Chicago Car Accident Attorneys Blog

A year after Oak Lawn pedestrian Elias Nunez was fatally struck by a drunk driver last Thanksgiving, his mother is suing motorist Anthony Morales for Chicago wrongful death.

The tragic Cook County pedestrian accident happened at around 3am while Nunez was attempting to push his auto, which had become disabled. Four others suffered injuries. Morales has been charged with felony aggravated drunken driving, leaving the scene of an accident, and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Nunez’s mother, Theresa Nunez-Wescott, is also suing The Club, the bar that served Morales alcohol prior to the tragic Chicago car accident, and its owners for her son’s wrongful death.

Driving Safely On Thanksgiving
The National Safety Commission says that Thanksgiving weekend is considered the most dangerous holiday of the year for motorists and can result in thousands of injuries and hundreds of deaths. 389 people died during Thanksgiving 2008. 12 people were killed in Illinois traffic crashes over the Thanksgiving holiday last year. Nine of the victims were not using seatbelts. Five of the deaths were drunk driver-related.

In addition to heavier traffic and the compulsion to speed that can arise when people are headed on a road trip during a long weekend, there may be motorists who have had too much to drink or may be feeling drowsy after eating a heavy turkey dinner who may find themselves unable to drive safely.

A Few Safe Driving Tips for the Holiday:
• Use a seatbelt
• Don’t drive drunk
• Don’t speed
• Don’t drive while drowsy
• Don’t text or talk on the phone
• Pay attention to the road
• Adjust your driving to the traffic and road conditions

Lawsuit filed in Oak Lawn man's crash death, Southtown Star, November 24, 2010

Area police warn drivers to be safe this holiday, Rockford Register Star, November 23, 2010

Chicago-Area Car Accidents Over Thanksgiving Weekend Kill at least Six and Injure Several Others, Chicago Car Accident Attorneys, December 11, 2009

Related Web Resources:
CyberDriveIllinois

Holiday driving tips to help hit the road, CNN, November 23, 2010

Continue reading " Mother of Chicago Car Accident Victim Killed Last Thanksgiving Files Cook County Wrongful Death Lawsuit " »

A 48-year-old Chicago woman sustained fatal injuries after she was struck by an SUV that slammed through the wall of her first floor apartment early Saturday. Josefina Prospero was pronounced dead at the Will County, Illinois car crash site.

Prospero and her significant other, Juan Nocolas Bernal, had been sleeping in the bed when the vehicle crashed into their bedroom. Bernal sustained minor injuries.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the driver of the SUV, 17-year-old Luis V. Benito, has been charged with four counts of aggravated driving under the influence. WGNTV says that Benito is also charged with one count of reckless homicide. He and his passenger reportedly tried to flee the Will County, Illinois traffic crash site but were apprehended by police.

At the time of the Bolingbrook accident, Benito’s blood-alcohol level was .204. This is over two times the legal limit. Assistant Will County State's Attorney Debbie Mill says that prior to the motor vehicle crash, Benito, who was in the parking club of a Rancho Santa Fe nightclub, allegedly drove his vehicle at a nightclub bouncer, who had flashed a light at him. The bouncer was able to get out of the way.

Teens and Drunk Driving
Driving while drunk is dangerous for any driver. Teens, however, with their lack of driving experience, ability to get easily distracted, and inability fully grasp their lack of invincibility, can be especially dangerous on the road when under the influence. Over 3,000 teens are killed in drunk driving crashes each year. This doesn’t even account for the children and adults that end up dying because they were involved in a car crash involving a drunk teen driver.

Drunk driving is negligent driving and can be grounds for a Will County, Illinois car accident lawsuit if someone gets hurt or dies.

Prosecutor: Teen in fatal crash nearly ran over nightclub bouncer, Chicago Tribune, November 15, 2010

Teen Driver Charged with Homicide in Bolingbrook Accident, WGNTV, November 14, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Teen Drivers, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

CyberDrive, Illinois

Alcohol, Drinking and Driving

Nearly eight months after Katrina Jackson was killed in a Chicago car crash on the south side, her family is suing the driver, Yvonne Kemp, for Cook County wrongful death. The single-car accident occurred on Interstate 57 close to 99th Street.

Illinois State Police Say that Kemp was driving fast, did not keep a proper lookout, failed to stop to avoid a collision, and was driving while under the influence of alcohol when the Ford Escort struck a light pole. Kemp’s daughter, who was also in the vehicle, was ejected from the car before landing on the grass. Fortunately, the 9-year-old girl did not sustain life-threatening injuries.

Drunk Driving
A drunk driver's can be impaired to the point that he/she actually believes that it is possible to drive safely while under the influence. However, the death toll that has resulted from driving while under the influence, is evidence to the contrary. The damage to the lives of those injured and killed, as well as to the driver, who must spend a lifetime filled with remorse (and possibly years behind bars) cannot be quantified. Unfortunately, drunk driving crashes continues to occur on a daily basis.

Just this weekend, a woman was killed in a Chicago pedestrian accident when she was struck by a man who was allegedly drunk. The victim’s name is Yasha Hicks, 35.

The Chicago traffic accident occurred at around 2:42 am on Saturday. The driver, Jeremiah Thompson, 36, faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol, aggravated DUI accident causing death, failure to reduce speed, driving under the influence of alcohol with a blood-alcohol level of at least .08%, failure to stay within a lane, operating a motor vehicle without insurance, and not yielding to a pedestrian.

Autopsy results show that Hicks died of multiple injuries from being accidentally struck during a Chicago pedestrian accident.

Man charged with DUI in woman's death, ABCLocal, November 8, 2010

Lawsuit filed in fatal I-57 crash, Southtown Star, November 4, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Impaired Driving, US Department of Transportation

CyberDrive Illinois

Chicago Injury Attorney Blog

Malman Law Injury Blog

In Illinois, a brother of State Sen. Antonio Munoz, D-Chicago, suffered head trauma, lacerations, and broke his right leg after he was struck by a speeding car this morning. Martin Munoz, 40, was walking outside a Southwest Side polling site when the Chicago car accident happened. The driver whose vehicle struck him then fled the accident site. Police later brought in a suspect for questioning about the hit-and-run accident. Munoz, who was thrown 15 to 20 feet, had to undergo surgery for his broken leg that needed a rod and screws.

Chicago Pedestrian Accidents
Pedestrian accidents can result in serious injuries for victims, who have no protection to pad them from the impact of colliding with a moving vehicle. Often, pedestrians are hurt not just when getting hit by an auto but also there are the injuries that can occur from the impact of landing back on the road and/or getting hit by other vehicles that may not be able to stop in time. Broken bones, internal injuries, head injuries, neck injuries, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and death can occur during a Chicago pedestrian accident.

Just this Saturday, Robert H. Vreeland was killed in a Chicago pedestrian accident when he was struck by a bus on the Dan Ryan Expressway at around 2am. Police say that the 24-year-old either jumped or fell out of his vehicle. Although his death, from multiple injuries, has been ruled a suicide, Vreeland’s family maintains that he would never have killed himself and that key facts pertaining to what happened are missing.

State senator's brother injured in hit-run outside polling site, Chicago Breaking News, November 2, 2010

Pedestrian hit, killed by bus on Dan Ryan, Chicago Breaking News, October 31, 2010

State Police: Man exits vehicle on Dan Ryan, fatally struck by bus, Sun-Times, October 31, 2010

Continue reading " Chicago Car Accident Injures State Sen. Antonio Munoz’s Brother Outside Southwest Side Polling Place " »