Posted on June 19, 2012 in Car Accidents

A man was shot on the South Side of Chicago on Saturday evening.  Responding police officers were alerted to the 5400 block of South Laffin due to initial reports that a 30 year old man was shot in the hand and the arm around 5 pm.  When they reached that area of the city, the police officers investigated the witnesses to find that the suspects were fleeing the area in a blue Cadillac.  Chicago police News Affairs officer Daniel O’Brien said that at that time the responding patrolmen followed the suspects towards the east on West 52^nd street and then south on South Peoria.

It is believed by authorities that the violence was gang-related though the man attacked was safe and sound after being treated at a local hospital. The police at this time are still investigating this incident.

While in hot pursuit of the assailants, the squad car collided with a 6-year old near the 5200 block of South Peoria.  The paramedics took the girl in stable condition to the University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.  By Saturday night, the child was listed in good condition by the hospital.

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 Posted on June 16, 2012 in Truck Accidents

A Chicago truck driver pleaded guilty this week to causing a 100-car pileup on I-94 in Minnesota on December 30, 2010.  The semi driver, Nenad Sibinovic, said that he could have done more to prevent the accident from happening.

Sibinovic was the only driver charged as a result of the 100-car pileup, which claimed the life of fellow truck driver Lowell Balk.  Interestingly, Sibinovic was charged in this case even though it was never shown that his truck actually made contact with Balk.  Instead, Balk exited his truck after it came to a stop in an attempt to aid other motorists and was then struck by other vehicles which became involved in the pileup.  Sibinovic was charged because, according to prosecutors, he caused the events which led to Balk’s death.  It was alleged that Sibinovic, who was clocked going 50-55mph just before the collision, was driving too fast for the blizzard conditions at the time of the accident.

After pleading guilty to reckless endangerment, the judge accepted prosecutors’ recommendations and sentenced Sibinovic to 10 days in jail, one year of unsupervised supervision and a $500 fine.  While prosecutors did not believe Sibinovic acted maliciously, they alleged that he acted recklessly by not reducing his speed in the blizzard conditions.

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 Posted on June 15, 2012 in Car Accidents

As most of us in Illinois, and particularly the Chicago area are aware, using a cell phone while driving has become a controversial issue.  Studies have shown that distracted driving leads to an increase in automobile accidents and driver injuries and deaths, and legislators are turning to the use of cell phones while driving as a prime culprit for the recent increase in distracted driving collisions.

Numerous laws have been passed which prohibit the use of cell phones while driving.  Currently, it is illegal to text or email while driving in the State of Illinois.  Cell phone use is also prohibited in construction zones and school zones throughout the state.  And in the city of Chicago drivers can be ticketed for any use of a cell phone while driving without a hands-free device.

A new law which recently reached Governor Pat Quinn’s desk and which seems poised to be signed into law will prohibit the use of cell phones within 500 feet of an accident scene where emergency vehicles have flashing lights, except for reporting an accident.  The law would also ban the sending of video and picture messages at all times while driving.  Proponents of the new law say that banning cell phone use around accident scenes will help protect accident victims and emergency responders from being hit by distracted drivers.

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 Posted on May 30, 2012 in Car Accidents

A recent Chicago car accident left multiple Cook County children without their mothers. As reported by CBS Chicago, four young women were killed in a tragic West Side car crash on the morning of Sunday, May 13, 2012. Ranging in age from 21 to 25-years-old, all four of those who died had children.

The Chicago police are still conducting their investigation into the wreck, but have stated that the vehicle the women were riding in was speeding when it hit a train track pole and then a light pole, with a great deal of force, causing it to split in two. Three of the young women in the accident died at the scene, while the fourth was pronounced dead at a Chicago hospital.

The family members of those who were killed spoke highly of the young women who perished in this car crash. Understandably, a main concern of many of those left behind is the well-being of these women’s children.

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 Posted on May 22, 2012 in Personal Injury

A federal appellate court ruled that the family of a girl attacked after being released from police custody could sue the police for negligence.  The city had moved to dismiss the charges against the officers involved, but the judge ruled that the case can proceed as soon as this October.

In the ruling, the judge wrote that the police were aware that Christina Eilman  suffered from a bipolar disorder when they released the girl without care after arresting her at Midway airport following a disruption that she caused.  Police department policy requires that officers dealing with a mentally ill individual take the individual to a hospital for an evaluation.  But in Eilman’s case, officers decided to release her from their custody without arranging a medical evaluation.

Instead, Eilman was released to high crime neighborhoods surrounding Midway, where she was attacked and sexually assaulted.

In addition to questioning the police's responsibility to provide medical care for Eilman, the judge questioned if Eilman's constitutional rights were also violated when the police took the woman from the relative safety of Midway to a high crime location approximately seven miles away from the airport.  As Eilman was a California native and had no knowledge of the neighborhood, she had no way of knowing that she was in danger.

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 Posted on April 29, 2012 in Medical Malpractice

The Chicago Tribune reported Monday that James Tyree’s estate settled a potential claim for medical malpractice and/or wrongful death with the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Mr. Tyree who formerly owned the Chicago SunTimes was fighting cancer and pneumonia when he died in March 2011 at the Medical Center. A catheter was inserted into Mr. Tyree, and allegedly the hospital improperly removed the catheter causing Mr. Tyree’s death on March 16, 2011. Mr. Tyree’s estate did not file a lawsuit against the Hospital as the parties were able to reach a settlement on January 27, 2012 for 10 million dollars. As part of the agreement, the Estate agreed to release the Hospital from all future claims. The settlement also states that the settlement is not an indication that the hospital admits to negligence.

In a wrongful death matter, the law states that before the settlement is written in stone, the county court needs to approve or disapprove of the settlement. Here, the Estate presented Cook County Court with a Petition to Settle asking for the County’s approval, and a judge approved the settlement. The Estate has agreed to donate some of the settlement proceeds to the James C. Tyree Charitable Foundation, which Mr. Tyree founded while he was alive, to support education and healthcare in Chicago.

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 Posted on April 14, 2012 in Car Accidents

The Chicago Tribune reports that a drunk driver rode the wrong way down the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway for some eight miles this week before finally being stopped by a tollway maintenance truck. The truck was able to use its flashing lights to stop the driver in the center median of the tollway after its driver noticed that the vehicle was traveling west in the eastbound lanes. Illinois State Police took a Chicago man, Michael Glomski, into custody for driving under the influence, improper lane usage, and driving without insurance a short time later.

Unfortunately, drunk driving is an all-too common occurrence on today’s roadways. While the incident described above did not result in an accident, these incidents often lead to car accidents that cause serious injuries or even death. With over 1.4 million arrests for drunk driving each year in the United States, it is no surprise that there are approximately 12,000 deaths due to drunk driving accidents each year nationwide. In Illinois alone, it is estimated that over 400 fatal accidents occurred as the result of drinking and driving.

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 Posted on March 02, 2012 in Car Accidents

Recent Chicago Car Accident Results from Another Wrong-Way Driver A recent car accident on the Kennedy Expressway marks the fourth Chicago car crash resulting from a driver heading the wrong way on the highway. As reported in The Morris Daily Herald, a vehicle driving inbound in the Kennedy Expressway’s outbound lane on the morning of February 22 clipped two cars before hitting a third head-on.

Police say that the 25-year-old female driver got onto the Kennedy Expressway at Armitage and that the accident occurred just south of North Avenue. Both the woman and the driver of the other car were extracted from their vehicles and taken to area hospitals in serious condition. According to reports, the errant driver may have smelled of alcohol. Unknown charges are currently pending against the wrong-way driver who caused the car crash.

Unfortunately, according to the Herald, all four of Chicago’s recent wrong-way car accidents have resulted in serious injuries for those involved. These injured parties may consider filing a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent drivers who caused the accidents. When you’re injured in a car accident that is the fault of another driver, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering. Yet Illinois’ personal injury laws are complex, and it’s best to contact a skilled Orland Park personal injury lawyer as soon as possible following a motor vehicle accident. Khaled Issa has more than 10 years experience representing those who have been injured in car accidents. Click here to contact him for a free, no-obligation consultation.

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 Posted on February 15, 2012 in Car Accidents

As reported on the My Suburban Life website, 32-year-old Daniel Clark is facing aggravated DUI charges following an accident that killed 42-year-old Frank Caruso and injured a police officer. The crash happened early on the morning of Saturday, February 11^th, when Clark hit a parked police car on the Eisenhower Expressway. Mr. Caruso and a state trooper were inside warming up after the trooper responded to a minor accident that Caruso had previously been involved in. The police officer suffered a potential concussion, but is expected to undergo a full recovery. One additional person was taken to the hospital following the accident but their status is unknown. Mr. Clark was charged with two separate counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, one including the “causing death” clause. As of the next day, he was being held at a DuPage County jail on $1 million bond. As explained in the 2012 DUI Fact Book, in Illinois, any felony DUI charge is classified as an “aggravated DUI.” This includes (but isn’t limited to) a drunk driving charge that is obtained by someone without a valid driver’s license or while driving a school bus. DUIs that result in accidents causing great body harm or death are also classified as aggravated DUI charges in Illinois, as are an individual’s third drunk driving charge (or any subsequent.)

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 Posted on August 19, 2011 in Criminal Law

When you are charged with a crime, especially a serious crime, you need a criminal attorney who can examine every aspect of the case, from the time you were arrested until the time you were released on bond.  Many times, police violate the rights of the accused under both the Illinois and Unites States Constitutions.  When charged with a crime, you need and experienced, creative, aggressive, criminal attorney who will fight for your rights, not just tell you to plead guilty.  A recent opinion from the Illinois Court of Appeals is an excellent example of defending a client to the fullest extent of the law.

A person was standing at a drug spot, on the street, yelling “dro, dro”.  The police arrested him for violating a city ordinance prohibiting solicitation of unlawful business on the street.  Of course, when he was searched by the police after the arrest, the police found a rather large quantity of drugs in his possession.  The arrest was challenged, contending the police did not have probable cause for the arrest.  The court found that there was probably cause, and the defendant was sentenced.  On appeal, the court found that the police did not have probable cause to believe a crime or ordinance violation was being committed or about to be committed.  The defendant won his case on appeal.

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