Author Archives: abryant633

IDOT Instills New Dooring Policy To Protect Bicyclists

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I wrote a few weeks back about attempts by bicycle advocates to bring media and legislative attention to dooring accidents, which would hopefully lead to the protection of bicycle riders. The Active Transportation Alliance, a safety advocacy group that represents bicyclists, had appealed to IDOT officials, without success, since last year to collect dooring data as a means to understand the extent of the problem.The Chicago Tribune reported today that Governor Quinn announced that the Illinois Department of Transportation  (IDOT) will use new rules about the reporting of dooring accidents.

From here on out  police departments across Illinois will be required to record “dooring” accidents on Illinois traffic crash forms.  The dooring data will be incorporated into annual traffic accident summaries compiled by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Officials described the policy shift as a starting point to help reduce dooring crashes, which can result in injuries and deaths.

“Anyone who rides a bike can tell you that dooring is a serious issue,” Quinn said. “One of the best ways we can increase public safety is by making sure we’ve got the best and most comprehensive data possible. That’s why we’ve made this change.”

Currently, Chicago has its’ own bicycle protection laws, which include fines up to $500 for opening a vehicle door in the path of a cyclist. A city ordinance also requires drivers to stay at least 3 feet away from bicyclists; prohibits left or right turns in front of cyclists; and bans driving, standing or parking in a bicycle lane.

This a positive step towards the protection of bicyclists, especially in areas with heavy bicycle traffic, like Chicago. Hopefully the data collected will help legislators and IDOT develop specific laws and studies that will help prevent dooring accidents in the future.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago dooring accident or Chicago car accident, then contact Chicago car crash attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

Doctor Operates On Boy’s Wrong Eye

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A surgical blunder took place in Washington State last week, which – – to this personal injury attorney – – is another reason why tort reform is a bad idea. The Associated Press reported that  four year old, Jesse Matlock, had surgery performed on the wrong eye.  The surgery was to be performed on his right eye to prevent it from wandering. The boy’s parents said Dr. Shawn Goodman operated on the boy’s left eye before repeating the operation on the correct eye. The parents said that since the operation, they have not seen any improvement in the right eye and now the boy’s left eye appears to be wandering.

“Our hope is to never have it happen again in any of our hospitals,” said Dr. Lori Morgan, CEO of Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland.  The parents said they have hired a lawyer and were considering a malpractice lawsuit. Gaul said she is concerned about the effects of the unnecessary surgery on her son’s vision.

This is a scary story and also a valuable lesson about this country’s tort system. Doctors are human, and they make mistakes.  Doctors work very hard and spend many years in school to achieve their success. Regardless, doctors need to be held accountable like everyone else when they commit avoidable mistakes.  Obviously this surgical mishap was not done on purpose, but the point is we currently have a system in place that will protect helpless injured patients like Jesse Matlock.  Tort reform advocates like to argue that our Court system is rampant with frivolous lawsuits. The fact is medical malpractice lawsuits, and most serious injury cases, are very expensive to litigate. Personal injury attorneys must look at cases very closely before taking them. Do to these costs and high risk, medical malpractice cases are not flooding our nations courthouses. 

No doctor is perfect and they should be held accountable when they do things like operate on the wrong body part. If Jesse Matlock has permanent vision impairment, or now has two (2) wondering eyes, he should be properly compensated for that loss. If the insurance company lobbyists have their way, then helpless victims like Jesse Matlock my not be properly compensation.  This, to me, is a perfect example as to why tort reform is a path that Illinois and this country should not take.

If you or someone you know has a potential Illinois medical malpractice case or has suffered from a catastrophic injury, then call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

Illinois Hosting Distracted Driving Summit This Week

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I have written numerous times in the past about distracted driving and the dangers of texting and driving. The National Highway & Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has hosted a distracted driving summit the past two (2) years, which has been aimed at sharing research and statistics and also spread the word about the dangers of using a cell phone while driving. Illinois is getting into the act as they are hosting their own summit on Thursday April 21 in Addison, IL. 

The speakers for this event include:

Ray LaHood, U.S. Secretary of Transportation                                                                                                             

Jesse White, Secretary of State, Illinois                                                                                                                               

John D. Cullerton, Illinois Senate President                                                                                                                     ]

John D’Amico, Illinois Representative

The summit will include a victim impact panel, updates on new  and proposed changes in legislation, updates on research and, of course, keynote speeches by Secretaries LaHood and White.

It will be interesting to hear the outcomes from this event.

Remember, if you have been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call
Chicago accident attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

2011 National Work Zone Awareness Week Begins Monday

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The Chicago Tribune reported this past week about a coalition effort by local and statewide organizations to bring awareness about work zone safety.

On Friday, the groups met to kick off the awareness week and ask people to be cautious of highway workers on the road. Illinois State Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig asked motorists to be alert for construction workers, slow down and drive distraction-free without cell phones.

Though highway auto accidents and motor vehicle fatalities are down in recent years, state officials want motorists to be aware that highway workers are put in a very vulnerable situation. Provisional data show 32 people died in work zone crashes during 2010. The Illinois Department of Transportation says that’s one more death than in 2009 but they add that 2010 had the largest construction season in state history. Worker fatalities decreased from five in 2009 to three in 2010.

Remember to always slow down and to put your cell phone down when driving through a construction zone. 

If you or someone you know has been injured in a Chicago construction zone accident or Chicago car accident, then call Chicago accident attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com

Toddler Dies In Chicago Area Roller Coaster Accident

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A terrible tragedy occurred on Saturday night when a three (3) year old toddler fell from a Roller Coaster at Go Bananas family entertainment center in Norridge, Illinois.

Chicago’s CBS News reported that an autopsy Sunday determined Jayson Dansby died of multiple injuries, when he was struck by a roller coaster car and when he fell from the roller coaster, according to the medical examiner’s office. His death was ruled an accident. Jayson then fell about 3 or 4 feet from the moving roller coaster.

“For some reason, he crawled out from underneath the safety bar and he fell and died from head injuries,’’ Norridge police chief Jobe said. The ride is in an area that is “walled-off” from the rest of the business and the building is divided into several sections. “It’s dark but it’s not pitch dark. It’s darker than the rest of the rides,’’ said Jobe.  “Part of the ride goes behind another wall and that’s where he fell.’’ The highest off the ground the roller coaster goes is about eight feet.

I think the first question that needs to be asked is why they would allow a three-year old onto a roller coaster in the first place. Second, if it is deemed safe for three-year olds, then why in the world did this entertainment center allow children that young to ride without an older companion. I think Go Bananas and their insurer are going to have to answer these questions and many more during the investigation.

If you or someone you know has suffered from a personal injury or has a wrongful death claim, then contact Chicago accident attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

Illinois Bicycle Group Seeks Exposure & Stiffer Penalty For Dooring Accidents

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As I have discussed here in the past, the Illinois legislature has done a fair amount to protect bicyclists. Specifically, last year Governor Quinn signed into law a statute that empowers police to ticket motorists who “in a reckless manner, drive the motor vehicle unnecessarily close to, toward, or near a bicyclist, pedestrian, or a person riding a horse or driving an animal-drawn vehicle.”  In 2008, the Illinois legislature passed a law which required drivers to keep a three (3) distance from bicycles on the road.

Although these are seen as improvement from preventing Illinois bicycle accidents, certain groups would like to see state-wide legislation regarding “dooring” accidents. In other words, when a parked motorist opens their door into a bicycle lane without leaving enough time or room for the bicyclist to veer out of the way.

The Active Transportation Alliance, which is a group involved in efforts to make streets safer for bicyclists, pedestrians and motorists in the Chicago region, wants to raise public awareness and promote stiffer penalties for dooring accidents. They intend to launch a campaign to increase public awareness about dooring crashes. The group considers doorings the most prevalent threat to on-street cyclists.

Dooring accident are viewed as very dangerous.  The Chicago Tribune reported recently that informal surveys the alliance has conducted among its members indicate that more than half the people who bike on streets have been doored at least once, said Ethan Spotts, spokesman for the organization. But lacking solid statistics, bicycling advocates say they can neither prove a problem exists nor apply for federal and state traffic-safety funds to address it, he said.  From 2005 through 2009, there was an average of more than 3,500 crashes each year between vehicles and bicyclists in Illinois, resulting in 18 to 27 cyclists killed and more than 3,300 injured annually, according to IDOT statistics.

Unfortunately the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) or Illinois law does ot currently classify dooring accidents as a moving violation or as an actual vehicle accident because the car is not in motion.  IDOT’s position is that they are following national crash reporting standards. But doorings are a growing safety problem, and for IDOT to say this has been our standard for many years simply ignores a dangerous trend,”  Dan Persky of Active Transportation Alliance said. “Our proposal wouldn’t add to IDOT’s workload.”

Those familiar with Chicago know that this is a bicycle friendly city and there hundreds, if not, thousands of bicyclists on the road in our city at any time. I have heard many dooring accident stories and firmly believe there needs to be legislation enacted that would help prevent these accidents.  The bicyclists are not going anywhere, so it is time to start protecting them.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago bicycle accident or Chicago car accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website www.blgchicago.com.

Illinois Records Less Than1000 Road Deaths For 2nd Year In A Row

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There were 911 traffic fatalities in 2009 and 2010 saw only a small bump with 923.  The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) cited several factors for the decrease in highway fatalities in the past few years, including record high seat belt compliance.  IDOT is certain that seat belt compliance is due to the change in the law in 2003, which allows police officers to pull drivers over for not wearing their seat belt (i.e. a primary traffic offense.)  Safety belt usage reached a record high 91.7 percent rate in 2009 before improving to 92.6 percent in 2010. The figures are calculated by IDOT from motorist surveys and data collected from traffic citations and other sources.

IDOT also attributes the low number of highway deaths to the new distracted driving laws, efforts to address teen driving habits, motorcycle safety, drunken driving and work zone safety. Spokesmen from IDOT who spoke the Peoria Journal, believe stricter anti-texting laws are needed to further decrease the number of highway fatalities.

Remember, if you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Illinois personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, at 312-588-3384 for a free consultation on your car crash case or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com. 

New Safety Reports Recommend Car Seat Changes

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Two interesting reports were recently published that both recommend that child car seats face the rear of the vehicle until the child is two years old. The reports, which came from The American Academy of Pediatrics and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, also recommended that older children who’ve outgrown front-facing car seats should ride in booster seats until the lap-shoulder belt fits them. Booster seats help position adult seat belts properly on children’s smaller frames. Children usually can graduate from a booster seat when their height reaches 4 feet 9 inches.  Children younger than 13 should ride in the back seat, the guidelines from both groups say.

The studies’ showed that one-year-olds are five times less likely to be injured in a car crash if they are in a rear-facing car seat than a forward-facing seat, according to a 2007 analysis of five years of U.S. car crash data.

The numbers estimated 1,000 children injured in forward-facing seats over 15 years might not have been hurt if they had been in a car seat facing the back, said Dr. Dennis Durbin, lead author of the recommendations and a pediatric emergency physician at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

These are some interesting revelations and it will be interesting to see if the government recommends that car seat companies will begin requiring new warnings consistent with these studies.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com

Is Illinois Texting And Driving Ban Restrictive Enough?

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I have reported in the past about the texting and driving bans enacted in Chicago and eventually by the State. These laws were necessary as the studies have shown the dangers of texting and driving. The question law maker must answer – – which State Farm has pointed out – – is wether the texting laws should prevent all phone internet use while driving.  State Farm published a report recently that found that 19 percent of drivers from its’ survey admitted to using the Internet while driving. The top five Web-based activities they engage in are:

  • Finding/reading driving directions,
  • Reading email,
  • Looking up/referencing specific information of immediate interest,
  • Looking at/reading social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.),
  • Composing/sending email

Most respondents who said they use the Internet while driving reported that they engage in these activities when stopped at a stop light or stopped in heavy traffic. They also commonly said they access the Internet when driving alone, during daylight hours, or on long drives on the interstate.

We are very interested in learning more about the growing trend of using the Web while driving,” said Cindy Garretson, Director of Auto Technology Research at State Farm. “We are working to prevent (car) crashes and save lives, and this research takes us one step closer to understanding the driver distractions that affect everyone on our roadways.”

I think anyone would admit that posting something on twitter or facebook or looking up news headlines while driving is just as dangerous as texting and driving. The word “texting”, if used broadly should encompass all smart phone use. It will be interesting to see if Illinois broadens the term texting in its’ texting and driving laws.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Illinois car accident attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com.

Chicago Traffic Is The Third Worst In The Country

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I wrote a few weeks back about the effect the rebounding economy has had on traffic congestion.  The early predictions were correct – – Chicago traffic congestion is not getting better.

The Chicago Sun Times reported this week that  for the fourth year in a row, Chicago (behind New York and Los Angeles), is the third worst in the country for traffic congestion.  The Dan Ryan having three of America’s worst bottlenecks, according to yearly traffic scorecard produced by INRIX, which provides traffic and navigation services.  Specifically, the northbound section of the Dan Ryan at the Canalport exit. This bottleneck actually improved from second worst last year to third worst this year.

“America is back on the road to gridlock,” said Bryan Mistele, INRIX president and CEO. “Population growth combined with increases in interstate commerce spurred by economic recovery are fueling these increases. With only 150,000 new jobs created in our nation’s urban centers last year, we can expect even more gridlock when the 6 million jobs lost in the recession return to the nation’s cities.”

Remember to keep your eyes on the road, especially during Chicago’s busy rush hour.

If you or someone you know has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron J. Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588–3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com