Woman Runs Into Building With Car, Injures Baby

A woman in Skokie hit the gas instead of the brake and it caused her to run into the front of a building that houses a cleaners, according to local authorities. Fortunately no one was killed but a baby that was in the store was injured and needed medical attention. Two other people were also hurt.

The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon in Skokie. The cleaners is located in the 4000 block of Golf Road, just west of the intersection with Crawford Avenue. The cleaners is part of a strip mall with one row of parking out front. Authorities have not said if the driver was parked before the crash but they have stated that no charges have been filed related to this incident.

It appears that the woman drove into a section of the front of the store that contained a glass entry door and a large glass window. The building, which is made of brick, reportedly sustained some damage. At the time of the crash, several people were inside the cleaners, including the owner, the owner's father, the owner's stepmother, and a baby. The baby was being held by the owner's stepmother when the car came crashing in. The impact of the collision pushed the baby from the woman's arms and caused the baby to fall underneath the car. The father of the baby was not in the cleaners at the time but responded to the collision. He backed up the car to free the baby and it appeared that the child was not hit by any of the car's tires. The baby was, however, face down in the wreckage of what used to be the glass window and door. The baby was taken to an area hospital where doctors stated the baby suffered only minor injuries but would observe the baby for some time. Reports indicate that two other people suffered injuries. It is not clear whether one of those injured was the driver of the car.

It is not yet clear what caused the woman to press the gas pedal instead of the brake. Authorities have chosen not to release the age of the driver, allowing some in the area to speculate that she may be elderly. But accidents of this type are caused by drivers of all ages, not just the elderly. Being distracted while behind the wheel can increase the risk of accidentally traveling in an unintended direction as can simple negligence. Some of the biggest forms of distraction faced by Illinois drivers include cell phones, texting, eating or drinking, conversations with passengers, children and pets in the car, and even daydreaming. Whatever the cause, if a driver is not completely focused on the road, the driver is distracted and the chances of causing a collision increase significantly.

If you have been hurt in an accident where a driver was distracted or not paying attention, call the Chicago car accident lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today for a no obligation telephone consultation. We can be reached 24 hours a day, seven days a week at (312) 924-7575 and the call is free. Let us help you get a recovery you deserve for your injuries.

Prior Blog Entries:

Pace Van Causes Crash in Roseland, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 30, 2013.

Actor Chris Brown Charged in Hit-And-Run Crash, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published June 29, 2013.

Resources:

Woman Crashes Into Skokie Cleaners, Injures Baby, CBS Chicago/Chicago Sun-Times, published June 26, 2013.

Photo Credit: TALUDA, stock.xchng.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Repeated Building Crashes in Downtown Area Raise Safety Concerns

There has been several incidents this year where a driver jumped the curb and crashed into a building in downtown Hinsdale. They all occurred on the same block of the village's downtown district, one in March and two other similar accidents occurred in February.

This accident involved a Clarendon Hills woman attempting to park her 2007 Mercedes ML500 along South Washington Street. Apparently, she hit the accelerator instead of the brake, sending her car into a vacant building that formerly housed the restaurant Zak's Place. The woman was not injured, but was cited for failure to reduce speed to avoid a collision.

The two other accidents, which as previously mentioned occurred within the same street block, occurred on February 21 and February 23, when the Steinway Piano Gallery was struck twice by vehicles on separate occasions.

In the first accident, which took place on February 21, a man was trying to park his car into one of the angled spaces, but instead drove onto the curb and struck the building. Luckily, the only damage was a few fallen bricks. The second accident, which was on February 23, caused substantially more damage. "We heard a loud crash, and the doors were broken through and there was glass everywhere," said Diane Duncan, sales manager at the store. Apparently the driver came to a stop within just a few feet of some of the store's pianos. This accident was also the result of a driver attempting to park, but accidentally jumping the curb and hitting the accelerator.

Authorities have begun to discuss whether some sort of obstacle, such as a large planter box, might be the solution to these sorts of accidents. It may be the case that these accidents are just a highly unlikely coincidence. While there has been a mention of drivers averaging 65 years of age, there has also been an acknowledgement that it is not necessarily an age correlated with decreased driving abilities. Based on the limited information presented, it remains unclear whether perhaps all the vehicles involved were SUVs, or perhaps the curb in that area is lower or less sloped compared with other curbs, providing two additional potential explanations.

It is very fortunate that no one was hurt in any of these accidents, whether pedestrians or people who may have happened to be inside of the storefronts. Individuals who have been hurt in a single-car crash, which can be the result of a distracted or impaired motorist, may be entitled to receive compensation for any potential injuries that occur. In certain situations, an automobile a manufacturer, a city, and others may be held additionally responsible for the injuries that are a result of a one-vehicle collision.

Personal injury lawyers at our office have worked on similar cases over the years where innocent bystanders were actually injured. In one case, our client was hurt when an elderly motorist lost control of his vehicle and drove through the front of a fast food restaurant in downtown Chicago. In another accident, an elderly woman lost control and crashed into a home in the suburbs, injuring the homeowner inside.

If you were injured through no fault of your own in any traffic accident, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your damages. Potential recoveries include reimbursement for medical bills, any required physical therapy, and damages for pain and suffering, disability, lost wages and benefits, and more. Additionally, since Illinois is a comparative negligence accident state, even if you may have been somehow partially at fault for the harm you received, you may still be able to recover for a percentage of the harm sustained. If you lost a loved one in an unfortunate single car accident like this one, you may also be entitled to recover for wrongful death. If you have questions about your right to recovery after an injury or accident, you should contact a skilled car crash attorney as soon as you are able.

If you were harmed or a family member was killed in a single-vehicle or other automobile collision, please call the experienced traffic accident lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. at (312) 924-7575 today. Our experienced Chicago car accident attorneys are available 24 hours per day, seven days per week to answer your questions and help you file your personal injury or wrongful death claim. Our dedicated lawyers have many years of experience advocating on behalf of clients who were hurt in unexpected accidents throughout Chicago. To speak with a committed personal injury attorney today, do not hesitate to contact Abels & Annes, P.C. through our website.

Chicago Car Accident Lawyer

Motorist Killed After Vehicle Hits Fallbrook Building

A 60-year-old man was killed in a single vehicle wreck that occurred on January 3 around 6:14 p.m. near Alturas Road on West Fallbrook Street. According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the vehicle ran into the wall of an apartment building.

KUSI-TV reported that motorist lost control of his Volvo station wagon after he hit a dip in the road. The motorist died at the accident scene. Our law office sends our heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family members for such an upsetting loss.

There are several potential causes of car accidents in San Diego and a poorly maintained and unkempt road is one of them. If an accident is caused by an external factor such as poorly maintained roads, then parties responsible for the maintenance of these public roads can and should be held liable for the accident and damages done.

Poor road conditions exist due to several significant reasons, such as lack of maintenance, weather conditions, and normal wear and tear. Poorly built roads can lead to nighttime driving hazards, obscured views, and other hazards that contribute to fatal auto accidents. It becomes the responsibility of the road maintenance agencies to ensure that the roads are safe to commute and won’t overly disrupt the normal traffic flow in any way.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHSTA), there were more than 3,000 auto accidents in the year 2009.

It is important for the deceased victim’s family members to act quickly and seek counsel of an experienced car accident attorney who will fight on their behalf. Possible design defects or road defects (potholes, damaged road surfaces, etc.) may point blame to the road construction company, the municipal government, and/or other parties accountable.

If defective or dangerous road conditions contributed to the accident of your loved one, contact our Fallbrook fatal auto accident attorneys. Call us at (888) 233-5020 to learn more about your rights in a dangerous road accident case.

San Diego Car Accident Lawyer