Chicago car accident lawyers continue to monitor debate over red-light cameras

The issue of red-light cameras and their ability to reduce car accidents at Chicago-area intersections continues to make news. The Daily Herald is investigating whether the cameras are going up throughout suburbia as an effort to reduce traffic accidents or to raise the most money from unsuspecting drivers.

The Chicago car accident attorneys at Abels & Annes looked at the issue last month, writing on our sister blog, www.chicagocaraccidentlawyersblog.com, that 143 accident-prone Chicago intersections are already equipped with the cameras, with 330 expected to be in place by 2012.

Abels & Annes continues to monitor the issues as more and more accident attorneys seek to use the tapes in court as evidence against negligent driver.

Traffic violations at intersections are one of the leading causes of traffic deaths in this country. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 6,024 fatalities at stop signs or traffic signals in 2007 and more than 600,000 injuries.

But the Daily Herald investigation is raising more questions about the motivation of placing the cameras throughout suburbia, where at least 84 cameras are now up in 28 North, West and Norhwest suburbs.

Among the Daily Herald findings:
• Most of the $100 red-light tickets are issued for turning right without coming to a complete stop. Traffic experts question the value of making this such a high priority, since it results in few serious accidents.

• A number of towns want to put cameras at intersections that don't appear to have a problem with red-light related crashes. In some cases, cameras are now at intersections that have only one or two crashes a year linked to red-light violations.

• The appeals process used across the suburbs is so varied, the Daily Herald found some towns have never thrown out a ticket while others reverse up to a quarter of all those contested.

• The focus on right-turn violations and low-crash sites not only calls into question the motive for placing cameras, but also undermines efforts to determine if they are actually working to improve safety.

Meanwhile, Marcie Schatz, Naperville's transportation, engineering and development director, wrote in the Naperville Sun that the cameras in that community are being installed with the sole purpose of reducing accidents at problem intersections.

Schatz acknowledged some of the controversy stems from the fact that 1 in 3 motorists are against the use of cameras to enforce traffic laws.

Naperville currently has one red-light camera and is considering the installation of two additional camera systems. City officials contend the locations are being selected based on crash statistics and the goal of the program is simply to reduce crashes at accident-prone intersections.

"We have designed our program around reducing the chances that you and your loved ones will end up in the hospital because of an injury-causing crash," Schatz wrote. "Red-light cameras are making a difference in Naperville. They are helping to reduce the number of crashes on city streets, and the data proves it."

Citing the effectiveness of the cameras, Schatz wrote:

• Total crashes are down 13.7 percent from 24.3 to 21

• Angle and turning crashes are down 80 percent from 5 to 1

• Injury crashes are down 46 percent from 3.7 to 2

• Red-light violations are down slightly from a high of 32.61 per day in February to 28.20 in April

• Rear-end collisions are up slightly, from an average of 15.3 to 16 for a four-month period

Meanwhile, in Chicago last month City Council Finance Committee Chairman Edward M. Burke proposed increasing the fine from $100 to $125 and using the extra money to require offenders to complete a "Red Light Education Program."

"Clearly, when you're talking about 27 percent of the six million accidents that occur on U.S. roadways every year occurring at intersections, it would seem to be a move in the right direction," Burke told the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago red-light cameras are already installed at 143 accident-prone intersections in the city - with 39 more expected to go up later this year and 330 intersections expected to have cameras by 2012.

The Sun-Times notes that while changing driver behavior is the ultimate goal, the cameras have become a giant cash cow for the city -- generating $44.8 million last year. And earlier this year council was pitched a proposal that claimed $200 million a year could be made by using the cameras with a program that referenced insurance data to hunt down uninsured motorists.

If you or someone you love has been in a Chicago car accident, the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.

Bridge collpase at fireworks show sends at least 16 to the hospital

At least 16 people were hospitalized after a wooden footbridge collapsed at the conclusion of a fireworks celebration at Hidden Lake Park in Merrillville, about 45 minutes south of Chicago.

Media reports were unclear about whether it was a public park. But injured participants could have a premise liability claim against the park owner or the company that provided the fireworks display.

Witnesses described a chaotic scene, estimating that the roughly 90-foot-long bridge was full of people before it fell, according to the Associated Press as reported by Fox News.

While authorities have released few other details, it is possible that event organizers allowed far too many people onto the 90-foot wooden brindge, which collapsed about 10 p.m., just as the grand finale concluded, sending people plummeting into the water below.

A dive team was called in to pull people and items from the water and the investigation continued through the weekend. There were estimates that thousands had attended the annual fireworks display at the park in years past.

"They had to rescue quite a few people," Ross Township firefighter Perry Herzog said in a newspaper account.

Herzog said 16 people were transported to local hospitals for treatment. He said others might have been taken to hospitals by family members.

He did not know the nature of their injuries, and said there were no fatalities in the accident. About 50 emergency vehicles responded to the scene, along with helicopter and dive teams.

Robert Walker, of Merrillville, blamed the collapse on the number of people crossing the bridge.

"It was a mass of confusion," he said. "People were walking across the bridge when it collapsed. People were grasping and hanging onto the bridge itself."

Lincolnwood man dies after hit-and-run Chicago car accident

A 58-year-old Lincolnwood man has died in a Chicago car accident after being rear-ended by a hit-and-run driver Tuesday afternoon on the Kennedy Expressway.

William Nanz, was involved in a crash on the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) near North Kostner Avenue and was pronounced dead at 2:49 p.m. Tuesday at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s office.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported that Nanz suffered a heart attack following the crash. However, the Chicago Breaking News Center reported the coroner has determined that Nanz died as a result of spinal injuries suffered in the crash.

That report said Nanz had a history of heart disease which the medical examiner's office said contributed to his death, but he died primarily from injuries from the crash, according to results of the completed autopsy.

Nanz was driving north Kennedy when he slowed for traffic and was rear-ended, causing his vehicle to hit the wall, according to Illinois State Police.

The vehicle that rear-ended Nanz reportedly slowed down before striking the vehicle Nanz was driving, but it did not stay on the scene and State Police are investigating the incident as a hit-and-run.

Witnesses reported seeing a black sport-utility vehicle leaving the crash site and state police are investigating whether it was involved in the crash.

In this instance, the family could seek the assistance of a Chicago car accident attorney to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the hit-and-run driver. If the driver is not located, the family could seek compensation through Nanz's own insurance policy by making a hit-and-run claim.

The at-fault driver also faces possible criminal charges for leaving the scene of an accident.