Tag Archives: free legal consultation

Car Accidents In Illinois Are On The Rise

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The Chicago Tribune reported this week a wealth of statewide traffic accident statistics. Although the number of traffic fatalities in Illinois is down from last year, the number of overall crashes remains high and has state officials worried since there has been an increase of auto accident lawyer firms being hired for  legal representation. There have been on average, 782 car crashes per day in Illinois this year. This is the highest rate since 2008. State officials are citing that post-recession traffic along with the drop in gas prices has led to the high number of car accidents. With the increase in accidents there has also been an increase for the need of car repairs at collision center shops. These repairs got from auto glass repair to an extensive collision repair.

Despite the increase in car crashes, state officials are pleased to report that traffic fatalities are on the decline.  “If the provisional numbers for 2014 hold up, we could have the lowest number of fatalities in Illinois in several decades,” said Guy Tridgell, an IDOT spokesman in Chicago. “We are confident that we will have fewer than 1,000 motor-vehicle fatalities in Illinois for the fifth consecutive year. Just 10 years ago, we were well over 1,300.”

State safety officials said the installation of more guardrails, barrier systems and rumble strips on roads, along with recently enacted traffic laws, are all having a positive impact. This year, for example, it became illegal for drivers in Illinois to use electronic devices unless they are hands-free.

Poor decision making remains a constant cause of traffic accidents. Almost a third of the crashes involved driving at a high rate of speed, while another third are alcohol related.

One statistic that was not mentioned in the article or by state officials is the number of car crashes related to cell phone and hand held device usage. I would like to see what the number of car crashes are related to distracted drivers. Although I have been impressed with the Illinois Legislature’s effort to curb distracted driving – – and I have written so in the past – – I would still like to see stiffer penalties for those charged with texting and driving which results in a death or serious injury. Although the increase in traffic due to the improved economy is definitely a factor, I strongly believe texting and driving has to be another reason we are seeing an increase in traffic accidents in Illinois.

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

Illinois Governor Signs Amendment To Jury Law

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On December 19, 2014, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed an amendment (Public Act 098-1132), that changes the scope of jury law in this state. First, the new law, which takes effect on June 1, 2015, increases juror pay to $25 for the first day and $50 per day for any after that a juror serves. Second, the amendment decreases the size of a jury from 12 to 6.

These new laws have been getting mixed reviews from the media, including an op-ed in the Chicago Tribune, completely denouncing the new law. The editorial basically states that the new law is a ploy by Plaintiff”s attorneys to curry favor with its jury. I take exception to the Tribune’s take on the new law. Serving as a juror is a tough burden the court system puts on its citizens. Jurors sacrifice their time away from their families, their jobs and money to serve. A minimal bump in payment for their time served is not asking too much to reimburse people for their sacrifice to the community.

I think it is unclear right now what all of the effects will be with a 6 person jury will have over a 12 person jury.  One thing is certain, a juries will be picked much more quickly, which will shorten the length of trials. And most likely juries will deliberate for less time because there are fewer voices in the room. All of these appear to be positives.

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 Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Redflex Consultant Pleads Guilty In Red Light Camera Case

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I wrote earlier this year about a federal investigation involving, Redflex, the technology company that previously handled Chicago’s red light camera technology. That federal investigation led to indictments against the Redflex CEO, and consultant and a city of Chicago official for all allegedly being involved in a bribery scandal. The Chicago Tribune reported today that the “bagman,” Martin O’Malley, plead guilty to a single count of conspiracy to bribe a public official. He faces up to five years in prison.

The interesting issue here for me is whether this will affect the pending class action lawsuit against Redflex. The lawsuit, filed earlier this year, alleges that Redflex was unjustly enriched millions of dollars from this contract with the city Chicago because they allegedly received these funds through illegal bribes. It will be interesting to see if the transcripts from Mr. O’Malley’s sentencing hearing will be used as evidence in the class action lawsuit. I will be following this case closely.

No word yet as to whether the city has any plans on ending the use of red light cameras throughout Chicago. I don’t see a change any time soon.

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 Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Is Siri Just As Dangerous As Texting And Driving?

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A new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety calls into question the safety of hands-free technology used by drivers. According to a news release posted by AAA last month, dangerous mental distractions exist even when drivers keep their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

The study revealed the following findings regarding the distractions drivers create for themselves while behind the wheel:

  • Tasks such as listening to the radio ranked as a category “1” level of distraction or a minimal risk.
  • Talking on a cell-phone, both handheld and hands-free, resulted in a “2” or a moderate risk.
  • Listening and responding to in-vehicle, voice-activated email features increased mental workload and distraction levels of the drivers to a “3” rating or one of extensive risk.

“These findings reinforce previous research that hands-free is not risk-free,” said AAA Foundation President and CEO Peter Kissinger. “Increased mental workload and cognitive distractions can lead to a type of tunnel vision or inattention blindness where motorists don’t see potential hazards right in front of them.”

AAA is the front runner on this type of research and stated in their press release that legislative action should be considered, much like the ban on texting and driving. They suggest that voice automated technology should be limited to core related driving functions such as climate control and windshield wipers. They also suggest that there should be a ban on voice to text technology related to social media, text messages and emails.

If this research is accurate (which I believe it is), then AAA is at the forefront here and their suggestions should be listened to. To me it makes sense that voice to text functions such as emails, texts and tweets are a distraction and dangerous because drivers often times look down at their phone to check and make sure their texts or emails are accurate.

It will be interesting to see if any states or the federal government takes any action to limit voice to text technology. It could save lives.

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 Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

NHTSA Calling For Nationwide Takata Airbag Recall

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Wired magazine, among other news outlets, reported last month that Takata, a manufacturer of airbags, are recalling their product on 7.8 million vehicles. The recall is based on a study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NTSA”), which states that airbags that could explode with too much force when they inflate. Extra force can be enough to rupture the airbag’s container, sending plastic and metal fragments into passengers.

The car manufacturers affected by the recall include more than 50 models from Toyota, Honda, Mazda, BMW, Nissan, Mitsubishi, Subaru, Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors, made between 2000 and 2011. NHTSA is telling drivers of affected vehicles to “take immediate action,” meaning get themselves to a car dealership and get their airbags checked out. It’s especially concerned about drivers in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Louisiana, Guam, Saipan, American Samoa, Virgin Islands and Hawaii (all hot, humid spots).

The New York Times reported today that the NHTSA is now calling for a nationwide recall rather than specific states or territories that are more prone to humid weather. The agency said a recent airbag failure outside the regional recall area had prompted it to take the action.

What does this all mean for Takata and the automakers? For one, it is going to cost a lot of money for the millions of airbags that need to be replaced. Second, both Takata and the automakers have or will face wrongful death lawsuits that are attributed to flaws in the airbags. At least five (5) deaths have been attributed to faulty airbags. This could increase the longer these faulty bags are being used.

If you have a vehicle that you believe contains a faulty airbag you should click here to determine if the year, make and model contain a Takata airbag.

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

 

Short Yellow Lights The Cause Of Red Light Tickets Being Dismissed

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The Chicago Tribune published an interesting report recently about the rash of red light tickets being thrown out by administrative law judges. The reasoning behind the judge’s decision is simple: shorter yellow lights. The city requires that yellow lights last at least three (3) seconds and video evidence has revealed that tickets are being issued to drivers because of quick yellow lights. According to the article,   Xerox State & Local Solutions took over the program in March. Since April, hearing officers have cited short yellow lights as the reason for throwing out more than 200 of roughly 1,500 rejected red light tickets, according to their written notations. In the four years before that, under the old vendor, judges blamed short yellows only 37 times out of more than 12,000 successful appeals, according to their written notes. It’s a rate 50 times higher than when the old vendor, Redflex Traffic Systems Inc., ran the program.

Asked why Xerox had so many tickets with yellow times below 3 seconds when Redflex tickets — which showed measurements to the hundredths of a second — almost never showed a time below 3 seconds, city officials declined to answer, citing an ongoing investigation by the city’s inspector general.

The red light cameras have been under scrutiny from the beginning. Media outlets previously reported, and I have discussed here, about federal bribery charges against former city officials and the prior company that managed the tickets, Redflex. Further, a class action lawsuit was filed against Redflex alleging that they were unjustly enriched millions of dollars due to their corrupt bribery tactics.

Where does this leave the city now regarding red light and speed camera tickets? I have said since the beginning that these types of tickets appeared to be a money grab, despite the mayor’s office insistence that these were implemented as purely a safety precaution. Studies have shown, which I have documented on this blog, that red light cameras actually make intersections more dangerous because drivers tend to stop quickly at intersections for fear of being ticketed. As a result, driver’s are more prone to being involved in rear-end auto accidents. Unfortunately, I don’t think red light or speed cameras are going anywhere anytime soon. And the city will continue to be blasted by the local newspapers and TV stations as long as they continue to hand out tickets that are unwarranted.

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

NASCAR’S Tony Stewart Cleared Of Criminal Charges But Could Still Face Civil Suit

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NBC News reported last week that NASCAR driver Tony Stewart was cleared by a grand jury regarding possible criminal charges resulting from the crash at Canandaigua race track, which killed fellow sprint car racer, Kevin Ward, Jr. Ward climbed out of his car and ran out onto the track to confront Stewart, whose car clipped Ward, eventually killing him in the collision.

According to the criminal lawyer, Stewart would not face any criminal charges, including involuntary manslaughter (i.e. negligent homicide). Interestingly, the district attorney also stated that toxicology reports showed that Ward had marijuana in his system, which allegedly could have caused impairment.

Although Stewart is cleared from criminal charges, he could still face a wrongful death lawsuit from Ward’s estate. That lawsuit would most likely come from Ward’s parents (assuming he was not married and without children). The lawsuit would allege that Stewart acted negligently and/or recklessly at the time of the accident by failing to avoid contact with Ward. This lawsuit will be an uphill battle though. First, the decedent, Ward, left his vehicle and ran out onto the track where he should have known he would be dangerously close to speeding sprint cars. Second, based on the toxicology report (assuming was accurate), could be used to show that Ward was in an impaired state.  One thing I will point at is that all of the other sprint cars that passed Ward had no problem avoiding and driving around Ward. Ward’s attorneys could argue that Stewart did not take the proper precautions that all of the other drivers did and he could have easily avoided this accident.

If you or someone you love has been involved 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.

Bicycling Magazine Ranks Chicago No. 2 Among Most Bicycle Friendly Cities

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According to Bicycling Magazine, Chicago now ranks as the second best city in the United States for bicyclists. Chicago was previously ranked number 5 in 2012 and number 10 in 2010.

The magazine cited the city’s Navy Pier Flyover construction project, the recent hike in fines for dooring cyclists, and the plans for new protected bike lanes as a few of the reasons Chicago rose in the rankings. It also applauded the city for helping Chicagoans “re-discover” cycling.  Although the magazine did not cite the rise in bike sharing, credit must be given to the city for its’ partnership with the company Divvy. Divvy bikes are available throughout the city for short term rentals, which has definitely increased the interest in bicycling in Chicago.

Mayor Rahm Emanuel has been taking a lot of heat for various issues such as the red light and speeder cameras, but credit must given for following through on his bicycling initiatives. He has made it a point to make the life for bicyclists much safer and has made bicycling much more accessible for everyone.

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

 

Odds Of A Vehicle – Deer Collisions In The U.S. Doubles In October, November & December

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State Farm insurance company released a study today that says that the odds of a U.S. driver colliding with a deer is about 1 out of 169. According to the study, those odds double over October, November and December due to deer hunting season.  “Periods of daily high-deer movement around dawn and dusk as well as seasonal behavior patterns, such as during the October-December breeding season, increase the risk for auto-deer collisions,” said Ron Regan, executive director for the Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies. “Changes in collision rates from year to year are a reflection of changing deer densities or population levels – more deer in a given area increases the potential for collision. Deer populations are also affected by conditions such as new or improved roads with higher speeds near deer habitat, changes to hunting seasons to manage wildlife, winter conditions, and other related factors.”

State Farm provided a list of precautions when driving in areas that are high in deer population:

-Use extra caution in known deer zones.

-Always wear your seatbelt

At night, when there is no oncoming traffic, use high beams

-Avoid swerving when you see a deer Scan the road for deer and other danger signs

-Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles

Remember, if you are unfortunate enough to collide with a deer, and you are injured, you can be compensated for your injuries, medical bills and lost wages if you have uninsured motorist coverage. This is why it is so important to pay for full insurance coverage: including uninsured and underinsured.

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

New Illinois Bill No Longer Requires Ticketed Drivers Hand Over License As Bail

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The Chicago Tribune reported last month about a new bill that was signed into Illinois law that no longer requires drivers cited for traffic violations hand over their license to the Court as bail bondsman insuring they attend court or pay their fine. According to bail bond agents, certain speeding violations and other moving violations such as causing an accident would require the ticketed driver hand over their license to the police officer as bail. The arrest bail bonds said the driver would have their license returned to them by the judge at court after either pleading guilty or after the ticket was dismissed.

Senate Bill 2583, sponsored by Sen. Michael Noland, D-Elgin, and State Rep. John D’Amico, D-Chicago, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2015. “A driver’s license is an important form of identification, and without it many residents may run into problems during everyday situations when a valid ID is required,” Gov. Pat Quinn said in a statement. “This common sense legislation will allow law enforcement officials to continue doing their jobs while letting motorists hang onto a vital piece of identification.”

I think this bill makes sense and held little leverage over the heads of ticketed drivers. Drivers know, or at least soon find out, that failing to show up for court or paying their fine could lead to a suspended driver’s license or sometimes a warrant for their arrest.

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