Tag Archives: Chicago personal injury lawyer

Loop Link Bus Lines Launch In Downtown Chicago

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The Chicago Tribune (among other outlets) reported last month that the Chicago Transit Authority (“CTA”) finally launched the long awaited loop link bus lines. Loop link are bus only dedicated lanes that run through Madison, Washington, Clinton and Canal Streets. The bus only lanes were designed and constructed to increase the speed of bus traffic in the loop, while also making streets safer for bicyclists and pedestrians.

I have seen the construction of these lanes from start to finish, and it has been a huge relief for those that work or live in the loop that the construction is finally completed. One of the touches that the construction includes is a dedicated bicycle lane located adjacent to the bus lanes closest to the curb. Although it doesn’t appear so in the first month of use, the purpose of the loop link is to decrease congestion for everyone: drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Also, it’s important to point out that the bus lanes are separated from the normal lanes with raised concrete curbs, which prevent normal vehicles from driving through and using those lanes. You can click here to view a photo of one of the completed bus stop stations from the Chicago Street Blog.

To me this is a huge improvement for the CTA and downtown Chicago. For one, the lanes and stops are aesthetically pleasing. Now, the real question is whether they will help with traffic congestion downtown. It will take more than a month to know exactly understand the effectiveness of loop link and whether car accidents and bicycle accidents will decrease. Regardless, it is a step in the right direction.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago bicycle accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Traffic Tips For Winter Driving

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Although it has been unseasonably warm so far in Chicago this winter, we all know that ice and snow will be here sooner than later. It can be incredibly dangerous to drive through winter weather, and I have provided a list of tips from AAA that will hopefully prepare you for conditions. You can find all these tips and more by clicking here.

Tips for long-distance winter trips:

  • Watch weather reports prior to a long-distance drive or before driving in isolated areas. Delay trips when especially bad weather is expected. If you must leave, let others know your route, destination and estimated time of arrival.
  • Always make sure your vehicle is in peak operating condition by having it inspected by a AAA Approved Auto Repair facility.
  • Keep at least half a tank of gasoline in your vehicle at all times.
  • Pack a cellular telephone with your local AAA’s telephone number, plus blankets, gloves, hats, food, water and any needed medication in your vehicle.
  • If you become snow-bound, stay with your vehicle. It provides temporary shelter and makes it easier for rescuers to locate you. Don’t try to walk in a severe storm. It’s easy to lose sight of your vehicle in blowing snow and become lost.
  • Don’t over exert yourself if you try to push or dig your vehicle out of the snow.
  • Tie a brightly colored cloth to the antenna or place a cloth at the top of a rolled up window to signal distress. At night, keep the dome light on if possible. It only uses a small amount of electricity and will make it easier for rescuers to find you.
  • Make sure the exhaust pipe isn’t clogged with snow, ice or mud. A blocked exhaust could cause deadly carbon monoxide gas to leak into the passenger compartment with the engine running.
  • Use whatever is available to insulate your body from the cold. This could include floor mats, newspapers or paper maps.
  • If possible run the engine and heater just long enough to remove the chill and to conserve gasoline.

Tips for driving in the snow:

  • Accelerate and decelerate slowly. Applying the gas slowly to accelerate is the best method for regaining traction and avoiding skids. Don’t try to get moving in a hurry. And take time to slow down for a stoplight. Remember: It takes longer to slow down on icy roads.
  • Drive slowly. Everything takes longer on snow-covered roads. Accelerating, stopping, turning – nothing happens as quickly as on dry pavement. Give yourself time to maneuver by driving slowly.
  • The normal dry pavement following distance of three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
  • Know your brakes. Whether you have antilock brakes or not, the best way to stop is threshold breaking. Keep the heel of your foot on the floor and use the ball of your foot to apply firm, steady pressure on the brake pedal.
  • Don’t stop if you can avoid it. There’s a big difference in the amount of inertia it takes to start moving from a full stop versus how much it takes to get moving while still rolling. If you can slow down enough to keep rolling until a traffic light changes, do it.
  • Don’t power up hills. Applying extra gas on snow-covered roads just starts your wheels spinning. Try to get a little inertia going before you reach the hill and let that inertia carry you to the top. As you reach the crest of the hill, reduce your speed and proceed down hill as slowly as possible.
  • Don’t stop going up a hill. There’s nothing worse than trying to get moving up a hill on an icy road. Get some inertia going on a flat roadway before you take on the hill.
  • Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.

I think the last bit of advice is the most important. If the weather is just too treacherous, then stay home or opt for public transportation. If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Can Chicago’s Speeder Cameras Affect Your Personal Injury Case

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The Chicago Sun Times reported this week that two (2) new speeder cameras were installed this month by the Chicago Department of Transportation. The cameras were activated at 3200 S. Archer Avenue and near Keystone Park at 1754 N. Pulaski Road, 4053 W. North Ave. and 4042 W. North Ave.

According to a personal injury attorney, while in the school safety zones, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. drivers must drive 20 miles per hour when children are present and the posted speed limit when no children are present. From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., drivers must adhere to the posted speed limit, according to a personal injury attorney.

Those who are caught speeding for the first thirty (30) days will only receive a warning. After this trial period, tickets will be issued for those driving over 10 mph of the posted speed limit.

According to a personal injury attorney, a question that often pops up regarding speeder camera tickets is whether the video evidence can affect a car accident and personal injury lawsuit. The answer is yes. Often times when a dispute arises as to who caused a car crash, the parties can turn to the video evidence to determine who was at fault. This is especially true when there is a dispute as to who ran a red light. With the advent of red light cameras and other surveillance cameras, attorneys can request the video footage to help determine who was at fault with the presence of a personal injury attorney. The same thing can now take place if a traffic accident takes place within the speed camera zone. The personal injury attorney who handles the case can file a freedom of information act (“FOIA”) request to the city of Chicago and determine if a party was speeding and if the speeding was the cause of the car accident. If you are unfortunately involved in a car accident then make sure you get legal help from one of the best personal injury lawyers and look for an auto accident injury chiropractor to get treatment for your injuries.

According to a personal injury attorney, the video evidence could also determine how violent the collision was. I think it is important for personal injury attorneys to take a close look at the crash reports and determine if the accident took place in a speeder zone. If so, according to a personal injury lawyer, the video footage could impact the validity of a case.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Proposed Chicago Ordinance Would Allow Cameras To Ticket Drivers Blocking Intersections

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According to the great website DNA Info Chicago, there is a proposed ordinance within the Chicago city council that would allow traffic cameras to ticket drivers blocking certain downtown intersections. Alderman Brendan Reilly proposed using automated cameras to enforce tickets on cars stuck in the middle of intersections when the lights change, thus blocking cross traffic. He specifically mentioned the corner of Randolph and LaSalle streets directly outside City Hall

Full disclosure, I don’t think this ordinance is being proposed for safety purposes. I think it is a traffic congestion ordinance that would hopefully force vehicles to avoid intersections when the light change. I actually walk past this intersection almost daily when I go to Court at the Daley Center, and the Alderman is correct: this intersection, along with Washington and LaSalle, is incredibly frustrating. It’s frustrating for both drivers and pedestrians when vehicles are constantly sitting in the middle of an intersection, making traffic more congested for everyone. Would this type of new traffic ticket make our streets safer and decrease the number of traffic accidents and pedestrian accidents? Probably not. Would it actually decrease the number of drivers that block intersections? Possibly. Especially if the fine is high enough. There has been no reporting on what the fine would be or whether this is close to passing. Another thought is that all of this congestion may just disappear when all of the construction for the separate CTA bus lanes are finally completed. I will be interested in seeing if this ordinance goes anywhere.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago pedestrian accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

AT&T Taking Virtual ‘It Can Wait App’ To High School Students

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The dangers of texting and driving has been well documented by media the last five years. I have discussed the topic on this blog dozens of times. I have opined again and again that the penalties for texting and driving should be increased, especially in the instance where there is an injured party. The reasoning is similar to the drunk driving laws some thirty years ago. The penalties for drinking and driving for a long time in most states were the equivalent to a slap on the wrist. It wasn’t until interest groups pressured lawmakers to increase penalties, did we finally see heftier fines and jail time for drinking and driving throughout every state. Safety advocates have been pushing for the same changes to texting and driving laws.

I have to hand it to AT&T for their recent efforts to prevent texting and driving. Their “It Can Wait” campaign, which can be found all over television and social media has been incredibly effective. Further, AT&T is now going into schools and showing students first-hand the dangers of texting and driving.  The new app ‘It Can Wait” takes students on a 3D virtual reality tour of the dangers that can occur from looking at a cell phone while driving. The app “It Can Wait” can be downloaded on all IOS and Android phones. The virtual app reveals just how dangerous texting and driving is, and more importantly how quickly drivers can lose control of their vehicle when they look at their phone just for a second. I applaud AT&T for putting their money where their mouth is. This company reaps millions in profits for selling their services and smart phones, but at the same time is making a concerted effort to show how dangerous their devices can be if not used properly.

Click here to view what teen drivers are seeing through the virtual app.

If you or someone you love has been injured in Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

All State Study Reveals Chicago Drivers Are The Least Safe In Illinois

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According to All State Insurance Company’s 2015 “Best Driver” report, Chicago was the most unsafe drivers in the state of Illinois. Out of the 200 U.S. cities ranked, Chicago ranked 134th, with drivers having a likelihood of being in a car accident 24.4 percent more than the national average, and having an accident once every eight years. Chicago was up one spot from last year at 139.

The other Illinois towns that were ranked in the report include: Rockford ranked No. 46, with drivers having a traffic accident every 9.9 years; Aurora ranked No. 65, with drivers having a car accident every 9.2 years; and Naperville ranked 100th on the list, with drivers having an auto accident every 8.7 years.

I think looking at this report at first blush, one could easily view Chicago drivers as being much more unsafe that other drivers around the state. But, I think we need to consider the fact that there are tens of thousands of more drivers in Chicago than anywhere else in the state. And – -as I have written numerous times in the past – – Chicago is one of the most congested cities in the country. The odds of being involved in an auto accident increase exponentially while driving in Chicago merely because there are so many of other motorists on the road. I do not have any scientific evidence to back this up but I think it should be a factor rather than automatically assuming that Chicago drivers are much more careless than other places around the country.

If you or someone you love has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

 

City Of Chicago Files Suit Against Red Light Camera Company

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The Chicago Tribune reported last month that the city of Chicago has filed a lawsuit asking for $300 million against Redflex, the red light camera company that profited due to a $2 million bribery scheme.

The 20-page lawsuit seeks triple the $124 million Redflex collected on the Chicago contract both before and after it was fired by Mayor Rahm Emanuel amid the scandal, as well as a civil penalty of up to $10,000 for each time the company made a false statement to the city. The lawsuit details an alleged conspiracy in which Redflex executives teamed up with former city official, John Bills, to orchestrate cash payments to him through a consultant acting as a bagman, as well as providing Bills with vacation trips, computers, golf outings and other perks. In exchange, according to the lawsuit, Bills coached Redflex on how to beat its competitors, orchestrated key votes at City Hall, manipulated field tests to favor the company, covered up problems with Redflex’s performance and cost taxpayers millions by encouraging city officials to buy Redflex cameras instead of leasing them.

“Had the City known that these statements were false, the City would have canceled the contracts with Redflex,” the suit alleges. “The City suffered damages in reliance of Redflex’s false statements that it had not engaged in bribery or attempted to bribe any employee of the City.”

The lawsuit is actually an intervention of an existing whistle-blower lawsuit filed by former Redflex executive Aaron Rosenberg, in Cook County Circuit Court last year.

I guess this is an attempt by the city to wipe some of the egg of their face as it was their own employee that was in the middle of the bribery scheme. How is it no one from city hall knew that this was going on at the time that the contracts for red light cameras were being bid on. I hope the city can recoup some of their money but this seems like too little too late for a program that has been drenched in controversy since day one. Not only was Redflex operating under fraudulent circumstances, but the entire purpose of the program has been called into question as it is not clear there is a safety benefit to red light cameras. I will be interested to learn what happens with this lawsuit.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago pedestrian accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Chicago’s Traffic Congestion Is Still Terrible

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Both the Chicago Tribune and Crain’s reported last week that there are five (5) stretches of roads in the Chicago area that are ranked within the top twenty (2) most congested in the United States.

The results are based on a study conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute called the Urban Mobility Scorecard. No. 4 nationally was I-90/94 westbound from 35th Street to the Edens junction. The eastbound stretch from Montrose Avenue to Ruble Street, just south of Roosevelt Road, ranked No. 7 nationally. No. 14 nationally was the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90) eastbound starting at the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) and extending to the Kennedy at the Edens (I-94) merge. The study concluded that the Chicago area ranked No. 8 overall for the nation’s worse traffic.

As I have discussed recently on this blog, a portion of the traffic problem (and the increase in Illinois traffic accidents) is that the economy has rebounded and there are more drivers on the road. “The national congestion recession is over,” the report concluded. “The total congestion problem is larger than the pre-recession levels.”

What does this mean for Chicago drivers and their commute times? A driver in the Chicago region who really needs to arrive on time at a destination that is 20 minutes away in light traffic should instead budget a full hour to get there during peak travel times, said Bill Eisele, a senior research engineer at the transportation institute and the report’s co-author.

What is the solution to this gridlock? The authors of this study believe that lawmakers must act aggressively to address the traffic issues before the problems get worse. Experts say possible enhancements include expanding roadway capacity, providing incentives for people to alter their travel times away from the 6 to 10 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. peak hours, and expanding public transit and attracting new riders with new services that include new rail lines and bus rapid transit, airport express trains and options directed at luring reverse commuters from their cars to trains and buses.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Missouri Supreme Court Rules On Red Light Cameras

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The Kansas City Star reported this week that the Missouri Supreme Court ruled on the penalty portion of red light cameras throughout the state. Previously, red light camera tickets were treated similar to parking tickets. A violator was mailed their ticket and forced to pay the fine but points were not assessed to their driver’s license. In their recent ruling, the Court held that the violations should be considered moving violations. So the red-light camera company serving many Missouri cities said that the cameras would have to capture the driver’s photo, something their technology allows them to do. In addition, the citation would result in points being taken off a license.

Like in Chicago, many in Kansas City and St. Louis believed that the cameras did not improve safety at busy intersections. According to the Star the Kansas City Police Department prepared a report in May 2012, which concluded that the red-light cameras had positively affected driver behavior, resulting in fewer violations and fewer wrecks at those intersections. The cameras in a few instances also provided video evidence to help solve violent, gun-related crimes.

No such report has been made here in Chicago. In fact, a study done by Texas A&M researchers revealed that intersections with red light cameras actually increased the number of rear-end car accidents, while decreasing the number of t-bone time traffic accidents. The study concluded that their was a zero net safety benefit from red light traffic cameras.
It is unclear at this point whether the Illinois Courts will follow suit with Missouri by ruling that red light tickets will be considered moving violations.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076

NASCAR Driver Tony Stewart Named In Wrongful Death Lawsuit

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I wrote extensively last year about the fatal car crash involving Tony Stewart when his sprint car crashed into another driver who had exited his vehicle during the race. The sprint car race took place Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Aug. 9, 2014.

As many recall, a criminal investigation occurred following the fatal car accident and Mr. Stewart was absolved of any criminal wrongdoing, including negligent homicide, often referred to as manslaughter. Manslaughter charges can be sought when the crime does not rise to the level of an intentional act. Rather, the criminal act is based on some sort conscious disregard for others, which leads to another’s death. These types of charges are often brought in fatal drunk driving cases. Regardless, a grand jury was convened and they did not believe that Mr. Stewart’s actions were intentional or rose to the level of manslaughter. The grand jury concluded that Kevin Ward’s death was an accident.

Being cleared of criminal actions did not absolve Mr. Stewart from liability in civil court. The family of the deceased driver has filed a civil wrongful death lawsuit alleging Stewart of gross negligence, saying he gunned his engine and put his car into a skid as 20-year-old Kevin Ward Jr. walked onto the track after a crash at Canandaigua Motorsports Park on Aug. 9, 2014. The car struck Ward, and he was killed. The lawsuit notes Stewart’s reputation for having a temper and claims that Stewart deliberately veered toward Ward after the collision.

It will be interesting to see how far this case goes into litigation and whether the case actually goes to trial. Mr. Stewart’s legal team will no doubt argue that Mr. Ward was negligent himself by exiting his car and putting himself into harm’s way. If this case goes to the jury, I could see them concluding that Mr. Ward was at least partially at fault for stepping out into the track. The key will be whether the Ward family can prove that Mr. Stewart skidded intentionally and that was a negligent act considering he was so close to the other driver. Further, Ward’s family must show that the skidding action caused Mr. Stewart’s vehicle to fishtail and strike Mr. Ward.

If you or someone you live has been involved in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.