traffic fatalities

Multi-Car Accidents: How to Determine Fault and Stay Safe

March 12, 2024 | Shawn Collins

Many accidents on the road involve more than one car, especially accidents that occur in hazardous winter conditions or on the highway. These multi-car accidents often result in more serious injuries and greater liability than two car crashes. In addition, autobahn-837643_1920-300x199 once the accident has happened, the danger has not necessarily passed. Moreover, liability—or who is responsible—can be especially difficult to determine. So, how can you figure out who is at fault, and what should you do if you have been involved in a multi-car accident?

Make Safety Your First Priority after a Multi-Car Accident

If you have been in a multi-car crash, your first priority should be staying safe. Stay in your car with your seat belt fastened until the police or EMTs tell you it is safe to exit. The biggest risk at this point is getting hit by another car after leaving your vehicle.

2021 Sees Record Rise in Traffic Accident Deaths

February 10, 2022 | Margaret Collins

car-accident-fatality-300x200 2021 saw a record number of traffic fatalities in the United States. The rise has become so concerning that transportation leaders are calling it a crisis. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 31,720 people died in traffic accidents in the first 9 months of 2021, an increase of approximately 12% from the 28,325 fatalities in the first nine months of 2020. This is the highest number of fatalities since 2006.

Illinois fared even worse than the national average, showing an 18.4% increase in traffic fatalities, with 993 people dying in car accidents in the first 9 months of 2021 compared to 839 during the same months in 2020. In total, more than 1350 Illinoisians died in traffic accidents in 2021, the highest number since 2005.

One of the reasons for the increase in fatalities was an 11.7% increase in miles traveled over 2020, as well as declining seatbelt use.

July Car and Motorcycle Accidents in the Chicago Suburbs

August 12, 2021 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

car-accident-337764_1280-300x169 July proved to be a dangerous month for car accidents in the Chicago suburbs. Multiple car accidents in Oswego, Naperville, Plainfield, Brookfield, Aurora, Schaumburg, Morton Grove, and Hoffman Estates resulted in serious injuries and fatalities. Pedestrians and motorcyclists were especially impacted by these car crashes. Please keep yourself safe this summer by maintaining your car in good working order, following the rules of the road, and refusing to drive while impaired or distracted.

Fatal Oswego Pedestrian Accident – Police are investigating a fatal crash involving a pedestrian that occurred in the early hours of July 1st on Mill Road on the west side. The pedestrian, a 32-year-old man from Oswego, was attempting to cross Mill Road at Washington Street when he was struck by a Nissan Sentra traveling eastbound on Mill Rd. Paramedics transported the pedestrian to an area hospital where he was later pronounced dead from his injuries. The driver of the Nissan was cited for failure to yield to a pedestrian in a crosswalk.

Fatal Motorcycle Accident in Morton Grove, IL. — A 41-year-old man from Mount Prospect was killed in a traffic accident in Morton Grove on Friday, July 2^nd. The crash occurred at the intersection of Oakton Street and Gross Point Road at approximately 10:30 p.m. when a motorcyclist riding east on Oakton Street at Gross Point collided with a Nissan Altima traveling west on Oakton. The motorcyclist was found unresponsive by police at the scene and was transported to St. Francis Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Nissan Altima was driven by a 74-year-old man from Skokie. The accident is still under investigation.

Naperville Car Crashes End in Tragedy

June 13, 2020 | The Collins Law Firm, P.C.

car-accident-1660670_1920-1024x1024 A trio of car accidents in Naperville have caused the tragic deaths of four people in the past month.

The latest heartbreaking accident, which happened just after 6 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10th, took the lives of a 77-year-old man and a 71-year-old woman who were out walking. Preliminary investigations reveal that the pair was crossing Hobson Road at the intersection of College Road, when they were struck by a 2017 black Toyota Tundra—driven by a 64-year-old Naperville woman– turning west onto Hobson from the northbound lane of Wehrli Road. The pedestrians, who were both Naperville residents, were transported to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Sadly, the man died shortly after arrival; the woman succumbed to her injuries the next day.

Only a few days prior, another terrible accident was caused by a driver under the influence on Royce Road. At 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 6^th, a 54-year-old Naperville man driving west on Royce Road crossed over into the eastbound lane, according to a police investigation. The man’s 2014 Dodge Ram then proceeded to hit an eastbound 2017 Ford Fiesta head-on. Naperville Fire Department responded to the crash to provide emergency medical attention, but tragically, the driver of the Fiesta, a 41-year-old man from Woodridge, was declared dead on the scene. The police charged the driver of the Dodge Ram with Aggravated Driving Under the Influence and Reckless Homicide.

Shocking Report Reveals Suburban Roads are More Deadly than Chicago Streets

July 15, 2017 | Margaret Collins

A new report by the Active Transportation Alliance, a Chicago based nonprofit dedicated to making streets safer for pedestrians, bikers and motorists, is surprising people in the Chicago suburbs.

Why?

Because it reveals that traffic fatalities in the suburbs in 2015–the latest year for which statistics are available–outnumbered those in Chicago by a margin of nearly 3 to 1. This is shocking to suburbanites who assume that Chicago, with its snarl of traffic, is a much more dangerous place to drive.