May 4, 2011

Chicago woman dies after being struck by bus in Steeterville neighborhood

A Chicago woman was struck by a private tour bus in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood near the lake and received serious personal injuries. She was hit by the motor vehicle during the evening rush hour around 6:50 p.m. at the intersection of Illinois Street and Columbus Drive. She was rushed to nearby Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition and later died due to her injuries. There have been a number of Chicago motor vehicle accidents in the Streeterville neighborhood in the past couple of years. The neighborhood is quite busy with a lot of pedestrians. In June of last year, two Chicago pedestrians received serious personal injuries when they were struck by a pickup truck in Streeterville. That pedestrian accident occurred only two blocks away from this one at St. Clair Street and Illinois Street. The Chicago pedestrians were attempting to cross the street and were midway through the crosswalk when a gray Silverado turned left onto Illinois Street. Those Chicago car accident victims were too transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital where they were in serious to critical condition. Then, just in January of this year, a woman pedestrian was hit by a Chicago Transit Authority bus just three blocks north of this accident in the Streeterville neighborhood.

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October 18, 2010

Chicago bus crash under investigation

Over the weekend, a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus crash caused almost forty people personal injuries. The Chicago bus accident occurred after the bus ran off of Lake Shore Drive just south of Interstate Highway 55. CTA officials announced on Sunday that they continue to investigate a Chicago bus crash that caused nearly forty individuals Chicago personal injuries. However, officials provided no new details regarding what caused a Chicago bus to jump a curb and slam into a tree along Lake Shore Drive in Chicago.

More than 20 ambulances were sent to the scene of the Chicago bus crash; the express bus was described as being “full” at the time of the crash. One witness said that they oversaw the bus driver struggling to try and turn the wheel. The bus came to a halt when it slammed against the tree and jerked everyone forward. According to the Chicago Tribune, CTA buses have been involved in more collisions annually since 2008 than buses operated by the nine other largest public bus systems in the U.S. The bus accident rate since 2002 demonstrates a bus incident occurring almost daily (on average). In December 2008, the Chicago injury attorneys at Levin & Perconti blogged about another CTA accident that involved multiple personal injuries. That Chicago CTA accident involved a car and a CTA bus on the south side of Chicago and resulted in at least nine personal injuries.

More information about the Chicago bus crash injuries is available at the Chicago Tribune.

July 22, 2010

Chicago traffic deaths decline due to safer roads and safer vehicles

The numbers are shocking and eye-opening. Nearly 300,000 Chicago traffic accidents occur yearly and a Chicago deadly accident takes place every 21.5 hours. However, one study shows that some measures have resulted in about 200 lives being saved each year in Chicago. The rates of deadly Chicago traffic accidents and serious Illinois personal injuries have decreased significantly since the early 1990’s due in large part to safety enhancements on Illinois roads in addition to newer motor vehicles that offer a better change of surviving Chicago car accidents. The annual number of deaths and injuries from vehicle accidents in the Chicago area fell 12.5 percent from 2002 to 2005 and fatalities alone decreased 30.5 percent from 2005 to 2008, from 629 deaths annually to 437. The statistics are based on data collected by the Illinois Department of Transportation. DuPage County recorded the lowest fatality rates over the entire period studied and suburban Cook County and Lake County had the second lowest fatality rates. Illinois’s tougher seat belt laws as well as roadside checks aimed at catching drunk or otherwise impaired motorists are also helping to cut the rate of deadly crashes.

Nonetheless, there is still a lot of improvement to be made in Illinois road safety. In the city of Chicago, one of the biggest challenges will be decreasing vehicle-pedestrian accidents. Further, despite the greatest decline between 2002 and 2008, the crash rates are still highest in the city – three times the rate of some rural areas. Almost 25 percent of fatal crashes in Chicago involve pedestrians. Additionally, fatal Chicago vehicle accidents occur across the Chicago metropolitan area late at night. Traffic fatalities occurring at night accounted for more than a third of all vehicle-related deaths in the Chicago region in 2008.

You can read the full Chicago traffic deaths and injuries report by clicking the link.

April 13, 2010

Chicago motorist who crashed into school bus now charged for weapons

A 39 year-old man was ticketed for failure to stop at a stop sign after his vehicle struck a Chicago school bus in a Chicago bus accident at 3:26pm last Friday. Police began investigating the Chicago car accident and reported to find a weapon inside the vehicle that the 39 year-old man was reportedly driving. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office has now charged the motorist, an alleged gang member, for reportedly having a weapon inside the vehicle he crashed. He has been charged with one count of unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of a weapon by a felon, possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a felon and unlawful possession of a firearm in a vehicle by a street gang member.

Luckily, nobody on the school bus was injured, but the 39 year-old motorist and the driver of the other vehicle were hospitalized in serious but “stable” condition. The accident – and the unlawful weapon – are still under investigation.

In this car accident luckily nobody was injured – with a school bus involved, the damage could have been catastrophic. Unfortunately, the Chicago auto accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti have worked with clients who were seriously injured from car accidents. Every time a driver gets behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, he or she is accepting responsibility for the safety of everyone else on the road. While accidents do happen, if a driver’s negligent behavior or careless actions lead to the injury or death of another party, that driver must be held accountable.

To read the Chicago Sun Times article on the Chicago school bus crash.


October 31, 2009

Illinois child injured after bus accident

A 7 year-old child received personal injuries after being struck by a school bus. The bus rolled over the Illinois boy who had fallen in its path.

To read more about the Illinois child’s personal injuries.

August 2, 2009

Florida student awarded $1.6 million in school bus crash lawsuit

A jury deliberated for three hours in a bus crash injury lawsuit before finding the school district negligent in a bus crash that severely injured a 16 year-old boy. The boy and his parents received $1.625 million in personal injury damages, which his mother said will be used to pay for his continuing medical care.

To read more about the personal injury jury award.

June 27, 2009

Minor injuries reported after I-80 bus crash

Minor personal injuries were reported after a bus struck the back of a semi truck on Interstate 80. The bus driver was the only one to sustain personal injuries.

To read more about the I-80 bus crash.

April 27, 2009

NTSB’s findings on the injuries sustained in 2008 bus rollover

Recent conclusions on the cause of the death and severity of injuries sustained in the 2008 bus rollover that killed nine and injured 43 were issued by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The American Association for Justice is calling on transportation regulators to review the prior regulations and enact new safety measures for trucks and buses.

To read the full safety measure release.

April 22, 2009

$27.5 million awarded to a woman run over by bus

A jury last week awarded $27.5 million to a woman who lost her left leg after a bus ran her over. The personal injury plaintiff was run over while a bus was turning a corner two blocks from her apartment in 2005. The personal injury plaintiff had her leg amputated and has worn a prosthetic leg ever since.

To read more about the personal injury lawsuit verdict.

December 30, 2008

Chicago car accident involving CTA bus results in multiple personal injuries

An automobile accident involving a car and a CTA bus today in South Side Chicago resulted in at least nine personal injuries. The nine people injured were taken to a Chicago-area hospital where they were treated for injuries ranging from minor to major.

For the full article.

October 31, 2008

Several People Personally Injured When Chicago Ambulance Hits Cars

Several people, including two children, were personally injured in a traffic crash involving three cars and a Chicago fire department ambulance on the Northwest Side of Chicago. After assessing initial reports, none of the personal injuries seemed to be life threatening. Three people were taken to area hospitals and are in serious-to-critical condition with personal injuries while two children were taken to Children’s Memorial hospital. Others, including two fire department personnel, were in fair-to-serious condition with personal injuries. According to preliminary reports, the ambulance was heading eastbound on Addison when it struck a vehicle heading south on Menard. The southbound vehicle then flipped over and slid into a vehicle heading north on Menard. At some point another vehicle rear-ended the northbound vehicle and fled. The ambulance was en route to a hospital with two patients. The two patients were then placed into another ambulance after the automobile crash and taken to the hospital. They are reported to have minor personal injuries from the automobile crash. To read the full story, click here.

September 22, 2008

Nine Passengers Injured in CTA Bus Crash

Nine people were personally injured when in a Chicago Transit Authority bus crashed into two vehicles. The bus crash happened near 63rd and South Artesian Avenue on the South Side of Chicago. Eight of the injured were to taken to local hospitals with personal injuries. They were listed in fair-to-serious condition with personal injuries. The bus was headed east on 63rd when the bus accident occurred. As it passed through the Artesian Avenue intersection, two vehicles collided, then both veered into the bus. The number of people on the bus is not known, nor is it known whether the passengers of the two other vehicles sustained personal injuries. At this time, no lawsuits have been filed. To read the full story, click here.

July 31, 2008

Video Shows Anatomy of a Bus Accident

This news footage video shows the anatomy of a bus accident that resulted in 11 deaths. Bus accidents can often result in personal injury and may require consulting with a bus accident lawyer because of unreliable safety features or driver error.

July 15, 2008

PACE Bus Accident Causes Injuries in a Chicago, Illinois Suburb

A PACE bus accident resulted in injuries to a woman and injuries to three children. The bus accident occurred when a PACE bus hit four pedestrians in a Chicago, Illinois suburb. Luckily the pedestrian victims sustained only minor personal injuries. The PACE bus accident occurred in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Oak Park, late Monday evening. The negligent bus driver was cited for failing to yield for pedestrians, likely the cause of the pedestrian bus accident. To read more about the personal injuries sustained by the accident victims click here.

July 11, 2008

CTA Bus Slams into Pole

This afternoon a Chicago Transit Authority bus slammed into a pole in the Avalon Park neighborhood. At a little past 1:30 pm five ambulances rushed to the scene where 10 passengers were being evaluated for injuries by paramedics. It is not yet known what injuries from the motor vehicle accident, if any, were suffered by those passengers. Read more here.

June 3, 2008

College Baseball Team Can't Beat Bus Fire

A college baseball team was caught in a bus accident on their way back from a game. The bus caught on fire but the students were lucky to escape serious personal injuries. The fire however destroyed all their equipment and personal belongings on the bus leaving the bus crash site as the resting place for many baseball mitts and caps. The bus crash and fire are believed to have begun when a tire blow out left the bus in flames. To read the full story click here.

October 30, 2007

Two more lawsuits filed in 2005 Greyhound bus crash

In late November, 2005, a Greyhound bus headed along the 101 to San Fransisco crashed when it went off the road, slid on to its side, and rammed into a tree. Two more personal injury lawsuits have been filed recently, alleging that the Greyhound company was responsible for the automobile accident that resulted in the wrongful deaths of a 22-year-old pregnant woman and a 50-year-old man. Although California Highway Patrol first believed that the driver of the bus had fallen asleep at the wheel while driving that early morning, the county District Attorney’s Office announced in June of 2006 that it believed that the driver had suffered an epileptic seizure. These two lawsuits are the latest in a string of personal injury lawsuits that have been filed against Greyhound and the driver of the Greyhound bus for their roles in causing the automobile accident that injured over 40 people.

Click here for the full article.

June 5, 2007

Bus company to be sued in fatal crash

A wrongful death suit will be filed against both the bus driver and bus company that caused a fatal Chicago bus crash last month. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the 76-year-old bus driver had a blood alcohol level that was three times the legal limit at the time of the crash.
Last fall, Levin & Perconti settled a lawsuit for $1.25 million on behalf of a 50-year-old woman who was struck by a bus while walking in a cross walk.

click here for the full article.