Illinois Injury Law Blog

Various citations are currently pending against a driver that injured a motorcyclist in a Chicago car accident, according to media reports. The accident happened at the 1700 block of South Archer Avenue just before 10:00 p.m., according to My Fox Chicago. The accident happened when a passenger vehicle and a motorcycle traveled through the same intersection at the same time. The motorcyclist was transported to the Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. He was reported to be in critical condition according to the most recent reports. The police's Major Accident Investigation Unit is looking into the accident.

Our Chicago personal injury attorneys understand how vulnerable motorcyclists are when they're involved in a motor-vehicle accident. Their small size and their lack of protection make them extremely susceptible to serious injury. For this reason, motorcyclists are asked to drive defensively and drivers of passenger-vehicles are asked to be on the lookout for these two-wheeled travelers.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were nearly 5,500 motorcyclists killed on U.S. roadways in 2008. This number illustrates a 2 percent increase from the number of fatalities from the previous year. In addition to these fatalities, approximately 96,000 motorcyclists were injured in traffic accidents during that same year. In 2008, more than 120 motorcyclists were killed in the state of Illinois.

If calculated by vehicle miles traveled in 2007, motorcyclists are nearly 40 times more likely to die in a traffic accident than an occupant of a passenger vehicle.

Motorcyclists made up nearly 15 percent of all of the reported traffic deaths in 2008. They also made up nearly 20 percent of all occupant fatalities and nearly 5 percent of all occupants injured.

Of all of the accidents that involved a motorcycle and another vehicle, nearly 80 percent occurred when a motorcycle was hit in the front. Motorcycles were hit from behind less than 10 percent.

Motorcyclists rely heavily on the safe driving habits of other motorists to avoid a potentially fatal accident.

Here are some safe driving tips to help keep our two-wheeled travelers safe:

-Check, and double check, your blind spots. Motorcycles can get lost easily and overlooked when they're traveling in these areas. Always check these spots before traveling through an intersection or changing lanes.

-Always assume that a motorcycle is closer than it looks. Because of their size and their speed, they can appear to be farther away than they actually are.

-Don't rely on a motorcycle's brake lights. Motorcyclists oftentimes will slow down by downshifting instead of using their brake. For this reason, do not follow a motorcycle too closely.

-Don't rely on a motorcycle's blinker either. Their blinkers are not self-canceling like those on most passenger vehicles. Make sure that a motorcyclist's signal is for real.

-Think of a motorcyclist as another person and not just another vehicle. This will help you to consider their safety a little bit more. Hitting a motorcyclist can be a lot similar to striking a pedestrian as neither have any form of substantial protection in the event of an accident.

Continue reading " Driver Not Cleared of Citations after Chicago Motorcycle Accident " »

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has recruited a number of corporate sponsors along with the Illinois State Police (ISP) and the Illinois Secretary of State to celebrate the fifth annual Operation Teen Safe Driving (OTSD) program. This program aims to reduce the number of fatal teen car accidents in Illinois. It uses a creative and interactive way to involve our teens in the learning process. Through this program, each state high school is able to apply to win their school a $2,000 grant to help implement a student-organized program to ensure safe driving habits among teen drivers.

“The OTSD program is making a dramatic difference in the lives of Illinois teens, as evidenced by the 45 percent reduction in teen fatalities over the past four years,” said Ann Schneider, the Transportation Secretary.

Our Chicago car accident attorneys encourage teens to get involved in the program. There can be up to five schools to win spots with cash prizes. Prize money is to be used for their after-prom events, which aim to keep teens from drinking and driving. Winning schools are also invited to the Driving Skills for Life Ride and Drive program that's hosted by the Ford Motor Company Fund.

Jim Vella, President of the Ford Fund says that he and the company are happy to announce that this is the fifth successful year that this event has been held for teens in our area. He and the company continue to commit their efforts to help keep teens safe on our roadways. He would also like to remind teens and parents that traffic accidents are the number one cause of death for teens in the United States.

The Allstate Foundation is another organization that focuses heavily on the safety of teen drivers on our roadways. The Foundation focuses on the effects of distracted driving habits on our newly licensed drivers. They too support the efforts of the Operation Teen Safe Driving program.

You can apply to have your school become a part of the fight against dangerous teen driving habits. All applications are due by October 1, 2011 for next school year. At least ten schools will be chosen from each of Illinois' academic regions. Each chosen school will receive $2,000 to go towards its very own safe teen driving program. Out of all the schools that start their own safe teen driving program, five will be selected to attend a Driving Skills for Life Ride and Drive program.

Secretary of State Jesse White says the number of fatal teen accidents has indeed decreased since the start of this program. The program has also been credited with strengthening the state's graduated driver licensing (GDL) program, which took effect back in 2008. Since then, the number of teen accident fatalities has been cut nearly in half.

There were more than 100 high schools in our state that participated in the program during the 2010-2011 school year. Students arranged assemblies, created bumper stickers, accident re-enactments, set up traffic signs and offered fatal goggle simulations to student drivers in the area to raise awareness about the dangers of lackadaisical driving habits.

Teens are some of the most vulnerable drivers on our roadways as they lack a significant amount of driving experience. Through programs like this, teens can gain access to important driving information that can help to keep them safe and out of a traffic accident on our roadways. Officials expect an even bigger turnout for the upcoming year.

Continue reading " IDOT's Fifth Year in Helping to Reduce Teen Car Accident in Illinois " »

According to the Chicago Tribune, Governor Pat Quinn recently signed a bill that will make Illinois the 28th state to adopt a version of the Zachery Lystedt Law, a law that protects youth suffering from a concussion to re-enter a game without medical clearance.

Chicago personal injury lawyers agree that the law comes at a good time as students head back to school and begin their fall sports season.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that children ages 5 to 18 are most at risk of youth sports and recreation injuries in Chicago or elsewhere, especially when it comes to concussions or traumatic brain injuries.

Approximately 135,000 youth are treated in hospital emergency rooms each year for traumatic brain injuries (TBI) or concussions suffered from a sports or recreation-related injury. Concussions are dangerous for this age group not only because once a youth experiences a concussion they become more susceptible but because youth are more likely to get a concussion and take much longer to recover than an adult does.

A former athlete himself, Quinn finally signed off on the bill because he recognizes the dangers involved when kids want to get back on the field and coaches want their star athlete performing despite what is best for them from a medical standpoint.

"A lot of coaches are set in their ways,'' Quinn said. "But you don't want some kid you coached a decade from now with post-traumatic stress disorder or a brain disorder. You don't want that on your conscience even though that boy or that girl wants to go in the game.''

The Zackery Lystedt Law was House Bill 1824 and, passed back in 2009, requires medical clearance before an athlete can return to a game, practice or training after suffering a concussion. Key points include:

-Any youth who sustains a concussion or is suspected to have a concussion must be removed immediately from the game or practice.

-At the start of each season, parents and student-athletes must sign an information sheet about concussions and traumatic brain injuries.

-A licensed healthcare provider must put in writing a medical clearance when an athlete can return to play following a concussion-related injury.

-School districts must work with coaches, parents and young athletes on educating them about the dangers and risks of a concussion and what returning to play could mean to a youth athlete if further damage is done.

Last month the CDC Foundation announced a joint effort with the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) to initiate the Heads Up to Parents program. The educational program will provide parents with facts about how to protect and prevent youth from concussions and what to do when a child suffers a concussion at a sporting event.

"The CDC is working on a series of projects focused on preventing and reducing the long-term impact of sports-related head injuries. Public-private partnerships, such as this one supported by the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment, are helping the CDC get important, science-based messages out to parents, athletes, coaches and partners," said Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "We are proud to be able to connect the CDC with NOCSAE to help parents get the facts about concussion in sports, and we thank NOCSAE for their support of this important program."

It takes less than 30 minutes to take the Heads Up Online Training Course. Parents are encouraged to get involved and take the course so you know what to look for if your young injured athlete gets a concussion from a hard hit on the field.

Continue reading " Illinois Sports Injuries Lead to Concussions, Head Trauma and Concern for Parents " »

Some motorists have been concerned about the potential danger of the speed limit being raised for trucks in Illinois because increasing the speed limit will likely increase the number of trucking accidents in Chicago involving other cars.

Allowing commercial truck drivers to drive faster puts other motorists at risk considering some trucking companies don't always require their drivers to comply with federal trucking regulations. Many truck drivers are negligent when it comes to hours-of-service rules, complying with commercial truck inspections, driving under the influence or failing to secure a load before they begin their travel. Dangers are magnified if speed is added to these non-compliant behaviors.

Illinois injury lawyers know that the concerns are legitimate knowing that up until now trucks have been required to travel no more than 55 mph but at the same time are still involved in almost 10 percent of fatal crashes in our state.

Legitimate concerns just became very real, according to recent news reported in The State Journal-Register. Governor Pat Quinn recently signed legislation that hiked the speed limit for commercial trucks to 65 mph, like other motorists, on four-lane highways outside of Chicago starting January 1, 2012. Trucks traveling inside Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane, McHenry and Will counties will need to maintain the former speed limit of 55 mph. Senate Bill 1913 passed the Senate back in April and was sitting on the Governor's desk awaiting a signature.

A 2009 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety reported that between 1995 and 2005, approximately 12,545 fatalities were credited to speed as a cause that resulted in a crash. Prior to 1995, the national speed limit was 55 mph except on rural interstates. Speed limits were federalized to 55 mph statewide or else states would risk losing federal funding in the mid-1970s. In 1987, federal speed requirements loosened for rural interstates to 65 mph and were completely rescinded in 1995. Deaths on rural interstates increased 25 to 30 percent nationwide when speed limits were increased in 1987 from 55 to 65 mph.

The new state law is slated to take effect right about the time that winter driving hazards will be at their worst in Illinois. Motorists can only hope that truck drivers will keep the following speed-related safety tips in mind when trying to go the extra mile in less time. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration suggests:

-Speed should be reduced by 1/3 on wet roads and by 50 percent or more on snow packed roads.
-Trucks should reduce their speed more than cars on sharp curves marked with warning signs to reduce the risk of losing control or flipping over.
-Exit and entrance ramps are meant for reduced speeds. Twenty to thirty percent of large-truck crashes occur on or near a ramp.
-The heavier the load the more difficult to stop. Trucks that are fully loaded require 20 to 40 percent more braking distance than a car or smaller vehicle.
-Slow down and move over in work zones. In 2003, a truck driver was speeding at 60 mph in a 45mph work zone on Jane Addams Memorial Tollway when it rear-ended a 25-passenger bus. The truck driver received a 4-year sentence in prison for reckless homicide in the death of 8 women.
Motorists are always encouraged to allow plenty of driving space around large trucks in order to reduce the risk of an accident. If you are injured in an accident involving a large truck which was caused by negligent behavior, contact an injury lawyer immediately to discuss the liability of the truck driver or trucking company.

Continue reading " New Illinois Legislation Raises Concern for Speed-Related Trucking Accidents Outside of Chicago " »