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Man Injured by Drunk Driver Awarded Compensation
Car accidents can happen at any time. Stephen Dewart was walking on a sidewalk in the Gulf Coast neighborhood in Chicago when his life changed forever. It was a beautiful day on May 21st in 2011 and it will not be forgotten by Dewart for a long time.
City driver Dwight Washington is the main reason the Dewart will remember. He had an open bottle of brandy when he drove his city issued pickup truck into a crowd of pedestrians at the intersection of Cedar and Rush. The accident caused injuries to seven total people. After the accident, Washington had a blood alcohol content level of over two times the legal limit.
Dewart was downtown to help his wife with a photo shoot for her company. His parents were also in the neighborhood and stumbled on their son after the horrible crash. Dewart recounted the accident during his personal injury case against the city of Chicago. “I first heard screeching tires. Then, out of the corner of my right eye, I see this white pick-up barreling toward me at a high rate of speed. I heard the engine accelerate and realized there was nothing I could do. I was frozen.”
Distracted Driving
In recent years, technology has become a larger and larger part of our everyday lives. With this increase come many benefits, as well as consequences. One of these consequences is the number of car accidents caused by drivers using cell phones behind the wheel. According to the Illinois State Police, using a cell phone while driving can increase your chances of getting into an accident by a whopping 400%.
Beginning January 1st of next year, Illinois drivers will face a $75 fine if they are caught using a cellphone without a hands-free device behind the wheel. Gov. Pat Quinn believes that this new law will dramatically decrease the number of deaths and injuries caused by distracted driving accidents each year. Illinois will be the 12th state to prohibit using hand-held cellphones while driving.
Verdict of "Not Guilty" After Trial and Successful Motion to Throw out Admission of Drinking Alcohol
We were retained to represent a woman who was pulled over and ultimately charged with DUI.
The arresting officer had his on-board video camera turned on to show our client's alleged erratic driving, and to record the audio and video from the questioning and field sobriety tests that were administered at the scene.
The officer testified at trial that our client had failed all of the field sobriety tests, but that she had refused to take the alcohol breath test.
Initially, our client admitted to consuming two beers earlier in the night. After further questioning at the scene, our client told the officer that she had not only consumed more than two beers earlier, but she had also had mixed drinks. The officer charged our client with DUI.
Before the case went to trial, we filed a Motion to Suppress our client's statements regarding the additional drinks she had consumed over and above the two beers. We argued that before the additional questioning, the officer should have read our client her Miranda rights.
Boating safety tips
Driving and biking safety are often discussed at large in the media, but in many cases, boating safety is not addressed, although it is just as important. The Recreational Boating Industry has made a few suggestions to help keep you safe while out on the water this summer.
Just like when driving a car, drinking alcohol while driving a boat is NOT safe. Statistics show that when alcohol is involved, your chances of being involved in a boating accident double. Be smart and save your alcoholic beverages for when you’re safely on land.
Pay attention to the environment around you, including the weather. Before departing, it is important that you check your weather conditions. If chances of storms or rough winds are high, it may be best to go out on the water another day.
One of the most important pieces of boating safety is to take a boating course. No matter what your experience level is- beginner or advanced- a refresher course never hurts. Each state has its own requirements in regards to boating courses. In some states, just completing one boating course is required before heading out onto the water, but that’s not always the case. These courses will help you prepare for anything that may happen while you are out boating.
IllinoisTruck Inspection Blitz Finds Multiple Violations
Recently, Illinois authorities set up truck safety checks to prevent accidents. The three-day truck inspection, part of the National Roadcheck 2013 Enforcement Program, cited one truck driver with 32 violations. Inspections like these communicate safe traveling practices for truck drivers and remove unsafe vehicles from the roadways. The effort was the result of a partnership between the State of Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and the Illinois State Police (ISP).
“Safety is our top priority here at IDOT and these roadside inspections will help us keep Illinois roads safe by making sure commercial trucks and buses are working properly and ensuring the drivers are following regulations,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Ann L. Schneider. “We want to thank the many truck drivers who go the extra mile to do their part to be safe and would like to ask all motorists to be mindful of trucks on the roads.”
FBI reports Chicago Hospital involved in Scam
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Motorcycle Safety in Illinois
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Dangerous Habits of Drivers
Driving a car is very dangerous activity. For example, in Illinois during the first six months of 2012 there was a 17 percent increase in car-related fatalities compared to the previous year. Most accidents can be linked to certain dangerous driving behaviors which may not be illegal. Being aware of the how your habits can cause accidents may help you avoid injury or death.
Speeding
Though drunk driving is the leading cause of traffic deaths, the second leading cause is speeding. This is because it creates less time to react to other drivers on the road. It can also require more erratic driving like lane changes or other dangerous decisions to avoid traffic.
Driving Tired
Operating a motor vehicle while being tired is a common occurrence for young men, shift workers, and people with sleep disorders. The tendency is to push the envelope to sleep at the destination but sometimes that doesn't occur. Falling asleep while driving is very dangerous because it doesn't allow the operator to react to an impending accident.
DUI for Bus Driver Inspires New Legislation
Richard Madison, 54, of Palos Hills “was pulled over by authorities after driving [under the influence] nearly two dozen students to a prom site for Oswego East High School,” according to the Chicago Tribune. The incident has led to a proposal in the Illinois state legislature to toughen punishment for DUI. “Under the measure,” according to the Tribune, “drivers could be charged with a felony for driving under the influence and carrying one or more passengers of any age while on duty as a driver.” As it currently stands, the state law only cites bus drivers with an aggravated DUI if the passengers are under 18.
According to the Tribune, aggravated DUI is a Class 4 felony, “punishable by up to three years in prison.” Any random drunk driving charge can carry a sentence of up to a year in jail, but House Republican leader Tom Cross told the Tribune that that punishment wasn’t strong enough for someone who was hired to safely deliver children, and who was putting those kids at risk.
This area of Chicago is no stranger to teen tragedy—in 2007, an alcohol-related car crash killed five teenagers who would have graduated form the same high school these prom-goers attend. The introduction of Cross’s measure, according to the Tribune, “came on the same day the National Transportation Safety Board in Washington called on authorities to reduce the legal limit to 0.05 percent from the 0.08 standard used in all 50 states.” 
Biking Safety
The summer months are quickly approaching, and many people will be outside, enjoying the weather. From walking, to picnics, to swimming, outdoor activities are more common in the warmer months. One activity in particular is one that requires you to take safety precautions and be aware of your surroundings – biking. It is important to be safe and prepared on a bicycle. There are safe ways that you can make a biking experience safe and fun for you and your family this summer.
There are many safety gadgets you can buy for both yourself and your bike. First, a certified helmet is important to protect your head from severe injury in the case of an accident. There is other protective gear you can wear, such as elbow and knee pads. It is important to dress appropriately while biking. Proper shoes that cover your toes, and clothing that does not get caught up in the bicycle as you ride are important.
There are also bike accessories so that other people can see and hear you while you're riding.
- Reflectors that can be seen about 500 feet away on the front of the bike
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9631 W. 153rd St., Suite 32, Orland Park, IL 60462
708-966-2408
