Chicago Bike Rider Struck And Injured By Opening Car Door

In Chicago, Illinois as spring weather arrives, more and more bicycle riders are on the street. It is only the end of March and injury lawyers at Abels & Annes are working on their first bike vs. car accident case of the season.

A North Side resident was injured last weekend when he was struck by an opening car door. He was riding southbound on Southport Avenue just north of Addison Street in a marked and designated bicycle lane. As he was passing a parked car on the west side of the street, the driver swung the vehicle door open into the bike lane causing the plaintiff to flip over it and land on his back.

The bike rider immediately had severe shoulder and neck pain. An ambulance transported him to Thorek Hospital on Irving Park Road in Chicago. At the ER he was diagnosed with a separated shoulder.

As of today, the plaintiff is having shoulder pain and swelling, and neck pain. He is going for follow up treatment with a medical doctor in the Chicago area.

Last year in Chicago our law firm saw a dramatic increase in bike accident injuries (pedestrian accidents seem to be on the rise as well).

While the bicyclist in this case could not have avoided the accident, here are a few safety tips offered by the Illinois Secretary of State's Office:

1. Only one person should ride on a bike;

2. If riding with a group on the street, ride in single file and not next to each other;

3. Try to avoid riding at night;

4. Rid your bicycle as close as possible to the right hand side of the road;

5. Keep both hands on your handlebars;

6. Know the rules of the road, as bicycle riders have the same responsibilities on the road as motor vehicle drivers;

7. Always where a helmet; and

8. Make sure your bike is in good operating condition before riding.

If you have been injured in an Illinois bike crash, contact Abels & Annes to speak to an accident lawyer today at 312-924-7575.

Car Crash On Dan Ryan Kills 1, Injures 3 In Chicago, Illinois

In Chicago, Illinois, high speeds of 90 mph may have lead to a bad auto accident on the Dan Ryan Expressway early this morning, according to WLS TV. Further, a firefighter was injured while responding to the accident.

The car accident took place just before 2 a.m. when a car traveling at a high rate of speed northbound near 75th Street flipped and went up onto a side wall. There were four occupants in the car, and the driver and front seat passenger were ejected from the vehicle. The driver, a male from Chicago in his 30s was killed in the wreck.

Shortly after the accident, a Chicago Fire Department fire truck that rushed to the scene was hit by a driver that may have been intoxicated. The fire truck was parked with all of its emergency lights on when a driver exiting at 71st street struck the front of the truck. A firefighter was injured in that 2nd crash and was taken to an area hospital.

The Illinois State Police are handling the accident investigation. The surviving passengers of the first accident were taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn with serious injuries.

The driver that hit the fire truck was taken into custody by the Illinois State Police. He has been ticketed under Scott's Law for not keeping clear of emergency vehicles.

Chicago Resident Killed After Falling Into Machine At Recycling Plant

In Chicago, Illinois a man died on Friday at a South Side recycling plant after he fell into a machine, according to chicagobreakingnews.com. Julio Flores-Garcia, 39, a Chicago resident, was killed in a paper-baling machine at 3301 W. 48th Place.

It is being reported that the autopsy is showing that the man died from multiple crushing injuries, and that the death was ruled an accident. Police were called Friday afternoon and were told that a man fell into a machined and died. The Chicago Police Department has detectives investigating the accident.

After a tragic accident like this one, it is likely that the family of the victim will retain a Chicago personal injury lawyer. That lawyer will investigate as to how the accident occurred and also whether there is a potential products liability case. The attorney is going to look into if there was something defective about the machine and if the accident could have been prevented.

It has not been reported if the victim was employed at the business. If he was, the family of Flores-Garcia will be able to collect under workers' compensation. If he was not employed at the plant, the attorney can investigate whether the company is liable for some type of negligence.

Downtown Chicago Car Accident Injures 4

An auto accident in Chicago, Illinois has seriously injured four people early this morning, according to WBBM News. The crash involved two vehicles, one of which was a van that flipped over onto a crosswalk.

The Loop car crash occurred at Madison and Franklin at about 1:20 am. Five ambulances rushed to the accident that involved a Chevy Ventura and a Pontiac Sunfire. It is being reported that 4 people in the Pontiac were critically injured. Two were transported to Stroger Hospital of Cook County and two others went to Northwestern Memorial Hospital. A fifth person may have also been taken to an area hospital. Four occupants of the van refused medical treatment.

The cause of the crash and the nature of the injuries has not been reported. The Chicago Police Department is handling the investigation.

Luckily this accident occurred late at night, as the crosswalk at Madison and Franklin is extremely crowded with pedestrian traffic during daytime hours. Pedestrian fatalities could have occurred if this crash happened at the wrong time of the day.

If you have been injured in an Illinois auto accident, contact an injury lawyer at Abels & Annes to discuss your case.

NFL Player Hits And Kills Pedestrian

NFL wide receiver Donte' Stallworth was involved in a fatal pedestrian accident yesterday, according to multiple media outlets such as the Boston Globe. The accident happened on a causeway between Miami and Miami Beach, Florida. Stallworth was driving his Bentley around 7 a.m. when he hit Mario Reyes, a 59 year old construction worker who was crossing the road. It is unclear whether Reyes was in a crosswalk or near a crosswalk. He was rushed to a nearby trauma center and pronounced dead a short time later.

Reyes worked at a crane operator and commuted by bus to work. He had just finished working the overnight shift and was headed to the bus stop when he was hit by Stallworth's Bentley. Reyes is married with a daughter. He came to Miami from Cuba when he was a teen.

Stallworth reportedly cooperated with police, consented to drug and alcohol testing, and has not been charged at this time. Stallworth, 28, currently plays for the Cleveland Browns who signed him last year to a 7 year, 35 million dollar contact. He has previously played for the Patriots, Eagles & Saints. It is being reported that he owns three condos in the Miami area.

An accident like this reminds us that back here in Chicago, pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise. As we recently reported, there were fifty-six pedestrian fatalities here in 2008, a big increase from forty-nine deaths in 2007 and forty-eight in 2006.

Pedestrians accidents are very dangerous. The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that pedestrians are over 8 times likelier to be injured, and over 23 times likelier to be killed in an accident, as compared to people riding in a car.

Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers

The law offices of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. provides exceptional legal representation for clients across the state of Illinois. Please review our mission statement to learn generally about what we do, whom we represent, and the philosophy behind our practice.

The personal injury lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. have successfully represented clients in a variety of practice areas, including: airplane accident, burn injuries, personal injury, medical malpractice, automobile collisions, construction accidents, premises liability, product liability, wrongful death, workers' compensation, truck accident, and insurance policyholder claims.

Please select one of our practice areas to learn more about the types of law our firm practices. We also encourage you to review the biographies of the attorneys at our firm and examine abstracts of recent cases in which we obtained significant verdicts, settlements, or other results for our clients.

The Chicago accident lawyers of Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. represents most clients with personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis. In those cases, there is no fee charged unless a recovery is made.

Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. believes in a team approach to litigation. We believe that it is only through a concentrated, aggressive and well coordinated effort, that we can achieve the best results for our clients. Our personal injury attorneys work as a team, partnering with some of the world's best physicians, engineers, and experts to investigate and support our clients' claims. Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. refuses to represent insurance companies.

If you wish to discuss your legal matter with a skilled attorney, please contact our personal injury lawyers at 312-466-8200 or E-mail us at friedman@attorneyillinois.net or use our contact form to the right. Your initial consultation is FREE!

Motorcycle Crash In Evanston Shuts Down Sheridan Road

In Evanston, Illinois part of Sheridan Road was closed today due to a traffic accident, according to the Evanston Review and the North By Northwestern. The crash happened around 10 a.m. between Foster and Chicago Ave. in the 1900 block of Sheridan. The road was closed for several hours for the Evanston Police Department investigation.

The accident involved a northbound motorcycle and a pick up truck. The severity of the motorcyclist's injuries, or the details of how the accident occurred, have not been reported. However, the motorcyclist has been hospitalized. Witnesses at the scene were very concerned, as the motorcycle rider did not move and remained on the ground during the five minutes it took for the ambulance to arrive.

Being involved in a motorcycle accident can be a very scary event. You are very vulnerable to serious injury, as it is essentially you and your body vs. a motor vehicle. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, between 2002 and 2007, motorcyclist deaths increased by 57% in the U.S. Further, a motorcyclist is 5.5 times more likely to be killed in an accident as compared to the occupants of an automobile.

If you have been injured in a motorcycle accident, contact Abels & Annes for a free consultation.