Injury Law

Chicago injury lawyers continue to monitor issue of distracted driving

2009-11-10T05:45:00.001-08:00

A new federal report concerning the use of hand-held devices behind the wheel found a 25 to 50 percent increase in fatal accidents caused by distracted drivers over the last five years, even as the number of fatal traffic accidents has declined nationwide.

The Chicago car accident lawyers and the personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes often represent clients who have been injured by distracted drivers.

In 2008, the federal government estimates 1 in every 6 fatal accidents was caused by a distracted driver -- 5,870 people were killed and more than half a million injured.

A major push in the fight against distracted driving has been to ban the use of cell phones and text messaging by drivers. Earlier this month, Abels & Annes' Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog reported President Obama announced a ban on text messaging by all federal employees.

This summer, Illinois passed a law that takes effect Jan. 1, making it illegal for drivers to text message and prohibiting the use of cell phones in school and construction zones.

“Every single time someone takes their eyes or their focus off the road - even for just a few seconds - they put their lives and the lives of others in danger,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood. “Distracted driving is unsafe, irresponsible and in a split second, its consequences can be devastating.”

On any given day in 2008, the federal government estimates more than 800,000 vehicles are driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone.

Other driving behaviors that lead to distracted driving accidents include eating, drinking, talking to passengers, radios and the use of other in-car technologies and portable devices, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Researchers noted the actual number of serious and fatal accidents caused by distracted driving could be much higher because of the lack of uniform reporting and the challenges associated with identifying distracted driving as a cause of an accident.

But the report concluded instances of crashes caused by distracted driving are on the rise even as the overall traffic fatality rate has declined in recent years. In 2004, 4,409 of the 38,444 fatal crashes were attributed to distracted drivers (11 percent) while 2008 figures show 5,331 distracted-driving fatalities of the nation's 34,017 fatal crashes (16 percent).

Those figures represent a 50 percent increase in the overall percentage of fatal distracted-driving accidents and an increase of roughly 25 percent in overall number of distracted driving accidents.

Among the other findings of the study:

-Distracted driving was reported as a cause in 16 percent of all fatal accidents.

-1 in 5 injury accidents was caused by a distracted driver.

-Drivers under age 20 has the greatest proportion of distracted drivers.

Chicago car accident seriously injures motorists reportedly trying to avoid police chase

2009-11-10T05:44:00.001-08:00

A driver, reportedly attempting to get out of the way of an early Monday morning police chase, was involved in a Chicago car accident that sent both the driver and the passenger to the hospital with serious injuries.

The high-speed police chase began about 1:45 a.m. when police heard gunshots and gave chase to a fleeing vehicle, according to The Chicago Breaking News Center.

A vehicle trying to get out of the way of the chase crashed into a viaduct at 5100 S. Princeton Avenue. While police called the crash an unrelated incident, an officer on the scene said the crash was connected to the chase, according to the media report.

The two men inside the car were taken to Stroger Hospital.

One of the occupants was thrown from the vehicle, which resulted in serious head injuries and a broken pelvis. The other occupant reported a loss of feeling in his legs. The condition of neither has been made available.

Police continued the chase on the Dan Ryan Expressway, where police report a gun was thrown from the vehicle and later recovered by authorities near 71st Street.

The car exited the expressway and crashed near 7900 S. Lafayette Avenue. The four occupants were arrested and transported to St. Bernard Hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Traffic accidents leading cause of death for children ages 3 to 14

2009-11-10T05:43:00.000-08:00

Motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death for children ages 3 to 14 years old, according to 2008 crash statistics released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Some of the most tragic and difficult cases handled by the Chicago car accident attorneys and the personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes involve the serious injury or death of a child in a car accident.

In 2008, 1,347 young passengers were killed in traffic accidents nationwide and 193,000 were injured. Every day, an average of 4 children under the age of 14 are killed and 529 injured in traffic accidents.

Illinois ranked 6th in the nation for the highest number of children killed in automobile accidents. Texas (154), California (142), Florida (73), Georgia (65) and North Carolina (45) were the five deadliest states.

Nationwide, alcohol was involved in 16 percent of the fatal crashes -- about half of those occurred when a child passenger of a drunk driver was killed.

A total of 270 children were killed in pedestrian accidents and another 13,000 were injured. About half of these child pedestrian fatalities occurred between 4 and 8 p.m.

Eighty-one children were killed in bicycle accidents and another 52,000 were injured.

The report concluded that child-safety seats reduced the risk of fatal injury to infants by 71 percent and by 54 percent for toddlers in passenger cars.

Chicago train accident traps stroller in door, throws toddler onto tracks

2009-11-10T05:42:00.002-08:00

Authorities are investigating what caused a CTA train to take off with a baby stroller lodged in a door; the stroller was dragged along the platform until the little girl was flung onto the ground along the tracks.

The child's adult caregiver told police the train took off with the stroller caught in its doors, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Some Chicago train accidents have nothing to do with crashing trains. But, like in this instance, involve people who are injury embarking or disembarking, fall in a stairwell or on a platform or are injured in a Chicago car accident at a railroad crossing.

The child landed about 10 feet past the end of the platform and was found conscious, flat on her back amid other items knocked out of the stroller.

The Chicago Transit Authority driver has been suspended without pay pending a review. A union representative said such an occurrence would require both a mechanical malfunction and an operator error.

The driver told investigators the presence of something in the door should have bounced the door open, much like an elevator door.

The child was released from the hospital Tuesday night after being treated and kept overnight for observation

One drunk driving death every 45 minutes -- Illinois drunk driving accidents a continuing problem

2009-11-10T05:42:00.001-08:00

A total of 11,773 of the nation's 37,261 traffic fatalities were caused by drunk drivers, according to a comprehensive look at drunk driving released in time for the holiday driving season by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Chicago drunk driving accident lawyers and the personal injury and wrongful death attorneys at Abels & Annes encourage everyone to do their part in preventing drunk driving accidents as we head into the heart of the holiday season.

In Illinois, of the 1,043 people killed in traffic accidents, one in three (362) were legally drunk and one in four (252) had a blood alcohol level of almost twice the legal limit (.15) or higher.

While drunk driving deaths decreased nearly 10 percent from the 13,041 deaths recorded in 2007, the new statistics are startling confirmation that one-third of all traffic deaths are the direct result of drunk driving.

The statistics represent an average of one drunk driving death every 45 minutes.

Included in the deaths were 692 non-occupant fatalities, which usually means a bicyclist or pedestrian death.

Over 70 percent of drunk driving fatalities occurred at night and 55 percent occurred during the weekend.

One in every 7 drivers killed in a drunk driving accident were under the age of 21 (and thus not even old enough to drink). One-third of drivers ages 25 to 34 who were killed in fatal accidents were intoxicated. One in four drivers 35 to 44 who were killed were intoxicated.

In recent months, the Chicago Car Accident Lawyer Blog at Abels & Annes has reported on the dangers of nighttime driving, the increasing number of women arrested for DUI, and a report that found 1 in 7 weekend nighttime drivers tested positive for alcohol or drugs.

Middle-aged men most likely to be killed in Chicago bicycle accidents

2009-11-10T05:41:00.001-08:00

A total of 716 bicyclists were killed in the United States during 2008 and another 52,000 were injured, according to statistics just released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The vast majority of those involved in fatal bicycle accidents were middle-aged men, ages 35-64.

Overall, bicycle fatalities have declined 6 percent in the last decade -- 760 cyclists were killed in 1998. However, bicycle deaths increased from the 701 deaths recorded in 2007.

The Chicago bicycle accident lawyers at Abels & Annes are outspoken advocates for the rights of cyclists and experienced Chicago injury lawyers who fight for the rights of cyclists who are injured or killed.

The most bicycle deaths ever recorded was 1,003 in 1975.

In Illinois, 27 people were killed in bicycle accidents, the sixth-highest in the nation.

The five states with the most bicycle fatalities were Florida (125), California (109), Texas (53), New York (42) and North Carolina (32).

One in seven bicycle fatalities in 2008 were between the ages of 5 and 15.

The average age of cyclists injured or killed has been increasing along with the popularity of cycling among older adults. The average age of cyclists killed increased from 32 in 1998 to 41 last year. The average age of bicycle injuries increased from 24 in 1998 to 31 last year.

Cycling fatalities occur primarily among men, with 87 percent of fatalities and 79 percent of injuries involving males.

Men ages 45-54 were involved in the most fatal accidents (161) followed by men ages 55-64 (103) and men ages 35-44 (77).

For more information about the work of Chicago bicycle accident attorneys at Abels & Annes, visit the Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog or the firm's summer safe cyclist blog.

2009-11-10T05:39:00.000-08:00

In Dan McCormack Sex Abuse Lawsuit Against Archdiosese, Judge Denies Punitive Damages Motion - Willing To Reconsider Issue After Further Discovery

2009-11-10T05:38:00.002-08:00

David Abels & Associates, P.C. is currently acting as co-counsel with the firm of Hilfman, Martin & Barr P.C. in a lawsuit against the Archdiosese of Chicago relating to the sexual misconduct of Father Daniel McCormack. Last week the Court heard the Plaintiff's Motion To File an Amended Complaint Seeking Punitive Damages against the defendants. This motion was argued by Bill Martin. The Honorable Jeffrey Lawrence denied the motion, but Judge Lawrence said that he would be willing to hear the motion again after the parties complete some discovery.

The Court focused on the information contained in the report of the Archdiocese's consultant, Defenbaugh, and specifically commented on 1999 reports from Sister Mary Therese Cusack to the Archdiocese relating to improper conduct by McCormack. The court indicated that the allegations in the plaintiff's motion may be sufficient to allow the plaintiff to pursue punitive damages, but that these allegations required additional legal evidence in the form of depositions or affidavits. Plaintiff's counsel intends to take the depositions of Archdiocesan personnel and to resubmit this motion to the court.

Daniel McCormack has plead guilty in criminal court to abusing five boys. He is serving a five year prison sentence.

Roman Catholic Archdiocese Of Chicago Settles 16 Sex Abuse Claims For $12.7 Million

2009-11-10T05:38:00.001-08:00

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago has reportedly agreed to pay $12,675,000 to settle 16 sexual abuse claims for the conduct of 11 different priests, according to the Chicago Tribune and several other news sources. The settlements include two victims of Father Daniel McCormack, a former priest who is currently incarcerated for abusing five boys. McCormack plead guilty last year and he is serving a 5 year prison sentence.

Four out of five of McCormack's known victims have now settled with the Archdiocese of Chicago. Abels & Annes, P.C. represents the final known McCormack victi, acting as co-counsel with the firm of Hilfman, Martin & Barr P.C. in a lawsuit against the Archdiosese of Chicago. The case is pending in the Circuit Court of Cook County, Case No. 07 L 001504.

Former priests involved in today's settlement have been identified as McCormack, Joseph Bennett, Norbert Maday, Robert Mayer, James Hagan, Robert Craig, Robert Becker, Thomas Kelly, James Steel, Joseph Owens and Kenneth Ruge. The cases involve abuse from as far back as the 1960s and as recent as 2006. All the priests have been removed from their church positions.

Sex Abuse Lawsuit Filed Against Chicago Archdiocese and Priest

2009-11-10T05:37:00.000-08:00

n Chicago, Illinois two women have filed a lawsuit in federal court against the Archdiocese of Chicago and a retired priest for sexual abuse that allegedly occurred over forty years ago, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. The case has been pending in mediation and their lawyer filed the lawsuit due to the fact that one of the victims is dying of cancer. The lawyer and victim advocates are calling for an expedited settlement.

The victims' lawyer, who is based out of Seattle, is stating that the Church has refused to settle. Yesterday he held a news conference across the street from Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

The priest named as a defendant, Anthony Vader, was removed from his public duties in 2003 when the Church acknowledged his misconduct. The lawsuit alleges that one woman was molested from age 9 until age 14. The other claims abuse when she was under 13, and again when she was 17. The suit also alleges the archdiocese has treated African American victims differently than other races. The alleged abuse took place in the mid to late 1960s.

Chicago injury lawyer files sex abuse lawsuit against bus driver and bus company

2009-11-10T05:36:00.000-08:00

A Chicago personal injury attorney has been filed a sex abuse lawsuit involving a child being kidnapped by a bus driver.

The suit, which was filed in Cook County Circuit Court on Thursday, alleges the boy was sexually assaulted while restrained on the bus by the driver. The family is seeking damages from the bus driver, the busing company and the Chicago Public School system, according the the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The bus driver was charged with kidnapping the boy from Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood on the South Side, according to a report last week in the Chicago Tribune.

Police reported that the 67-year-old Jewels Bus Company driver was arrested and charged following the Tuesday Sept. 15 incident. Authorities reported that the boy was supposed to be dropped off Tuesday morning at the Murray Language Academy in Hyde Park, but the driver detained him on the bus for several hours.

The boy was drooped off at his house about 3 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Chicago Public Schools spokeswoman.

Based on a statement the boy provided to investigators, he was taken by police for an examination by doctors at University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital, according to the Sun-Times.

Chicago police and Chicago Public School officials had been investigating alleged "inappropriate behavior" by the driver, according to the Sun-Times.

The lawsuit was filed by attorney Rahsaan A. Gordon of Chicago.

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

2009-11-10T05:35:00.000-08:00

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

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

Bolden's family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Cook County seeking damages in excess of $50,000 against Moncrease and Bryden Transportation. My clients have inquired in the past as to why "an amount greater than $50,000" is asked for in many lawsuits. That is the minumum amount to file your case in the Law Division of the Court. Even though this lawsuit may be worth millions, the complaint will usually only ask for an amount greater than $50,000.

At the time of the fatal accident, Bolden was on his way to see his 7 month old twin boys at a hospital who have health problems and were born 3 months premature. Bolden also had a 21-month-old daughter. While any accident that causes a death is a terrible event, these circumstances are particularily tough. It is likely that Bolden was the provider of income for his three children.

Sometimes auto accident deaths may be worth millions of dollars, but in reality the at fault party may only have a small amount of insurance. An individual driver in Illinois is only required to carry an insurance policy of $20,000 per person and $40,000 per occurrence. In this event, we are dealing with a bus company, so it is likely that there will be millions in insurance coverage. This type of money will be badly needed for the family to survive over the many, many years to come without their father.

Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys Reach School Bus Accident Settlement

2009-11-10T05:34:00.001-08:00

Chicago, Illinois motor vehicle accident lawyers from David Abels & Associates, P.C., working in conjuction with the firm of Elman & Elman, have reached a bodily injury settlement with Laidlaw Transit, Inc. as a result of a school bus accident that occurred on Bryn Mawr Ave. in Chicago, Illinois in May of 2005. Our clients are an adult and two minor passengers that were riding on a Laidlaw bus that was rear ended by another Laidlaw bus on the North Side.

Our clients were taken to local area hospitals in Chicago with soft tissue back and neck injuries. They also had follow up treatment with their own doctors as well. The case was resolved against the the bus company for a combined total of $46,000 after a lawsuit was filed and the case was proceeding through discovery in the Circuit Court of Cook County.

Chicago Area PACE Bus Rear Ended By School Bus, Several Passengers Injured

2009-11-10T05:29:00.000-08:00

In west suburban Downers Grove, Illinois several passengers were injured yesterday when a PACE bus was rear ended by a school bus. The accident took place at the intersection of 63rd and Woodward. The Pace bus was stopped at a red light for southbound Woodward traffic when the school bus failed to stop and hit the PACE bus. Over ten passengers on the PACE bus were injured and taken to area hospitals such as Hinsdale Hospital, Edwards Hospital and Good Samaritan Hospital by ambulance.

David Abels & Associates, P.C. has agreed to represent one of the injured PACE bus passengers in a claim against the school bus company. Our client was taken to Hinsdale Hospital with back and neck injuries. She is still complaining of severe pain and plans on seeking follow up treatment with a physician in Bolingbrook, Illinois.

Deadly Construction Accident at the Trump Soho in N.Y.C. - Should Chicago Be Nervous?

2009-11-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

A construction worker was killed on Monday at the Trump Soho in New York City when a wooden mold used to set concrete collapsed and he fell 42 floors to his death, according to the New York Times. The worker who died in the construction accident was decapitated in the fall and landed in an alley on the west side of the site. Another worker was thrown from the 42nd floor, but was caught by a safety net on the 40th floor.

The cause of the work accident is still under investigation. The New York City Buildings Department has issued a stop work order on the project until the General Contractor, Bovis Lend Lease, can show that work will continue in a safe manner. Bovis was issued four safety violations as a result of the accident. There have been 11 previous building code violations at the project site.

This accident happened just weeks before the Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago is scheduled to open. Five floors of the hotel are scheduled to open on January 30, 2008, according to the Chicago Tribune. The hotel will occupy floors 14-27, and the remaining levels are supposed to gradually open through the spring.

What is interesting is that as the hotel operates, there will still be a large construction project going on overhead as crews work to complete the 92 story tower. You have to question if Chicagoans will feel safe entering the hotel in light of the N.Y.C. accident. The hotel was originally scheduled to open December 3, 2007 but Trump was delayed in obtaining a city occupancy permit due to still having to complete fire safety work.

Chicago Area Construction Accident Kills Worker

2009-11-10T05:27:00.000-08:00

In Chicago Heights, Illinois a man was killed by a crane accident at a steel plant, according to the Chicago Tribune. The victim, Heladio Ramirez, 32, a Calumet City resident, was operating a crane on Monday at Highway Steel Inc., when part of the crane fell and hit him. He was taken to St. James Hospital and Health Center in Chicago Heights, Illinois and he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The cause of the accident has not been reported. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating.

According to the United States Department of Labor, 5,488 workers were killed on the job last year throughout the country. 392 workers were killed in manufacturing jobs, and 20 of those workers were killed in primary metal manufacturing jobs, such as iron and steel mill occupations.

Further, according to CraneAccidents.com, there were 176 reported crane accident deaths in the United States in 2007, up from 109 deaths in 2006.

Illinois painter awarded $1.9 millon for injuries in fall at construction site

2009-11-10T05:26:00.000-08:00

A Galeana man injured in a fall in a high school construction site accident has been awarded the highest jury verdict ever rendered in Jo Daviess County.

William Theiss, 52, was awarded $1.9 million after the two-week trial, which centered on the April 2003 accident at River Ridge High School in Hanover. Thiess was working as a painter when he toppled off a 15-foot-high lift -- he tripped on a chain serving as a substituted for the safety-mandated guardrails, according to a story in the Dubuque Telegraph Herald.

Theiss has undergone 16 surgeries after crushing his foot, ankle and heel. Doctors told him he can no longer stand for more than an hour at a time and confined him to light duty. He sued the construction management company, Hoffman Construction Company, and the drywall contractor, CIDAC Inc.

"I've worked on these kind of lifts all my life, so I just assumed it was safe," Theiss said. "I was just doing the job I'd been doing my whole life."

The jury found Theiss 30 percent at fault, which resulted in reducing his original $2.8 million award to $1.9 million. They awarded Theiss $777,660 for wage loss, $791,667 for pain and suffering, $625,000 for disability, $279,167 for disfigurement, $339,000 for medical bills and $27,000 for prescription orthotics for his heel.

"I wouldn't say that it makes me forget about the last few years, but at least now I'm not going to have to worry about paying my electric bill," he said. "But it's not going to be life on easy street for me. There are a lot of bills to pay."

The largest sum previously awarded for a personal injury in the county was $1.05 million after a man sustained serious brain injuries following a tractor-car collision.

Worker falls 25 feet into tank in Chicago work accident

2009-11-10T05:24:00.000-08:00

A Chicago area worker was injured when he fell 25-feet to the bottom of an empty tank at the Stickney Water Reclamation Plant Tuesday afternoon, according to the Chicago Breaking News Center.

The male worker was apparently sandblasting a section of tank when he fell into the empty tank. He was alert and conscious when rescued. Co-workers noticed the accident and called for help about 1:45 p.m., according to Stickney Fire Chief Larry Meyer.

A team of firefighters used ladders to rescue the worker from the tank and he was taken to Mount Sanai Hospital in Chicago with undisclosed injuries.

A spokesperson from the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago had not responded to inquiries from the media.

Employees who are injured on the job are entitled to proper medical treatment, disability pay while off work, and a bodily injury settlement, depending on the extent of their injuries. Media reports do not indicate whether the victim was a municipal employee or employed by an outside contractor.

It has not been reported if this was simply an accident or if there were other contributing factors that caused him to fall two-and-a-half stories while on the job.

Boy killed in Chicago construction accident

2009-11-10T05:09:00.001-08:00

A boy was crushed to death this week in a Chicago construction accident after he fell from a front loader being driven by his father, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Bystanders were alerted by the father's shouts at the South Side building being converted to condos. Investigators believe the boy, Valente Torres, 9, fell from his father's lap atop the front loader and was killed by the front loader's falling bucket of dirt.

He was still on his feet when his father rushed to his aid shortly before 10 a.m..

A relative of father Raul Torres said the family was trying to save some money by bringing the youngest of of six children to work.

The boy was scheduled to start 4th grade at Sawyer Elementary School in Gage Park in a few weeks. He was pronounced deat at 10:12 a.m. Tuesday at the University of Chicago Corner Children's Hospital.

Stephanie Johnson, 24, a neighbor who lives three buildings from the construction site, told the newspaper she had seen the little boy running in the block for the last two days, sometimes playing with other neighbors' children.

Work injury accident in Chicago sends two construction workers to hospital after trench collapse

2009-11-10T05:06:00.000-08:00

In Chicago, Illinois two construction workers were injured on the job Sunday after a trench collapsed.

Fire crews spent four hours digging the two men out of the trench after the sides collapsed, trapping them, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Chicago construction accident trapped the men up to their waist in dirt at the bottom of a six-foot-deep hole in an alley on North Dover Street after the sides collapsed about 2 p.m., according to a fire department spokesman.

A special collapse and rescue squad responded to the incident. One man was pulled from the trench at 4 p.m. and taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in serious condition, but his injuries were not life threatening, the fire department reported.

The second worker, a 28-year-old man, was pulled from the trench at about 6 p.m. and also taken to Illinois Masonic with serious-to-critical personal injuries.

The Chicago Tribune reported the work accident occurred at a condominium building. The Tribune reported one of the workers attempted to help support the wall to keep the other man from being buried until help arrived.

Firefighters first had to shore up the trench to ensure it wouldn't collapse on them before digging the trapped man out by hand after the first worker was rescued.

The workers were installing a sewage flood-control system for the building, according to the Tribune. The city's Department of Buildings and the Occupational Safety & Hazard Administration was called to the scene to investigate the incident.

Pregnant Mother Killed as a Result of Car Accident and Baby Dies Shortly After

2009-11-07T01:04:00.000-08:00

The baby of the pregnant woman that was killed in the car accident mentioned above, that occurred on October 21st, has died. The baby was delivered in an emergency surgery but had suffered such serious personal injuries as a result of the accident in addition to being so premature and unfortunately died several days after the surgery. According to Chicago Breaking News, the mother, who died shortly after surgery, had five other children who are currently staying with their great-grandmother. The driver responsible for the fatal car accident is in police custody and facing many citations and at this point it is unknown if he will face criminal charges.

Second Accident Occurs Within Feet of Other Car Accident

2009-11-07T01:03:00.002-08:00

A car accident occurred on Highway 14 on October 21st just a few feet from where emergency personnel were responding to another car accident. Three people were injured in the second accident, and one victim was killed in the initial accident. The second accident occurred when a driver of one of the cars braked while passing the scene of the other crash, and a bus was not able to stop in time and crashed into the back of the first car which spun into a third car. According to The Gazette Extra, the injured parties were the people in the cars and no one on the bus was injured in this car accident.

Woman Dies in Chicago Car Accident on Birthday

2009-11-07T01:03:00.001-08:00

A car accident earlier this morning left a woman dead. The car accident happened early this morning, on what happened to be the victim’s birthday, when she was driving down South Chicago Avenue and lost control of her car. She then struck a car and the force of the impact caused the car to roll over and the driver to be ejected from the vehicle. According to WBBM Newsradio 780, the driver was pronounced dead on the scene and the passenger was taken a local hospital for treatment of her personal injuries resulting from the car accident.

Family Files Lawsuit Over Double-Decker Bus Accident

2009-11-07T01:02:00.000-08:00

A bus accident lawsuit was just filed in connection with an Illinois accident that occurred in May in which two people died in a double-decker bus accident. The two victims in the accident were killed when they were standing on the open deck of the bus and the bus traveled under a I-57 bridge not allowing enough clearance. According to the Journal Gazette/Times-Courier, the two victims suffered massive head injuries and later died of the personal injuries sustained. The accident lawsuit alleges negligence on the part of the driver and the company, citing that there were other higher overpasses they could have used. For more information on this fatal Illinois bus accident lawsuit, click here.

Chicago Cops in Car Accident

2009-11-07T01:01:00.000-08:00

A Chatham car accident that occurred on October 26th left two Chicago police officers hospitalized. The accident occurred on East 79th Street, on the South Side of Chicago, when the cop driving lost control of the car and struck a pole. Luckily, no pedestrians were injured in the accident. According to Chicago Breaking News, the cops were on there way to respond to a call at the time of the car accident.