkway, knocking down traffic signs and trees in the process. A 19-year old man and a 20-year old man lost their lives in the crash, and four other male occupants had to be hospitalized. Neither of the two people in the Expedition were hurt.

None of the media reports clarifies whether the driver of the Suburban was one of the two men who perished in the crash. If the driver is still alive, he could become the target of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by surviving family members of the two deceased young men. In addition, the three injured passengers could also file personal injury lawsuits against the driver. Since the Suburban driver intentionally tried to collide with the Expedition (a fact which was presumably established by the two people in the Expedition), the liability in this incident is pretty well established.

Man Pleads Guilty to DUI In Fatal April Car-Horse Crash

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

It's never a good idea to get behind the wheel of your vehicle when you are drunk. Sure, you could get into a wreck and cause property damage. You might also accidentally injure an innocent stranger in a collision. But that's not the worst that can happen: you could even kill someone you care about.
That's what happened last April in Will County. This week, a man pled guilty to a charge of aggravated drunken driving in connection with the death of his girlfriend in Crete Township.
The 42-year old man and the 25-year old woman were both horse trainers at Balmoral Park Racetrack. The two were drinking at an impromptu party on the racetrack grounds early on the morning of April 11 last year when the victim and a 21-year old horse groom left the party to go ride one of the horses. Later, the man got into his truck and began driving around the racetrack grounds looking for them in near-darkness. His truck hit the horse that the two women were riding, and the man's girlfriend died while the groom suffered serious injuries. A subsequent blood test revealed that the man's blood alcohol content was .147.
Certainly a car-horse accident is rare but the legal consequences can be quite common. The man won't be sentenced until March, but he may be named as a defendant in a future wrongful death lawsuit. Such a suit may force the man to reimburse the family for burial and medical costs, and also compensate them for lost future wages that the woman might have earned as a horse trainer had the accident not taken place. Because the 25-year old woman had a six-year old daughter, a jury may also choose to award damages for emotional distress and loss of care. There's even a chance that punitive damages could be part of the jury verdict because of the aggravated DUI charges. In addition, the injured groom could file a personal injury lawsuit against the man as well.

Naperville Family Dies in Out-of-State Car Accident

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

You may have heard about the recent out-of-state car accident tragedy that struck a family from Naperville last week. A husband, wife, and their two children lost their lives on an Indian road when the vehicle they were riding in lost control and veered off the roadway. Their driver survived the horrific crash; but a 45-year old man, his 39-year old spouse, their 10-year old daughter, and 6-year old son perished. It was the first time that the two children had visited India, the birthplace of their parents.
There's yet another sad aspect to this story. Because the fatal auto accident occurred in India, any surviving family members here in the state cannot hire an Illinois wrongful death attorney to pursue legal action against the driver and/or his employer. Even though the family's home address was in Naperville, a wrongful death lawsuit cannot be filed in an Illinois court - because the out-of-state car accident took place in another country. In order to obtain relief, family members of the four victims would have to consult Indian law and follow the appropriate procedures for filing a legal claim.
It is important to point out that had the family been living in India and died in an out-of-state auto accident while visiting Illinois, their surviving relatives could have engaged the services of an attorney to file a wrongful death lawsuit against those who were responsible for the crash. American residents from out of state or foreign nationals from other countries do have the right to file civil lawsuits in Illinois if they are victimized in a motor vehicle collision during their time in the Land of Lincoln. These lawsuits allow accident victims to recover damages for mental anguish and loss of care and companionship, as well as reimbursement for medical expenses and other costs incurred as a result of the accident (such as rebooked airline flights or missed time at work).

2 Chain Reaction Rear-End Collisions in Illinois on Same Day

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

When one vehicle is involved in a rear-end collision, the potential exists for injuries to the occupants of both vehicles. However, when a vehicle slams into the back of a line of cars, the ensuing chain reaction collision could injure many more people.

This week, this principle was illustrated twice in the same day in different parts of Illinois. The first chain reaction rear-end collision occurred in Lake County on Tuesday morning. About 9am, an 83-year old man was driving a 2003 Cadillac on Illinois 59 in Barrington. He failed to stop at the intersection of Cuba Road, and his car crashed into the back of a 2003 Mercedes waiting at a stoplight, which in turn rolled into a 2001 Mitsubishi. An eight-year old girl in the Mercedes was injured and had to be taken to a nearby hospital.

Then later that day, a similar rear-end collision took place in Trivoli in Peoria County. A 25-year old Peoria woman was driving on Illinois Route 116 about 5:45pm. She claimed that she did not notice the stopped traffic near North Cramer Road which was waiting for a car to turn left into a parking lot. The Peoria woman's vehicle rear-ended a car containing a 50-year old Trivoli woman and a 14-year old girl, both of whom had to be hospitalized. The Trivoli woman's car struck a car driven by a 25-year old Canton woman; which in turn hit a car occupied by a 28-year old man and 21-year old woman, both of whom were from Canton. The pair in that last car were also taken to a hospital for treatment.

Even though the vehicles driven by the 83-year old man and the 25-year old woman did not make contact with some of the other cars involved in the crash, these two drivers will still be held liable for all of the injuries sustained in the rear-end collision. This means that they may be named as defendants in future personal injury lawsuits filed by the victims.

Accident on I-57--Car Overturns After Swerving to Miss Animal

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

If you are a regular reader of USA Today, you may have come across this article in Wednesday's edition about what to do if an animal suddenly appears in front of you on the roadway. The story strongly discourages swerving automatically, noting that such a maneuver itself can cause an auto accident. It suggests that it is okay to take evasive action only it is safe to do so; otherwise, you should simply continue on your present course (especially if the animal is shorter than the top of your vehicle's hood). According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least one injury accident involving an animal occurred every hour in 2009 in the United States.

One of these types of crashes took place Tuesday morning in a recent accident on I-57 a few miles south of Salem. According to Illinois State Police, a car was traveling south on the interstate about 12:45am when an "unknown animal" darted in front of the vehicle. The 19-year old female driver swerved and lost control of the car, which flipped several times after running up the embankment on the overpass to Nation Road (about a mile northeast of Lake Centralia).

A 21-year old male passenger and a 20-year old female passenger sustained injuries in the rollover accident on I-57 as did the driver. All three were transported to Salem Township Hospital.

Though we don't know for sure, it's quite possible that had the driver simply hit the animal, the crash would not have occurred and none of the three occupants would have been hurt. Instead, the woman driving the vehicle could be named as a defendant in any subsequent personal injury lawsuit filed by the other two people in the car. If this happens, the driver might be ordered to reimburse the passengers for their medical expenses or compensate them for any time they may miss at work due to their injuries.

No one wants to run over a defenseless animal. But in many cases, it's much safer to do so than to swerve to avoid it and risk a more serious auto accident.

Chicago Bus Accident Injures Man Near Humboldt Park

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

The Chicago Transit Authority operates hundreds of buses each day. For the most part, these buses transport passengers all around Chicago without incident. But every now and then, a Chicago bus accident takes place - and the victims sometimes wind up in the hospital.

One of these incidents occurred about 10:45pm on Thursday night. A CTA bus was traveling east on Division Street about a mile west of Humboldt Park. At the intersection with Kedvale Avenue, a man was trying to cross Division when he was struck by the bus. The victim, whose age was not released, was transported to Stroger Hospital in serious-to-critical condition. Witnesses said that the victim appeared to be intoxicated, but authorities have not been able to determine whether that was true.

At the spot of the accident, there are no stoplights or marked crosswalks on Division Street. There is a streetlight on every corner of that intersection, but darkness still may have played a role in the bus-pedestrian collision. Because a Family Dollar store sits across Division Street from a residential neighborhood, it is logical to conclude that more pedestrians cross the street at that location than at a typical Chicago intersection.

The injured pedestrian may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit against the CTA and/or the bus driver, but it may be a difficult case to win. The bus had the right of way because of a stop sign that faces Kevdale. And if authorities do discover that the man was intoxicated, the defendant(s) could point to that fact as evidence that the pedestrian exercised poor judgment at the time of the incident.

Be that as it may, it is not uncommon for the CTA to seek out-of-court settlements in instances where a person is injured in a Chicago bus accident. So there is a strong possibility that any lawsuit pertaining to this accident will never see the inside of a courtroom.

Train-Pedestrian Accident—when should you hire a train accident attorney?

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Our firm handles cases involving a wide variety of accidents. Motor vehicle collisions can be serious, but they frequently do not result in fatalities because of the protection afforded by today's cars and trucks. Motorcycle accidents and auto-pedestrian accidents tend to have higher death rates because the victims do not have any external protection to safeguard them from harm. But the type of accident that is most often fatal is the train-pedestrian accident. Because when a colossal train impacts a defenseless human, the results are inevitably tragic.

You may be asking:
aren't all train-pedestrian accidents the fault of the pedestrian? After all, the train is traveling in a predictable straight line and the pedestrian can easily see it, right?

That's not altogether true. Obviously, trains are unable to swerve to avoid a person on the tracks. But train operators and municipalities are still responsible for taking certain measures to ensure that no pedestrians are struck by trains.
A pedestrian (or, more likely, his or her surviving relatives) may have an actionable train-pedestrian claim if:

A train conductor/operator did not sound the train's horn to warn a pedestrian of the imminent danger.
A train conductor/operator was distracted and did not attempt to stop for the pedestrian.
A train was moving faster than the designated speed for the area in which the accident occurred.
A municipality did not properly maintain or identify a railroad crossing.
A municipality did not place appropriate warning signs or signals to alert pedestrians that the crossing point was unsafe.

In most train-pedestrian accident cases, the victim does bear at least some of the responsibility for his or her fate. But if it can be demonstrated that a municipality or train company was negligent in its duties to protect pedestrians, then a court may choose to award some damages to a plaintiff.
Like most large entities, defendants in train-pedestrian accident cases do not want to be found negligent. Not only does such a judgment cost them money, but it also sets a judicial precedent which may result in similar judgments in the future. Therefore, these defendants will spare no expense in trying to show that the plaintiff was completely at fault in a train-pedestrian accident. For example, they may argue that the victim was distracted or negligent and attempted to cross the tracks despite the presence of warning signs or signals, or claim that the victim trespassed and was therefore fully liable for his or her demise.
That's why it is wise to engage the services of an experienced train accident attorney when taking legal action after a train-pedestrian accident. He or she has the skills and knowledge to deal with train companies and municipalities, and will fight to obtain every possible dollar to which you are entitled. Your train accident attorney will substantially increase the chances of a positive outcome when compared to trying to argue your case on your own.

Recent Train Accident Kills Teen in Lake Forest

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

When a person is involved in a motor vehicle collision, there is a good chance that he or she could avoid injury altogether because of the safety features that are present in today's passenger cars and trucks. But the odds of emerging unscathed drop drastically if the individual is on a motorcycle or bicycle. And the chances of serious injury or death increase even more if the victim is a pedestrian who is struck by a vehicle.

But the type of accident where the victim is most likely to die is probably a train-pedestrian accident. That's because a human's weight in pounds is equal to (or less than) a train's weight in tons - so an impact between the two is almost always disastrous for the person.
Sadly, this fact was illustrated in a recent train accident Monday morning in the Cook County city of Lake Forest. A teenaged male lost his life after he was struck by a Metra train around 7am near the intersection of Ryan Place and Western Avenue (which is near Lake

Forest Country School). The teen died from his injuries at Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville.
Authorities have not released any details about the incident, the victim's injuries, or the reason why the teen was on the tracks in the first place. It is logical to assume that the fault of this tragedy lies solely with the victim and not Metra. After all, the train was moving in a straight line, and the teen should have seen it and avoided it, right?

That's not entirely true - at least according to Illinois law. Depending on the circumstances, it is possible that Metra and/or the train operator share some responsibility for the fatal outcome of the accident. For instance, if the train operator failed to sound the train's horn upon seeing the teen or if the train was traveling too fast, then Metra might be found partly liable for the victim's death. Also, if the railroad crossing malfunctioned or was not properly marked with warning signs or markings, then the municipality of Lake Forest and/or Metra may also be partially to blame.

An investigation will have to be completed before it becomes clear as to whether the teen's family has any grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit. Depending on the circumstances there may be an actionable train-pedestrian claim and reason to hire a train accident attorney.

Victim Is Sued By Bystander In Fatal Metra Train Accident In Edgebrook

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

Unusual personal injury lawsuits come in many different forms. There are those where two individuals each believe that the other is at fault in an auto accident and file lawsuits accordingly. Some cases involve multiple parties and varying levels of accident liability. Others focus on little-known aspects of the law.
And then there are those unusual personal injury lawsuits which are pretty gruesome.
The suit filed by a woman in connection with a 2008 fatal metra train accident in Edgebrook falls under that last category. On the morning of Saturday, September 13 of that year, an 18-year old man was running through the pouring rain while holding an umbrella in an attempt to catch a Metra train. In the process, he crossed the train tracks just as an inbound train was coming. The train reportedly struck the teen at a speed of about 70 miles per hour, killing him instantly.
Now comes the strange part: a woman standing on a platform about 100 feet away was struck by a "chunk" of the man's body after it was impacted by the train. The debris reportedly knocked the 58-year old bystander over, causing her to injure her shoulder and fracture both her wrist and her leg. Shortly thereafter, the woman filed a personal injury lawsuit against the 18-year old man (or, more specifically, his estate) in order to seek reimbursement for her medical expenses and/or other related damages.
A judge in Cook County tossed out the original lawsuit, saying that the deceased man could not be held liable for the plaintiff's injuries. But an Illinois appeals court has reversed that decision, saying that despite the gory and bizarre circumstances, the case should be treated like any other negligence case.
Think of it this way: if a person's arm was slightly struck by a passing train and that person was knocked into another individual who then suffered injuries, the second victim could file suit against the person whose arm was struck under Illinois civil law. Just because the 18-year old man was fatally struck and dismembered does not change the underlying claim of negligence - and the 58-year old woman still has a right to seek damages against the party that caused her injuries.

Tractor-Trailer Falls Off Overpass Onto Roadway; 4 Hurt

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

ire blowouts are all too common on Illinois roadways. If they occur while you are driving a car alone on a wide stretch of roadway, you can often navigate your vehicle out of danger without causing a collision. But if a blowout happens to a larger vehicle in tight quarters, the potential for disaster soars. The possibility even exists for a spectacularly dangerous accident.

It may be hard to believe, but a simple tire blowout is believed to be the cause of a tractor-trailer falling off of a Tazewell County overpass onto a road below. According to Illinois State Police, the semi, which was hauling frozen foods, was traveling westbound on I-474 between Creve Coeur and Marquette Heights about 5pm on Friday evening. The driver was attempting to pass another 18-wheeler on the overpass over Route 29 when one of the tires on his rig blew out. That caused the tractor-trailer to swerve left into the south side of the overpass. As a result, the trailer tumbled onto Route 29 below, striking two vehicles in the process (although the cab remained on the overpass).

The driver of a minivan on Route 29, a 37-year old Pekin woman, was injured. A 35-year old female car driver (who lives in Dumfernline) was also hurt as were two passengers in her vehicle. All of the injured were transported to OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria, and all are reported to be in stable condition.

Even though the semi driver is not expected to be cited in connection with the semi accident, he will still likely be held primarily or completely responsible for the injuries that occurred as a result of the falling trailer. In addition, his employer could also be named as a defendant in any personal injury lawsuit filed by the accident victims; because Illinois law says that all companies are responsible for the actions of their employees.

Drunk Driver Crashes Into Pole, Passenger Burned to Death

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

What will it take for people to stop drinking and driving in Illinois? The public awareness campaigns about the dangers of impaired driving apparently aren't reaching a certain segment of the population. And getting busted by police for DUI doesn't always seem to solve the problem. Nor does getting into an auto accident which injures or kills someone else.

How about this? If you drive drunk, you might have to endure the horrifying experience of watching your vehicle go up in flames - with your passenger trapped inside.

That's what happened to one alleged drunk driver in Winnebago County last week. Early Friday morning around 1am, a 32-year old man was driving eastbound on Route 75 in Durand, which is several miles south of the Wisconsin border. The man's 1994 Buick Le Sabre Limited reportedly left the roadway around Winslow Road and smashed into a light pole. The impact sheared the pole off of its base and forced the car to roll over onto its roof and catch fire. The driver managed to free himself from the wreckage, but his passenger remained trapped in the burning vehicle and died on the scene. The victim was identified as a 29-year old woman from Rockton.

The 32-year old man was charged with DUI after he was airlifted to a hospital in Rockford. It is unclear if the occupants of the Buick were related. But if they are not, the family of the woman could choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the car. In addition to reimbursement for burial expenses and compensation for lost future wages, a jury in this type of lawsuit could order the defendant to pay damages for pain and suffering or loss of care and companionship. If the man is convicted of DUI, it's even possible that he may have to pay punitive damages to the plaintiffs.

UPDATE: Family of Victims in I-88 Porsche Suicide Attempt File Suit

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

We told you this summer about a horrific suicide attempt gone wrong on I-88 near Lisle. On August 4, a 43-year old Aurora man apparently tried to kill himself by swerving his Porsche into oncoming traffic and accelerating while throwing money out of the window. The Porsche slammed head-on into a Toyota Corolla and killed a 37-year old woman and her 75-year old father. The Corolla's driver, the 42-year old husband of the woman, remains disabled as a result of the auto accident. All of the victims were from Elmhurst.

The Porsche driver actually survived the accident, but fell into a coma and died from his injuries about a month later. The coroner ruled his death a suicide, though complications from Huntington's Disease were also a factor.

Now we have learned that the surviving family members of the victims in the Toyota have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of the Aurora man. The suit reportedly seeks at least $50,000 in damages for each passenger in the vehicle.

However, this lawsuit may take some time to resolve. First, lawsuits against the estates of deceased persons usually take longer than normal because of the logistics and bureaucracy associated with the people who are in charge of the estate. Secondly, evidence indicates that one of the reasons that the 43-year old man wanted to kill himself was because of his dire financial situation. There were reports that he had closed his dental practice and that his mortgage was underwater; he also reportedly faced legal costs incurred from previous drunk driving charges and unpaid medical bills for treatment of his disease. All this means that the plaintiffs may have to "wait in line" behind other creditors and hope that there is something left in the man's estate that they can receive as part of a settlement or jury award.

2 Three-Vehicle Auto Accidents in Stephenson County in 3 Days

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

In metropolitan areas of Illinois like Chicago, motor vehicle collisions are all too common. But in more sparsely populated regions like Stephenson County, which sits on the Wisconsin border, it's relatively rare for a pair of serious auto accidents to occur within a three-day period - especially on the same stretch of roadway.

The first of these wrecks took place on Saturday night about 7:45pm outside of Ridott. According to Illinois State Police, a 24-year old Oak Park woman was driving a 2007 Chevy Malibu north on Rock City Road and ran a stop sign at the intersection of U.S. 20. As a result, a 1997 Honda Civic struck the Malibu's driver's side and became disabled in the roadway. The 24-year old Machesney Park female driver of the Civic took off her seat belt to tend to her six-year old daughter in the back seat. That's when a 2010 Volvo struck the Civic's driver's side, and the Machesney Park woman was ejected from the vehicle. She and her daughter were rushed to a nearby hospital, where the girl remains in critical condition. The driver and passenger in the Volvo were also transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Then on Monday morning around 8:15am, a fatal accident occurred on U.S. 20 outside of Lena. About a half mile west of Daimer Road, a 29-year old Glendale Heights man was driving a Honda Prelude westbound and tried to pass a vehicle in front of him. But he lost control on the icy road and slid into oncoming traffic, where he sideswiped a GMC Yukon heading east. The Yukon then slammed head-on into a Saturn traveling west behind the Honda. The 19-year old man from Hanover Park who was driving that Saturn was pronounced dead at the scene, while his 19-year old buddy from Bartlett was airlifted to a hospital in Rockford. The 43-year old Stockton woman driving the Yukon was treated at a hospital and released.

It appears that the 24-year old Oak Park woman and the 29-year old Glendale Heights man will be held liable for the consequences of their respective auto accidents. That means they could be named as defendants in personal injury lawsuits filed by the victims (while the man could also be targeted in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of the 19-year old man who died).

Man Charged in Fatal Auto Accident From Two Years Ago

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST

There's an old saying about law enforcement agencies which goes like this: "There's one thing that police hate more than an unsolved case: a case which goes from 'closed' to unsolved." The gist of the statement is that police departments are not exactly tripping over themselves to reopen old cases that were once closed; because the greater amount of time that has passed since an incident, the harder it is to investigate.

So it can be inferred that authorities might choose to reopen a closed case only if they have a good reason to do so - meaning they have very strong evidence in their possession. That may be what is happening with the Wheaton Police Department as they reopen the case of a fatal car crash which occurred back in 2009.

Early on the morning of October 5 of that year, a 1998 Volkswagen GTI ran off the pavement on Dufree Road and crashed into a tree. About 5am, an 18-year old Wheaton man was found alone and unconscious in the car. He died about 12 hours later in a hospital from severe head trauma.

This week, Wheaton Police arrested the person in whose name the car was registered. The now-21-year old man, who is a student at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, was charged Tuesday with leaving the scene of an accident. Authorities are alleging that the suspect was the person behind the wheel at the time of the crash. There's no word on what the precise evidence was that Wheaton Police may have uncovered which led them to this conclusion, nor was it exactly clear why the man wasn't arrested until now.

In addition to the drama which may play out in criminal court, this development has ramifications for a civil lawsuit as well. Presumably, the family of the accident victim had believed that he was driving the car when he died. However, if it becomes apparent that the suspect was in fact behind the wheel, then the family may have grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against him (since Illinois law says that drivers are duty-bound to protect the safety of their passengers).

But there's one problem: the two-year statute of limitations for filing this type of lawsuit has passed, since the crash occurred over 26 months ago. So if the family of the deceased were to pursue civil legal action, they would first have to petition the court for an extension of the statute of limitations based on the new knowledge discovered by authorities about the suspect's involvement. Although the plaintiff's attorney would have a sound argument for this request, it would still have to be approved by a judge before a wrongful death lawsuit could proceed.

First Winter Snow in Chicago Brings 2 Fatal Accidents

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Even though the calendar won't say that it's winter for another couple of weeks, residents in the Chicagoland area are already gearing up for Old Man Winter with this week's first real snow. In fact, we've gotten an unusual reprieve from the white stuff; this year marks the fifth-latest date of first measurable snowfall in the city's history. And as it usually happens, the season's initial episode of snow precipitation brings with it a host of auto accidents - but two of them were fatal.

Early Friday morning, a 29-year old man was driving his vehicle westbound on Interstate 80 in New Lenox. Near the Route 30 interchange, the man's vehicle was struck by a tractor-trailer. The victim was transported to a hospital in Joliet, but he succumbed to his injuries around 2:45am.

Then during the morning rush hour, another man was killed while commuting into downtown Chicago. Around 7am, a man driving a pickup truck on the eastbound side of the Eisenhower Parkway died after his vehicle was hit by a box truck near the Cicero Avenue exit. The box truck driver was cited by police for improper lane usage.

Even though the weather may have played a factor in these two fatal motor vehicle collisions, Mother Nature cannot be used as an absolute defense if wrongful death lawsuits are brought against the driver of the 18-wheeler or the box truck. Therefore, both of these drivers may very well be held liable for reimbursement of hospital and burial costs, lost future wages which would have been earned by the victims, and damages for pain and suffering by the surviving family members.

In other words, Illinois law requires all drivers to take whatever reasonable steps are necessary to prevent auto accidents - and they can't use inclement weather as an excuse to avoid culpability for collisions.

Elderly Woman Hit by Loyola Shuttle Bus

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

People in Chicago are very familiar with the CTA buses that transport passengers around the city. But residents may not be aware just how many buses and coaches there are in the Windy City that are operated by private companies. Some carry tour groups or private parties, while others have a contract with a school or other institution.

Unfortunately, one of these privately-run shuttle buses was involved in an auto-pedestrian accident earlier this week. On Monday morning, a bus which shuttles students between the two campuses of Loyola University was traveling south on Sheridan Avenue. Shortly after 10am, the bus tried to make a left turn onto Bryn Mawr Avenue, which connects to Lake Shore Drive. But the bus struck a 93-year old woman who was walking north on Sheridan. The woman reportedly suffered several injuries, including a broken nose. The victim was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but has since been upgraded to stable condition.

Interestingly, the Loyola shuttle bus usually turns onto Lake Shore Drive at the Hollywood Avenue intersection, which is a block north of the accident site. It is unclear why the bus driver altered her route on that day. The bus was carrying about 60 passengers at the time of the incident, but none of them were injured. The female shuttle bus driver was ticketed by Chicago Police for failing to yield to a pedestrian.

It appears that the elderly woman has strong grounds for a personal injury lawsuit not only against the shuttle bus driver, but also Free Enterprise, Inc., the private company that operates the buses. Such a suit could reimburse the victim for ambulance charges, hospitalization expenses, and bills for medications, lab tests, and treatment. She could also receive compensation for future physical therapy, as well as damages relating to any diminished quality of life she will endure after the bus-pedestrian accident.

Henry County Van Accident Kills 3 Teenagers

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Passenger vans are handy vehicles to have if you want to transport several people comfortably at one time. However, there is a downside: if the fully-occupied van is involved in an accident, then the potential for injury and death is much higher than it would be in regular cars.

Sadly, this point was illustrated in Henry County last week when a van crashed on a rural road south of Kewanee. The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon about 4:15pm on 2700th Street just north of 300th Avenue, which is just northeast of the intersection of U.S. 34 and Illinois Route 91. Three teenagers were killed in that wreck and two other people were hurt.

One of the fatalities was an 18-year old from the city of Wyoming. The two others who lost their lives resided in Toulon and were 15 and 16 years old. The driver was one of the two injured victims who was helicoptered to a hospital in Peoria. Their conditions are not available.

There's no information on what caused the one-vehicle auto accident. But whatever happened, the driver of the van (whom the article implies was an adult) will probably be held liable for the deaths of the three teens as well as the injuries to the surviving passenger - because Illinois law calls for drivers to take responsibility for the safety of their passengers. This means that the driver could be named as a defendant in wrongful death lawsuits filed by the parents of the three teenagers. These suits could seek to recover burial expenses, lost future wages, and damages for pain and suffering. Also, the injured passenger may choose to file a personal injury lawsuit against the driver as well. This lawsuit may result in the defendant paying for the plaintiff's incurred medical expenses, future physical therapy, and possibly even unearned wages due to work absenteeism (if the victim is employed) - as well as damages for emotional anguish.

Arrest Warrant Issued For June Chicago Fatal Hit-and-Run Suspect

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

This time of year is supposed to be filled with love and good cheer. But it won't be for one Chicago family who is spending its first holiday season without their child. That's because the girl died this spring after being struck by a hit-and-run driver near her house.

Back on June 14, an eight-year old girl was riding her bicycle on West 62nd Place near Spaulding Avenue in the Chicago Lawn neighborhood. About 4:30pm, the girl was hit by a sport utility vehicle which fled the scene after the accident. The force of the impact knocked the girl's body underneath a parked car, and she succumbed to her injuries early the following morning at a nearby hospital.

This week, Chicago Police issued an arrest warrant for the person they believed to be behind the wheel of the SUV. The 23-year old suspect is described as an African-American male about 5'9" tall and weighing about 160 pounds. His last known address is about a quarter mile southeast of the accident site.

Certainly, if this man is arrested, he will face criminal charges which carry stiff penalties. But it will also give the girl's family an opportunity to file a wrongful death lawsuit against him if they want to do so. (Technically, they can file such a suit against him while he is at large, but there is little hope of actually collecting damages if he is not around.) This type of lawsuit could allow the family to obtain reimbursement for hospitalization and burial costs. They might also receive damages for emotional suffering as well as compensation for lost future wages.

Perhaps most importantly, finding the person who was responsible for the death of their child might bring the grieving family some closure. Because it will be awfully difficult for this family to enjoy a happy holiday season this month.

Elderly Pedestrian Dies in Hit-and-Run Accident on Chicago's North Side

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

In places where there are no traffic signals or signs, pedestrians are expected to yield the right-of-way to vehicles before attempting to cross a street on foot. However, motorists are expected to yield to pedestrians when a person is already inside a marked crosswalk. If these traffic laws seem to conflict with each other, it is important to remember that they are written in order to provide as much protection for pedestrians as possible from being hit by vehicles.

But sometimes, it simply isn't enough to prevent fatal auto-pedestrian accidents.

An elderly woman was struck and killed this weekend on the North Side of Chicago while trying to cross the street. At about 7:15am on Saturday morning, a 76-year old pedestrian was attempting to cross North Kimball Avenue at the intersection of Sunnyside Avenue in the Albany Park neighborhood. A Dodge Caravan traveling north on Kimball struck the woman, broke her pelvis, and caused severe internal injuries. She died about five hours later at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center.

The van reportedly paused and shifted into reverse, but then fled the scene. Chicago Police later arrested the 51-year old male driver, who confessed to striking the elderly woman. The suspect has been charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident.

Depending on the exact circumstances of the incident, it is not completely certain that the man would have been charged with a crime had he remained at the crash site. But since he chose to flee the scene, he now faces a felony charge - which should be enough to establish fault in the accident.

As a result, the victim's family has strong grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against the 51-year old man. Such a suit could result in reimbursement of hospital and burial expenses, as well as damages for loss of care and/or emotional anguish.

2 Single-Vehicle Accidents Injure 9 Over Weekend

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

The standard scenario when it comes to personal injury lawsuits stemming from auto accidents is as follows: Driver A hits Driver B, Driver B gets injured, Driver B sues Driver A. But not all auto accident cases follow that pattern. In fact, some personal injury lawsuits arise from crashes that only involve one driver.

Two of these single-vehicle wrecks took place over the weekend in different parts of Illinois. The first occurred Friday night in Stephenson County about a mile west of downtown Eleroy. According to authorities, the vehicle was traveling east on Mound Road just before Schlegel Road shortly after 10:30pm when it crested a hill and encountered an icy patch of roadway. The vehicle reportedly slid across the road into a ditch and then into a field, where it rolled over several times. The driver and the four passengers, all of whom were teenagers, were rushed to nearby hospitals. (Three of the teens had been ejected from the vehicle.)

A few hours later, another single-vehicle accident occurred on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the South Side of Chicago. Early Saturday morning about 1:00am, a vehicle crashed near 76th Street and drove off onto an embankment. A total of four people (including the driver had to be taken to area hospitals because of serious but non-life threatening injuries. There's no word on what exactly caused that crash.

From the information given, it appears that the drivers of both vehicles are responsible for the auto accidents and will therefore be held liable for the injuries of their respective passengers. Because the victims in the Eleroy crash are minors, their parents might choose to file personal injury lawsuits against the parents of the teenaged driver in order to recoup medical expenses they have incurred from their children's injuries (although it appears that one of the passengers is the driver's brother). Similarly, the three victims in the Chicago crash (assuming they aren't related to the driver) can also file personal injury lawsuits against the person driving that vehicle - unless an investigation determines that another vehicle somehow caused the accident and fled the scene.

Four Hurt in Crash; Chicago Fire Truck Involved

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Why do you need an attorney on your side in an auto accident case? Because even the seemingly simplest crash scenarios can often become convoluted and difficult to resolve. These cases increase in complexity when there are several vehicles involved. And when a city vehicle is part of the mix - well, that brings a whole new set of complications to the table.

One such incident took place this week in Chicago on the West Side. A Chicago Fire Department truck was involved in a motor vehicle collision with at least one other vehicle on Tuesday just before noon. The crash occurred near the intersection of North and Cicero Avenues in the city's Austin neighborhood.

A total of four people were injured and had to be transported to Stroger Hospital in serious-to-critical condition. No other information about the victims is available other than they were not employed by CFD.

Details about how the wreck occurred have not yet been made available. But a photo of the auto accident scene shows a red Ford Focus that had sustained significant rear-end damage. That might indicate that it was hit from behind by another vehicle.

If an investigation discovers that the fire truck rear-ended the Focus and injured some of its occupants, then they would have solid grounds to file personal injury lawsuits against the Chicago Fire Department as well as the truck's driver. These suits would have to be filed within a year of the accident date, or else the statute of limitations in Illinois would expire. However, if similar lawsuits were to be filed against a civilian vehicle driver that may have been part of the crash, then the plaintiffs would have two years to submit the legal paperwork to the courts. That's because most auto accident lawsuits carry a two-year statute of limitations, whereas legal action against the city of Chicago and other Illinois municipalities have a one-year period before such claims can no longer be pursued.

Several Hurt in Kane County Head-On Collision

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's common for drivers to want to reach their destinations as quickly as possible - even those people who usually obey the speed limits and other traffic laws. But there are times when saving a few seconds (or even a few minutes) is simply not worth the risk of making a potentially dangerous driving decision. This is especially true for drivers who are transporting passengers, for whose safety they are legally responsible.

This point was illustrated in horrifying fashion this week by a crash in Kane County when a driver tried to pass an 18-wheeler on a rural highway. On Monday afternoon around 3:15pm, a Bellwood woman was behind the wheel of a Chrysler Town and Country minivan which was also occupied by four other people, all of whom are from Chicago. The minivan was heading east on Route 72 and had just passed Reinking Road (which is about a mile and a half east of Starks and two miles west of Interstate 90) when it pulled up behind a tractor-trailer. The driver tried to pass the big rig on the left side in the westbound lane, but the minivan slammed head-on into an oncoming Subaru Outback. The Subaru driver and all five people in the minivan had to be transported to area hospitals, though none of their injuries appear to be life-threatening.

It appears that the Bellwood woman is primarily responsible for the head-on auto accident. If none of the passengers in the minivan is related to its driver (all of their surnames differ from hers), then they may choose to file personal injury lawsuits against her to recoup costs incurred from medical bills, physical therapy, prescription medications, and lost wages from work absenteeism. Also, the man from Wonder Lake who was driving the Outback could also file a personal injury lawsuit for the same reasons.

Fatal Auto Accident in Carroll County Yields DUI Charge

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

Often, when you read a news article about an auto accident, there will be no information available about how the crash occurred or who was at fault. That's usually because authorities are still in the process of investigating the incident. However, you can sometimes "read between the lines" of the story and form a pretty good idea about what happened.

Monday's report in the online edition of the Clinton Herald newspaper is a perfect example. According to the Carroll County Sheriff's Department, a two-vehicle collision occurred on Illinois 84 about four miles north of Thomson near Spring Lake. The male driver of the southbound vehicle (who was from Clinton) was declared dead at the scene, while his female passenger was airlifted to a hospital in Rockford. The male driver and lone occupant of the northbound vehicle (who is from Savanna) was charged with improper lane usage and driving under the influence.

While we cannot determine what transpired with complete certainty based solely on this information, we can construct the most likely scenario. Which is this: the Savanna man was legally impaired while driving his vehicle northbound on the highway, and drifted across the center line to strike the southbound vehicle and cause the fatal collision.

If this set of circumstances turns out to be accurate, the Savanna man may later be named in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of the Clinton man, as well as a personal injury lawsuit in which the injured female passenger is the plaintiff. That means that in addition to possible criminal penalties, the Savanna man could be ordered to pay damages to the Clinton man's heirs for burial expenses, pain and suffering, loss of care and companionship, and/or lost future wages; as well as reimburse the injured woman for medical expenses, therapy and recovery treatments, and lost wages due to absenteeism

Lake Shore Drive Pedestrian Crosswalk Returns

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

The city of Chicago has improved the safety of pedestrians moving between Buckingham Fountain and the waterfront in the downtown area. The Queen's Landing crosswalk across Lake Shore Drive has been reopened to pedestrians after being closed for six years. The new crosswalk is equipped with clearly-visible road markings, a traffic signal, and a countdown clock.

In an effort to facilitate vehicle traffic on Lake Shore Drive, the crosswalk was removed in 2005. City workers then erected a series of low concrete bollards connected by heavy chains in an effort to discourage pedestrian traffic from crossing the busy thoroughfare. But people were reportedly jumping over the chains and trying to cross six lanes of traffic in order to get to the other side (especially during events being held at night).

The move is a bit ironic given the reasons why the pedestrian crosswalk was created in the first place. The original Queen's Landing crosswalk dates back to 1988, when it was installed after a 13-year old girl was killed trying to cross Lake Shore Drive. After it was eliminated six years ago, city officials considered trying to build a raised pedestrian bridge across the roadway; but that plan was dropped after $1 million in design and engineering studies. So officials decided to remove the bollards and chains and reopen the crosswalk.

So if you haven't driven on that section of Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago in a while, it is vital that you be aware of the new crosswalk. In addition to the law against running the red light there, it is also illegal to enter a marked crosswalk while a pedestrian is legally present in it. Any auto-pedestrian accident which occurs while walkers have the right-of-way can also result in the driver being named as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death lawsuit.

Driver in Fatal Palatine Auto-Pedestrian Accident Won't be Charged

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's commonly assumed that whenever a vehicle strikes a pedestrian, the driver is the party who will be held responsible. But there are cases where that presumption is simply false - like the incident earlier this month in the Cook County village of Palatine.

On November 5 about 6:45pm, a 78-year old woman was hit while trying to cross Northwest Highway (Illinois 14) at the intersection of Benton Street, which is just west of the Palatine Plaza Shopping Center. The woman was in a marked crosswalk on the east side of an intersection when she was struck by a 2000 Oldsmobile being driven by a 54-year old woman. The victim succumbed to her injuries on November 10.

The Palatine Police Department issued the results of its accident investigation this week. It determined that the car had a green light at the time of the auto-pedestrian accident, and that the 78-year old woman was crossing against the traffic signal when she was struck. As a result, Palatine Police have decided not to cite the driver in connection with the incident.

These findings have a substantial impact on any potential civil litigation filed by the victim's heirs. Because the report indicates that the victim was at fault, the chances of her family achieving a successful outcome in a wrongful death lawsuit are greatly diminished. And since the elderly woman was crossing Illinois 14 illegally, the 54-year old driver was not neglectful in her duty to protect the pedestrian's safety.

It is interesting to note that the traffic signal at the intersection in question constantly remains green for motorists on Illinois 14. It only changes to red if a car approaches the intersection on Benton Street or if a person pushes the pedestrian button. Therefore, it is the pedestrian's responsibility to trigger the traffic signal if he or she wishes to cross Illinois 14.

2 Dozen Hurt as Pace Bus Hits Building

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's hard enough for a bus driver to operate a large, bulky vehicle on urban streets - all while watching out for pedestrians walking around the bus as well as motorists cutting in front of it. But sometimes, a bus driver can obey all of the traffic laws and observe all of the safety policies implemented by his or her employer - and still get involved in a serious bus accident.

Two dozen people are recovering today after a Pace bus crashed into a building this week in Harvey, which is about 15 miles south of Chicago. On Tuesday afternoon just after 3:45pm, the Route 349 bus was traveling through Harvey with about 50 passengers on it. At the intersection of Park Avenue and 154th street, a car reportedly ran a red light and entered the intersection. The bus driver swerved in an effort to avoid the car; but the bus struck the vehicle and then crashed into a vacant building. A total of 23 passengers and the bus driver had to be taken to area hospitals, though none of their injuries appears to be life threatening.

At first glance, you might think that the victims could file personal injury lawsuits against both the bus driver and Pace. But based on the information we know, it could be argued that the blame for the wreck lies solely with the female driver of the car that ran the red light. If that's true, then she could face up to two dozen lawsuits seeking reimbursement for ambulance charges, medical costs, and lost wages from work absences. Police are planning to issue a citation to the car's driver. (There are also indications that she was involved in another collision prior to the bus accident.)

However, if it appears that the bus driver could have avoided the collision with either the car or the building, then Pace might be held partially responsible for the injuries to the passengers. The investigation into the bus accident is ongoing.

Plano DUI Driver in Fatal Crash Gets 3 Years in Prison

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's not uncommon for us to read about people being arrested for driving under the influence after they have caused a serious (or even fatal accident). But we don't always hear how these stories end. We may even wonder if these DUI suspects manage to game the justice system somehow and wind up getting off with just a slap on the wrist.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case this week in Kane County, where a man who was convicted of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide was sentenced to three years in prison for his crimes. The 51-year old man actually pled guilty last year, but due to numerous court delays, his sentencing did not take place until Tuesday.

The Plano man was arrested after a fatal auto accident on October 2, 2008. The man was driving his van on Fabyan Parkway west of Batavia (near Mill Creek County Forest Preserve) heading to his place of employment. While in a no-passing zone, he tried to pull around another vehicle to pass. But he slammed head-on into a sport utility vehicle driven by a 53-year old man from St. Charles, and the victim died at the scene. Police later determined that the Plano man was driving under the influence of both alcohol and codeine at the time of the crash.

Whenever a DUI suspect is convicted, it becomes much easier for the family of the victim to move forward with a wrongful death lawsuit against him. That's because in the eyes of the law, the impaired driver is no longer "innocent until proven guilty" after he pleads guilty or gets convicted by a jury. With the fault in the accident clearly established, the St. Charles man's family can try to obtain reimbursement for burial expenses, compensation for lost future wages, and damages for loss of care, loss of companionship, and/or emotional distress. Sometimes, a jury even awards punitive damages to plaintiffs in DUI-related lawsuits.
It's not uncommon for us to read about people being arrested for driving under the influence after they have caused a serious (or even fatal accident). But we don't always hear how these stories end. We may even wonder if these DUI suspects manage to game the justice system somehow and wind up getting off with just a slap on the wrist.

Thankfully, that wasn't the case this week in Kane County, where a man who was convicted of aggravated DUI and reckless homicide was sentenced to three years in prison for his crimes. The 51-year old man actually pled guilty last year, but due to numerous court delays, his sentencing did not take place until Tuesday.

The Plano man was arrested after a fatal auto accident on October 2, 2008. The man was driving his van on Fabyan Parkway west of Batavia (near Mill Creek County Forest Preserve) heading to his place of employment. While in a no-passing zone, he tried to pull around another vehicle to pass. But he slammed head-on into a sport utility vehicle driven by a 53-year old man from St. Charles, and the victim died at the scene. Police later determined that the Plano man was driving under the influence of both alcohol and codeine at the time of the crash.

Whenever a DUI suspect is convicted, it becomes much easier for the family of the victim to move forward with a wrongful death lawsuit against him. That's because in the eyes of the law, the impaired driver is no longer "innocent until proven guilty" after he pleads guilty or gets convicted by a jury. With the fault in the accident clearly established, the St. Charles man's family can try to obtain reimbursement for burial expenses, compensation for lost future wages, and damages for loss of care, loss of companionship, and/or emotional distress. Sometimes, a jury even awards punitive damages to plaintiffs in DUI-related lawsuits.

2 Auto-Pedestrian Accidents in Central Illinois on Same Day

Wed, 23 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

As the weather begins to turn cooler, some drivers may get the impression that there aren't many pedestrians out on the roads. While the number of pedestrians might be smaller than that seen in the spring or summer months, drivers should still exercise the same amount of caution when traveling in Illinois.

This point was illustrated this past Thursday, when two different auto-pedestrian accidents occurred in central Illinois. Around 7am southeast of Bloomington, a 37-year old trash hauler was on the side of U.S. 150 picking up trash cans about a quarter-mile east of Towanda Barnes Road (near Downs). The man was struck by a car driven by a 62-year old Bloomington man, who was trying to pass the garbage truck. The victim, who lives in St. David, was rushed to a Bloomington hospital.

Then about 5pm in Urbana, a teenage girl was walking to basketball practice when she was hit by a car. The 15-year old was trying to cross South Vine Street at Fairlawn Drive (near Urbana Middle School) and was in a marked crosswalk at the time of the accident. The driver was a 45-year old assistant superintendent of the Urbana school district. Upon impact, the girl reportedly was tossed into the air and landed on the windshield of the Mazda Protégé. She was transported by ambulance to an Urbana hospital.

In the U.S. 150 accident, the victim was charged with failure to yield and the driver was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. The driver in the Urbana accident claims that he couldn't see the girl because it was too dark (even though the intersection is lighted by streetlights). But in both cases, it appears that the drivers will bear at least partial responsibility for the injuries sustained by their victims. That means that the victims could probably file personal injury lawsuits to obtain compensation for medical costs and other related expenses.

School Bus Rear-Ended by 18-Wheeler; Several Kids Hurt

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

Technological advancements in cars, trucks, vans, and buses have helped reduce the likelihood of injuries to occupants in vehicles that have been rear-ended. As a result, many victims walk away from rear-end collisions with minor injuries or no injuries whatsoever. However, some of them sustain injuries which do not manifest themselves until several days later, such as pain in the neck, head, shoulders, or back.

So while we can be glad that no children had to be hospitalized after a school bus accident in Chicago last week, we should remain cautious and not assume that the kids will remain pain-free over the coming days and weeks.

On Friday about 9:30am, a school bus was traveling eastbound on the Eisenhower Expressway when it was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer just past Des Plaines Avenue. Two dozen fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were on the bus at the time of the crash, and several of them reported injuries. But none of those injured required transport to a hospital. There's no word on why the 18-wheeler struck the school bus, but it appears that the truck driver is at fault in the rear-end collision.

Even though none of the injured children needed an ambulance, it is quite feasible that any of them could begin noticing symptoms of injury this week (or possibly in the future.) A decrease in mobility or increase in pain in one or more bodily regions could develop in these youngsters, and a doctor's visit might be required. It is also possible that these symptoms might become severe enough to require medication, medical tests, physical therapy, or even surgery. If such a scenario were to occur, the parents of the injured child could file a personal injury lawsuit against the truck driver and his or her employer in order to recoup the health care expenses incurred by the family.

Tractor-Trailer Rear-End/Rollover Crash on I-94

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

The majority of motor vehicle collisions can be pretty scary for those people who are inside the vehicles when the impact occurs. But auto accidents that take place on freeways are often more frightening because of the speeds and/or close proximity of the vehicles which get caught up in the wreck. And the "fear factor" increases even more when a tractor-trailer is involved.

That was the case on Friday night on I-94 in Chicago. About 11:15pm, a Ford Mustang was traveling in the southbound lanes of the Bishop Ford Freeway around the Cottage Grove Avenue exit (near Chicago State University). According to Illinois State Police, the Mustang changed lanes abruptly and then braked suddenly in order to avoid a collision. A Freightliner tractor-trailer traveling behind the Mustang was unable to slow down in time, and the 18-wheeler rear-ended the car before swerving sharply to the left and then overturning. The car wound up in a ditch on the right side of the freeway. The drivers of both the Mustang and the big rig were taken to area hospitals, but their injuries were non-life threatening.

Based on the information in this article, it's difficult to determine who is at fault in this truck-car accident. It's true that in most rear-end collisions, the driver of the vehicle which precipitated the impact (in this case, the tractor-trailer) would be held liable for the all of the injuries sustained in the crash. However, since the Mustang reportedly cut in front of the big rig and braked without warning, a case could be made that it was not possible for the heavy 18-wheeler to prevent a collision - which could mean that the Mustang driver was responsible for the wreck. And if the Mustang driver's actions were taken to avoid a completely different collision, then perhaps the driver of another vehicle might share some of the blame for the wreck.

The truck rollover accident is still under investigation. But the determination of fault will have a major impact on which driver can file a personal injury lawsuit and receive compensation for any medical expenses that were incurred.

Pace Bus on Shoulder Program: What it Means for Car Drivers

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

Commuter buses driving on freeway shoulders have now become a common sight in one part of Chicagoland. That's because Pace buses which transport passengers from Plainfield and other southwest suburbs to and from Chicago are now allowed to drive on the shoulder in certain areas of I-55 during rush hour.

The Pace "Bus on Shoulder" initiative is a pilot program involving the Illinois State Police, IDOT, and RTA that affects the 755 and 855 bus routes. Similar initiatives have been implemented in Minneapolis, Miami, and Cincinnati. The goal of the Bus on Shoulder program is to improve travel times for Pace buses, boost ridership on these two routes, and thereby reduce traffic congestion for all commuters. If officials deem this program to be a success, it may be duplicated in other areas of Chicagoland in the future.

Here's how it works: whenever rush hour traffic is traveling less than 35 miles per hour, Pace buses are permitted to drive on the shoulder of I-55 where it is possible to do so. The buses can only travel 35 mph or 15 mph over the average speed of slower vehicle traffic (whichever is less). These Pace buses must merge back into regular traffic if the shoulder is not wide enough to accommodate them (these areas will be clearly marked) or if there is a disabled vehicle occupying the shoulder. The Bus on Shoulder program only operates Monday through Friday between the hours of 5am and 9am (inbound) and 3pm and 7pm (outbound).

So what does this new initiative mean for drivers of passenger vehicles?

First, drivers can still use the shoulder of I-55 if their vehicle is disabled. They don't need to fear being ticketed for impeding the progress of a Pace bus if they have a good reason for being on the shoulder. In addition, passenger vehicles traveling in a lane next to a shoulder on I-55 will have to be aware of Pace buses traveling on these shoulders. However, other vehicles still have the right of way if a Pace bus is trying to merge back into traffic.

Next question: will the Bus on Shoulder initiative lead to more bus accidents? Here are a few possible scenarios where a Pace bus participating in this program could cause injuries to commuters.

• A disabled vehicle on the shoulder is hit from behind by a Pace bus, injuring individuals who are inside or around the vehicle.
• A Pace bus could bump a passenger vehicle while trying to merge from the shoulder back into freeway traffic, injuring the vehicle's occupants.
• A Pace bus could stop abruptly in order to avoid colliding with either a disabled vehicle on the shoulder or a moving vehicle in a lane of traffic at a merge point, injuring some of the passengers on the Pace bus.

The most important thing to remember is that the Bus on Shoulder program does not absolve bus drivers or Pace from responsibility in a motor vehicle collision. Therefore, if you are injured in an accident involving a Pace bus that is participating in this program, you should contact a qualified auto accident attorney to help you seek reimbursement for medical expenses and/or compensation for related costs.

CTA Bus Strikes Pole; Over Two Dozen Passengers Injured

Wed, 16 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

Friday afternoons generally evoke feelings of happiness and relief among Chicagoans and residents of other U.S. cities. Many people are in better moods as they travel home from their jobs or school on the final day of the workweek. But a jovial attitude can turn into fear and pain when people are involved in a Friday afternoon collision - especially if they are riding a bus.

That's what happened to dozens of people who were riding on a CTA bus last Friday afternoon on the far South Side of the city. CTA bus #1607 was traveling on Cottage Grove Avenue near 95th Street, which is just north of Chicago State University. For an as-yet undetermined reason, the bus struck a pole near the 95th Street Metra underpass. A total of 26 passengers on the bus sustained injuries and had to be transported to nearby hospitals. Seven of them were listed in serious condition.

Authorities continue to investigate the CTA bus accident. But if the driver of the bus is found to be completely or even partially at fault, the 26 people who were hurt have grounds to file personal injury lawsuits against both the driver and CTA. That's largely because CTA is a common carrier, which means it is required by law to exercise the highest possible degree of care for anyone who rides its buses.

These types of suits can help victims get reimbursement for ambulance charges and treatment expenses they incurred as a result of the wreck. The more seriously injured individuals may also receive compensation for prescription medications, physical therapy, and lost wages from time missed at work this week or in the future.

However, if any of these 26 injured victims of the bus crash want to file a personal injury lawsuit, they must do so before the statute of limitations runs out on November 11, 2012 - which is one year from the date of the incident.

Driver Dies in Fiery Rear-End Crash in Matteson

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

In fatal auto accidents, it is common practice for law enforcement officials to refrain from releasing the names of the victims to the press until their next of kin have been notified. But you know that a motor vehicle accident was severe and violent when police are physically unable to identify the deceased victims.

That was the horrifying scene in Matteson in the wee hours of Monday morning. Around 4am, a person was reportedly driving a 1990 Oldsmobile Cutlass west on Vollmer Road on the southern edge of the South Green Belt Forest Preserve. The driver slowed down as the car neared the intersection of South Cicero Avenue (about a half mile west of I-57). At that point, a 2001 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck slammed into the back of the Cutlass, which burst into flames upon impact. The Oldsmobile driver died on the scene; and when Matteson Police arrived, they were unable to determine the gender of the car's driver, much less the identity of the individual.

The investigation into the rear-end crash is continuing, and authorities have not yet levied charges against the male pickup truck driver (who was also injured in the accident and had to be taken to a nearby hospital). But from the information given, it appears that the family of the Oldsmobile driver will have a strong case for a wrongful death lawsuit against the man who drove the pickup. Such a suit could pay for burial expenses that will be incurred to lay the victim to rest. If the victim had children, a court judgment or verdict could include damages for loss of care. If the Cutlass driver was employed, his or her future wages could be estimated and awarded to the plaintiffs. Damages for pain and suffering may also be a part of any eventual monetary award received by the victim's family members.

Garbage Truck Strikes, Kills Elderly Pedestrian in Geneseo

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

One of the most potentially dangerous situations for pedestrians is when they try to cross a street at an intersection and a vehicle traveling in the same direction tries to turn right onto the street which the person is crossing. This can be problematic because traffic signals often indicate that both the pedestrian and the car have the right of way.

Fortunately, most passenger vehicles have good sightlines which allow drivers who are turning right to see pedestrians who are about to step off the curb and cross in front of them. So in the vast majority of cases, the drivers stop, let the pedestrians cross the street, and continue on their way without incident.

But pedestrians in the above scenario are in danger if a vehicle is built so that its driver cannot easily see who or what is off to the right - like in the case of a garbage truck.

This may have been the case in a tragic auto-pedestrian accident in Henry County on November 7. Shortly after 6:30am, an 81-year old woman was walking on a sidewalk south on Center Street and began to cross Main Street at the intersection in downtown Geneseo. At the same time, an Allied Services garbage truck was southbound on Center trying to turn right on Main street. The trash hauler struck the elderly woman, and she later died from her injuries in the hospital.

Geneseo Police and Illinois State Police are still investigating the accident, but one possible factor was the position of the 28-year old female driver of the Mack garbage truck. She was sitting high up in her driver's seat with only a passenger door window and a side mirror on the right side of the truck, which makes it difficult to see pedestrians walking on the truck's right side. It's quite possible that the Allied driver didn't see the elderly woman before the truck hit her.

Nevertheless, the heirs of the victim have strong grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against both the driver and Allied Services.

Young Pedestrian in Chicago Killed While Walking To Halloween Party

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

For many children, the Halloween season is one of the most joyful and carefree times of the year. Kids can put on their favorite costumes, go to parties with their friends, and get oodles of candy and other treats. These youngsters shouldn't have to worry about bad things happening to them.

But this year's holiday was a tragic one for the family of a six-year old girl in Chicago. The youngster was struck by a car and killed while walking to a Halloween party over the weekend.

On Saturday evening just before 8:30pm, the girl and a teenage family friend were walking in the city's South Side. They tried to cross the street at the intersection of Loomis Boulevard and 70th Street when a 36-year old man who was driving his car on Loomis struck the two girls. The 16-year old suffered a broken arm, but the six-year old succumbed to her injuries about two hours later at Christ Advocate Medical Center.

Chicago Police cited the man for several crimes, including failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk resulting in death and personal injury and driving too fast for conditions. The young girl and the teenager were reportedly heading for a Halloween party being held a block away when the accident occurred. The youngster had just started first grade at Brownell Elementary School.

In situations like these, the parents of the young girl often choose to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the car that struck her. Such a suit would enable them to collect reimbursement for hospital and burial expenses, damages for emotional anguish, and lost future wages that the victim would have earned in her lifetime. In the majority of such lawsuits, a settlement is reached between the plaintiffs and the defendant - and the case never goes to trial.

4 Kids, Driver Hurt in SUV Rollover Accident On I-94

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

In most cases, only the drivers of the vehicles who were directly involved in a collision can be blamed for causing the accident. But in a few cases, a vehicle that did not crash at all could be found partially or wholly liable for a given wreck.

That may be the case in a rollover accident which occurred last weekend on I-94 in Chicago less than a mile away from DePaul University. A 1996 Chevy Blazer was traveling south on the Kennedy Expressway near Armitage Avenue around 9:15am Sunday morning. According to a preliminary investigation, the SUV was cut off by another vehicle and the female driver of the Blazer swerved to avoid a collision. As a result, the SUV flipped over several times and wound up on its roof. The driver and the four children inside the SUV were all taken to area hospitals in serious to critical condition and their parents were notified about what had happened. All of the Blazer's occupants were wearing their seat belts and were not ejected from the vehicle.

The other vehicle did not stop, and police do not have any details about its appearance. But if authorities do locate that other vehicle, then the crash victims and their families could file personal injury lawsuits against its driver. The plaintiffs could claim that even though the offending vehicle did not collide with or even touch the SUV, the actions of its driver contributed to the resulting rollover accident to some degree.

However, there's no guarantee that these lawsuits would succeed. That's because there may not be any hard evidence to demonstrate that the other vehicle cut off the Blazer and caused the SUV to roll over. The only sources of potential evidence would be statements from witnesses who saw the crash, an admission of guilt from the driver of the vehicle that drove away, or video footage from a freeway camera which may have recorded the accident taking place.

DUI Suspect Charged in Aurora Injury Accident

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

One of the keys to being a cautious driver is anticipating what other motorists will do. If you can observe the situation on the road, you can make educated guesses about what actions the other drivers will take - and then act accordingly to avoid collisions.

The problem arises when drunk drivers are involved - because their behavior is completely unpredictable.

Such was the case in Aurora last month when a 23-year old man caused an auto accident which seriously injured a 21-year old woman. On October 29 at around 7:45am, the man was driving eastbound on Route 34 at a speed of approximately 75 miles per hour. According to police, the man swerved his 2004 Chevrolet Impala around a slower-moving car in front of him. In the process, his car hit the curb and then slammed into the driver's side of a 2001 Toyota Camry which was trying to exit from a gas station driveway near Eola Road.

The female driver had to be extricated by first responders using the Jaws of Life before being rushed to a nearby hospital with serious injuries. Police said that the blood alcohol content of the 23-year old man was measured at .203, which is more than 2 1/2 times the legal limit in Illinois. The suspect was arrested on charges that included aggravated driving under the influence. There are also reports that the DUI suspect had been drag racing at the time of the crash, though he hasn't yet been charged with that offense.

The crash victim suffered multiple injuries including bleeding on the brain, a fractured skull, and a broken spine. So there's a strong possibility that her recovery could last several weeks or months, and she may not ever gain full control of her mobility or mental functions at all. A personal injury lawsuit could help the woman pay for the substantial medical costs which have already mounted, as well as the expenses which she will undoubtedly incur over the coming months.

2 Hurt in Champaign I-74 Rear-End Collision Involving Stalled Vehicle

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

As we've written before, the driver of a vehicle which rear-ends another vehicle is usually responsible for the injuries and/or fatalities that result from the collision. But there are a few exceptions to this rule - and an auto accident on I-74 last week might be one of them.

On Thursday just after 4pm, a 40-year old woman's car reportedly suffered an engine problem and became disabled in the center lane of eastbound I-74 near the Prospect Avenue exit in Champaign (which is just before Market Place Mall). The Sullivan woman was out on the freeway inspecting the problem when her vehicle was struck from behind by another car. The woman was thrown clear of her car and sustained non-life-threatening injuries

After the collision, the rear-ending vehicle continued on and wound up in a ditch. The driver of that car, a 50-year old Wisconsin woman, also suffered minor injuries. Both victims were transported to Carle Foundation Hospital and have since been released.

So which woman is at fault? The Wisconsin woman, who rear-ended the stalled vehicle? Or the Sullivan woman, who had stopped her car in the middle of a busy freeway?

This case would be somewhat unpredictable if it were to reach the courts as part of a personal injury lawsuit filed by either driver. On one hand, a rear-ending vehicle's driver typically gets blamed for the injuries to people in (or near) the other car. However, it is reasonable to assume that a person driving on a freeway should not expect to encounter a stopped vehicle in a lane of traffic. So it's unclear how a jury would rule in this type of case.

For the record, Illinois State Police did not issue any tickets related to this auto accident. That implies that they feel that A) the Wisconsin woman could not have avoided the crash, and B) the Sullivan woman was unable to move her car off of the roadway. (It is illegal to stop your vehicle in a lane of traffic on a freeway if it can be moved out of the road.)

Chicago Man Charged with DUI in Afternoon Auto-Pedestrian Accident

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

There are certain times of day and days of the week when you are more likely to encounter people who are driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Weekends, Friday nights, and the hours after the bars close are some examples of when DUI offenders are commonly found on Illinois streets.

However, you usually don't expect to come across a man driving under the influence early on a Tuesday afternoon.

But that appears to be the case in Chicago, where a man has been charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence after an auto-pedestrian accident. Just before 1:30pm October 26, a 25-year old man was behind the wheel of his 2004 Jeep Liberty on Garfield Boulevard in the Washington Park neighborhood. His westbound vehicle struck a 52-year old woman who was trying to cross the road near the intersection of Dearborn Street, which is just east of the Dan Ryan Expressway. The woman was rushed to the hospital and remains in what is being described as "pretty severe condition."

The 25-year old driver, who lives on the city's Far South Side, was also charged with possession of marijuana, driving without a license, failure to reduce speed, and failure to yield to a pedestrian. The suspect reportedly was cited on drug-related charges on two different occasions in the past two years, although both cases were later dismissed.

It appears that the woman has very strong grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the 25-year old. Such a suit could allow her to collect reimbursement for her past and future medical costs as well as for any time at work she may have missed due to the auto-pedestrian accident. And given the suspect's past history, there's a chance that a jury might even award punitive damages to the woman.

Bartonville Man Dies After 18-Wheeler Runs Red Light, Crashes Into Vehicle

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

Though every motorist is required by law to stop at a red light, the consequences of failing to do so tend to radically differ depending on the type of the offending vehicle. If a motorcycle or a scooter runs a red light, only pedestrians and bicyclists are in real danger of being injured or killed. If a passenger vehicle runs a red light, it can certainly lead to casualties; but if other cars are hit, their safety features increase the odds of survival for their occupants.

But when a tractor-trailer runs a red light and causes a collision, death is the most likely outcome - no matter who or what the truck hits.

So when a semi truck ran a red light in Peoria County in October, the results were predictably tragic. The fatal trucking accident happened in the village of Bartonville, which is just off I-474 southwest of Peoria. According to Illinois State Police, a 39-year old Bushnell man driving a tractor trailer northbound on U.S. Route 24 failed to stop at a red light at McClure Avenue on October 14. A 70-year old man was driving east on McClure when the 18-wheeler crashed into his vehicle, pushing it north until it slammed into a large pole. The elderly man was subsequently pronounced dead. State Police ticketed the truck driver for failing to observe a traffic signal (as well as being overweight on axle).

The heirs of the victim appear to have solid grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against both the semi driver and the company which employs him (unless he is an independent contractor). If the Bartonville man was still employed, his family could receive any lost future wages he might have earned throughout the remainder of his lifetime. In addition to reimbursement of burial expenses, the heirs might also receive damages for loss of care and companionship or mental anguish.

Pedestrian Struck By Skokie Police Car

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 08:00:00 EST

Cities install sidewalks along their streets so that pedestrians can have a place to walk without being endangered by vehicle traffic. People who are on these sidewalks usually don't expect to be hit by a car or truck. And they certainly never plan on being struck by a police car.

But that's exactly what happened in Skokie October 19. Around 9:00am, a Skokie Police officer attempted to pull over a sport utility vehicle that was speeding through a school zone near Walker Elementary School. The officer tried to make a U-turn with his car on Church Street near Prairie Road, but lost control of his vehicle in wet road conditions. The squad car collided with several parked vehicles along the street and then struck a 33-year old pedestrian walking on the sidewalk. The Chicago resident was rushed to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston with several broken bones.

Of course, police officers are expected to watch out for pedestrians just like civilian drivers are - even if the officers are chasing a suspect. As a result, it appears that the 25-year police veteran will be found responsible for the pedestrian's injuries.

If this is the case, the victim could file a personal injury lawsuit against both the officer and the Skokie Police Department. The pedestrian may be entitled to reimbursement of hospital expenses, medication costs, and physical therapy expenditures. The defendants may also be ordered to pay for wages that were not earned during the victim's hospital stay, as well as damages for loss of care or mental anguish.

Auto accident lawsuits against police departments often take longer to complete than those involving only civilian drivers because of the bureaucracy that is endemic in city governments. Also, the statue of limitations for filing personal injury lawsuits against municipalities is only one year from the date of the accident instead of the standard two years.

Salem 2-Vehicle Crash Injures Man

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

There are ample warnings about the dangers of taking shortcuts in all kinds of disciplines - from scientific research to construction to home repair. The moral of the story is the same: cutting corners can lead to disaster. Yet people still do it.

One such decision on the roads led to another person getting hurt this week. On Thursday afternoon in Salem Township, a 26-year old Centralia man decided to cut across McMackin Street while driving his Nissan 4x4 pickup truck around 3:15 pm. Unfortunately, the truck slammed into a Chevrolet Suburban which was traveling on College Street about a block south of Route 50.

Witnesses say that the SUV crashed into a utility pole (hard enough to leave a gap) before hitting a no parking sign. The driver of the sport utility vehicle, a 23-year old man from Salem, reportedly banged his head against the windshield and was bloodied and disoriented immediately after the auto accident. He was taken to Salem Township Hospital with head injuries. The Centralia man, who was unhurt, was cited by police for failure to yield at a stopped intersection.

There's no word on exactly why the pickup truck driver was trying to cut across the intersection, although the investigation into the crash is ongoing. But it appears that the SUV driver has solid grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the Centralia man. The plaintiff could probably collect reimbursement for medical expenses from the defendant in such a case.

But since the victim sustained a head injury, it is quite possible that his health could be affected for some time to come. There's even a chance that the 23-year old's life may be permanently affected by this crash if the head injuries are serious enough. In this worst-case scenario, a settlement or jury award might be even higher so as to reflect the reduced quality of life that the victim must endure.

Man Charged With Street Racing in Fatal Hoffman Estates Crash

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

From "Rebel Without a Cause" to "The Fast and the Furious," street racing has always been glorified on the silver screen. But as we all know, there is a stark difference between the movies and real life. In reality, street racing is a dangerous and deadly activity that lawmakers in Illinois have outlawed. After all, there's a reason why people have been saying "speed kills" for decades.

An accountant from Wheaton may be starting to realize this fact. This week, the 37-year old man was charged with aggravating street racing as well as leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death. If convicted on those two counts, he could receive a prison term of as much as 27 years - or he could just be sentenced to probation.

The charges stem from a winter auto accident in Hoffman Estates. Around 7:30pm on January 27, the man was seen racing his 2002 Subaru Impreza alongside a 2003 Jaguar on Golf Road at speeds exceeding 80 miles per hour. The Jaguar lost control and fishtailed into the 2001 Hyundai Tiberion driven by a 62-year old woman who was on her way home from work. Both the woman and the 32-year old North Aurora man driving the Jaguar lost their lives.

Prosecutors are charging the Wheaton man with these crimes even though his Subaru was not directly involved in the fatal auto accident. This is important to note because the fact that the accountant may be convicted of two felonies will have an impact on any wrongful death lawsuits which may be filed in the future by the heirs of either the woman or the North Aurora man. Had the Wheaton man not been charged, it is possible that he would have avoided any responsibility for the deaths of the two people. As it stands, he may be ordered to pat damages to the victims' families if it is determined that he is partially liable for their deaths

Pedestrian Injured After Minooka Mom Lets Unlicensed Teen Drive

Tue, 25 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Baby boomers and senior citizens often like to tell stories about how they learned to drive when they were kids. They often regale us with tales of how they drove around on farms or country roads when they were younger than 16 years old. Many times, these trips were taken with their parents' consent.

But what you don't frequently hear are those stories where someone who drove without a license wound up injuring someone else. Well, here is one such story.

A 16-year old boy who did not have a driver's license has been charged with hitting a pedestrian in Minooka this past weekend. According to Minooka Police, the boy was driving a pickup truck on McEvilly Road on Sunday evening around 6:45pm when he struck a girl walking towards him near the intersection of Bell Road. The girl was rushed to a Joliet Hospital after the accident and is now recovering in a hospital in Chicago. Authorities say that the victim is in stable condition, but will take some time to fully recover from her injuries.

In an unusual occurrence, Minooka Police charged the driver's mother as well as the teen. A police spokesman says that the mother actually gave the boy permission to drive the pickup truck. Ironically, the spokesman claims that the teen would have received his driver's license on the Wednesday after the auto accident. Both were cited for operating a vehicle without a license and failure to reduce speed.

As it happens, the mother would be the party named as a defendant if the girl's parents choose to file a personal injury lawsuit. That's because the parent of a minor child is considered to be responsible for the youngster's behavior. In this instance, a lawsuit may allow the plaintiffs to get reimbursed for their daughter's medical expenses, which could include hospital stays, medical tests, prescription medications, doctor visits, and physical therapy.

Do Energy-Saving Traffic Lights Endanger Motorists?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

The invention of the traffic signal was arguably the biggest contribution to automotive transportation safety in history. Through the years, the traffic light has been improved to make it more effective in regulating the flow of traffic. More recently, some cities in Illinois have begun installing new energy-efficient traffic lights in order to save money on utility costs.

But are these cost savings coming at the expense of safety?

One man believes that to be the case. A Montgomery man has filed suit against Kendall County which alleges that these new traffic lights caused a fatal accident over two years ago. The 33-year old plaintiff argues that these LED traffic lights do not generate as much heat as traditional traffic signals, making them unable to melt off any ice or snow which may be obscuring them.

In April of 2009, the man's pickup truck crashed into a car at the intersection of North Orchard Road and Lewis Street in Oswego. The 33-year old driver of the car died in the accident, and three other people were injured. One of the injured occupants sued the pickup truck driver, which prompted the Montgomery man to file suit against Kendall County. That second suit claims that if the man is found responsible for the crash, the county is at least equally to blame.

Police investigating the auto accident stated that the woman driving the car sat through at least one green light on Lewis because cross traffic on Orchard was not stopping. Authorities also noted that the eco-friendly traffic lights appeared to be a contributing factor in the crash. The problems with energy-efficient traffic lights failing to melt snow and ice have been documented for over a decade.

A hearing on the Montgomery man's lawsuit was held this week, and the next proceedings in the case will take place in a Kendall County courtroom on January 4 of next year.

Cement Truck Strikes, Kills Wheelchair-Bound Woman in Chicago

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

There have been many advances in technology that are designed to help disabled individuals move from place to place. Chirping traffic signals assist the blind in crossing streets. Specially-equipped vehicles with hand controls allow leg amputees and paraplegics to drive. And motorized wheelchairs aid individuals who are not strong enough to operate standard wheelchairs.

But none of these measures will amount to much if other motorists don't watch out for disabled people. A tragic incident last week in Chicago illustrates this point.

On Tuesday afternoon around 3:30pm, a 60-year old woman was operating her motorized wheelchair while walking her dog on the city's South Side. She was attempting to cross West 39th Street at Shields when she was hit by a cement truck. Chicago Police say that the truck ran a stop sign and hit the woman while she was in a marked crosswalk. There are also reports that the man driving the cement truck was using his cell phone at the time of the accident. The woman was rushed to a nearby hospital, but succumbed to her injuries about an hour later.

Police are still investigating the accident, but they have cited the 31-year old truck driver from Glenwood for failing to stop at a stop sign, negligent driving, and striking a pedestrian in the roadway. However, he has not been charged with operating a handheld cell phone while driving, which is also a crime in Illinois.

The heirs of the 60-year old victim appear to have a strong case for a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the cement truck. If their suit is successful, they could be awarded damages for loss of companionship and/or pain and suffering, as well as receive reimbursement for hospital expenses and burial costs. If the woman was still working, the family could also be entitled to future wages which she would have earned had the accident not occurred.

Head-on Collision on I-474 Seriously Injures Woman

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Here's a question about civil lawsuits that I've heard before: if one party sues another party over a motor vehicle accident, and both parties hail from different states, in which state should the lawsuit be filed?

Actually, it's a trick question. The lawsuit would be filed in the jurisdiction where the auto accident occurred.

A crash which took place this weekend illustrates this scenario. A head-on collision Sunday afternoon on I-474 in Peoria County sent four people to the hospital, including a woman who reportedly sustained life-threatening injuries. About 2:45pm, a man and a woman from Naples, Florida were driving west on I-474 northwest of Peoria when their car crossed over the center median near the Route 6 interchange. That car slammed head-on into an eastbound car which contained a man and a woman from New Windsor, Maryland. (Both pairs of auto occupants share the same surname, but the article does not state whether they were married couples or siblings.)

All of the occupants were transported to OSF St. Francis Hospital after the wreck. But according to the Illinois State Police, the Maryland woman appeared to be the most severely hurt. There's no word on what caused the car carrying the Floridians to cross over the median. The male driver of that car was cited by police for improper lane usage.

Unless new information emerges, it appears that the Florida man will be held responsible for the injuries to both the man and the woman from Maryland. If they choose to do so, the Maryland victims may file a personal injury lawsuit against the Florida man - but the suit would be filed in Peoria County. This also means that the plaintiffs would be best served by engaging the services of a qualified auto accident attorney who is licensed to practice in the state of Illinois. (If they want, they can also hire a lawyer from their home state as co-counsel in the case.)

Reward Offered For Info On Fatal Hit-and-Run Lake Zurich Accident

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Whenever a teenager dies in a motor vehicle collision, the victim's family is plunged into unfathomable grief. The teen's loved ones experience a wide array of emotions ranging from anger to sadness to denial to despair. But it's even worse when a teenager perishes in a hit-and-run auto accident where the offending driver is never apprehended, because it makes it much harder for the teen's family members to find closure knowing that the person responsible for their loss is still at large.

That's why the family of an 18-year old Lake Zurich woman is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of the person responsible. Back on Friday, July 22, the woman and two female friends were walking on a gravel shoulder alongside Church Street heading to Alpine Fest in downtown Lake Zurich. About 9:15pm, a vehicle heading south on Church Street struck the three teenagers from behind near Lake Zurich Middle School. Two the teens survived the ordeal, but the 18-year old victim died at a Libertyville hospital shortly thereafter.

The best description of the vehicle that hit the three teens is a light-colored sport utility vehicle with an Illinois license plate affixed to the rear hatch. Authorities say the SUV might have a broken hazard light cover or turn signal on the front right side. If you have any information about the incident, you should call Lake County Crimestoppers at 847-662-2222.

Certainly, it's essential that the driver who killed the 18-year old woman be identified and held accountable for the fatal crash. But it's also important to allow the victim's family members not only to achieve closure in this tragedy, but also to receive compensation for any expenses they incurred from hospital bills and burial costs. A wrongful death lawsuit would allow the teen's heirs to be reimbursed for these expenses, as well as for future wages that would have been earned by the woman. They might also be entitled to damages relating to emotional distress and loss of companionship.

Cell Phone Use While Cycling Banned in Chicago

Tue, 11 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Recently, the state of Illinois passed a law prohibiting the use of handheld cell phones while driving. The goal of the legislation was to prevent motor vehicle collisions caused by distracted driving - more specifically, the distractions created by trying to talk, dial, or text on a cell phone while behind the wheel of a car.

This week, Chicago took that idea one step further.

On Wednesday, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance that would prohibit handheld cell phone use while cycling in the city. The council is trying the reduce the chances of accidents caused by cyclists who are talking or texting on a handheld cell phone. Like the cell phone use ban in vehicles, cyclists are permitted to utilize hands-free devices to make cell phone calls. Also, cyclists can use handheld cell phones for any reason if they are not moving.

The law, which will go into effect in November, calls for a $20 fine for a bicyclist caught using a handheld cell phone while cycling. That amount can rise to as high as $100 for a third citation. However, if the illegal cell phone use causes an accident, the fine could shoot up to as much as $500.

This new cell phone ordinance may also have ramifications on liability questions in bicycle-vehicle accidents in the city. If a cyclist is using a handheld cell phone and gets involved in a wreck with a vehicle, the driver may not necessarily be held responsible for the cyclist's injuries because the bicycle rider was engaging in an illegal activity. Also, if that scofflaw cyclist were to somehow cause a motor vehicle accident that resulted in injuries, the cyclist could be assigned part (or all) of the blame and become exposed to a personal injury lawsuit filed by victims of the wreck.

Rockford Woman Dies In Fatal Auto Accident in Coral Township

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's easy to see how some motor vehicle collisions occur. Wet or icy roads, darkness and/or poorly-lit roads, and heavily-congested areas are all common factors in numerous auto accidents. And then there are some crashes which just leaving you shaking your head.

One such wreck occurred in broad daylight in good weather on a rural road in McHenry County last week. On Friday morning around 11am, a woman from Rockford was driving her 2004 Chevrolet Cavalier north on U.S. 20 away from I-90 in unincorporated Coral Township. As she crossed the intersection with Harmony Road, an eastbound 2008 Ford Ranger failed to yield at a stop sign and broadsided the Cavalier. The force of the collision knocked the car off the roadway, and the woman driving it died a short time later at a hospital. The Rochelle man driving the pickup truck sustained minor injuries.

The fatal accident remains under investigation by McHenry County Sheriff's police. But there were no indications of the abovementioned frequently-cited causes of motor vehicle collisions, nor is there any evidence that drugs or alcohol were involved. So it appears that the pickup truck driver was either reckless, negligent, or both when he ran the stop sign and collided with the Cavalier.

It appears that the victim's relatives have a strong case for a wrongful death lawsuit against the Rochelle man. They may be entitled to reimbursement for burial and medical costs, unearned future wages from the woman's employer, and damages pertaining to loss of companionship and/or care as well as emotional distress.

This tragedy demonstrates that even if the conditions are favorable for driving, fatal auto crashes can still take place. Therefore, it is essential that Illinois drivers remain careful and vigilant at all times - even when the chances of an auto accident are relatively low.

Chicago Hit-And-Run Driver Strikes Woman Twice, Kills Her

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

Though it's a scary thought, it's not hard to envision situations where a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle. And knowing human nature, it's also easy to understand (but not excuse) why a driver who hits a pedestrian would panic and flee the scene. But it is practically beyond comprehension that a hit-and-run auto-pedestrian accident would occur in which the vehicle strikes the victim twice.

That's why Chicago police are asking for the public's help in catching a hit-and-run driver who killed a 43-year old female pedestrian in Uptown last weekend. Early Saturday morning around 1:30am, a car was driving south on North Sheridan Road near Lawrence Avenue when it collided with the woman. For some inexplicable reason, the driver put the car in reverse and backed up over the victim after the initial accident. Then the car proceeded to flee the scene, and the woman died at a nearby hospital about 8 1/2 hours later.

Police have obtained footage from a street camera that shows the car which is believed to be responsible for the fatal accident. The car is a light-colored 4-door sedan which may have front end damage. Anyone who sees this vehicle is encouraged to contact Chicago police.

Of course, it is very important that the driver involved in this tragedy be brought to justice. However, identifying the individual responsible for the woman's death will give her surviving family members an opportunity to obtain relief from a wrongful death lawsuit. They could be eligible for reimbursement of hospital expenses and burial costs, damages for mental anguish and loss of care and companionship, and wages that would have been earned by the woman had the accident not happened.

For the grieving family, receiving monetary damages or a settlement check certainly won't bring back their loved one. But the funds will help ease the financial burden that any untimely death places on a family's budget - so the victim's relatives can concentrate on mourning her death.

Des Plaines Middle School Teacher Critically Injured in Car-Semi Collision

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's easy to underestimate the consequences of a motor vehicle collision. In addition to the person who is injured or killed, the victim's family and friends are also impacted. However, there are potentially many more people who will be affected by the temporary or permanent loss of someone involved in an auto accident.

Dozens of middle school students are dealing with the news that one of their teachers has been critically injured in a car crash. About 7:50am Thursday morning, the 31-year old teacher at Algonquin Middle School in Des Plaines was heading to work from his home in Chicago. He was driving his Ford Explorer westbound on the Jane Addams Tollway just north of O'Hare International Airport. The man exited at Lee Street about two miles past the I-294 interchange and tried to make a turn, but his SUV was struck by an 18-wheeler.

The crash was so severe that the teacher's Explorer slid underneath the semi, and he had to extricated from his vehicle. The victim was rushed to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he is listed in critical condition. The 32-year old driver of the big rig was cited for failing to yield the right of way because he apparently made an illegal turn.

The victim was married over the summer and now teaches eighth-grade social studies. He also coaches basketball at the school. At this point, it is uncertain when (or if) the 31-year old will be able to return to school to teach again.

Hopefully, the teacher will be able to recoup not only the money he has spent on medical bills, but also the paychecks he isn't getting because of his absence from his job. One way to obtain this compensation is by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the truck driver (and his employer, who is responsible for the actions of all of its drivers).

The countless students and teachers at the man's school may be suffering from emotional distress. However, only the victim's wife can receive damages from a jury pertaining to pain and suffering and loss of care or companionship.

Sleeping Teen Girl Dies When Car Crashes Into Apartment

Thu, 29 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Parents try to do anything they can to shield their teenage children from harm. They educate the kids about the dangers that lurk in the world. They keep tabs on where they go and who their friends are. Sometimes, parents will even say no to their teens for their own good.

But the cruel truth is that sometimes you can do everything possible to keep teens from danger, and they still get hurt - or killed. Even if they are at home asleep.

A Maywood family is mourning the loss of their 14-year old daughter after a car crashed into their home and killed the girl while she was sleeping. According to authorities, a Hyundai Elantra smashed into the wall of an apartment building on South 19th Avenue near Warren Avenue Monday night around 11:30pm. The car wound up on top of the teen who was sleeping on a sofa, and she did not survive her injuries. The wreck also injured her 12-year old brother, who is now in stable condition at a Chicago hospital.

The reason why the car collided with the building is even stranger. It appears that the driver of the Elantra had been shot a few blocks away and apparently lost control of the vehicle. Police do not know how he came to be shot or who the shooter was, although there have been reports in recent weeks of gunfire in Chicago's suburbs.

This scenario raises an issue concerning who is to blame for the death of the teen and the injuries to her brother. Was it the man who drove the Elantra into the apartment building? Or was it the unknown person or persons who shot him? Authorities will have to investigate further in order to determine the answers to these questions. Only then will the teen's family be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the individual who is responsible.

Chicago Cabdrivers Frequently Get Tickets Dismissed

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Have you ever noticed a taxi cab in Chicago speeding down the street, running a stop sign, or making an illegal turn? Do you wonder whether cabdrivers have to pay traffic tickets like other Chicagoans do?

Well, cabdrivers certainly receive their share of moving violations. But a new study by the Chicago Tribune has discovered that these tickets issued to cabdrivers are dismissed by the courts much more regularly than for other drivers.

Here is a snapshot of the Tribune study's findings:

• About two out of every three traffic tickets among heavily-cited cabdrivers were dismissed. That's about twice the rate of ticket dismissal for drivers in the general population.
• Among the cabdriver citations studied, 75% of them were dismissed if they were written by Chicago Police officers. But citations brought by Cook County prosecutors (those written by Illinois State Police or outside Chicago city limits) have only a 40% dismissal rate.
• About one out of every four auto-pedestrian crashes in downtown Chicago involves taxis.
• One Chicago cabdriver was stopped by police a whopping 22 times in a 3 1/2 year period. But since most of those violations were dismissed, he never lost his chauffeur's license. He is accused of running over a pedestrian on the Magnificent Mile.
• Another cabdriver in Chicago received nine traffic citations - including one for crashing into a police car - but eight of them were dismissed. He later allegedly struck an 86-year old woman who had the right of way in a crosswalk.

Cabdrivers who have three convictions for moving violations in a year's time automatically get their chauffeur's licenses revoked. But because of the high rate of ticket dismissals, many of them never have three citations on their driving record during any 12-month period.

One thing is important to keep in mind: even if a cabdriver is not convicted of a traffic violation in an auto-pedestrian accident, he or she can be held responsible in civil court as a defendant in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit. Plaintiffs can often receive compensation not only from the defendant, but also by the cab company that employs the cabdriver.

UPDATE: Man Who Caused Fatal Head-On Collision in DuPage County Dies

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Readers of this blog probably remember the strange and tragic story about the man who drove his Porsche convertible at high speed on the wrong side of I-88 near Lisle on the evening of August 6. The man slammed head-on into another car, killing two people inside it and critically injuring a third. A subsequent investigation revealed that the man had drugs in his system and was reportedly tossing money out of his car right before the accident. In addition, the man had previously closed his Naperville dentistry practice, was reportedly $100,000 in debt, had seen his home foreclosed on, and suffered from Huntington's disease.

Last Friday, the 42-year old man died at Loyola University Medical Center. The exact cause of his death is unknown, though he had been in a coma for much of his hospital stay. Cook County prosecutors had expected the man to recover and face criminal charges of felony reckless homicide.

Though the man's death means that he won't face criminal charges, his estate may still be named as a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit by the relatives of those killed. A 38-year old woman and her 75-year old father from Elmhurst were on their way to a prayer service when they died in the crash. The woman's 42-year old husband was critically injured in the head-on collision.

However, the death of the Porsche driver will probably complicate any future civil suits. His estate may have to be settled by probate attorneys, and there may be a will which will have to be sorted out. Many of these details will have to be addressed before any sort of wrongful death lawsuit can proceed.

It might seem a bit unkind or macabre to file suit against the estate of a deceased man. After all, his family is mourning the loss of a loved one; and any such suit will put them through additional stress and grief. On the other hand, the family of the two deceased victims are also grieving; and they face significant costs (such as burial expenses) without the future income earned by the father and daughter. Plus, the health care expenses incurred by the critically-injured victim continue to accumulate, and the family may need the funds received from a personal injury lawsuit to pay the mounting medical bills.

Chicago Man Kills Pedestrian in DUI Accident

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Countless people from all over the country flock to Chicago each year for work and play. Most of them have a nice vacation or complete an uneventful business trip. But a few are victimized in motor vehicle accidents and suffer injuries or even die. It is important to remember that these non-Illinois residents have the same rights to compensation as accident victims who live within the state.

This weekend, an out-of-state pedestrian was struck and killed by a Chicago driver. Early Saturday morning around 1:15am, the 45-year old man was driving a Cadillac Seville northbound on Lakeshore Drive. At Monroe Drive, the car hit a 50-year old man from Redmond, Washington who was crossing Lakeshore Drive from west to east. The victim died 12 minutes later at a nearby hospital.

The driver was arrested by Chicago Police for driving under the influence of alcohol. His blood alcohol content was measured to be .081 about two hours after the crash. Authorities say the suspect and a companion were dancing and drinking at a South Side bar and were traveling to another bar on the North Side when the auto-pedestrian accident occurred. As it turns out, the 45-year old driver was cited for DUI seven years ago; but the case was later dropped.

Regardless of the outcome of the criminal proceedings, family members of the 50-year old victim have a strong case for a wrongful death lawsuit against the Seville driver. They could engage the services of an Illinois auto accident lawyer and file the suit in hopes of collecting damages relating to medical and burial cost reimbursement, lost future wages, pain and anguish, and/or loss of care and companionship. It is also possible that a jury could award punitive damages to the plaintiff, given the fact that the defendant had been cited for drunk driving previously.

Do Illinois' Graduated Drivers' Licenses Make Teens Safer?

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

In an effort to bolster teen driving safety, Illinois and the other U.S. states created so-called "graduated drivers' licenses." This means that young people can get a learner's permit at the age of 15 and a provisional drivers' license when they turn 16. But they are not eligible for an "adult" license until they are at least 18 years old.

Graduated drivers' licenses are designed to lower accidents and their subsequent injuries caused by drivers who are young and inexperienced. But recent research questions whether this three-tiered licensing process (and others like it) truly keep teens safer.

A study published on September 14 in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows that from 1986 to 2007, fatal automobile accidents involving 16-year olds were about 26% lower in states with graduated drivers' licenses than in those without such programs. However, their 18-year old peers saw a jump of 10% in fatal auto crashes during that time period. The researchers said that teenagers may be putting off getting their drivers' licenses until they turn 18 to avoid the provisional restrictions - but that results in more inexperienced 18-year old drivers on the roadways.

On the other hand, another study in the Traffic Safety Journal last year determined that there was no difference in fatal collision rates among 18- or 19-year olds in the two groups of states; whereas drivers between the ages of 15 and 17 were 30% less likely to be in a fatal auto crash in a state with a rigorous graduated drivers' license program. So the jury is still out on whether the graduated drivers' license approach is harmful to older teens or not.

In Illinois, a teenager must have a learner's permit for at least nine months and have completed at least 10 nighttime and 40 daytime hours of supervised driving practice before getting a provisional driver's license. During the provisional stage, the teen driver cannot driver at night without adult supervision. In addition, an "adult" licensee can't have more than one passenger under 20 years old in the vehicle for the first year.

If your teen has died or been injured in an auto collision, contact an experienced auto car accident lawyer as soon as you can.

1 Dead, 2 Hurt By DUI Suspect in I-57 Rollover Crash

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's bad enough when someone who has consumed too much alcohol tries to get behind the wheel and navigate the streets to get home after a night of partying. But what's even worse is when the same individual makes the extremely poor decision to get on the freeway and drive at faster speeds.

That's what happened this past weekend on the far South Side of Chicago, and the results were as predictable as they were tragic. A 24-year old man was driving northbound on I-57 at a high rate of speed in the Morgan Park area. The 2001 Oldsmobile Aurora came to an S-curve in the road, and the driver lost control of the vehicle which struck a light pole on the right embankment. The car rolled over and ejected the driver and the vehicle's three passengers.

One of the passengers, a 24-year old South Holland man, died on the scene; while the two other men (aged 20 and 24) were rushed to a nearby hospital with serious to critical injuries. The driver also had to be transported to the hospital. None of the four occupants were wearing seat belts. After the crash, police charged the driver with driving under the influence; and more charges may be forthcoming.

The two injured passengers appear to have strong cases for personal injury lawsuits against the driver, who may also be named as a defendant in a wrongful death lawsuit by the family of the South Holland man. While it's true that the men contributed to their injuries by choosing not to wear seat belts, it is still ultimately the driver's responsibility to keep his passengers safe while he is operating his vehicle. In addition, the fact that the 24-year old driver was allegedly drunk at the time of the rollover crash may leave him exposed to punitive damages in any forthcoming lawsuit.

Drivers Kill Pedestrians Across Cook County

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

Autumn is upon us in the Midwest. So it's natural for Illinois residents to try to cram as many summertime activities as possible into their schedule before the weather turns colder. That often means more pedestrians moving around on the streets. Unfortunately, there has been a rash of fatal auto-pedestrian accidents in Cook County over the past several days.

On September 15, a young cross country runner lost his life when he was struck by a car in Frankfort. The 14-year old boy was jogging on a horse trail in the Van Horne Woods Forest Preserve when he was hit, and he succumbed to his injuries later that evening. The driver was cited for traffic violations. A candlelight vigil was held for the teen Sunday night at his high school.

Two days later, a pair of elderly women were victimized by a hit-and-run driver in the Jefferson Park area of Chicago about a quarter mile away from the Kennedy Expressway. The women were crossing Lawrence Avenue near the intersection of Major Avenue when a dark-colored pickup truck struck them both and then fled the scene. One of the victims is in critical condition at Lutheran General Hospital; but the other, an 82-year old woman, died at the scene. The two ladies had gone to breakfast and the hair salon that morning to celebrate the deceased victim's 82nd birthday. Police are still searching for the driver for the Ford F-150 which was hauling a ladder at the time of the crash.

And on Monday morning, a man was fatally injured in a hit-and-run accident in Chicago's Gresham neighborhood. The victim was trying to cross South Racine Avenue near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park when he was struck by what police believe was a dark-colored Oldsmobile Alero. The driver fled the scene and remains at large, while the victim was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital an hour later. The victim lived across the street from the park.

From the information given in all of these cases, it appears that the family members of the deceased victims all have solid grounds for wrongful death lawsuits against the offending drivers. However, the two hit-and-run drivers in Chicago will have to be located and identified before such suits can be filed.

Cell Phone Use While Cycling Ban Proposed in Chicago

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

You would think that people would have enough common sense to refrain from using a cell phone while behind the wheel of a two-ton vehicle. But apparently, they don't - so the state of Illinois enacted a ban on the use of a handheld cell phone while driving.

Apparently, the abovementioned lack of common sense has extended to bicyclists in the city of Chicago. So an alderman is proposing a new ordinance to address that.

Margaret Laurino is pushing for a ban on handheld cell phone use while cycling within the city limits. The alderman from the 39th Ward is promoting legislation which would fine cyclists $50 for a first offense. The bill also calls for penalties of up to $500 if the cell phone use causes an accident.

Some may question the need for such a ban given that bicycles are not likely to injure motorists (like cars driven by distracted drivers can). But it is important to keep in mind that bicyclists can still cause property damage if they collide with a vehicle or other object. Plus, a cyclist could injure a pedestrian while texting - or worse, cause a vehicle to swerve to avoid a collision and crash into someone else.

Even cycling proponents agree that a ban on cell phone use while cycling is a good idea. However, the Active Transportation Alliance's Ron Burke feels that the law might place an additional burden on the city's police force, which is already struggling to enforce the state's ban on handheld cell phone use while driving.

But Laurino's measure is important for another reason. It would place criminal penalties on texting while cycling, which would be an important factor in any subsequent civil lawsuit which might arise from an accident. For instance, if an elderly woman were struck by a cyclist who was talking on a cell phone, and the victim had to be hospitalized with a concussion, broken bones, and/or internal injuries; her grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the offending cyclist would be strengthened by the existence of a ban on such activities.

The Chicago City Council has indicated that hearings will be held to discuss the proposed ordinance, although they have not yet been scheduled.

Fatal Accident At Illinois Intersection Involving 3 Vehicles

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 08:00:00 EST

It would be great if all intersections were simple and easy to navigate. Then the number of motor vehicle collisions would probably drop because drivers would have one less thing to worry about when turning onto or crossing roadways. Unfortunately, there are some intersections in Illinois that are complex and driver-unfriendly - and occasionally, a serious auto accident occurs at these locations.

A three-vehicle crash in Cook County took place at a Niles intersection last week. A 63-year old woman tried to make a left turn from Milwaukee Avenue into a private drive on September 12. But her Honda Accord was hit by a Jeep Wrangler that was turning left from Oriole Avenue onto Milwaukee. The impact propelled the victim's car into oncoming traffic, where it was struck head-on by a Ford Explorer. The 63-year old was rushed to an area hospital, but succumbed to her injuries the next day.

As you can see, the intersection where the accident happened is a bit chaotic. In fact, a Niles police spokesman admitted that some drivers might have difficulties with sight lines when navigating that intersection.

Another problem with this accident is determining precisely who was at fault. Was it the driver of the Wrangler, who turned into the victim's car? Or was it the driver of the Explorer who caused the impact which likely led to the fatal injuries? And to what extent (if any) is the village of Niles responsible for the crash because of the flawed design of the intersection?

Also, does the 63-year old victim share part of the blame herself? After all, police cited her for driving in the wrong lane (in addition to the Jeep's driver being ticketed for failing to yield at an intersection). All of these questions have a direct effect on the outcome of any wrongful death lawsuit which might be filed in the future.

6 Injured in Peru Collision - Green Doesn't Always Mean Go

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Since we were young children, we have all been taught that "green means go." But when we get older, it's easy to forget that this axiom is not absolute. For example, if the light turns green while there is a pedestrian in a crosswalk in front of you, you're not allowed to accelerate through the person into the intersection.

There are other instances where caution must be taken when a motorist has a green light. One such situation was illustrated in Peru last month at the intersection of Route 251 and Interstate 80. Last Friday morning just before 11:30am, a 76-year old Spring Valley man was driving his car north on Route 251 and wanted to turn left onto the ramp to I-80. He had a green light, so he started to make his turn.

However, a van driven by a 44-year old LaMoille man was traveling southbound toward the car at the same time - and he had a green light as well. The van struck the car on the passenger side, and the collision injured both men as well as four other people in the van.

In this case, the elderly driver should have yielded to the car coming towards him even though he had a green light. That's because Illinois drivers are required to yield to oncoming traffic before making a left turn (unless the motorist has a protected green arrow, which was not the case in this scenario). As a result, the Spring Valley man was cited by Illinois State Police for failure to yield the right of way.

Since the 76-year old man was at fault in this collision, the other five injured victims have strong grounds to file personal injury lawsuits against him. All of them had to be transported to area hospitals, which means that they have incurred medical costs as a result of the accident. If any of them are forced to miss work because of their injuries (or the physical therapy which might be required in the future), the elderly man may have to reimburse them for the wages that would have otherwise earned. That's learning the hard (and expensive) way that "green means go" is not absolute.

Teen Hospitalized With Head Injuries After Winnebago County Crash

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 08:00:00 EST

Sometimes, you hear people describe a motor vehicle accident with the phrase, "That car came out of nowhere!"

While there are certainly crash scenarios where vehicles unexpectedly "appear" in an instant, most collisions can be avoided simply by taking a safety precaution or two. One of these situations involves following large trucks.

Such was the case this week when a head-on collision in Winnebago County hospitalized a 15-year old Rockford girl. On Wednesday afternoon shortly after 4pm, a Ford Mustang convertible driven by a 16-year old girl was traveling on North Main Street about 1.5 miles north of Sturbridge Village Shopping Center. The Mustang, which was following a garbage truck, tried to make a left turn into a private drive. But when the car crossed the center line, it was struck head-on by an oncoming Oldsmobile Intrigue. The passenger in the convertible suffered serious head injuries and is now recovering at Rockford Memorial Hospital.

The investigation into the accident is still ongoing, and charges have not yet been filed against either driver. But judging by the facts in the article, a likely scenario appears: the Mustang driver was following so closely behind the garbage truck that she was unable to see oncoming traffic before she made her left turn.

To the 16-year old, the Intrigue probably "came out of nowhere." However, had the girl been maintaining an appropriate following distance behind the garbage truck and/or paused to let the truck clear her field of view before she made her left turn, she probably would have seen the Intrigue and avoided the head-on collision.

The article does not state whether the Mustang's driver and passenger are related. But if they are not, the parents of the 15-year old have solid grounds against the 16-year old for a personal injury lawsuit. In addition, the female driver of the Intrigue and her two small children, all of whom were hurt in the crash, could also seek compensation through a personal injury lawsuit against the 16-year old. Any such suit would name the driver's parents as defendants because she is a minor.

Common Causes of Auto Accidents

Sun, 31 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

ometimes, auto accidents are pretty straightforward in determining which driver is at fault. Then the victim gets compensated for damage to his or her vehicle and health by the person responsible for the accident (who is usually represented by an insurance company).

But other times, the liability issues aren't quite as clear cut. This is more common when multiple vehicles are involved, or when each driver in a two-vehicle accident believes that the other is to blame. In these complex situations, how do we determine who is at fault in an auto accident?

In almost all cases, we turn to the law for guidance. The Rules of the Road are found in the section of the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code which governs what you can and cannot do on Illinois streets and highways. When looking at a wreck, whichever party broke the law is usually the one responsible for causing a collision.

Here are some of the most frequent traffic violations which lead to motor vehicle accidents:

• Speeding or driving too fast for road or weather conditions
• Failing to stop at a red light or a stop sign
• Following too closely (or failure to properly slow a vehicle to avoid a collision)
• Failure to yield the right of way while making a left turn or at a posted yield sign
• Failure to yield the right of way to a pedestrian
• Failure to yield the right of way when exiting a driveway
• Failure to stay in a single lane or making an unsafe lane change
• Turning or changing lanes without signaling
• Attempting an unsafe turn
• Loss of control of the vehicle
• Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs

If both drivers commit one or more of these violations, then they both may be held partially liable for the crash. An example is if two vehicles both run a stop sign and collide in an intersection which is regulated by a four-way stop. However, there are certain scenarios where a driver who breaks the law may not be to blame for an accident. For instance, if a car runs a red light through an intersection, but then crashes into a pickup truck which is making an illegal U-turn in the roadway, the fault in the collision may lie solely with the pickup truck driver. That's because the accident would not have occurred had the driver of the pickup obeyed the law.

A qualified Illinois auto accident attorney can help you determine who is to blame in a given accident scenario. A lawyer can also assist you in gathering evidence, contacting insurance companies, and even filing a personal injury lawsuit if necessary. So don't hesitate to contact an attorney if you think that you have been victimized in an auto accident by someone else's negligence.

Auto Accidents and Mobs

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Being involved in an auto accident is stressful enough. But being targeted by a group of angry people intent on administering vigilante justice can be absolutely terrifying.

Can this really happen to you? It seems unthinkable in today's civilized society that an irate mob could form spontaneously and endanger your physical well-being simply because you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. But it happened earlier this month in Springfield on the evening of July 9.

A police officer pulled over a 16-year old driver for running a red light in connection with an auto accident. Upset that he was being ticketed, the teen called some friends on his cell phone. Then several individuals arrived on the scene and attacked the police officer. Fortunately, the officer was not seriously injured and was able to request backup. Four individuals were arrested in connection with the mob attack.

So if a police officer is not safe from mob attacks, it stands to reason that ordinary civilians can be put in danger as well. Chicagoans may remember the deadly mob attack in the summer of 2002. A van crashed into a front porch of a home on the city's South Side one evening. Three women sitting on the porch were injured. However, a group of angry residents pulled the two occupants out of the van and beat them to death with stones, sticks, and a large brick.

This situation is almost too horrifying to think about. However, if you are involved in an accident where bystanders' emotions are running high, the ingredients exist for tensions to boil over - and that could put you in grave danger.

Here are some suggestions to help you avoid and/or survive a mob attack after an auto accident.

Be aware of the situation. If the accident occurs in a residential neighborhood, entertainment district, or any other location where lots of people are around, the chances of a mob event occurring are much higher than a wreck on an empty road or a freeway. Watch for warning signs like people suddenly making calls on their cell phones and/or yelling at you or talking angrily about the accident.

Stay calm. Granted, this is easier said than done - but it could mean the difference between the situation resolving itself peacefully or turning violent. Responding to accusations by raising your voice, lashing out, or brandishing a weapon will only inflame tensions. Concentrate on the accident itself and try to remedy the situation.

Focus attention elsewhere. If someone is hurt, tend to their needs and ask bystanders for help in calling an ambulance, getting bandages, or consoling the victim. If a vehicle is stalled in traffic, request assistance in pushing or guiding it out of the road. If bystanders are busy helping out accident victims, they're less likely to lose their temper and focus their ire on you.

Call 911. If a person is injured, you should do this anyway. But at any moment, if you feel physically threatened or sense that the situation is becoming dangerous, call 911 and request police assistance (even if you have already called once for an ambulance). Speak calmly and quietly into your phone, and be sure to mention your fears that a mob may be forming at the accident site.

Lock yourself in your vehicle. If you think you are in danger, get yourself and all of your passengers into your vehicle, lock all of the doors, and roll up the windows. This will you allow you to speak on the phone with emergency personnel without being assaulted. Stay there until first responders arrive, because leaving the scene of an accident is illegal.

Make noise. If a group begins to gather around your vehicle, sound the horn repeatedly. If your vehicle has an audible alarm system, activate it. This will get the attention of people who are far away from the accident scene - and who are much less likely to be caught up in the emotions of those around your vehicle. These people can also call for help - or perhaps even come to your aid directly. And the mob may even disperse if the individuals do not wish to attract attention to themselves.

Worst case scenario

Though rare, full scale mob attacks on motorists can occur after an auto accident. People may slap or push the vehicle's exterior, rock the vehicle back and forth, throw debris at the vehicle, or break headlights or hood ornaments. Sometimes, the mayhem will not progress any further before help arrives. However, some mob attacks may turn even more violent if the attackers decide to go after the vehicle's occupants.

If there comes a point to when you or your passengers are in imminent danger of suffering bodily harm (i.e., when attackers break windshields or windows, throw heavy objects at the vehicle, discharge firearms at the vehicle, or attempt to set the vehicle on fire), then you must choose your safety over a hit-and-run citation and get away from the area.

1. Take the most direct route away from the mob (doing your best not to strike any pedestrians if you can help it) and drive away quickly but safely.
2. Drive to a place far enough away that you are out of danger and then pull into a public place.
3. Then immediately dial 911 and tell the dispatcher exactly what happened. Not only will this alert police officers to your new location, it will create an audio recording explaining why you drove away from the crash site. This recording will help you fight any future charges of fleeing the scene of an accident. If possible, stay on the line with the dispatcher until police arrive.
4. If they haven't already noticed your damaged vehicle, get the attention of bystanders by honking your horn or sounding your alarm. If anyone approaches the vehicle in a friendly and non-threatening manner, tell them what happened and ask them for help if you need it (especially if you or your occupants are injured).
5. Stay at that location until police officers arrive. Then explain to them exactly what happened starting from the initial accident (the dispatcher may not have filled them in on your plight). Then follow their instructions - even if it means going with them to the police station.
6. Some time after the incident, enlist the services of an attorney to not only argue on behalf of your position, but also to help find those responsible for damaging your vehicle and/or causing injuries to you or your passengers.

Mob attacks happen very infrequently - but they do happen. The key is to recognize the signs of discord, remain calm and focused, and take defensive measures only if necessary.

Advantages of Working with Joliet, Illinois Auto Accident Lawyer

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Filing a claim for damages from a serious auto accident in Joliet, Illinois is an experience most drivers have never had before. This means you're going into uncharted territory, and would benefit greatly from the advice of a Joliet, Illinois auto accident lawyer. A Joliet, Illinois auto accident lawyer has experience with auto injury claims because that's their professional focus.

A history of dealing with these types of claims allows your lawyer to:

understand how insurance companies handle claims;
identify when an insurance adjuster is trying to compromise your claim;
help you avoid damaging your claim and ruining your chances at a settlement;
estimate a fair settlement; and
protect your right to fight for compensation.

The insurance companies have just as much experience as a qualified lawyer when it comes to dealing with injury claims from car accidents. By working with a Joliet, Illinois auto accident lawyer you give yourself the same edge as the insurance company has with their experience.

Your family's financial future depends on a fair settlement to make sure you're not seriously burdened by the damages suffered from your accident. An experienced attorney can make all the difference in a settlement's value when you file an injury claim for a car accident in Illinois.

When to Hire a Joliet, Illinois Auto Accident Lawyer

A serious car crash in Joliet, IL can result in medical bills, lost wages, and other financial setbacks all due to the negligence of another party. When your accident was the result of someone else's inability to follow the rules of the road, you shouldn't have to pay the price.

If there is even the slightest question that your negligence may have played a part in your injury, you will need to prove otherwise if you want to receive the maximum settlement in your case. Your best chance at proving your degree of fault was low enough to recover damages is to have an experienced Joliet, Illinois auto accident lawyer on your side.

The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have tried many cases like yours and know the best ways to express your degree of fault to the court. Before making any decisions, request a FREE copy of our guide to Illinois accident law. For a free case evaluation and help preparing your evidence contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Avoid Losing Your Illinois Injury Claim Settlement with An Attorney

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

The moment you begin to discuss your car accident and injuries with another party you could be potentially damaging your chances of a fair settlement in an Illinois injury claim. You can, however, discuss your accident candidly with a Wheaton car accident attorney.

Police reports, witnesses, and even your social media accounts can all become evidence in your claim. When you don't watch what you say to these sources, your words could come back to haunt you.

One of the trickiest parts of the Illinois injury claim settlement process is giving a recorded statement to the adjuster. The recorded statement is designed to give you the opportunity to tell your version of how the accident happened. While giving this statement you may not realize you could be saying more than necessary. Before speaking to anyone about your accident, you should consult with a Wheaton car accident attorney.

The settling of an Illinois injury claim can become a back-and-forth game of trying to prove the financial need your injuries have created while your insurance company tries to prove just the opposite.

While you need to be showing evidence that you deserve a fair settlement, your insurance adjuster will be trying to show your situation doesn't warrant the full settlement amount. A Wheaton car accident attorney can help you protect your right to compensation.

When to Hire a Wheaton Car Accident Attorney

Obtaining a fair settlement straight off from the insurance company is a rare occurrence. In most Illinois injury claims you'll have to fight for your right to fair compensation.

If there is even the slightest question that your negligence may have played a part in your injury, you will need to prove otherwise if you want to receive the maximum settlement in your case. Your best chance at proving your degree of fault was low enough to recover damages is to have an experienced Wheaton car accident attorney on your side.

The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have tried many cases like yours and know the best ways to express your degree of fault to the court. Before making any decisions, request a FREE copy of our guide to Illinois accident law. For a free case evaluation and help preparing evidence for your Illinois injury claim contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Hire Wheaton Accident Lawyer After IL Truck Accident to Reduce Stress

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Whether you or a loved one is the victim of a serious IL truck accident your family will be going through some frustrating and stressful times. A Wheaton commercial truck accident lawyer will be there to help ease your stress.

The physical and emotional damages are just part of what you will be dealing with in the coming months after a serious injury. Financial problems are not something you want to add to the mix.

You don't have to deal with the financial burden alone when a serious injury is caused by a truck driver or a truck company's negligence. Filing a personal injury claim is the solution, but the process will take away precious time you should be spending recovering with your loved ones.

A Wheaton commercial truck accident lawyer can be your right-hand-man when it comes to filing and settling your personal injury claim by being able to do the following:

handle all the paperwork with the insurance company;
determine fault in your case;
provide evidence of your damages; and
seek a fair settlement.

Even if you believe you can handle your claim alone, there are many reasons why truck accident victims choose to work with a lawyer. When your family's financial future is at stake, an experienced lawyer could be the difference between a comfortable life and unnecessary losses.

When to Hire a Wheaton Commercial Truck Accident Lawyer

Even experienced, safe drivers run the risk of being involved in a serious truck crash in Wheaton, Illinois. Beyond your initial recovery, injuries in these types of accidents are often serious and result in permanent disability or disfigurement which can cause loss of the ability to work, years of rehabilitation, serious medical bills, and have a significant impact on your life.

A Wheaton commercial truck accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois trucking accident claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Keep IL Injury Claim Organized with Help from Accident Lawyer

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's already frustrating enough that you'll have to deal with filing and settling an IL injury claim to obtain financial help for your medical bills and wage losses. Even the smallest mistake in your injury claim could cost you extra time and headaches. This is where a Wheaton, IL motorcycle accident lawyer can come into the picture and save your claim.

Do you really want to add to your burdens when you're already trying to recover from your injuries? You've got a lot on your plate with doctor's appointments, recovery time, and trying to get back to a normal life.

Your lawyer, on the other hand, has one focus and that's to help your insurance claim settle for the highest amount possible. With the help of a lawyer you can focus on what's really important, while they keep things running smoothly with paperwork and claim details.

Having a well-organized claim handled by a professional like a motorcycle accident lawyer will give you the advantage you need to get a fair settlement and reduce some of your financial struggles.

There are several ways a Wheaton, IL motorcycle accident lawyer can help you and your family after you've been in a serious accident.

When to Hire a Wheaton, IL Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

A motorcycle is usually no match for a larger vehicle. As a result, a motorcycle accident in Wheaton, Illinois often results in the rider sustaining serious and sometimes fatal injuries. It's already enough of a burden on your family to deal with serious injuries without having to worry about settling an injury claim.

At the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C, a Wheaton, IL motorcycle accident lawyer will examine all aspects of your accident, determine liability, and aggressively pursue the full amount of compensation due to you for any injuries or loss you may have suffered as a result of your accident. Contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Settling a Truck Accident Claim with Help from a Joliet, IL Attorney

Fri, 29 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

When you've been seriously injured or lost a loved one in an Illinois trucking accident, it's common for victims to point the blame at the truck driver. What most families don't realize is that it's not always just the truck driver to blame when a serious accident occurs. A Joliet, IL attorney will be able to identify all of the possible liable parties in your accident claim.

When other parties are suspected of being involved in the occurrence of the truck accident, it becomes known as a third party liability case.

Potential Third Parties Your Attorney Can Identify in Your Claim

the trucking company;
maintenance workers or companies that performed work on the truck;
federal regulators and inspectors; and
truck manufacturers.

It's not always driver negligence that causes trucking accidents. Manufacturer defects, mechanical failure, and improper loading can all add to the frequency of commercial trucking accidents. If another party failed to complete their required inspections or duties to keep the truck running safely, they can be held liable for your injuries as well.

Not only can it be confusing to determine if your accident was caused by another party, but it can also be difficult to prove this liability. A Joliet, IL attorney who focuses their practice on Illinois trucking accident claims can help you determine if third party liability factors into your situation and how to deal with settlements.

When to Hire a Joliet, IL Attorney after a Trucking Accident

Hopefully you've never had to deal with an Illinois trucking accident claim before, and those that have know how difficult they can be to resolve. You'll be dealing with not only the truck driver, but also their trucking company, and many other potential third parties.

Even experienced, safe drivers run the risk of being involved in a serious Joliet, IL truck accident. Beyond your initial recovery, injuries in these types of accidents are often serious and result in permanent disability or disfigurement which can cause loss of the ability to work, years of rehabilitation, serious medical bills, and have a significant impact on your life.

A Joliet, IL attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois trucking accident claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Back Seat Passenger Killed in Kane County Crash

Wed, 27 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

In recent years, much of the emphasis on safety in cars has been focused on the driver and front seat passenger. This has led automakers to come up with improvements like airbags, sturdier seat belts, and crumple zones to help protect front seat occupants in vehicles. But perhaps one drawback to all of this "front seat' attention is that consumers may tend to forget about the safety of people riding in the back seat.

A fatal crash earlier this month illustrates the dangers that back seat passengers can be exposed to. On Saturday, July 16 a little after 9pm, a 1998 Pontiac Grand Prix was traveling east on Route 72 in unincorporated Hampshire Township in Kane County. The car was about a half mile away from Walker Road when it attempted to pass a tractor-trailer on the two-lane stretch of road. But the car struck a 2010 Ford Edge coming the other direction, and a 20-year old Rockford man riding in the back seat of the Grand Prix was killed.

Neither driver nor any other passengers were injured in the crash, which is a testament to the safety features of the two vehicles. But the accident was still severe enough to fatally injure the back seat passenger. The Grand Prix's driver (who is also a 20-year old male from Rockford) was cited by police for improper lane usage, improper passing, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. Authorities do not believe alcohol or drugs were factors in the collision.

Because the driver is responsible for the safety of his passengers in the car, the family members of the victim appear to have solid grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit. Since the victim was only 20 years old, surviving family members may be awarded monetary damages that are equal to the estimated salary that the man would have earned in the future had the accident not occurred. In addition, the driver may also be ordered to reimburse the family for burial and hospital expenses, and also possibly pay out damages related to the family's pain and suffering.

La Grange Left-Turn Collision Raises Questions

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

There are many reasons why you would benefit from legal representation after an auto accident. This is especially true in situations where the assignation of blame in a collision is unclear or the facts of the accident are in dispute. A qualified auto accident lawyer can call on his or her expertise to investigate the crash, identify who is at fault, and vigorously defend your interests.

A two-vehicle collision in La Grange earlier this month is a prime example of how conflicting viewpoints can hinder the determination of blame and accountability. About 11:50am on Saturday, July 16, two vehicles collided at the intersection of Kensington and Ogden Avenues, which is about a half mile west of Shawmut Park in the Cook County village of La Grange. Each car was being driven by a man, and each was occupied by a female passenger. One car, whose occupants were from Rolling Meadows, was traveling east on Ogden when it struck another car that was making a left-turn to go south on Kensington. The Rolling Meadows occupants were both taken to nearby hospitals along with the female passenger in the left-turning car, who was from La Grange (as was the driver of that car).

It appears that both drivers had a green light. But here's where the disagreement arises: the Rolling Meadows driver claims that the La Grange driver failed to yield the right-of-way and turned in front of him, which caused the crash. However, the La Grange driver claims that while he was turning left on a yellow light, the other car sped up trying to beat the light; so therefore, the Rolling Meadows driver should be held liable for the collision.

It will take more facts that what are currently known to figure out which vehicle was at fault in the wreck, or whether both drivers should share responsibility to some degree. The outcome of this investigation will have a direct bearing on any future personal injury lawsuits that may be filed by any of the injured victims.

Motorcycle Accidents Harm Passengers, Not Just Drivers

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

ots of attention is given to motorcycle drivers who get involved in a motor vehicle collision. Sometimes these crashes are caused by drivers of passenger vehicles. But many motorcycle accidents occur because of driver error without anyone else being involved. Of course, drivers in one-vehicle motorcycle accidents are usually held responsible for their own injuries and/or bike damage. However, it's easy to forget that they are also responsible for what happens to their passengers as well.

Two different motorcycle accidents involving passengers occurred this past weekend. In Adams County a few miles east of Quincy, a 47-year old man was driving a 2001 Harley Davidson motorcycle with a 58-year old woman on the back of it on Saturday evening. About 6:30pm, the man lost control of the Harley on a curve on State Street about a quarter mile east of Ehrhardt Road near the Burton Cave Nature Preserve. The bike ran off the road and crashed, and both riders had to be taken to Blessing Hospital with injuries.

About eight hours later, another motorcycle accident claimed the lives of both riders in Wheeling. A 26-year old Wheeling man was driving and a 23-year old Deerfield woman was a passenger on a 2009 Suzuki motorcycle just west of the Potawatomi Woods. The bike collided with a utility pole near the intersection of Center Street and South Milwaukee Avenue. The man died at the scene, while the woman succumbed to her injuries later at a nearby hospital.

As tragic as both of these motorcycle accidents are, the drivers are ultimately liable for the injuries to or death of their passengers. The 58-year old woman can file a personal injury lawsuit against the Harley driver to receive compensation for all of her medical costs related to the crash (as well as for any lost wages from missing work). And the family of the 23-year old woman has grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of the Wheeling man for burial costs, lost future wages, and damages for pain and suffering.

Illinois Auto Accident Statue of Limitations

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

People who are victimized in an auto accident are suddenly forced to deal with a host of troublesome issues. First and foremost, they have to seek medical attention for their injuries. Then they may have to contact their employer to inform their supervisor that they might be missing work in the near future. They also have to get their vehicle repaired, arrange for alternate transportation during that time, and file a claim with their medical insurance company.

So it's completely understandable if they don't engage the services of an auto accident attorney right away. However, crash victims shouldn't relegate this task to the back burner indefinitely. There's a limited time period during which a victim can file a personal injury lawsuit after being hurt in a motor vehicle collision.

This window of time is known in legal circles as the statute of limitations. Simply put, this is the amount of time that victims have after the accident occurs to file suit against those responsible for injuring them. If victims do not file a lawsuit before the statute of limitations runs out, then the law prohibits them from receiving any damages or compensation from the offending party.

So exactly how long is that statute of limitations? Well, it varies depending on the type of lawsuit. But usually, the statute of limitations is:

• 2 years from the accident date in the majority of auto accident cases
• 1 year from the accident date for lawsuits against local government entities
• 1 year from the accident date for Dram Act lawsuits (for instance, when an establishment that serves alcohol is sued by the victim of an accident caused by a drunk driver)
• The 20th birthday of an auto accident victim (or the 19th birthday if the suit involves a local government agency) when minors are injured

To some people, one or two years can seem like plenty of time to hire an attorney after an auto accident. But filing a personal injury lawsuit isn't like writing a paper in school where you can sometimes get away with waiting until the last minute to complete it. There are certain measures which much be taken by a lawyer before filing a formal lawsuit. (In fact, our firm routinely turns away clients who wait until the statute of limitations is about to run out before contacting our office.)

Plus, the longer an accident victim waits to engage the services of an attorney, the weaker the case can become. Evidence of the accident scene can get destroyed or misplaced. Witnesses can forget what they saw. And the potential defendants may leave town (or go out of business) and become virtually unreachable. In addition, attorneys can often negotiate settlements with insurance companies and/or other defendants before a lawsuit is ever filed - if they have the case in their hands well before the statute of limitations expires.

So remember - even though your world may be turned upside down after an auto accident, the clock is ticking toward the deadline for seeking legal action. Don't let the statute of limitations run out on your lawsuit. Make it a priority to contact a qualified auto accident attorney as soon as you can.

Man Arrested For DUI in Fatal Marion County Crash

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Drunk driving prevention groups tend to discourage driving under the influence by focusing on the potential consequences involving innocent bystanders or other drivers. They point to incidents where drunk drivers cause serious injury or death by crashing their vehicles into pedestrians or other vehicles. But what is often overlooked is the number of casualties to people who are in the vehicle with the drunk driver at the time of the crash. Many times, these victims do not survive these accidents.

On July 15, a man surrendered to police in connection with a fatal crash in Marion County on a rainy Friday night in June. The man was charged with DUI causing death after authorities determined that his blood alcohol content was .191, which is almost 2 1/2 times the legal limit in Illinois.

On June 17 about 11:45pm, the 48-year old man was driving a minivan on Route 250 between Farmington and Barrackville. His girlfriend, a 44-year old woman, was with him in the vehicle. The minivan hit a guardrail, went airborne, struck a tree, then rolled across the roadway. The woman was pronounced dead on the scene, and the man was rushed to Ruby Memorial Hospital.

In addition to the criminal charges, the man may very well be sued for wrongful death by the woman's family members. The man might be ordered to pay for the woman's burial expenses and lost future wages, as well as damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of care and companionship to family members. There is even a possibility that a jury could decide that punitive damages are appropriate in this case - though that would likely depend on other factors like the man's criminal record and/or the number of previous DUI convictions he has. In any case, a wrongful death lawsuit will likely not proceed until the man's criminal case reaches a conclusion.

Chicago Car-Bus Crash That Injured 9 Caused by Teen Angst?

Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

There are many different causes of motor vehicle collisions. Distracted driving, excessive speed, mechanical failure, and alcohol are some of the most common reasons that drivers get into crashes. But can teen angst cause an auto accident?

That's what authorities believe to be the catalyst of a two-car, one bus wreck in Chicago a little before 11am on Sunday morning. The accident occurred near the intersection of Diversey and Cicero Avenues in Kelvyn Park on the city's Northwest Side when a CTA bus was struck from behind by two cars. According to a preliminary investigation, a teenage girl was so distraught over a boy that she stole her brother's sport utility vehicle and drove it into at least two other vehicles. A total of nine people were transported to nearby hospitals, including three in serious-to-critical condition. However, none of the injuries appears to life-threatening.

Based on the facts of the incident thus far, it looks like the hysterical teenager will soon have more than just relationship troubles. If investigators determine that she caused the accident, then she could be held responsible for all nine of the injuries sustained in the crash. Since she is a minor, her parents could be named by the victims in personal injury lawsuits against the girl. They may be ordered to pay damages for medical costs, lost wages from missed work, and perhaps even pain and suffering for any or all of the injured victims. The total monetary amount could be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

A lesson can be learned from this incident by all drivers, not just those who are teenagers. Whenever you are unusually upset, angry, or emotional, you should try to avoid driving as much as possible - and never fly off the handle and into the driver's seat. You won't be thinking clearly or concentrating on the road, and you could hurt (or even kill) a large number of other drivers and pedestrians with your vehicle.

A Wheaton, IL Dog Bite Attorney Can Provide Evidence of Dog Bite Damages

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

As with any sort of injury claim, you'll be dealing with insurance companies that would rather keep their money in their pockets than pay out a fair settlement on your claim for a dog bite attack in Illinois. A Wheaton, IL dog bite attorney knows how the dog bite injury claim system works and can give you the insight necessary to obtain a fair claim settlement.

You're already at a disadvantage with the fact that you've probably never had to deal with an insurance settlement before. Your attorney will fill that need and bring the experience necessary to seek and secure a fair settlement.

Evidence is important to your dog bite case because it shows the 2 important points of a serious injury accident: you suffered serious damages and they were the result of another's negligence. A handful of pictures and the dog owner's name isn't going to be enough to support your claim. Your Wheaton, IL dog bite attorney can help you develop the relevant evidence that shows the severity of your damages.

With a well-evidenced injury claim you can seek the full amount of damages you're entitled to, after a serious dog bite attack in Illinois. There's a huge difference between the initial settlement you're offered and a fair settlement you're entitled to. A Wheaton, IL dog bite attorney can help you seek the compensation needed, to truly recover from a serious dog attack.

When to Hire a Wheaton, IL Dog Bite Attorney

A dog bite attack in Illinois can result in permanent disfigurement and even life-long disability. By filing an injury claim after the attack you not only help your family recover from this tragedy, but you can help prevent future attacks by the dog.

At the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C, our attorneys will examine all aspects of your accident, determine liability, and aggressively pursue the full amount of compensation due to you for any injuries or loss you may have suffered as a result of your dog bite injuries.

Before you make any decisions, request a free copy of our accident guide, When You Are Injured - The Insider's Guide to Illinois Accident Law. When you're ready to file a claim, we offer a free case evaluation and help preparing your evidence. Contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Where to Find Help after an Auto Accident in Naperville, IL

Fri, 22 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

There's so much going on after a serious auto accident in Naperville, IL that you're probably feeling overwhelmed. Most accident victims know where to seek medical help - whether you called 911 at the accident scene, or you went to your doctor a few days later. You probably also knew to call the police to report the accident and create a police report.

Now that you're recovering from your injuries, your next concern should be who to turn to when the medical and repair bills start coming in. On top of it, you may be worrying about lost wages and other losses.

An experienced Naperville, IL auto accident attorney understands your situation and knows how to help. Since they've dealt with similar cases they know the scope of the expenses you could be facing both currently and in the future. Therefore, they realize that you'll need to seek a settlement well beyond the initial offer your insurance company makes.

Don't deny yourself the experienced help of an attorney when it comes to settling an Illinois personal injury claim. The frustrating experience of dealing with claims adjusters and insurance companies is more than you need to handle when recovering from serious injuries. An attorney can help ease this burden and let you concentrate on your health and family.

When to Hire a Naperville, IL Auto Accident Lawyer

An auto accident in Naperville, Illinois, can leave you and your family suffering from serious injuries and losses. It can be frustrating trying to cope with all the bills, expenses, and appointments after a serious accident. When you've never been in this situation before, it's hard to know who to turn to for help.

At the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C, our Naperville, IL auto accident lawyers will examine all aspects of your accident, determine liability, and aggressively pursue the full amount of compensation due to you for any injuries or loss you may have suffered as a result of your auto accident.

Before you make any decisions, request a free copy of our accident guide, When You Are Injured - The Insider's Guide to Illinois Accident Law. When you're ready to file a claim, we offer a free case evaluation and help preparing your evidence. Contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Colchester Man Injured In Accident Involving Car, Horse and Buggy

Tue, 19 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

It's not uncommon to hear about multi-vehicle wrecks, auto-pedestrian accidents, or auto-bicycle crashes. But other types of collisions do take place on Illinois roads. And even though the vehicles or circumstances might differ slightly, they all operate under the same laws and principles of responsibility and culpability.

An unusual accident occurred in Hancock County about a mile north of Augusta on Wednesday morning just south of Augusta Lake. A man was injured when a car struck his vehicle: a horse and buggy.

The 79-year old Colchester man was traveling southbound on Illinois Route 61 at about 10:40am. A 2004 Chevy Cavalier (that was also heading south) which was driven by a 16-year old Bowen girl struck the horse-and-buggy, ejecting the man onto the ground. He suffered serious injuries and had to be transported to Blessing Hospital in Quincy, where he is now listed in stable condition. Neither the driver nor her 16-year old female passenger from Plymouth were hurt.

Admittedly, it may be strange in this day and age to see a horse and buggy puttering along on a highway. But that vehicle still enjoys the same rights of the road as any passenger car, motorcycle, or bicyclist. That means that a horse and buggy can occupy a lane of traffic, and other vehicles must slow down and follow it and/or give it plenty of room when trying to pass. The news article doesn't indicate whether the horse and buggy was sideswiped, rear-ended, or otherwise struck. But it does note that police cited the teen driver for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident - which makes her responsible for the elderly man's injuries.

If he chooses to do so, the 79-year old victim can file a personal injury lawsuit against the girl for hospital expenses and other medical costs. Technically, the girl's parents would be named as defendants in such a suit because the teenager is still a minor.

4 Things a Chicago Truck Accident Attorney Will Do For Your Claim

Fri, 15 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

The biggest challenge in filing and settling a claim for your commercial truck crash in Illinois, is proving who is at fault for the accident. The other parties will have experienced legal help to prove their innocence, so you should consider the same legal counsel-by way of a Chicago truck accident attorney-for proving your side of the story as the injured party.

When you need help going up against the big trucking companies and their insurance companies you'll turn to a Chicago truck accident attorney. An experienced attorney can help you with obtaining the necessary evidence for your claim including:

obtaining the driving records of the truck driver;
compiling the maintenance history of the truck;
researching any past disciplinary actions against the truck driver or their company; and
verifying all licenses, certifications, and financial obligations are met for both the truck driver and trucking company.

Since trucking companies are reluctant to release this information, you may find it difficult to obtain these records, let alone make sense of them as they relate to your case. An experienced Chicago truck accident attorney will have an easier time obtaining and reviewing these records considering their years of handling commercial truck crash claims. An attorney also helps take the burden of the paperwork, evidence gathering, and litigation off your shoulders so you can focus on recovery.

When to Hire a Chicago Truck Accident Attorney

Even experienced, safe drivers run the risk of being involved in a serious commercial trucking crash in Illinois. Beyond your initial recovery, injuries in these types of accidents are often serious and result in permanent disability or disfigurement which can cause loss of the ability to work, years of rehabilitation, serious medical bills, and have a significant impact on your life.

A Chicago truck accident attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois truck accident claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

5 Things Joliet, Illinois Motorcycle Accident Lawyers Can Do For You

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Joliet, Illinois motorcycle accident lawyers are familiar with the stereotypes of motorcyclists always being the cause of an Illinois crash. In reality, most motorcycle accidents are just as likely to be caused by a negligent driver of a car or truck rather than a motorcyclist.

As a motorcyclist you're at a disadvantage in both amount of safety measures in and around your vehicle and the size of your vehicle. Unfortunately, insurance adjusters don't take these matters into consideration when resolving your claim. This can lead to unfair claim denials or low settlements unless you have professional legal help.

Joliet, Illinois motorcycle accident lawyers deal with these insurance adjusters on a daily basis and they know the tactics they use to downplay your Illinois crash. Your lawyer can help you with all the steps of your injury claim, including avoiding tricks by the insurance company.

Steps Your Motorcycle Accident Lawyer Can Help You With

prepare to give a recorded statement to the insurance company;
obtain witness testimony;
collecting physical evidence;
avoid disclosing all but the necessary medical history;
estimate the value of your current and future damages; and
reviewing the fairness of a settlement offer.

The help of an experienced lawyer can prevent you from having your claim unfairly denied, as well as make sure you are pursuing all of the damages you've incurred.

When to Hire Joliet, Illinois Motorcycle Accident Lawyers

A motorcycle is usually no match for a larger vehicle. As a result, most of the times when a motorcyclist is involved in an Illinois crash the rider will sustain serious and sometimes fatal injuries.

At the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C, our Joliet, Illinois motorcycle accident lawyers will examine all aspects of your accident, determine liability, and aggressively pursue the full amount of compensation due to you for any injuries or loss you may have suffered as a result of your motorcycle accident.

Before you make any decisions, request a free copy of our accident guide, When You Are Injured - The Insider's Guide to Illinois Accident Law. When you're ready to file a claim, we offer a free case evaluation and help preparing your evidence. Contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Proving Medical Negligence in Illinois Can Be a Challenge without Help

Wed, 13 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

When a medical professional or facility faces charges of medical negligence in Illinois they have a legal team dedicated to their defense. As a victim, you have the right to the same legal representation as they do, and a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer should be your first choice.

There are many lawyers in the Chicago area that deal with injury cases such as car accidents and slip and falls; however, not all of them have the experience and intimate knowledge of how the medical malpractice claim system works. Filing a lawsuit against a negligent driver or property owner is far different from filing one against an entire hospital system.

The differences between a normal injury claim and a medical negligence claim are what make the need for a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer so critical. The legal team you will be going up against defends their client against claims like yours all the time. You should have the same degree of legal expertise on your side as well to avoid making mistakes that could damage your chances at a fair settlement.

The expenses and losses you incur from a case of medical negligence in Illinois are serious matters. You shouldn't deprive yourself of legal assistance in pursuing a fair settlement to compensate for these damages.

Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyers Are Here to Help

If there is even the slightest question that medical negligence in Illinois may have played a part in a serious injury or death of a loved one you should bring it to the attention of an experienced lawyer.

Chicago medical malpractice lawyers can help your family seek compensation for the damages and suffering you incurred at the hands of a negligent medical professional or facility.

The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have tried many cases like yours and know the best ways to present the evidence of negligence necessary to prove your claim. When you're ready to file, we offer a free case evaluation and help in preparing your evidence. Contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Nursing Home Negligence in Chicago: What an Attorney Can Do

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Silence is the enemy when it comes to stopping cases of nursing home abuse or neglect in Illinois. When residents and family members are slow or reluctant to raise a claim against the nursing home, the abuse continues until someone speaks up. Let a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney do the speaking for you.

What you can do to help a neglected or abused family member in the care of a nursing home is to file an Illinois nursing home abuse claim. When you're reluctant to do this alone, a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney can be there to help.

Issues Your Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Attorney Can Help You Handle:

who to file the suit against;
providing evidence of the abuse or neglect;
getting your loved one compensation for proper treatment for the injuries they suffered; and
obtaining punitive damages against those responsible for your loved one's suffering.

Nursing homes that are found guilty of neglect or abuse are usually fined and in many cases shut down by the Illinois authorities, preventing the situation from happening again.

Making the decision to hire an experienced Chicago nursing home abuse attorney to help you deal with a nursing home neglect case is a wise choice. Not only will it help ease the burden of the claim process on your family, but it will often result in helping prevent the abuse and neglect of other residents.

When to Hire a Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Attorney

We place a serious amount of trust in a nursing home or assisted living facility that takes care of our loved ones. When this trust is broken due to negligence or abuse it can be devastating to your family. If your loved one suffered serious injury or death from nursing home abuse or neglect you do not need to deal with the situation alone.

The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have tried many cases like yours and know the best ways to present the evidence necessary to file an Illinois nursing home neglect claim. Before you make any decisions, request a free copy of our book, Abuse & Neglect at the Hands of Caregivers: Guide to Illinois Nursing Home Negligence. When you're ready, we offer a free case evaluation and help in filing your claim. Contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Wrong Way Driver Strikes 2 on Mag Mile

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

For people who drive in downtown Chicago, it is essential that they pay extra attention to pedestrians who are walking in or near the roadways. This is especially true on the Magnificent Mile, which is a mecca for tourists and shoppers. And this attention to safe driving begins with staying on the correct side of the road.

Unfortunately, a 82-year old woman did not heed that advice; and as a result, two pedestrians have been hospitalized. Late Friday afternoon a bit after 5pm, the woman was driving south on Michigan Avenue in the northbound lanes. A 35-year old man and a 31-year old woman were trying to cross Michigan Avenue between East Lake Drive and Wacker Place. The vehicle struck the two pedestrians as they were in a marked crosswalk, then continued on and crashed into a stopped vehicle in the northbound lanes.

The two pedestrians were rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and one of them was listed in serious-to-critical condition. The driver was issued a total of six moving violations, including disobeying a red light, driving over the median, driving left of center, negligent driving, and striking pedestrians in a marked crosswalk. Police are not sure exactly why the woman was driving the wrong way.

This may be a case of an elderly person's diminished driving capabilities due to physical or mental impairments. But there are two silver linings to this incident: A) no one was killed, and B) it can serve as a warning for other Illinois residents (and their elderly relatives) who may be getting too old to drive. It may be difficult to convince a senior citizen to relinquish the keys to his or her vehicle, but it may save them to ordeal of dealing with a personal injury lawsuit. In this case, the two injured pedestrians will probably be entitled to damages for lost wages due to work absenteeism and reimbursement for medical costs.

Car Surfing in Crystal Lake Leads to Critical Injuries, Criminal Charges

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Young adults tend to engage in high-risk activities. There's even scientific research to back up that belief. A closer look at the brains of young adults reveals that their frontal lobes, which help keep risky behavior in check, do not fully develop until several years later. But there's a very fine line between risk-taking and dangerous - and many young adults don't figure out the difference until it's too late.

That's why a 20-year old Hoffman Estates man is fighting for his life today. The man was engaged in what is known as "car surfing" - when a person stands on the top, hood, or trunk of a moving vehicle. In fact, the victim was actually jumping from the exterior of one moving vehicle to another in a Wal-Mart parking lot on Route 31 in the northwest Illinois community of Crystal Lake.

According to police, the man was "riding" on the tops and hoods of a 2002 Dodge Caravan and a 2000 Dodge Neon before he fell from a 2002 Chevrolet Impala. All of the vehicles were performing dangerous maneuvers while the man was car surfing. When the victim fell, he hit his head on the concrete surface of the parking lot. He was taken to McHenry's Centegra Northern Illinois Medical Center.

All of the drivers of the vehicles were arrested and charged with reckless driving and other crimes. They include a 19-year old Schaumburg man, an 18-year old Crystal Lake woman, and a 17-year old girl from Crystal Lake.

Based on the unusual circumstances behind the Hoffman Estates man's injuries, it is unclear whether he has any grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against any or all of the teenaged drivers. The fact that he was engaged in the obviously dangerous activity of car surfing may mean that he was primarily responsible for his injuries as opposed to anyone driving the vehicles.

Car Surfing in Crystal Lake Leads to Critical Injuries, and Criminal Charges

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Bicyclist Struck By Car, Killed in Jersey County

Tue, 12 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

Bicyclists and motor vehicles are required by law to share the road. In big cities like Chicago, there are bike lanes which help provide some measure of separation between two-wheeled and four-wheeled transportation. But in rural areas, such regulation is much rarer - so cars and bicycles are left to fend for themselves. Unfortunately, it is the bicyclist who usually suffers if a collision occurs.

Such was the situation in rural Jersey County in southwestern Illinois last weekend. A 52-year old woman from St. Louis was riding her bicycle south on Otterville Road a few miles north of Otterville on Saturday afternoon. About 12:15pm, she attempted to make a left turn onto West County Road toward Brown Cemetery. But a car who was following behind tried to pass her, and the bicyclist was struck by the vehicle. The St. Louis woman was ejected from her bike and was later pronounced dead at Jersey Community Hospital.

Illinois State Police say that the driver of the car was a 61-year old Carlinville woman. The article does not say whether the driver was cited by police for any moving violations, but it appears from the information given that the Carlinville woman will be held primarily or completely responsible for the accident and the death of the bicyclist. If this is the case, family members of the St. Louis woman would have solid grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against the driver of the car. (Since the accident occurred in Jersey County, the plaintiffs would have to engage the services of an attorney who is licensed to practice in Illinois - even if the relatives themselves live in St. Louis or elsewhere in Missouri.)

If you are driving on a rural road and see a bicyclist, be sure to give him or her a large amount of space. If you want to pass, try to do so when you aren't at an intersection. This reduces the chances that the person on the bike will try to turn while you are making your pass. Finally, remember that it only takes the slightest of impacts from your vehicle to send a bicycle out of control and cause serious or even fatal injuries to the bicyclist.

You Have a Right to a Lawyer's Help after a Traffic Crash in Illinois

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you've never been in a serious traffic crash in Illinois you probably don't know what to do after you or a loved one has been seriously injured. Fortunately, there are experienced Chicago traffic accident lawyers that have handled situations like yours before.

Before you make the decision to handle your injury claim alone, consider these things most lawyers offer as free services to potential clients:

Free books - such as our guide to compensation in an injury case, or our guide to purchasing and understanding auto insurance;
Free no-obligation consultation - to review the details of your claim and determine whether or not you have a case;
Free referral to another law firm - if we cannot handle your type of case;
Free reviews of initial settlement offers - if you've already started a claim with your insurance company; and
Free analysis of your evidence - to determine if you have enough to file a claim.

Even after hiring a lawyer to help you pursue and obtain a fair settlement for your injuries, you won't pay a dime until a settlement is reached.

By hiring a Chicago traffic accident lawyer to help you file your claim for compensation after a serious crash in Illinois you help yourself in more ways than one. An experienced lawyer can help take some of the burden off your shoulders by handling the paperwork and correspondence with the insurance company and also help you avoid making any mistakes that can damage your claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Traffic Accident Lawyer

If there is even the slightest question that your negligence may have played a part in your crash in Illinois, you will need to prove otherwise if you want to receive the maximum settlement in your case. Your best chance at proving your degree of fault was low enough to recover damages is to have an experienced Chicago traffic accident lawyer on your side.

The Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. have tried many cases like yours and know the best ways to express your degree of fault to the court. Before you make any decisions, request a free copy of our accident guide, When You Are Injured - The Insider's Guide to Illinois Accident Law. When you're ready to file a claim, we offer a free case evaluation and help preparing your evidence. Contact us today - 312-263-1080.

Cabdriver in Fatal Auto-Pedestrian Crash Has Checkered Past

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

On Monday morning, a Checker taxi lost control, skidded onto the sidewalk, and struck a man who was walking before slamming into the side of a parking garage. The pedestrian was killed, and the female passenger in the cab was severely injured. The dead man had just started a new job at a restaurant at Navy Pier.

According to witnesses, the cab was driving recklessly and speedily down Illinois Street prior to the wreck. The cabdriver was cited by police for failing to exercise due care for a pedestrian in the roadway and driving too fast for conditions.

Now we have learned that the 71-year old cabdriver had a driving record that was anything but clean. In fact, the cabbie has amassed a total of around 30 traffic tickets in the past 23 years. Furthermore, he had previously been involved in an accident back in August of 2007 in which a pedestrian was hurt. Incredibly, the cabdriver has never had his license suspended. That's because about half of the tickets were dismissed, and most of the others carried fines of less than $50 and/or sentences of supervision.

Even so, it might be difficult for Checker Taxi to claim that it wasn't aware of the cabdriver's lengthy history of traffic tickets. That detail could have a huge impact in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family members of the deceased pedestrian (as well as the personal injury lawsuit filed by the woman who was hurt). The defendants appear to be entitled to compensation for medical and burial expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

If you have been injured in a crash caused by a taxi cabdriver, be sure to contact a qualified auto accident attorney as soon as you are able to do so.

Head-On Collision in Lyons Kills 2, Seriously Injures 3

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

Head-on collisions are some of the most horrifying and dangerous crashes that can take place. That's because when you have two cars with momentum and speed that collide head-on, the combined forces of both of the vehicles are transferred to the occupants in either car. So the potential damage, injuries, and deaths in a head-on collision is generally greater than in other kinds of accidents.

Unfortunately, a head-on collision claimed the lives of two people in the Chicago suburb of Lyons last weekend. According to police, a car was traveling the wrong direction down a one-way street early Sunday morning around 4:30am when it crashed into an oncoming sport utility vehicle. The car's 40-year old male driver was killed, and a man in the SUV also lost his life. Three other people were seriously injured, including two who were ejected from their vehicles.

The accident site was on 1st Avenue near West 47th Street, which is a stone's throw west of Illinois 171 and less than two miles away from Interstate 55. The area can be a bit confusing for drivers, since the 171 service road actually turns into 1st Avenue before reaching West 47th. The road actually splits off into one-way streets at a couple of points on 1st Avenue. And if someone is driving in that area during the middle of the night, he may not notice the one-way transition until it is too late.

It's bad enough that the family of the 40-year old driver has to mourn his death. But because he was driving in the wrong direction on a one-way street, it appears that the three injured people and the heirs of the other dead man have strong grounds for personal injury lawsuits and a wrongful death lawsuit, respectively. That means that the 40-year old's estate may have to pay damages to the other accident victims for medical and burial costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

2 Drivers Charged in 2-Car Crash Near Orangeville

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

You've heard the phrase "justice is blind." That concept means that in theory, the law treats everybody equally and focuses only on the issue at hand - without any irrelevant outside factors weighing on the decision. Though the concept is specifically associated with criminal court, the same principle applies to civil court as well.

But the key words in that paragraph are "in theory." In practice, outside factors do sometimes affect the outcomes of criminal and civil cases. That may not be right or fair, but it is true.

Let's look at an incident which happened last weekend near Orangeville in Stephenson County. Police reported that a two-car collision occurred on Saturday at the intersection of Orangeville Road and Illinois 26. It involved a 20-year old Wisconsin man and an 18-year old Loves Park woman, who was injured in the crash and taken to a hospital.

According to sheriff's deputies, the man was charged with failure to yield at a stop/yield intersection, which means that he either ran a stop or yield sign or pulled out into the roadway before it was clear of traffic. But police also cited the teen for possession of both marijuana and alcohol, as well as driving too fast for conditions.

Let's pretend for a moment that the woman filed a personal injury lawsuit against the Wisconsin man and the case went to trial. Judging by the citations issued by authorities, it appears that the man is primarily (or perhaps completely) at fault in this accident because he did not properly obey a traffic sign. However, if a jury hears that the 18-year old victim had alcohol and drugs in the car with her, they may be inclined to assign a larger portion of the blame to her - even though there's no evidence that she was driving under the influence at the time of the incident. Jurors might simply (and even unconsciously) consider those "irrelevant outside factors" when they render their verdict.

Now, here's another reality check: there's no guarantee that any such lawsuit will be filed; and if it is, there's a large possibility that the case will be settled long before it sees the inside of a courtroom. And even if the case does make it to trial, the plaintiff's attorney may succeed in preventing the charges of alcohol and marijuana possession from being revealed to the jury - if he or she can convince the judge that the information is irrelevant to the case.

But this scenario shows that the possibility exists for justice "not to be blind" in these types of lawsuits.

Arrest made in New Jersy Nursing Home Case

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

Police have arrested the person identified in the brutal assault of an 87-year-old woman. The attack was captured on a "granny cam" set up by the victim's daughter.

The caregiver struck the terminally ill woman three times as she lay unable to move or speak. She would die 24 hours later. According to police, her death was not due to the beating.

The assault took place in the Harborage nursing home in North Bergen, New Jersey. The assailant has been charged with assault and has been fired from the nursing home.

According to police: "This woman lies in a bed, defenseless. She was unable to defend herself. There are reactions she makes with her face and her mouth and her eyes in response to the blows. It was difficult for me to watch. The video was shocking,"

As a personal injury attorney who specializes in nursing home abuse, I feel there are two important facts that should be emphasized.

First, the victim died only 24 hours after the assault took place. If her daughter had not placed the camera in the room when she did, this crime would have gone completely unreported and unpunished.

Second, the accused attacker took care of other patients. This victim was immobile - completely defenseless. Are we willing to believe that this was an isolated incident?

Medicare Nursing Home ratings assigned Harborage four out of a possible five stars. But looking beneath the surface reveals a different picture. While Harborage was given a five star assessment based upon health inspections, it received only one star for Nursing Home Staffing.

The nursing home staffing assessment is "from data that the nursing home reports to its state agency. It contains the nursing home staffing hours for a two-week period prior to the time of the state inspection. CMS receives this data and converts it into the number of staff hours per resident per day."

To be given one star out of five, this nursing home was severely understaffed. That probably makes for a great balance sheet. But even if this attack had never happened, the nursing home is to blame for creating a situation where the staff was overworked and under-supervised.

Stranded Trucker Killed on I-72 in Macon County

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

Hundreds of people each day pull off to the side of Illinois roads and highways for reasons ranging from checking a GPS for directions to suffering complete motor vehicle failure. Because most of these drivers eventually go on their way without incident, it is easy to forget that sitting on the side of the road can expose yourself to danger.

That's what happened to a Forsyth truck driver early Friday morning in Macon County. The 50-year old man had struck a deer with his tractor-trailer, which forced him to the shoulder of Interstate 72. So he notified a tow truck to assist him with his disabled rig. About 3:45am, a double-trailer semi truck was traveling on the same side of I-72 when its driver fell asleep at the wheel. That tractor-trailer left the road and sideswiped the parked semi while the Forsyth trucker was standing in front of his vehicle as the tow-truck was preparing to load his semi for transport. The 50-year old victim reportedly died instantly.

Since the fatal accident was caused by the 64-year old truck driver falling asleep at the wheel, it appears that family members of the Forsyth man have solid grounds for a wrongful death lawsuit against the operator of the double-trailer truck. Federal laws dictate how many consecutive hours that truck drivers can be behind the wheel without rest. So the subsequent investigation will probe whether or not the at-fault driver violated those laws. In addition, the company that employs the sleepy trucker may also be held liable for the deadly crash as well.

Certainly, if you ever have to pull off the road (especially at night), you should take precautions to keep yourself safe (such as turning on your vehicle's hazard lights, staying away from the roadway itself, etc.). But as this accident illustrates, sometimes you can observe every possible safety measure and still become the victim of a fatal accident.

2 Deadly Crashes in North-Central Illinois Friday

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

The Father's Day weekend was a sad one for some people in north-central Illinois. That's because they were mourning the deaths of their loved ones as a result of two separate motor vehicle collisions that occurred on Friday.

In Lee County, three people were killed and a fourth injured when the car they were riding in was hit by a tractor-trailer. The driver of the semi reportedly ran a stop sign and caused the crash.

And in LaSalle County, the sheriff's office says that a male motorcyclist died in a hospital after being involved in a wreck. A car apparently ran into the motorcyclist, causing him to veer into a different lane where he was hit once again.

There's no word on the identities of the fatal accident victims, what criminal charges have been filed as a result of the incidents, or any other details of the crashes themselves at this time. Both collisions remain under investigation.

But based on the information we know, the blame for both accidents seems to be pretty straightforward. In the Lee County crash, the truck driver appears to be fully responsible for the deaths of the three car victims and the injuries to the fourth. Therefore, the driver of the 18-wheeler (and his or her employer, by extension) may likely be targeted in wrongful death lawsuits by the surviving relatives of the victims; and the injured individual has similarly strong grounds for a personal injury lawsuit against the same defendants.

In the deadly crash which took place in LaSalle County, the driver of the initial vehicle which struck the motorcyclist will probably be held accountable for his death (though the person driving the second vehicle which made contact with the motorcycle may or may not be found partially liable depending on the circumstances). So the motorcyclist's heirs apparently have a very solid wrongful death lawsuit case against the at-fault driver.

Social Media, Mobile Devices and Civil Lawsuits

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 08:00:00 EST

Handheld mobile devices and social media are two inventions which have substantially improved our lives. With cell phones and personal digital assistants, we can communicate with people or conduct business almost anywhere on the planet. And social media allows us to interact with individuals or companies quickly and easily.

However, these technological advancements also have some drawbacks. One of these disadvantages with which I'm familiar is their ability to harm civil lawsuits.

Whenever clients ask me to handle their lawsuit, I always instruct them not to discuss our one-on-one conversations or their case with anyone else. Unfortunately, some people do not heed that advice. And social media and handheld devices are often a part of the problem.

Here are some scenarios which can potentially damage a case.

1. A client uses a cell phone to talk about their lawsuit with a "trusted family member" or "good friend." Inevitably, the other party betrays the client's confidence and the information makes its way back to the defendant. When this happens, the defense can use the client's words against him or her in court.

2. A client sends a text message via a handheld device that comments on some aspect of the case, the legal strategy, or the defendant. Either the other side finds out about the message on their own, or the client accidentally sends the message directly to the defendant. If they choose, the defense lawyers can now subpoena a client's cell phone records to obtain a copy of the exact text message - which in turn may be used to hurt the client's case.

3. A client posts a status update on Facebook which describes some facet of the lawsuit or even denigrates the defendant (in some cases, the defendant is actually a "Facebook friend" of the client). If the defense team finds out about that, there's a permanent record in cyberspace of the comment which can be traced and subpoenaed. Then the damaging material can be shown to a jury, and the client looks bad in front of the people who will be reaching a verdict in the case.

Inexplicably, some people view their texts and social media posts as "private" even though they are far from confidential. Once either type of message is sent, it has the potential to reach the wrong ears. That's why it is vital that clients never, ever, EVER mention anything about their case to any other person that isn't involved. Because the only things that can happen as a result of that are bad.

Average Settlements | Typical Case Value

Thu, 21 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Almost every potential client we speak to wants to know an average settlement is for their type of accident or injury.

To help answer that question, we are pleased to announce the release of our free downloadable report, How Much is My Case Worth? What Every Accident Victim Needs to Know. You can access the report by hitting the icon on the right side of the screen.

In this report, we explain

How lawyers and insurance companies evalute a case for settlement
Why the "three time medicals rule" is not a rule at all; and
What are some of the crucial mistakes that clients that ruin their chances at getting a fair settlement?

The report is free. If you choose to receive the report, you are not obligated to hire our law firm. It is simply a service that we offer to help accident victims avoid making bad choices and mistakes which could hurt their chances at getting fairly compensated.

Allstate takes money from schoolchildren

Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

Northfield School District 31 is cutting teaching positions and extra- and co-curricular activities after voters in the recent elections rejected a property tax increase referendum. The need for revenue was brought on by the District's loss of a property tax appeal to Allstate Insurance Company. Allstate's corporate headquarters is located in the district, and they successfully appealed the property tax assessment on the headquarters property. As a result, the District must pay Allstate a refund of $3.3 million in addition to a $2.3 million refund they had previously received.

The bottom line: Allstate wins, District 31 kids lose.

Allstate has been running a series of radio ads touting its position as a Chicago company and its role in supporting the community. If this is the way that Allstate delivers on its claims regarding its role in the community, is there any real reason that you should believe that you are actually in good hands when dealing with a claim involving Allstate?

Just askin' .......

Overview of Neck Fusion as a Result of an Illinois Car Accident

Fri, 08 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

One type of common injury that can occur in a car accident is a neck injury. However a neck injury can also affect the back and spinal cord. When there is damage to the discs or you suffer spinal stenosis, neck surgery such as neck fusion may be necessary.

If you have been injured in a Chicago car accident that was someone else's fault, then damages related to your injuries may be recoverable through an Illinois personal injury claim.

The most common symptom experienced in this type of neck injury is pain. When the pain cannot be managed non-surgically, neck surgery may become necessary. Or if there are other areas of the body that are damaged, neck fusion may be required.

Neck fusion can be done a number of different ways but no matter how it's accomplished, it will result in medical expenses and a significant recovery time. If you are unable to work for a period of time pre- or post surgery, your lost income in addition to your medical expenses may also be recoverable through an Illinois personal injury claim.

A Chicago car crash lawyer will consider all potential damages in your claim and any future treatment or lost income that may apply. When neck fusion becomes necessary after a Chicago car accident, your legal options available are best pursued with the help of a Chicago car crash lawyer.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Crash Lawyer

A Chicago car crash lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Complications of Neck Fusion after an Illinois Car Accident

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 08:00:00 EST

While neck surgery may be necessary if you have sustained a severe neck injury in a Chicago car accident, there are complications you can unfortunately suffer as well. Any type of surgery comes with inherent risks, which should be explained to you before the surgery takes place.

Some of the complications that can happen with neck fusion surgery include:

anesthesia risks;
infection;
excessive bleeding;
spinal cord or nerve damage;
pain in the site of the bone graft;
blood clots;
bone graft rejection; and
failed neck fusion (metal implants break).

Complications can lead to further injuries which only add to the already expensive medical costs an individual may be facing. The surgery itself as well as recovery time can be expensive as you'll likely have to miss work while recuperating. The costs for your medical care along with lost wages and other expenses related to the treatment may be recoverable through an Illinois personal injury claim.

Consulting with a Chicago car crash lawyer is the best way to understand not only your legal rights but the options for recovering compensation you may have available after a Chicago car accident leads to injuries.

If neck surgery becomes necessary as a result of a serious Chicago car accident, you should immediately consult with a Chicago car crash lawyer. A lawyer can help determine liability for your car accident, collect the evidence necessary to prove negligence and the extent of your injuries, and protect your legal rights throughout the claims process.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Crash Lawyer

A Chicago car crash lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with cases similar to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Treatment of TBI after an Accident in Chicago

Sun, 27 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

If someone else's negligence causes an accident in Chicago that leaves you suffering from a traumatic brain injury (TBI), you should consult with a Chicago injury attorney. A Chicago injury attorney can evaluate your case to determine if you have a valid injury claim worth pursuing.

A traumatic brain injury can be mild, moderate or severe. Depending on the level of the injury and the severity, treatment will naturally vary. However, treating a traumatic brain injury may involve an array of tests, hospital stays, and perhaps even surgery. All of these expenses can quickly add up while simultaneously preventing you from working. These expenses and more may be recoverable through a personal injury claim.

Treatment for a traumatic brain injury can include:

assistive technology and devices;
rehabilitation programs;
medication;
surgery;
counseling;
therapy (physical, speech, occupational, vocational); and
long-term medical care.

Treatment for a severe traumatic brain injury can cost millions of dollars if life-long treatment and assistance is required. This is where an Illinois personal injury claim can help. You may be able to recover compensation for your medical treatments as well as the psychological damage suffered as a result of a traumatic brain injury. A Chicago injury attorney can explain all of your legal options.

When to Hire a Chicago Injury Attorney

A Chicago injury attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Damages and Costs of a TBI as a Result of a Chicago Accident

Sat, 26 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

One of the most devastating and expensive injuries to sustain in an accident in Chicago is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). When the brain damage is severe, it can lead to costly medical bills and treatment.

With the help of a Chicago injury attorney you may be able to pursue compensation for the losses you have suffered as a result of another individual's carelessness or negligence. When the fault of your accident in Chicago is due to someone else, they can be held legally liable for your medical treatments, lost wages, and other damages.

The costs associated with a traumatic brain injury can't be measured easily as there are not only physical injuries but emotional injuries as well. It is estimated that treatment for a traumatic brain injury can range from a few thousand dollars for a mild case or a few million dollars if the victim is young and requires life-long treatment.

Some of the damages that you may be entitled to recover for your TBI through an Illinois personal injury claim include:

doctor bills;
hospital bills;
current lost income;
future medical bills;
future lost income;
pain and suffering;
disability;
emotional distress; and
rehabilitation.

Additionally, you may be entitled to recover compensation if a severe TBI requires you to make substantial changes to your home such as installing wheelchair ramps and making kitchens and bathrooms wheelchair accessible.

If an accident in Chicago has caused you to suffer a traumatic brain injury, consulting with a Chicago injury attorney should be your next step in order to determine what your legal options are and if you have a valid injury claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Injury Attorney

A Chicago injury attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Overview of an Open Head Injury in an Illinois Accident

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have suffered an open head injury as a result of an Illinois accident, you may be eligible to file an Illinois personal injury claim. When the negligence of someone else leads to injuries, a Chicago car accident attorney can investigate your case to determine liability.

An open head injury can lead to the following types of injuries:

lacerations;
abrasions;
wounds;
broken nose;
facial fractures;
skull fracture; and/or
traumatic brain injury.

Serious injuries can lead to a lengthy hospital stay and long-term care such as physical therapy and rehabilitation. When an open head injury results in severe damage, you may be facing the prospect of a long time off from work and huge medical expenses.

If you and your Chicago car accident attorney are able to provide compelling evidence that shows that someone else's negligent acts were responsible for your Illinois accident, you may have the opportunity to pursue damages through an Illinois personal injury claim. Additionally, you may be able to collect other types of damages related to your head injury such as disability, pain and suffering and emotional distress.

After sustaining an open head injury you may also be facing one or more surgeries, which always opens you to the risk of additional complications. These types of damages may also be recoverable through an Illinois personal injury claim.

Consulting with a Chicago car accident attorney should be your next step if an Illinois accident has resulted in an open head injury.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Accident Attorney

A Chicago car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Common Types of Back Surgery as a Result of an Illinois Car Accident

Sun, 20 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

When the negligence of another person causes a serious car accident in Illinois and you sustain a back injury, you may want to file an Illinois personal injury claim. The extent of your damage may not be immediately evident and you could find yourself in need of back surgery further down the road.

The expense of back surgery may be recoverable through an Illinois personal injury claim, which is why you should seek the help of a Chicago car accident attorney who understands how to evaluate cases in which serious injuries are likely to lead to long-term health consequences.

There are some common types of back surgery that may be necessary, depending on the location of the injury and the extent of damage.

One type of back surgery is a spinal fusion. When a disc is injured a spinal fusion, which connects 2 or more bones to your spine, adds stability, which can stop the pain.

An alternative to a spinal fusion is to have artificial discs implanted. This is considered to still be a fairly new type of procedure and may not be your physician's top choice for treatment of your severe back injury.

A diskectomy is a type of back surgery where part or the entire back portion of a vertebra is removed in order to access the ruptured disc. The disc is removed and this helps to relieve pain from inflammation and irritation of the nerves.

Expenses related to your back surgery may be recoverable through an Illinois personal injury claim. Consulting with a Chicago car accident attorney should be your next step in order to protect your legal rights.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Accident Attorney

A Chicago car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Common Types of Brain Injuries in an Illinois Open Head Injury Accident

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

When someone else's negligence causes you to sustain an open head injury in an accident in Illinois, a Chicago car accident attorney can determine your legal options.

You may be entitled to seek compensation for damages you have suffered related to your injuries through an Illinois personal injury claim. Damages can include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and disability.

Depending on the extent of damage, an open head injury could lead to a mild or severe brain injury. The complications and long-term effects of this type of head injury can be devastating.

Some of the common types of brain injuries that can result from an open head injury accident in Illinois include:

concussion;
acute subdural hematoma;
chronic subdural hematoma;
epidural hematoma;
skull fracture;
brain contusion;
diffuse axonal injury; and
subarachnoid hemorrhage.

In some cases, surgery may be necessary in order to treat the brain injury. In other types of injuries, rehabilitation, medication or physical therapy may be required. No matter what type of treatment you are facing, it is likely to result in medical expenses that can put a severe financial drain on any household.

If you have been the victim of an open head injury from an Illinois accident and have suffered damages, a Chicago car accident attorney can determine if you have sufficient grounds to proceed in filing an Illinois personal injury claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Accident Attorney

A Chicago car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

When a Car Accident in Illinois Results in Back Surgery

Sat, 19 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have suffered a back injury as a result of someone else's negligence or carelessness in a car accident in Illinois, a Chicago car accident attorney can provide guidance on how best to protect your legal rights.

When a back injury cannot be treated with non-surgical methods, it may become necessary to undergo back surgery. Back surgery is extremely costly and is often followed up with expensive physical therapy or rehabilitation. In addition, during recovery an individual may be unable to work, which will result in lost wages.

Through an Illinois personal injury claim you may be entitled to receive compensation for your expensive back surgery, including any follow-up treatment and your lost income. There may be additional compensation available that is related to your back injury such as pain and suffering, disability and emotional distress.

Since back surgery is not always an immediate option, the insurance company for the party who was at fault in your car accident in Illinois, may try to argue that it is unrelated. Doctors who work for the insurance company may attempt to prove that your back surgery has to do with a pre-existing condition.

This is why it's vital you have the help of a Chicago car accident attorney when back surgery becomes necessary after a crash, so that you understand what your legal options are.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Accident Attorney

A Chicago car accident attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Common Causes of an Illinois Radiation Error

Thu, 17 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

When an individual is injured because of a radiation error, an Illinois medical malpractice claim may help to recover financial, emotional and physical damages as a result of the injuries. A Chicago medical malpractice attorney will carefully evaluate your case to determine if you have a valid claim.

While it may be difficult to understand how a radiation error could occur, there are a number of circumstances where medical negligence is the cause.

Some of the common causes of an Illinois radiation error include:

missing/defective device;
devices positioned incorrectly;
failure to inspect/maintain machines;
software errors;
machine malfunction;
staff shortage;
inadequate training;
failure to follow a quality assurance plan;
faulty calculation in dosage;
improper administration;
failure to monitor the patient; and
failure to test the treatment plan before programming it permanently.

No matter what has caused your radiation error, the injuries resulting from medical negligence in these cases most likely could have been prevented.

If you have suffered a medical injury because of a radiation error, you may be entitled to recover damages through an Illinois medical malpractice claim. You should immediately consult with a Chicago medical malpractice attorney who will determine the options you have available.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Complications of a Radiation Mistake in Illinois

Tue, 15 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have been the victim of a radiation mistake in Illinois, you may be entitled to file an Illinois medical malpractice claim. If medical negligence results in injuries, the medical professional who is responsible can be held liable.

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney can determine what your legal options are and whether you have a valid Illinois medical malpractice claim worth pursuing.

A radiation mistake can result in a number of complications including:

burns;
difficulty swallowing;
loss/decay of teeth;
loss of taste;
tongue swelling;
destruction of jaw;
damaged salivary glands;
damaged cells;
bone death;
vision/hearing problems;
organ damage/failure; and
death.

Treatment for these complications can be just as devastating and leave an individual permanently disabled or disfigured. It can result in a loss of time at work, huge medical expenses, emotional distress, unbearable pain and suffering, and other physical and psychological injuries.

These damages may be recoverable through an Illinois medical malpractice claim if you were the victim of medical negligence.

When a radiation mistake leads to serious injuries, you should immediately consult with a Chicago medical malpractice attorney who will work hard to ensure your legal rights are protected.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Chemotherapy Error in Illinois as a Result of Overdose

Fri, 11 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

When an individual has been diagnosed with cancer and is undergoing treatment, a chemotherapy error could lead to devastating consequences. A Chicago medical malpractice attorney can evaluate your case to determine if you should proceed with filing an Illinois medical malpractice claim after a chemotherapy mistake.

A chemotherapy error can be deadly if a patient receives an overdose of the toxic medication. The same drug that is meant to kill cancer cells can also act as poison in a patient's body when too much is given.

Whether the chemotherapy mistake is due to a doctor's failure to properly prescribe or a nurse's failure to properly administer, when negligence leads to injuries the responsible medical professional can be held liable. A chemotherapy error that results in an overdose could lead an individual to seek compensation through an Illinois medical malpractice claim.

Some of the damages that may be recoverable through a claim include:

medical expenses;
lost wages; and
pain and suffering.

If a chemotherapy error results in death there may be additional damages available through an Illinois wrongful death.

If you have suffered injuries due to a chemotherapy error, such as receiving an overdose, you should consult with a Chicago medical malpractice attorney. An attorney will determine what your legal options are and how best to proceed with your Illinois medical malpractice claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Chemotherapy Mistake in Illinois as a Result of Medication Error

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have been injured due to a chemotherapy mistake, you may be entitled to file an Illinois medical malpractice claim. A Chicago medical malpractice attorney will carefully evaluate your case to determine if you have a valid claim worth pursuing.

A chemotherapy mistake can happen for a number of reasons but one of the most common is a medication error. When a doctor or pharmacist is negligent in prescribing, dispensing or administering medication and it results in injuries, they may be held liable.

Chemotherapy mistakes that lead to injuries can take place in a hospital or outpatient clinic. A chemotherapy mistake could also be the result of a pharmacy error. No matter what the setting, this type of error can lead to devastating consequences.

A chemotherapy mistake that is the result of a medication error could be due to:

a mix-up with patients;
an overdose;
the wrong medication being given;
an underdose; or
dangerous interactions with other medication.

Sometimes a chemotherapy mistake that is caused by a medication error is due to a labeling or packaging mistake. An Illinois medical malpractice claim filed after a severe chemotherapy mistake will seek to explore all potential liable parties who may have played a role in the medication error.

If you have been injured due to a chemotherapy mistake, you should immediately consult with an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Common Causes of Unnecessary Surgery: What Illinois Patients Need to Know

Sun, 06 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

When you undergo unnecessary surgery, you may face additional risks that could have otherwise been prevented. This may be a case of medical negligence and could result in the filing of an Illinois medical malpractice claim.

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney will investigate your case thoroughly to determine if you have a valid claim and will make sure that all evidence necessary for your case is collected.

Some of the most common causes of unnecessary surgery include:

misdiagnosis of a medical condition;
a false positive on a test;
mixing up patients; or
misreading test results.

Any of the above causes are the result of a doctor's demonstrated medical negligence. This means your doctor may be held liable for the damage associated with your unnecessary surgery in Illinois. Damages for unnecessary surgery can account for lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, disfigurement, disability and emotional distress.

When unnecessary surgery leads to an Illinois medical malpractice claim, you will need the help of an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney. With the assistance of an attorney, you will be able to pursue and fight for your Illinois medical malpractice claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Complications of a Bacterial Infection after Surgery in Illinois

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you or a loved one has suffered a bacterial infection after surgery and you suspect your medical team's negligence is to blame, a Chicago medical malpractice attorney can help you determine whether you are eligible to file an Illinois medical malpractice claim.

You may be entitled to receive compensation for your medical expenses, treatment and emotional distress as a result of your infection. Additionally, if you have missed time from work because of your surgical site infection, you may also be able to recover lost wages.

With any type of infection after surgery, there are complications that can result. The ability to detect and treat a bacterial infection is vital, since sepsis, a serious complication, can result.

Sepsis occurs when a severe bacterial infection is left untreated. It can cause the body to become inflamed, which can lead to major organ failure or even death.

When an infection enters the individual's bloodstream, it can be fatal, which is why surgeons and other hospital staff must exercise extreme caution during any type of surgery in order to prevent an infection at the patient's surgical site.

Since the complications of a bacterial infection have the potential to lead to physical suffering and additional financial burdens, it may be worthwhile to see if you are eligible to pursue compensation through an Illinois medical malpractice claim. Consulting with a Chicago medical malpractice attorney is the best way to protect your legal rights during this difficult time.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

What Illinois Patients Need to Know About Common Unnecessary Surgeries

Sat, 05 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have undergone an unnecessary surgery as a result of medical negligence, your doctor may be held liable through an Illinois medical malpractice claim.

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney will take the time to carefully evaluate your case and determine whether there is adequate evidence to prove that your surgery was not needed and that it was the result of a doctor's medical negligence. Your attorney is also familiar with the several types of surgeries that are performed unnecessarily.

The most common types of unnecessary surgery include:

C-sections;
hysterectomies;
gall bladder surgeries;
coronary bypasses;
pacemaker implantations;
angioplasties;
balloon angioplasties;
back surgeries; and
breast cancer surgeries (because of a false positive).

Women tend to be at a greater risk of unnecessary surgery because of the invasive medical procedures that are geared toward them (such with as c-sections and hysterectomies). No matter who has been the victim of an unnecessary surgery; however, it can result in devastating consequences.

When a misdiagnosis or a failure to use other treatment options leads to unnecessary surgery, you may be eligible to pursue compensation through an Illinois medical malpractice claim. Consulting with a Chicago medical malpractice attorney should be your next step to determine your legal options.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

After Surgery in Illinois: Common Causes of a Bacterial Infection

Fri, 04 Mar 2011 08:00:00 EST

No one expects to sustain further injury from a surgical procedure but unfortunately, developing an infection after surgery is not uncommon. Yet in many cases, it is preventable.

When you suffer an illness because of a bacterial infection after surgery, you may be eligible to file an Illinois medical malpractice claim. But proving medical negligence requires the help of an experienced Chicago medical malpractice attorney. To get started, your attorney may investigate your case to see if it was related to one of the common causes of a surgical site bacterial infection.

Some of the common causes for a surgical site bacterial infection include:

cross-contamination;
contamination of surgical instruments;
unsterile surgical dressings, drapes and attire;
failure to treat remote infection prior to surgery;
unnecessary hair removal (shaving rather than clipping);
inadequate washing of the surgical site (with antiseptic skin preparation);
prolonged hospital stays; and
inadequate hand washing.

Additionally, if a surgeon fails to recognize risk factors in the patient, such as diabetes, obesity or smoking, the risk for bacterial infection increases. Doctors should take these risk factors into consideration when performing surgery.

When a surgeon or medical staff demonstrates medical negligence that results in a bacterial infection after surgery, consulting with a Chicago medical malpractice attorney should be your next step to determine if you have a valid Illinois medical malpractice claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Common Types of Hospital Errors in an Illinois Emergency Room

Sun, 27 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have been injured because of emergency room negligence in Illinois, you may be entitled to receive compensation through an Illinois medical malpractice claim. A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer will examine your case to determine if you have a valid claim and will also provide an estimate on how much compensation you may be entitled to once they become familiar with your case.

While an emergency room is typically a place you go to for help, unfortunately it could lead to further injuries when staff are inattentive or overworked.

Some of the common types of hospital errors that can happen in an Illinois emergency room include:

failure to recognize symptoms of a serious condition;
failure to properly treat conditions;
failure to order the right tests or lab work;
misreading of tests or lab work;
giving the wrong amount or type of medication;
failure to properly monitor patients; and
performing unnecessary medical procedures.

Despite the rushed, sometimes frenzied atmosphere of an emergency room it is important that doctors provide a standard of care that prevents hospital errors from occurring. When there is a failure to do so, it could lead to them being held liable in an Illinois medical malpractice claim for the additional injuries you sustained.

An emergency room error can be devastating. This type of medical negligence can lead to permanent disability, disfigurement or even death. Consulting with a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer should be a priority if you or a loved one has suffered injuries because of emergency room negligence.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer

A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Common Causes of an Emergency Room Error in Illinois

Sat, 26 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

There is no doubt that an emergency room can be hectic and busy, which may lead to a patient suffering an emergency room error. However this type of error may have been preventable and could lead an individual to file an Illinois medical malpractice claim based on emergency room negligence.

A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer will carefully evaluate the details of your case to determine if you have a valid malpractice claim and whether an emergency room healthcare provider could potentially be held liable for your injuries.

Some of the common causes of an emergency room error in Illinois include:

staff shortages;
high number of patients in critical condition;
lack of experience;
poor training;
rushing through patients;
specialist not available; and
doctor fatigue.

There may be other causes that can lead to an emergency room error but if this type of error caused you to sustain further injury, have the right to pursue compensation.

If your injuries are the result of emergency room negligence, you should immediately consult with a Chicago medical malpractice lawyer who will help determine your legal options. You might be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, pain and suffering and other costs related to your injury.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Lawyer

A Chicago medical malpractice lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

What You Should Know Before Hiring a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

Fri, 25 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

When you need to seek compensation in an Illinois medical malpractice claim, there are some important things you should know before you decide to hire a Chicago medical malpractice attorney.

Having the right attorney can make all the difference in the type and amount of settlement that you receive. When you face serious bodily harm, pain and overwhelming bills, your potential compensation is not something to be taken lightly.

The following are just some things you should know before hiring your Chicago medical malpractice attorney:

whether the attorney has knowledge of medical law and medicine in general;
whether the attorney has addressed specific medical malpractice issues that relate to your case;
the potential worth of your case;
the highest settlement amount the attorney has negotiated for a medical malpractice case;
how long has the attorney worked in the field of medical malpractice; and
how many cases the attorney has won, lost or settled out of court.

Since an Illinois medical malpractice claim can be complicated, knowing the attorney's specific experience can be helpful. When you're looking to hire a Chicago medical malpractice attorney, there are a number of questions to ask that can aid in your decision.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

10 Questions to Ask Your Potential Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

Wed, 23 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

When medical negligence leads to injuries, you may be left with steep medical bills, extensive pain, and prolonged time away from the office. When this happens, you may be able to seek compensation through an Illinois medical malpractice claim. Since a successful outcome to your claim is crucial to getting you back on your feet, you don't want to leave your case to chance.

Pursuing this type of claim can be complicated and requires the help of an experienced and knowledgeable Chicago medical malpractice attorney.

There are 10 important questions you should ask before deciding to hire a Chicago medical malpractice attorney, including:

How many medical malpractice cases have you handled?
How many cases have you won?
How many cases have you lost?
How many cases have you settled out of court?
Do you have a list of previous clients who can be contacted for references?
Are you a member of the local bar association and/or the American Bar Association?
Have you ever faced disciplinary action?
How much are your attorney's fees?
How long have you been in practice?
How much compensation do you estimate I could recover?

Once you have spent time discussing these and other questions that may arise, you will be able to decide if you should proceed with hiring the attorney. The attorney must also decide if they are willing to take your case.

If you have been injured because of a doctor's mistake and need to hire a Chicago medical malpractice attorney it is vital that you know the right questions to ask.

When to Hire a Chicago Medical Malpractice Attorney

A Chicago medical malpractice attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a medical malpractice claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Treatment of a Herniated Disc after an Accident in Illinois

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

When the negligence of another results in an accident in Illinois and you suffer serious injuries, you may be able to hold them liable through a personal injury claim. A Chicago personal injury lawyer will evaluate your case to determine if you have a valid claim.

A painful injury that can be sustained in a variety of accidents from slip and falls to motor vehicle accidents is a herniated disc. This type of injury causes severe back pain and other symptoms that can make it a debilitating condition.

Treatment of a herniated disc will depend on the location of the damage and the severity of the injury, which may include:

chronic pain management;
rehabilitation;
physical therapy;
injections - enzyme, corticosteroid;
medication - pain relievers, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, opioids; and, in serious cases,
surgery - discectomy, laminectomy, laminotomy, perctuaneous discectomy.

Treatment for a herniated disc can be lengthy and expensive, requiring multiple treatments over an extended period of time. An individual may find themselves out of work and facing significant medical bills. These expenses may be compensated through a successful Illinois personal injury claim.

If you have been the victim of an accident in Illinois that has resulted in a herniated disc, consulting with a Chicago personal injury lawyer is the best way to protect your legal rights and pursue compensation through an injury claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

A Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

The Treatment of Internal Injuries after an Accident in Chicago

Sat, 19 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Internal injuries and internal bleeding are commonly seen after a traumatic accident in Chicago. The preferred course of treatment for a victim's internal injuries will depend on where the damage has occurred and the severity of the injury. Initially, an injured patient is stabilized and doctors work to make sure they can breathe, that the airway is open and that their blood pressure and pulse are normal.

Many internal injuries cause internal bleeding, which can be life-threatening. Doctors will identify the source of the internal bleeding and work to stop it, along with repairing any damage to the affected organs. This typically requires surgery.

Surgery to repair internal injuries can mean lost time from work, physical and emotional pain and expensive medical bills. In addition, the damage done to internal organs may mean a long recovery period and life-long effects on your health.

When someone else's negligence causes you to suffer internal injuries from an accident in Chicago, you may be eligible to pursue compensation in an Illinois personal injury claim. A Chicago personal injury lawyer will carefully evaluate the facts in your case to determine if you can proceed with filing a claim.

If you have suffered internal injuries because of an accident, a Chicago personal injury lawyer can talk to you about how to seek damages to allow you to move on with your life.

When to Hire a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

A Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Illinois and Federal Nursing Home Regulations

Fri, 18 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Nursing home facilities and caregivers in Illinois are required by law to follow state and federal nursing home regulations. This is what makes a nursing home neglect claim different than a personal injury claim. It can also be complicated, especially when it comes to proving that nursing home neglect led to your loved one's injuries.

This is why you should seek the help of an experienced Chicago nursing home neglect attorney. An attorney understands the regulations that nursing homes must follow and what type of evidence will be necessary to prove that neglect resulted in your loved one's injuries.

Some of the types of Illinois and federal nursing home regulations that facilities are to follow include:

adequate staffing;
comprehensive assessments at regular intervals;
distribution of only prescribed medications;
bedsore treatment/prevention;
proper incontinence care;
immobility prevention;
accident hazard prevention;
adequate, good nutrition for residents;
respectful care of residents; and
safe, clean and comfortable environment.

When there is a failure to follow nursing home regulations and it leads to neglect, any injuries your loved one may have suffered as a result could be compensated through an Illinois nursing home neglect claim. Consulting with a Chicago nursing home neglect attorney is the best way to protect your loved one's legal rights.

When to Hire a Chicago Nursing Home Neglect Attorney

A Chicago nursing home neglect attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a nursing home neglect claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Overview of a Herniated Disc Due to an Accident in Illinois

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

When an accident in Illinois results in a herniated disc you may consider filing an Illinois personal injury claim to try and recover compensation for your medical expenses among other types of damages. If the negligence of another causes you to suffer injuries they may be held liable for your accident injuries, including a herniated disc.

The initial symptom of a herniated disc is lower back pain. This is because most of these injuries occur to the lower back. Sometimes a herniated disc can affect the neck or upper back.

Damage to a disc can cause it to bulge or break. If the ruptured disc is near a nerve and puts pressure on it, which can lead to severe or even debilitating back pain. There may also be symptoms of numbness in the area that is injured.

The treatment and care of a herniated disc can be costly as the treatment may need to continue for an extended period of time. An individual may need to undergo expensive tests and treatment that includes medication, injections or even surgery in severe cases.

A herniated disc can result in an individual being unable to work for a period of time. Lost income, along with medical expenses may be recovered through a personal injury claim.

A Chicago personal injury lawyer can carefully evaluate your case to determine liability and the types of compensation you may be eligible for if you have suffered a herniated disc as a result of an accident in Illinois.

When to Hire a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

A Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Chicago Pedestrian Injured in Accident on Magnificent Mile

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 17, 2011 - A pedestrian suffered personal injuries on Wednesday when he was hit by a car on Michigan Avenue in downtown Chicago. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, police believe that the victim will survive his injuries.

The Chicago Police Department continues to investigate this pedestrian accident. Officers say the victim was crossing Michigan Avenue at the intersection with Ohio Street when he was struck around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon. First responders shut down the entire northbound side of Michigan Avenue while they treated the victim and investigated the crash. The victim, who has not yet been identified, is being treated for his injuries at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. His condition is currently unknown.

Police say the victim was conscious after the crash and able to respond to paramedics. They say his injuries are not considered to be extremely serious. Pictures from the scene show the man with a neck brace on a stretcher being treated by paramedics. The car involved in this pedestrian accident was not pictured in the photograph, and the driver has not been identified.

Distracted Driver Sued for Fatal Accident in Chicago

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 16, 2011 - The family of a man who was killed in a Chicago car accident in December has sued the driver for wrongful death, alleging that she was distracted by her cell phone when the accident occurred. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the fatal car accident occurred on Dec. 7, 2010 on the South Side of Chicago.

Police say the victim, a 70-year-old man, was standing outside his car on Ewing Avenue, exchanging insurance information with another driver after a fender bender, when he was hit by another vehicle. The victim suffered a severed right leg, and he died shortly after the South Side accident at Advocate Christ Medical Center. The driver who hit him, a woman from Chicago, was updating her Facebook status using her cell phone when the car accident occurred. However, the driver says she couldn't see the victim because the sun was in her eyes.

The victim's family is suing the driver in Cook County Circuit Court, saying that her distracted driving led to the victim's death. The driver had no comment when contacted by reporters.

Signs of Internal Injuries as a Result of an Accident in Chicago

Wed, 16 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have suffered internal injuries or internal bleeding after an accident in Chicago, you may be entitled to pursue a personal injury claim. Through an Illinois personal injury claim, you may be eligible to seek compensation for the losses you suffered as a result of your injuries.

Internal injuries are not always obvious but there may be signs that indicate damage.

Symptoms vary depending on the type of body part that was injured:

Joints - loss of range of motion and significant pain.
Muscles - intense pain, loss of sensation.
Intra-abdominal - pain, weakness, shortness of breath, shock, low blood pressure.
Brain - headache, symptoms that are similar to those of a stroke, loss of vision.
Gastrointestinal - bright red blood in vomit, bloody bowel movements.
Urinary Tract/kidney - blood in urine.

Significant internal bleeding often occurs with internal injuries and represents a critical health threat that requires additional testing and immediate medical care. If you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms after suffering trauma in an accident in Chicago, it is critical that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.

When an accident in Chicago results in serious internal injuries, consult with a Chicago personal injury lawyer who can evaluate your case to determine if you have a valid personal injury claim to account for your damages.

When to Hire a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

A Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Two Chicago Police Officers Injured in South Side Accident

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 15, 2011 - A serious car accident injured three people on Sunday night, including 2 officers with the Chicago Police Department. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the car accident happened shortly after 9:30 p.m. Sunday night on the Far South Side of Chicago.

Police say the officers were on-duty and were responding to an emergency call when they crashed into another vehicle at the intersection of Champlain Avenue and 111^th Street. The officers employed the squad car's lights and sirens, but it was not immediately clear what caused the South Side accident. The 2 officers, along with the driver of the other car, suffered personal injuries in the crash. Their injuries were described as "critical" and serious.

The victims were transported to nearby Advocate Christ Medical Center hospital. Their identities have not been released and their medical conditions are currently unknown. However, police believe all of the victims are expected to survive. Officers with the Chicago Police Department continue to investigate this car accident to determine who was at fault. More information will be released if and when it becomes available.

Nursing Home Neglect & Nursing Home Regulations

Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

State and federal nursing home regulations help to protect residents so that they receive quality care while living in a nursing home facility. When there is a failure to follow state and federal nursing home regulations, it can lead to nursing home neglect and serious injuries.

Nursing homes have a legal duty to follow nursing home regulations. These regulations were created to cover a wide variety of issues ranging from staffing criteria to the care of bedsores. When there is a violation and it causes your loved one to suffer needlessly, you may be eligible to seek compensation on their behalf through an Illinois nursing home neglect claim.

If your loved one has suffered injuries from nursing home neglect, you should seek the help of a Chicago nursing home neglect attorney to discuss the possibility of filing a claim.

With an experienced Chicago nursing home neglect attorney on your side, you stand a better chance at getting what is fair in an Illinois nursing home neglect claim. Additionally, a Chicago nursing home neglect attorney can help collect evidence that proves a facility or caregiver has been negligent.

Nursing home neglect is not always easily proven; however, a Chicago nursing home neglect attorney knows what to look for when compiling a case. If your loved one has been neglected because a facility's staff or caregivers failed to follow nursing home regulations, you have the right to pursue an Illinois nursing home neglect claim.

When to Hire a Chicago Nursing Home Neglect Attorney

A Chicago nursing home neglect attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a nursing home neglect claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Car Crashes Into School Bus on Dan Ryan Expressway, Killing One

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 14, 2011 - One person was killed and two children were seriously injured when a car slammed into a school bus on Wednesday afternoon. According to a report at NBC Chicago, the vehicles were traveling on the Dan Ryan Expressway when the school bus accident occurred shortly after 2:00 p.m.

Police say the school bus, which was not carrying any students at the time of the accident, was stalled on the shoulder when a passenger vehicle crashed into the back of the bus and slid underneath it. The car was trapped under the bus, so the car accident shut down the Dan Ryan Expressway near 73^rd Street for several hours.

The driver of the car, an unidentified woman, was pronounced dead at the scene. Police say she has a lengthy driving record and was driving without a valid driver's license. However, investigators have not said what kind of traffic violations led to the loss of her driver's license.

The victim's children, an 8-year-old boy and a 9-year-old girl, suffered serious personal injuries and were admitted to University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital in critical condition. Police say the driver of the school bus was not injured.

Four Teenagers Injured in Chicago Rollover Crash

Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 14, 2011 - Four Chicago teenagers suffered personal injuries on Sunday when their vehicle rolled over after a car chase on the city's West Side. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the car accident occurred around 4 a.m. on Sunday morning in Homan Square.

Police say the teenagers were riding in a 1999 Cadillac sedan when they became involved in an altercation with the occupants of a Jeep. The passengers in the Cadillac apparently flashed gang signs at the teens, and the two vehicles began chasing each other.

Near the intersection of Central Park Avenue and Roosevelt Road, the driver of the Jeep lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a pole. The Cadillac also crashed into a building and a parked car before rolling over several times. Police say the Jeep was gone by the time first responders arrived, and investigators are now looking to question that driver.

A 17-year-old boy was driving the Cadillac; he and a 16-year-old boy are being treated for personal injuries at Stroger Hospital. Two additional 17-year-old boys were admitted to Mount Sinai Hospital. Their identities have not been released, and their conditions are currently unknown. The driver received a number of citations, including speeding, driving without insurance, and other traffic violations.

Silver SUV Hits Two Pedestrians in The Loop

Fri, 11 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 11, 2011 - Police are searching for the driver of a silver Mitsubishi SUV after a driver fled after striking two pedestrians in Chicago's Loop neighborhood. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, two friends were crossing the street on a green light when they were hit shortly after 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

The pedestrian victims, a 53-year-old woman and a 70-year-old woman, had the right of way as they attempted to cross South State Street near Monroe Street on their way to the Chicago Symphony. Both women were struck by the SUV. Witnesses to the car accident helped get the women out of the street while others chased after the SUV in order to get its license plate number.

The pedestrian accident was recorded on a surveillance camera, which confirmed that the SUV had a red light at the time of the crash. Both women were transported to a local hospital with personal injuries. The 53-year-old woman broke her pelvis and has multiple deep cuts on her legs. The other victim broke several ribs and her collarbone.

The Chicago Police Department released the SUV's license plate, which is X765013. Anyone with information should contact the Major Accident Division at (312) 745-4521.

Failing to Follow a Care Plan | Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you suspect your loved one has suffered from nursing home neglect you will likely want to take legal action but may be at a loss as to how to prove neglect occurred. In many cases, a failure to follow patients' care plans is what leads to patients' injuries.

An experienced Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer is aware of this and will carefully review your loved one's care plan when determining if you have a valid Illinois nursing home abuse claim.

To determine if there was a failure to follow a care plan, a Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer will consider:

whether a thorough and adequate assessment was done on the patient;
whether the care plan takes into consideration the patient's medical history;
whether the plan was effective and detailed;
whether the plan was shared with other nursing home staff;
whether the care plan was being followed out;
whether an evaluation was done to determine its effectiveness; and
whether any necessary revisions were made to the plan.

If a failure to follow a care plan has led your loved one to suffer injuries because of nursing home neglect, you may be able to seek compensation through an Illinois nursing home abuse claim. While you try to help your loved one through this time, consulting with a Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer should be your next step.

When to Hire a Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

A Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois nursing home abuse claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Family of Elgin Crash Victim Sues Toyota

Thu, 10 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 10, 2011 - Despite assurances from the U.S. Department of Transportation that there was no electronic cause for the unintended accelerations in Toyota vehicles last year, the family of a crash victim still believes that Toyota is responsible for their family member's death.

According to a report at ABC 7 Chicago, the family of an 87-year-old Elgin man is suing Toyota for producing a defective vehicle that was involved in a May 2010 car accident.

The 87-year-old man was exiting a parking space in an Elgin shopping center when his car lurched forward suddenly and crashed into a building. The man, who was driving a 2006 Toyota Corolla, died shortly after the Elgin car accident. The crash was caught on the shopping center's surveillance camera, and the tape shows the vehicle's sudden and quick acceleration. The family argues that the victim, who worked as a truck driver for years, would not have accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the brakes. According to the family's lawyer, they are suing Toyota for unspecified damages.

Toyota claims that the unintended acceleration problems it faced last year were caused by physical problems, including improperly installed floor mats and sticky gas pedals. The Department of Transportation's investigation appears to back up that claim.

Consequences of a Failure to Follow Your Loved One's Care Plan

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

Nursing home neglect is a serious consequence of a failure to follow a care plan. Preventable mistakes, such as improper medication dosages, can often result and may lead you to file an Illinois nursing home abuse claim to help fight for the rights of your loved one.

Importance of Your Loved One's Care Plan

In order to properly and effectively take care of your loved one, a detailed and thorough care plan should be developed when your loved one is admitted to a home. This is done after an assessment is made of your loved one's condition and takes into account specific needs related to their medical, social, mental and physical care.

The care plan is to be shared with other staff that will help to take care of your loved one and reevaluated at specific times to ensure it is working well. If it is not, the plan should be revised. When this does not occur, your loved one can ultimately wind up injured or severely harmed.

For instance, when those who care for your loved one on a daily basis are not apprised of the care plan, vital information related to their needs may go unnoticed. A failure to dispense the right medication, provide a safe environment based on their condition or providing the appropriate types of foods are just some examples of what could lead to injuries. In the most serious cases, the consequences of a botched care plan can lead to death.

When your loved one suffers injuries because of a failure to follow their care plan or other related mistakes, you may be entitled to seek compensation through an Illinois nursing home abuse claim. A Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer can help determine if you have a claim worth pursuing.

When to Hire a Chicago Nursing Home Abuse Lawyer

A Chicago nursing home abuse lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois nursing home abuse claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Lynwood City Employee Causes Fatal DUI Crash

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 9, 2011 - An employee who works for the village of Lynwood, a suburb of Chicago, caused a fatal car accident that police believe was alcohol-related. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the 64-year-old man, who works as the clerk for the village of Lynwood, drove the wrong way on a busy road, killing one and injuring several others. The accident occurred shortly before 1:30 a.m. on Friday morning.

Police say the man was driving a village-owned Ford Taurus the wrong direction on southbound Route 394 when he slammed head-on into 2 vehicles near East Lincoln Highway. There were 4 people in these 2 vehicles, including a 32-year-old woman from Marquette Park, who died in the DUI crash. Her husband suffered a broken hip, while another woman was transported to Franciscan St. Margaret Health, where she is currently listed in good condition. Another victim suffered minor personal injuries.

The driver who caused this fatal accident was also injured and transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center, where he is expected to survive. No charges have been filed at this time, but police have already said that they believe alcohol played a role in the fatal crash. The victim, a 32-year-old woman, was married and leaves behind 4 children.

16-Year-Old Naperville Teen Charged with DUI

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 7, 2011 - A 16-year-old boy is facing serious charges after he caused a car accident while driving under the influence of drugs in suburban Naperville. According to a report at the Naperville Sun, the teen crashed his Chevrolet SUV into another vehicle shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Thursday evening.

Police say there were 3 teenage boys in the SUV when it crashed into a Dodge sedan at the intersection of Naper Boulevard and Ogden Avenue. Apparently the teenager turned left in front of oncoming traffic, which caused the Dodge to slam into the passenger side of the SUV.

The driver, whose identity has not yet been released, was treated for minor injuries at Edward Hospital. A 15-year-old boy from Lisle suffered serious personal injuries, and he was transported by helicopter to Children's Memorial Hospital, where he remains in critical condition. Another 16-year-old boy was also injured, although police believe he will survive. The driver of the Dodge Intrepid, a 17-year-old boy from Lisle, escaped serious injuries.

The teenage driver who caused this crash is facing a number of charges, including driving under the influence of drugs and driving an unsafe vehicle. Police have not said what drugs were involved, and it was not immediately clear what made the SUV unsafe to drive. The teenager was also driving with a suspended driver's license.

South Side Crash Leaves 3 in Critical Condition

Mon, 07 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 7, 2011 - A three-car collision on Chicago's South Side injured 6 people, including 3 victims who were taken to local hospitals in critical condition. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the South Side accident occurred shortly before 8:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Police say the crash happened in the Park Manor neighborhood near the intersection of State Street and 63^rd. Three cars were involved, but investigators with the Chicago Police Department have not released any information on how the car accident occurred or who was at fault.

Six people suffered personal injuries in the crash, including a child. The identities of the victims have not been released. Police say that 3 of those victims are in critical condition and are receiving treatment at Comer Children's Hospital and Stroger Hospital.

Police say one of the victims appeared to be under the influence of alcohol, although investigators have not said if this person was driving one of the cars involved in the South Side crash. This particular man was taken against his will to the hospital due to the extent of his intoxication.

Treatment of PTSD after an Illinois Accident

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have been involved in an accident in Illinois that has left you with not only physical injuries but emotional injuries as well, you may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After talking to your physician, and a therapist, if recommended, you should also consult with an Aurora personal injury lawyer who will evaluate your particular case and determine what your appropriate next steps should be in relation to filing an Illinois personal injury claim.

Since PTSD can interfere with an individual's life, it's not something to be casually dismissed. Left untreated, PTSD could lead to other serious complications.

Treatment for PTSD involves medical and psychological intervention. Treatment will also depend on the specific symptoms dealt with by the individual.

Common types of treatment available for PTSD include:

psychotherapy;
cognitive behavioral therapy;
family counseling;
parenting classes;
conflict-resolution training;
sleep therapy; and
medication.

Therapy for PTSD is typically long-term (months, rather than weeks) and can be very expensive. You may qualify to pursue not only damages related to your bodily injuries from an accident in Illinois, but also other injury-related damages such as PTSD, if someone else's negligence was the cause.

Consulting with an Aurora personal injury lawyer should be a high priority if you have developed PTSD after an accident in Illinois.

When to Hire an Aurora Personal Injury Lawyer

An Aurora personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Chicago Pedestrian Killed by City Truck

Fri, 04 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 4, 2011 - A pedestrian was killed on Wednesday after he was hit by a truck operated by the Chicago Department of Transportation. According to a report at the Chicago Sun-Times, the fatal pedestrian accident occurred shortly before 3 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon.

Police say the pedestrian was walking on South Archer Avenue in Chicago when he was hit in the 2800 block. It appears that the driver of the city truck was in reverse when he hit the pedestrian, although police have not said what type of truck was involved in the accident. The victim has been identified as a 44-year-old man, but his name was not released. Police say he was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. The Cook County Medical Examiner is expected to perform an autopsy this week to determine the exact cause of death.

The driver of the Chicago city truck has been cited in connection with this fatal pedestrian accident. The citations include failing to watch for pedestrians and operating a truck in reverse, presumably without first taking the necessary precautions. Officers with the Major Accident Investigation Unit are still looking into this crash and have not yet closed their investigation.

Common Types of Disfigurement as a Result of an Illinois Accident

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

One of the most traumatic types of injury to suffer is one leading to disfigurement. It can cause someone to suffer physically, emotionally, socially, vocationally and financially.

Some of the common types of disfigurement occurring in an Illinois accident include:

burn injuries;
road rash;
lacerations;
loss of motor functions;
loss of limb; and
facial injuries.

When it comes to disfiguring injuries, the victim may suffer not only physically but emotionally as well, leading to the need for counseling or other types of therapy. Some types of disfigurement will require long-term care and treatment, which although expensive, may be compensated for if another party caused your injuries through their negligence.

When someone else's negligence causes you to suffer injuries in an Illinois accident, the other party may be held liable through an Illinois personal injury claim. A Chicago personal injury lawyer can meet with you and look over your case to help you determine your options for filing an Illinois personal injury claim. Your attorney can also help you determine what types of compensation to request based on your specific accident.

There are many physical and emotional complexities to filing a claim for a disfigurement injury. Learn more about these types of claims by visiting our article library.

When to Hire a Chicago Injury Lawyer

A Chicago injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Chicago Man Charged with Reckless Homicide After DUI Crash

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 3, 2011 - A Chicago man is facing a number of serious charges related to a fatal DUI accident on Sunday. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, the man was under the influence of both drugs and alcohol when he crashed his car, killing another man who was riding in the car with him.

The DUI accident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. Police say the man blew through a red light at the intersection of Lafayette Avenue and 75^th Street in his Cadillac and crashed into a minivan. The driver then left the scene of the accident, although the minivan's driver pursued him.

As the minivan chased the Cadillac onto the Dan Ryan Expressway, the Cadillac fled onto South Racine Avenue, where the driver lost control of his vehicle and crashed into a building. A passenger in the Cadillac, a 27-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver, a 25-year-old man, suffered personal injuries and was transported to Stroger Hospital.

Toxicology tests showed that the driver's blood-alcohol level was 0.26, which is well above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. Prosecutors say the driver was also under the influence of marijuana at the time of the crash. He is facing charges of reckless homicide, drunk driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

When an Accident in Illinois Leads to PTSD

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

When an accident in Illinois leads to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), you may be wondering if you have any legal right to recovery for that specific injury. An Aurora personal injury lawyer understands you may be suffering not only bodily injuries but also face emotional injuries as a result of a serious accident in Illinois.

PTSD is a condition that can dramatically affect an individual's ability to function on a daily basis. It can interfere with every aspect of life and become debilitating.

While most victims of an accident in Illinois will experience anxiety or other types of worries, an individual with PTSD experiences far more.

PTSD can bring on irrational fears, avoidance of stimuli related to the accident, an inability to stop thinking about the accident or even cause behavioral changes such as irritability or anger.

As a result, the victim of the accident in Illinois may need to seek additional therapy, which can be costly. Not only is the victim dealing with medical costs related to physical injuries, but also may be facing additional expenses.

These expenses may be recovered if an accident in Illinois was the result of someone else's negligence and resulted in PTSD. An Aurora personal injury lawyer can help determine what types of damages may be recovered in a claim.

When to Hire an Aurora Personal Injury Lawyer

An Aurora personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Common Accident Injuries: Disfigurement

Wed, 02 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you've sustained a disfiguring injury in an Illinois accident, you may be considering whether to file an Illinois personal injury claim. If another party caused your accident and resulting injuries, you may be entitled to recover damages for your medical expenses, ongoing treatment, and other accident expenses.

A Chicago injury lawyer will carefully evaluate your case, determine the extent of your injuries and how much compensation you may be eligible to recover through an Illinois personal injury claim.

When an injury from an Illinois accident leads to disfigurement, it can be traumatic. Disfigurement can affect an individual not only physically but psychologically as well. It can also result in extensive and expensive medical treatment, therapy and recovery.

Depending on the extent of your injuries, you may also be facing disability due to your disfigurement. A loss of income or earning potential may be recovered through an Illinois personal injury claim. Other recoverable damages related to your disfigurement include pain and suffering, diminished quality of life, and emotional distress.

When someone else's negligence causes a serious Illinois accident that changes your life such as in the case of a disfigurement, seek the help of an experienced Chicago injury lawyer to learn more about your legal rights.

When to Hire a Chicago Injury Lawyer

A Chicago injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in a personal injury claim in Illinois, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Fleeing Driver Struck by Car on Dan Ryan Expressway

Tue, 01 Feb 2011 08:00:00 EST

February 1, 2011 - A driver who caused a hit and run accident on Sunday was seriously injured when he attempted to flee the scene on foot and was hit by another car. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the driver is facing a number of charges in connection with the hit and run accident. The accidents occurred shortly before 6:30 a.m. on Sunday morning.

Police say the suspect was driving on South Wentworth Avenue in Chicago when he crashed into a parked car. The car was unoccupied at the time. The driver then fled the scene and abandoned his vehicle near 50^th Street. He then ran across the Dan Ryan Expressway, where police say he tried to gain access to the CTA station nearby. After unsuccessfully scaling a fence, the suspect ran back across the Expressway near 46^th Street, where he was hit by a car. The hit and run driver, who has been identified as a 25-year-old man who lives on South Essex Avenue, is being treated for serious personal injuries at Stroger Hospital. Police say he is in critical condition.

The driver is facing numerous charges, including running a red light, driving without a license or insurance, leaving the scene of an accident, trespassing and others. He is due in court on Feb. 28.

Englewood Car Chase Ends in Fatality

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 31, 2011 - A chase between two vehicles in Englewood on Sunday left one man dead and another seriously injured. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, the fatal car accident occurred shortly before 4 a.m. on Sunday morning.

The Major Accidents Investigation Unit is still investigating this fatal Englewood car crash, but officers believe that two cars were racing or involved in a chase on South Racine Avenue. Investigators have not determined exactly what the drivers were doing or if one car was fleeing from another.

One driver lost control of his vehicle in the 5900 block of South Racine Avenue and slammed into a utility pole. The driver of that car died at the scene, while a passenger was transported to Stroger Hospital with life-threatening personal injuries. This unidentified passenger is currently listed in serious condition.

The victim has been identified as a 27-year-old man, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner. The passenger has not been identified. Police have not said if the second vehicle has been located, but it does not appear that the occupants of that car suffered any injuries.

Chicago Woman Loses Leg in Hit-and-Run Accident

Mon, 31 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 31, 2011 - A Chicago woman suffered serious personal injuries on Wednesday after she was hit by a car while waiting for a bus on the South Side. According to a report at My Fox Chicago, the Chicago hit and run accident occurred shortly after 5 p.m. during rush hour on Wednesday evening.

Police say the victim was standing on a sidewalk at a bus stop near State Street and 69^th Street when she was hit by a Buick LeSabre that crashed onto the sidewalk. The driver of the Buick abandoned her car and ran from the scene on foot towards a nearby CTA station. The victim, a 58-year-old woman from Chicago, was transported with serious injuries to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Doctors were able to save her life, but they were forced to amputate the victim's leg.

An outraged community helped police track down the hit and run driver. Volunteers handed out hundreds of flyers after the Chicago hit and run accident, which helped local police identity the driver as a 21-year-old woman who lives on South Claremont Avenue. The driver was in court on Saturday, where she was formally charged with various crimes relating to the hit and run accident, in addition to speeding, negligent driving, damaging public property and driving without a license or insurance. She is being held in jail on $100,000 bond. Her next court date has been set for Feb. 4.

Consequences of a Concussion from an Illinois Car Accident

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

When you have suffered a head injury in an accident in Illinois, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries. A Chicago car accident lawyer will take the time to evaluate your case and determine if you should proceed to file an Illinois personal injury claim.

If a head injury leads to concussion, you could face mild or more serious consequences. In most cases a concussion is not serious, but with any head injury, there is always the risk of complications.

A possible short-term consequence of a concussion is post-concussive syndrome, which may cause the following symptoms:

dizziness;
concentration difficulties;
nausea;
vomiting; and
persistent headache (lasts anywhere from days to months after the accident).

Long-term consequences of a concussion may include susceptibility to other concussions in the future. Repeated concussions can lead to neurological problems, psychiatric disorders and loss of memory.

In addition, even a mild concussion could lead to complications later in life such as dementia, early Alzheimer's disease and depression.

If an accident in Illinois has resulted in a concussion, you may be entitled to seek compensation through an Illinois personal injury claim. Consulting with a Chicago car accident lawyer should be your next step in order to protect your legal rights.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

A Chicago car accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Types of Nursing Home Abuse or Neglect that Result in Wrongful Death

Sun, 30 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

Losing a loved one is difficult enough, but when it is the result of nursing home abuse or neglect, it means those who were hired to care for your loved one betrayed them on a fundamental level. When a nursing home staff commits such an egregious and intolerable offense, the surviving family members may be entitled to seek compensation for their loss.

Proving nursing home abuse took place can present unique challenges, but with the help of an experienced Chicago nursing home abuse attorney, you have a better chance of receiving justice.

Common types of nursing home abuse or neglect that can result in wrongful death include:

Assault - from either a staff member or another resident.
Bed Sores - potentially fatal wounds occurring when a person is left lying or sitting in one spot for a long period of time without being repositioned;
Choking - on food or another object.
Suffocation - due to restraints or lack of oxygen in faulty equipment.
Falls - resulting from deteriorating physical condition or a lack of assistive devices.
Medical Errors - either under or overmedication, adverse reactions, or harmful interactions.

Proving nursing home abuse in an Illinois wrongful death claim will typically require the help of a Chicago nursing home abuse attorney. A Chicago nursing home abuse attorney understands nursing home regulations and what type of evidence is necessary to build a solid Illinois wrongful death claim. Your lawyer also has the time and resources to carefully evaluate your case and advise you on your legal options.

When to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Chicago

A nursing home abuse attorney in Chicago at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of the paperwork involved in an Illinois wrongful death claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Overview of a Concussion as a Result of an Accident in Illinois

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have been injured in an accident in Illinois resulting in a head injury such as a concussion, you may be able to seek compensation through an Illinois personal injury claim.

A Chicago car accident lawyer will take the time to discuss with you all the facts surrounding your accident to determine if someone else's negligence was the cause.

One type of common head injury from an Illinois car accident is a concussion. In many cases, a concussion is not serious but carries with it the potential risk of a more serious injury such as a traumatic brain injury.

Sometimes a concussion will lead to a brief loss of consciousness, but other times the loss of consciousness may last much longer. In addition, the victim may suffer headaches and other symptoms such as blurred vision and vomiting.

Dealing with a head injury can be challenging since the long-term effects don't always present themselves immediately. Because of this, you may need the help of an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer who can help you prepare for any future medical expenses you may incur.

A Chicago car accident lawyer will assist you with the entire process of filing your Illinois personal injury claim if you have suffered a concussion because of someone else's carelessness or recklessness.

When to Hire a Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

A Chicago car accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Proving Nursing Home Abuse in a Wrongful Death Claim

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

There are some unique challenges to proving nursing home abuse when it comes to an Illinois wrongful death claim. If your loved one has died as a result of the abuse or neglect of a caregiver or nursing home facility, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your loss.

Due to the complexities of proving fault on behalf of a nursing home or its staff, you will likely require the help of an experienced Chicago nursing home abuse attorney. Your attorney can help with the investigation surrounding your loved one's passing, and determine whether or not the nursing home acted according to state laws concerning elder care.

In addition, your Chicago nursing home abuse attorney will need to understand the stipulations regarding who, when, and why someone can file an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit.

Some of the challenges in proving nursing home abuse in an Illinois wrongful death claim include:

undocumented claims of past nursing home abuse;
doctoring of patient's charts and records;
loved one suffered from a pre-existing condition; and
nursing home abuse or neglect took place over a long period of time.

Despite the potential challenges, you stand a better chance at proving nursing home abuse if you have the help of an experienced nursing home abuse attorney on your side. The first step is contacting an experienced Chicago nursing home abuse attorney who can look over your case and help you decide if you are eligible to file an Illinois wrongful death claim.

When to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Chicago

A nursing home abuse attorney in Chicago at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with cases similar to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of the paperwork involved in an Illinois wrongful death claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Attorney for Drunk Driver Places Blame on Chicago Heights Police

Thu, 27 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 27, 2011 - An accused drunk driver who caused a fatal crash is placing the blame on the Chicago Heights Police Department. According to a report at My Fox Chicago, the driver's attorney is alleging that police officers at the scene knew the man was drunk and let him drive anyway.

The driver is facing a variety of charges, including reckless homicide, in the death of a 5-year-old boy. The charges stem from a May car accident in Steger. The accused was a passenger in a car when it was pulled over by Chicago Heights police officers. The man's girlfriend, who was driving at the time, was arrested for driving with a suspended license, and the officers told the man to take the woman's child home.

Less than an hour later, the man crashed the car into a tree in Steger, killing the 5-year-old boy. After the fatal car accident, the man's blood-alcohol content was measured at .208, and officers who arrived at the crash said he was visibly intoxicated.

The man's attorney says the driver told police he was intoxicated and they ignored him. For their part, the officers involved say that the driver showed no outward signs that he was under the influence.

Driver in Fatal Chicago Crash Drank More Than 8 Beers

Wed, 26 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 26, 2011 - Chicago - A Chicago man is facing serious felony charges after he caused a car accident while driving drunk. According to a report at My Fox Chicago, the fatal crash killed one person and injured two others. The DUI accident occurred around 10:30 p.m. on Sunday night.

Police say the man was watching the Bears game at Tailgator's Sports Bar in Oak Lawn, where he consumed eight beers and at least one drink with hard liquor. He then drank at least one more beer at Murphy's Law bar before falling asleep in the bar's parking lot.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m. that night, the driver, a 38-year-old man from Chicago, got behind the wheel of a Ford Expedition SUV and started driving northbound on Cicero Avenue. Shortly later, he swerved into oncoming traffic and struck a GMC Yukon SUV. Police say his headlights were not on at the time of the DUI accident and his blood-alcohol content was .291, well above the legal limit of .08.

The driver of the GMC, a 38-year-old man, died less than an hour after the fatal crash at Advocate Christ Medical Center. His 36-year-old wife suffered serious personal injuries, including a shattered pelvis and other broken bones. The couple's 15-year-old daughter was also injured in the DUI accident.

Driver in Fatal Chicago Crash Charged with DUI

Tue, 25 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 25, 2011 - The driver who was behind the wheel of an SUV that crashed over the weekend has been charged with felony drunk driving. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the car accident claimed the life of a 17-year-old girl who was a passenger in the SUV. Five other passengers were injured.

Police say the 20-year-old driver was intoxicated when his Ford Explorer SUV blew through a stop sign in West Rogers Park on Saturday morning. Emergency personnel were called to the scene on North Artesian Avenue shortly after 2 a.m. They discovered that the SUV had hit a car in the intersection with West North Shore Avenue before crashing into a row of parked cars and hitting a tree.

A 17-year-old girl was killed in the crash and her 14-year-old sister suffered serious personal injuries. The girls fled from Iraq with their family 5 years ago before settling in Chicago.

Four other people in the SUV, including the driver, were injured in the crash. The 20-year-old driver, who lives on North Central Avenue in Chicago, is still in the hospital and his court date has not been set. His blood-alcohol content has not been released.

Chicago Teen Killed in SUV Accident

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 24, 2011 - One person was killed and 5 other teenagers were injured in a serious car accident in West Rogers Park. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the fatal accident occurred around 2 a.m. on Saturday as the teenagers were driving home from a birthday party.

Police say an unidentified 20-year-old was behind the wheel of a Ford Explorer SUV when the driver ignored a stop sign at the intersection of North Artesian Avenue and North Shore Avenue. The Ford Explorer slammed into another vehicle before hitting several parked cars and crashing into a tree.

A passenger in the SUV, a 17-year-old girl, was transported to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital, where she died nearly an hour after the crash. Her sister, a 14-year-old girl, suffered serious personal injuries, including broken bones. The girls and their family were originally from Iraq, but came to Chicago 5 years ago during the Iraq War.

Four other teenagers were injured in the crash, including the 20-year-old driver. The most serious of the injured, a 16-year-old girl, is currently in critical condition. A 17-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Police have not said if alcohol played a role in this fatal crash.

One Killed, Two Injured in Accident on Southwest Side

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 24, 2011 - A serious car accident in the early hours of Saturday morning left one woman dead and 2 other people with serious personal injuries. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, the Chicago Police Department's Major Accident Investigations Unit is still trying to determine how the fatal crash occurred.

Police say the victim was driving a Ford Escape SUV in the Heart of Chicago when she was hit by another car. The accident took place shortly after 1:30 a.m. on Saturday morning when the victim's Ford Escape was driving on 21^st Street, where she was hit by a Ford Focus driving northbound on Damen Avenue. Investigators have not yet said if the driver of the Ford Focus ran a red light. The force from the accident propelled both vehicles into a row of parked cars; at least one of the vehicles also crashed into a tree. It took some time for first responders to get both drivers and a passenger out of the wreckage.

The victim has been identified as a 29-year-old woman. The driver of the Ford Focus has not yet been identified, but he or she is currently in serious condition. A passenger in the Focus, a 16-year-old boy, is currently being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at Stroger Hospital.

Bed Sore Complications

Fri, 21 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

If your loved one resides in a nursing home and has developed bed sores, this may be a sign of nursing home neglect. Bed sores can lead to serious and even deadly complications. This is because bed sores can cause infections that affect the skin, bones and muscles.

Some of the most serious complications that may arise from bed sores include:

Joint infections - damage to the cartilage and tissue.
Bone infections - functioning of joints and limbs may be reduced.
Cellulitis - infection in the skin's connective tissue.
Sepsis - infection that spreads into the bloodstream, which could cause shock and organ failure.
Meningitis - infection in the fluid and membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord.

Bed sores are a sign of nursing home neglect and should be investigated since they are generally preventable. A nursing home abuse attorney in Chicago can examine the facts in your case to determine if your loved one's injuries were preventable and who may be held liable. This may include analyzing your loved one's medical records, notations from nursing home staff, charts and other documentation.

If it is found that your loved one was indeed injured as a result of the negligent actions of nursing home staff, a nursing home abuse attorney in Chicago can guide you in filing your nursing home abuse claim.

When to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Chicago

An Illinois nursing home abuse attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois nursing home abuse claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Driver Killed in West Chicago Truck Accident

Thu, 20 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 20, 2011 - An unidentified victim was killed in a horrific truck accident on Wednesday that left a pickup truck wedged underneath a semi-trailer. According to a report at My Fox Chicago, the fatal truck accident occurred early on Wednesday morning in West Chicago.

Details on this truck fatal accident are still trickling out, but police say the pickup truck was traveling on Powis Road when it slammed into the back of a semi-truck near the intersection with North Avenue. Pictures from the scene show the cab of the white pickup truck was crushed and completely wedged underneath the back of the semi. This type of truck accident is also known as an "under-ride accident".

The vehicles were traveling on a two-lane road and snow is clearly visible along the roadway, although police have not said if the crash is weather-related. Investigators have not determined what caused the pickup truck to rear-end the semi, although it appears that the semi may have been attempting to make a left turn onto another road. If so, the semi may have braked to attempt the turn.

Police say one person was killed in this crash, although the victim's identity has not yet been released.

Chicago Woman Pinned Underneath Stolen SUV

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 19, 2011 - A car thief driving a stolen car is responsible for nearly killing a Chicago woman on Monday afternoon. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, the pedestrian was hit while crossing the street. Police are treating this crime as a hit-and-run accident.

Police say the victim was walking across South Racine Avenue shortly after 3 p.m. on Monday when she was hit by the stolen SUV. The woman was then pinned underneath the vehicle until rescue workers arrived. Police say the driver of the stolen car ran from the scene after striking the pedestrian, and police have yet to apprehend him. The victim, who has not yet been identified, suffered serious personal injuries and was transported to Stroger Hospital. She is currently in critical condition.

Pictures from the scene show a silver SUV with significant front-end damage and several flat tires. It also appears that first responders removed the SUV's bumper in order to free the victim. The SUV was listed as stolen, but it was not immediately clear when it was initially stolen.

Cyclist Dies in Hit-and-Run Accident in South Chicago

Wed, 19 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 19, 2011 - A cyclist was killed on Monday evening in what police are describing as a possible hit-and-run accident. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, the victim's body was discovered by a city worker who was operating a snow plow around 6 p.m. on Monday.

The victim has not yet been identified, and the police department's Major Accident Investigation Unit is still investigating this fatal accident. The city worker discovered the body on Pershing Road in the Wentworth Gardens area of South Chicago. According to the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, the victim is a man in his 30s. Police believe he was riding a bicycle at the time of the crash, and his injuries lead investigators to think he was hit by a car. Police say the body was in the middle of the road when it was discovered.

Anyone with information about this victim or the accident is asked to call the Chicago Police Department. As of now, the police are investigating this death as a hit-and-run accident.

Signs of Nursing Home Neglect: Bed Sores

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

There are a number of signs of nursing home neglect. Bed sores are one such sign and are often a giveaway that your loved one isn't receiving a proper standard of care. Bed sores are also known as pressure ulcers since they are caused by unrelieved pressure that tends to affect several different areas of the body when a person is left in the same position for an extended period of time.

In most circumstances, bed sores are preventable. A nursing home staff worker or facility may be held liable for injuries that your loved one has suffered after developing bed sores, especially if they go untreated and an infection develops. A nursing home abuse attorney in Chicago can help you evaluate your case to determine your legal options.

When nursing home staff members fail to reposition patients, provide adequate nutrition and liquids or take care of their hygienic needs, bed sores can develop.

The prevention and treatment of bed sores is vital because of the risk of infection. In some cases, patients have experienced the amputation of a limb and in severe cases, patients have died from bed sores.

Since these are preventable injuries, bed sores may be one of the signs of nursing home neglect. Consulting with a nursing home abuse attorney in Chicago can help you learn more about how to protect your loved one's rights and how to proceed with filing a claim if your loved one is being abused in a nursing home setting.

When to Hire a Nursing Home Abuse Attorney in Chicago

A Chicago nursing home abuse attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois nursing home abuse claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Four People Injured in Jefferson Park Crash

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 17, 2011 - Four people suffered personal injuries on Sunday when they were involved in a crash on Chicago's Northwest Side. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the Jefferson Park crash involved at least 9 people and an unknown number of vehicles.

Police say the crash occurred at the intersection of Austin and Berwyn Avenues in Jefferson Park. The multiple vehicle accident happened shortly after 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, and first responders had cleared the scene by 4:30 p.m. Police have not released any details on how the crash occurred or who was at fault.

Four people suffered personal injuries, but luckily all of the victims are expected to survive. The injured were transported by ambulance to Resurrection Medical Center for treatment. Two of the victims are listed in fair condition, while 2 others were admitted in good condition. Their identities have not yet been released.

There were 5 other people involved in the crash who were not injured, according to the fire department. These people have also not been identified. Police have not said if any charges will be filed in connection with this accident.

Joliet Man Dies in Single-Vehicle Accident

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 17, 2011 - Police are investigating a single-vehicle crash in Joliet that left one man dead. According to a report at the Herald News, first responders were called to the scene shortly before 1 a.m. on Saturday morning.

Although the details are still under investigation, police believe the victim was driving on Route 53 in Joliet when he lost control of his car in the southbound lanes. The car drove off the road and rolled down an embankment before crashing. The Will County coroner's office has identified the victim as a 65-year-old man from Joliet who lived on South Chicago Street.

Police have not said what caused the driver to lose control of his car, and it was not currently known if adverse weather contributed to the crash. Toxicology reports and an autopsy have been scheduled.

No other people were in the car at the time of the crash, and the victim's car was the only vehicle involved. The victim's family has been notified and funeral arrangements are pending. More information on this fatal crash, including the cause of the accident, will be added if and when it becomes available.

Recalled DePuy Hip Replacement Side Effects

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

With the high rate of failure found in the recalled DePuy ASR Hip Replacements, you may have suffered serious side effects. If you have experienced serious injury, including the need for additional surgery, a defective product lawyer in Chicago can explain your options for filing an Illinois defective product claim.

Side effects of DePuy ASR Hip Replacements include chronic pain and swelling. Additionally, there may be damage to the bones, nerves and muscles affected by the defective hip replacement system.

The most serious side effect of this defective hip replacement system is the need for additional surgery. Unfortunately, revision surgery is also the most common side effect of receiving a defective DePuy ASR Hip Replacement.

Hip replacement surgery is costly and recovery time can be lengthy. When individuals have to undergo this type of surgery all over again, they may be eligible to receive not only compensation for medical expenses but for lost income, emotional distress or pain and suffering.

A defective product lawyer in Chicago can help you defend your legal rights and will take the time to explain all of your available options in pursuing an Illinois defective product claim.

If you have suffered serious side effects from DePuy ASR Hip Replacements, consulting with a defective product lawyer in Chicago should be your next step. While this type of claim can be complicated, working with an experienced defective product attorney can help you each step of the way.

When to Hire a Defective Product Lawyer in Chicago

A defective product lawyer in Chicago at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois defective product claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Wrong-Way Driver Causes Two Accidents on Kennedy Expressway

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 14, 2011 - Police are investigating 2 car accidents that may have been caused by the same wrong-way driver. According to a report at the Chicago Breaking News Center, officers were called to the scene sometime before 4 a.m. on Thursday morning for reports of a vehicle accident. While there, they discovered another crash nearby.

Investigators have released few details about either crash. We do know that witnesses saw a car driving the wrong way on the Kennedy Expressway, and 2 accidents were discovered on the southbound side near Division Street. Although police have yet to confirm if the same driver was involved in both accidents, it appears that the wrong-way driver may have played a role in both. Apparently, the driver who may have caused these crashes fled the scene and it does not appear that officers have apprehended him or her. The wreckage was removed from the Kennedy Expressway by 4 a.m.

It is not yet known if anyone suffered personal injuries in these car crashes. Police have not released any identities of those involved, and they have not said what kind of car they are seeking in these hit-and-run accidents. More information will be added if and when it becomes available.

Defective Product Claims Due to DePuy ASR Hip Replacements

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

If you have suffered injuries as a result of DePuy ASR Hip Replacements, which have been recalled due to their high failure rate, you may be entitled to recover damages through an Illinois defective product claim. A defective product lawyer in Chicago can help determine if your injuries are the result of a defective hip replacement system.

The DePuy ASR Hip Replacements have caused many patients to experience chronic pain or undergo additional surgery. Damage to the muscles, nerves and bones can occur when the defective hip replacement system malfunctions.

Serious injuries can occur when:

the implant doesn't stay attached properly;
the components are misaligned; and/or
the patient experiences a fracture around the area of the implant.

Additionally, metal particles from the defective hip replacement have been found to cause injuries when they wear off and travel to fluid surrounding the joints and muscles.

If you have experienced, pain, swelling or difficulty walking after receiving a DePuy ASR Hip Replacement, you may be eligible for compensation from the manufacturer to help with the costs of your additional medical treatments and other expenses.

A defective product lawyer in Chicago will carefully examine the facts in your case to determine if manufacturer negligence led to your injuries from a defective hip replacement. He or she can also assist you with filing your Illinois defective product claim.

You can learn more about defective product claims related to DePuy ASR Hip Replacements by visiting our article library.

When to Hire a Defective Product Lawyer in Chicago

A defective product lawyer in Chicago at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois defective product claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Two Injured in Chicago Taxicab Crash

Thu, 13 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 13, 2011 - Two people suffered personal injuries on Wednesday when a Chicago taxicab crashed into a building. According to a report at ABC 7 Chicago, the car accident occurred shortly before 3:30 a.m. on the North Side of Chicago.

The Chicago Police Department is still investigating this crash, and investigators have released few details about how the car accident occurred. We do know that a taxicab was driving on Lincoln Avenue when it hit an unidentified building in the 2500 block near the intersection with Altgeld Road.

The building was not residential but is home to 2 businesses, which were closed at the time of the crash. Pictures from the scene show a red taxi with its back end pushed through a glass window. There is a large tree branch in front of the cab, so it is feasible that the cab driver swerved to avoid the branch.

Police have not said how many people were in the cab when it crashed, but 2 people suffered personal injuries. The victims were transported by ambulance to Illinois Masonic Hospital. Their identities have not been released, and their current conditions are unknown at this time.

What to Expect When Seeking Treatment for Your Facial Injury

Wed, 12 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

If an Illinois accident has left you with a serious facial injury, you may require surgical treatment. While minor cuts to the face can be treated with topical creams and bandages, serious injuries to the face may require stitches or even surgery.

Surgery for a facial injury can be uncomfortable and painful. The treatment and recovery process may be lengthy, depending on the extent of damage to the face. Once the surgery has been performed, patients are given a list of instructions, which will include the proper way to care for the incisions.

With any incision, there is the risk for infection, so patients may also be put on antibiotics as part of their treatment. After surgery, the injury site may appear more traumatized than before the procedure was done. Eventually, the incision marks will fade. In some cases, though, you may have permanent scarring or disfigurement.

The days following surgery will be important in your recovery process and there are a few steps you can take to facilitate a smooth recovery, from making sure your face is elevated during sleep to avoiding movements that require you to bend down.

While undergoing treatment, you may be wonder if there is any recourse for your suffering. A Chicago personal injury lawyer will evaluate your case to determine if you should file an Illinois personal injury claim.

A successful claim may provide you with compensation for your medical treatment, as well as for the pain and emotional turmoil with which you've had to deal. Consulting with a Chicago personal injury lawyer should be your next step to protect your legal rights after suffering a serious facial injury in an Illinois accident.

When to Hire a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer

A Chicago personal injury lawyer at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. has dealt with similar cases to yours and knows the best course of action for your claim. To improve your chances at a fair settlement and take the burden out of all the paperwork involved in an Illinois personal injury claim, contact us today for a free case evaluation - 312-263-1080.

Two Chicago Police Officers Injured in Car Crash

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EST

January 11, 2011 - Two police officers were injured in a crash that killed a Chicago man on the South Side. According to a report at the Chicago Sun-Times, the accident was caused by a reckless driver who ran a red light. The fatal car accident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. on Monday morning.

The Chicago police officers were patrolling in a squad car when another vehicle blew through a red light on South Indiana Avenue and crashed into the police car. The car then proceeded to crash into a utility pole. In total, 5 people were injured in the car accident, including the 2 police officers.

There were 3 people in the car that ran the red light, including a 25-year-old man who died shortly after the car accident at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County. Two other passengers in the car were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition. Police have not said who was driving at the time of the crash.

The police officers were transported by ambulance to Christ Hospital. Fortunately, both are expected to survive and they are currently in good condition. There is no word on whether or not alcohol played a role in this fatal accident.