Chicago Car Accident Attorneys Blog

A deadly Aurora, Illinois pedestrian accident has killed a 22-year-old Cicero woman. According to reports, Doreen L. Cardenas was standing outside her parked car on early Monday when a van first struck her car before hitting her and Pedro A. Navarro, the North Aurora man who was with her.

The van’s driver, 30-year-old Lee Roy Patters, fled the Illinois traffic crash site, and it was a bystander who discovered the two injured pedestrians.

Patters eventually turned himself in to police. He has now been charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid the accident, leaving the scene where a person was injured, and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident involving death.

In other Illinois accident news, a woman sustained serious injuries when she was impaled by a tree limb that came crashing through her vehicle’s windshield. The Lake County, Illinois traffic crash occurred in Lindenhurst in Tuesday when the branch fell 70 feet.

The victim, Lake Villa teacher Helen Miller, suffered injuries to her abdomen. While the tree limb had punctured muscle and fat, if fortunately missed her stomach and lung.

With the weather getting colder and winds more than likely to pick up, property owners must make sure that their trees are in good health and that they do not pose an injury risk to pedestrians or motor vehicle occupants. Failure to remove or remedy a hazard on a premise can be grounds for a Chicago injury case.

Chicago Car Accidents
Our Chicago, Illinois car accident law firm wants to remind you that if you or someone you love has been injured in a traffic crash, it is a very good idea to start exploring your legal options right away. Dealing with such issues may likely be the last thing on your mind as you cope with your injuries or the loss of your loved one and all the ramifications that such events can have on one’s life.

Man charged in fatal North Aurora hit-run, Chicago Breaking News, October 25, 2010

Woman Impaled by Wind-Blown Branch, NBC Chicago, October 26, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Illinois Department of Transportation

Car Accidents, Justia

Continue reading " Aurora, Illinois Car Accident Injures One Pedestrian While Killing Another " »

Toyota is issuing yet another recall. This one involves 1.53 million autos from around the world. The recall involves a problem with the brake master cylinder, which can cause a fluid leak and result in a decreased braking power. There also is an electric fault with the fuel pump, which can lead to engine problems. Approximately 740,000 of the recalled cars are in the US. The non-hybrid Highlander (2004 – 2006 models), Avalon (2005-2006 model), Lexus RX 330 (2004-2006 models), and the Lexus GS3 300, IS 350, and the IS 250 (2006 model) are the vehicles included in the recall.

In just over a year, Toyota has recalled millions of vehicles because of numerous safety issues and auto defects, including sudden unintended acceleration, sticky gas pedals, ill-fitting floor mats, engine problems, brake problems, and other issues. The automaker, once known for making some of the safest cares in the world, has definitely seen its reputation take a beating amidst allegations that it placed people’s safety in jeopardy.

It's sudden acceleration safety issue alone is being pointed to as the cause of over 100 motor vehicle deaths. Earlier this year the NHTSA fined $16.375 million—for waiting too long (almost four months) to notify the safety agency about a dangerous gas pedal defect. Toyota President Akio Toyoda has promised to improve customer service and quality, accelerate recall decisions, and pay greater attention to customer complaints.

Chicago Auto Products Liability
If you or someone you love was in a Chicago car accident involving a vehicle that you believe has a defective auto part, you may have grounds for filing an Illinois products liability case against the manufacturer. Remember that the vehicle doesn’t need to have been recalled for there to be a defect. In many cases, recalls aren’t issued until the problem has been brought to light as a result of a previous traffic crash.

Examples of Auto Defects and Safety Issues:
• Brake problems
• Sudden unintended acceleration
• Seat belt defects
• Seatback defects
• Sudden unintended acceleration
• Floor mat issues
• Tire failure
• Rollover issues
• Airbag problems
• Structural defects
• Window defects
• Design defects related to 15-passenger vans

1.5 Million Toyotas Recalled for Brake and Fuel Pump Problems, The New York Times, October 21, 2010

Statement from U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Toyota's Agreement to Pay Maximum Civil Penalty, NHTSA, April 19, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Toyota Motor Corporation

SaferCar.gov

Continue reading " Toyota Recalls 1.53 Million Autos Over Fuel Pump and Brake Fluid Problems " »

The first Chicago motor vehicle crash lawsuit has been filed in Saturday’s CTA bus accident off Lake shore Drive that injured over 30 people. 44-year-old Yolanda Anderson filed her Chicago personal injury complaint in Cook County Circuit Court. She is seeking unspecified damages from the Chicago Transit Authority and bus driver that was operating the commercial bus.

Anderson contends that she got hurt when the 6 Jackson Park Express which she was standing in, veered abruptly, jumped a curb, and crashed into a tree. The impact of the Chicago bus accident threw her to the floor of the bus. Anderson injured her back, neck, and arm, and she also may have suffered nerve damage.

In her Cook County bus accident complaint, Anderson claims that the bus driver was speeding and did not slow down to prevent injuries to passengers. She also claims that the bus was inadequately maintained and that its steering mechanism did not work properly.

About 70 people were riding the bus when the traffic crash happened. The impact of the collision caved in the bus’s front side. Several people were in serious to fair condition. Over 20 passengers were treated at the accident site for bruises and bumps.

The bus driver had told union officials that she tried to redirect the bus even as it continued to move to the right. There is a possibility that she may have accidentally stepped on the accelerator.

Chicago Bus Accidents
Commercial bus drivers owe a duty of care to their passengers and others on the road to drive safely. Most buses don’t have seat belts and passengers can get seriously hurt during a Chicago bus crash. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcyclists, and the occupants of passengers cars are also at risk of injury when involved in a Cook County traffic crash with a CTA bus, a school bus, or another large, commercial vehicle.

First lawsuit filed by passenger in CTA bus crash, Chicago Breaking News, October 12, 2010

Dozens hurt in Chicago bus accident, Northwest Herald/The Associated Press, October 10, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Chicago Transit Authority

Center for National Truck and Bus Statistics

18-year-old Brian Dewitt is dead following a Chicago car accident with an Evergreen Park police car. According to police, Dewitt was driving his car in the West Morgan Park neighborhood on Tuesday night when his vehicle collided with a police car pursuing a speeding driver. Dewitt’s friend Matthew Brew was a passenger in his car. He was hospitalized with injuries.

The Cook County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the traffic crash. Investigators are trying to determine whether the cop had activated his siren and light or if Dewitt ran a red light.

If the authorities discover that the Evergreen Park police officer failed to activate his siren or lights or behaved carelessly or recklessly while chasing the other car, Dewitt’s family may have grounds for a Chicago wrongful death case.

Police officers are expected to follow protocol and procedures when chasing a suspect in their vehicle. This includes making sure that they have done everything possible to warn other vehicles and pedestrians that they are engaged in a police chase and that they are not driving at a speed that endangers the suspect or innocent bystanders.

Earlier last month, an Illinois state trooper crashed his police car into a vehicle while pursuing another auto over an alleged traffic violation. Trooper John W. Ritchie has said that he waited too long to step on the brakes while turning into a curve. Injured in the Illinois car accident were the 24-year-old Kyle J. Stover, who is the driver of the vehicle that Ritchie struck, and his passenger Samantha Welch.

"Sweet Kid" Killed in Collision With Squad Car, NBC Chicago, October 7, 2010

1 dead, 1 hurt in crash involving Evergreen Park squad car, Chicago Breaking News, October 6, 2010

State police cruiser in crash during pursuit, PJ Star, September 12, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Deaths lead police to question high-speed chase policies, USA Today, April 23, 2010

Police Pursuits, Chicago Car Accident Attorney, September 16, 2010

Continue reading " Teen Killed in Chicago Car Accident Involving Police Pursuit " »