This week’s Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer’s update centers around motorcycle safety.  Every year, hundreds of people are injured in motorcycle accidents.

IDOT, State Police and Advocacy Groups Launch “Start Seeing Motorcycles” Campaign

SPRINGFIELD — In order to put a spotlight on motorcycle safety as the 2010 riding season gets underway, Governor Pat Quinn has proclaimed May Motorcycle Awareness Month in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), Illinois State Police (ISP) and motorcycle safety advocates are urging the public to “Start Seeing Motorcycles.”

The overall number of traffic fatalities in Illinois dropped from 1,043 in 2008 to 911 in 2009. Motorcycle fatalities decreased from 135 in 2008 to 130 in 2009.

“We are very encouraged to see a drop in the number of motorcycle fatalities on our roads and would like to see that trend continue,” said Illinois Transportation Secretary Gary Hannig. “This campaign reinforces the importance of motorcycle safety. We urge every motorist on the road to be on the lookout for motorcycle riders and to ‘Share the Road’ with them.”

“When you ride, be aware of your surroundings, others may not see you. Whenever there is a motor vehicle versus a motorcycle accident, most of the time the operator’s comment is, ‘I did not see the bike” said Larry Kolling, Gold Wing Road Riders Association’s IL District Motorist Awareness Coordinator.

“The Illinois State Police is committed to sustaining the downward trend of traffic crash fatalities in Illinois, and ensuring the safety of motorcyclists,” said Acting Illinois State Police Director Jonathon Monken. “Troopers throughout the state will continue to monitor speed limits, check license endorsements, and enforce “Fatal Five” moving violations.”

If you or anyone you know has been injured in a motorcycle accident, please contact our experienced Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers.  All consultations are absolutely free.

Our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys caution everyone out there to be careful as the warm weather brings out more people. Motorcycle accidents and boat accidents are just a few of the personal injury updates this week.

Motorcyclist hurt in Dan Ryan crash
FOX Chicago reports: Police say a man was seriously hurt tonight after his motorcycle went off a bridge on the Dan Ryan Expressway near 29th Street. The accident closed the express lanes near 29th Street.

Man on personal watercraft dies after boat crash
A 28-year-old Antioch man died this evening after his personal watercraft collided with a boat on Lake Marie near Antioch, authorities said.
The incident happened on the lake directly south of the 26000 block of Forest Avenue at about 6:35 p.m., said Lake County Sheriff Lt. John Crilly. The man, who was the only one injured in the crash, suffered head trauma and injuries to his left leg and arm.   The sheriff’s department is continuing to investigate the incident. There was no initial indication that alcohol was a factor, Crilly said.

If you or anyone you know has been involved in an accident involving injury, please contact one of our experienced Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys

Another alert from our Chicago DUI Lawyers:

ROADSIDE SAFETY CHECK IN THE OGDEN (010TH) DISTRICT
The Chicago Police Department will conduct a Roadside Safety Check in the Ogden (010th) District at 2701 S. Western Ave. The Roadside Safety Check will commence at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 21, 2010 and end at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 22, 2010.

Be careful out there folks.  If you know of anyone arrested for DUI in these questionable “safety checks”, please contact our experienced Chicago DUI Attorneys.  We can help explain the penalties for first time DUI arrests as well as some of the factors that can make a drunk driving arrest into a felony DUI.  All of our consultations are absolutely free.

Our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys took notice of this new report involving injuries / car accidents:

Nighttime Fatalities Increase Involving Young Drivers

In a report released Thursday, the Texas Transportation Institute says “the proportion of nighttime fatal crashes nationwide involving drivers aged 16 to 19 years increased 10 percent from 1999 to 2008.” (J. Vertuna, AP, 5/6). Data used by the duty came from the National Highway Safety Traffic Administration.

Senior research specialist Bernie Fette asserts that combining night time driving, which is already dangerous, with inexperienced teen drivers and cell phone usage, “and you’ve created a perfect storm.”

If you know someone involved in an car accident, contact one of our Chicago Personal Injury Lawyers.

Time and time again our Chicago DUI Lawyers have pointed out the complete unfairness in how the laws are applied to those arrested for drunk driving.  Here’s another fine example from Utah.

Utah Supreme Court Allows DUI Stop On Vague 911 Call

Police can pull over a car that has committed no traffic violation based solely on vague accusations made in a 911 call, the Utah Supreme Court ruled Friday. The court considered the case of Jose Baltarcar Roybal whose live-in girlfriend, Annalee McCaine, called 911 after the pair had a fight August 8, 2005.

“The person that’s been living with me is an [expletive], and I want him the [expletive] out of here,” McCaine told the emergency operator. “He’s out putting stuff in his van… He’s going to be gone before you get here.”

McCaine said the pair had been drinking and that Roybal was about to drive off to the south. She provided a description of Roybal and his van. Ogden Police Sergeant Chat Ledford received the dispatch and spotted the van which he believed was driving “really, really slow” on 30th Street. Although Roybal had violated no traffic laws, Ledford believed the slow driving was a sure sign of intoxication and initiated a traffic stop.

“Driving slow is a sure sign of intoxication”?  What scientific study is that based on?

The court considered at this point whether the officer’s actions were justified, as the Fourth Amendment prohibits unreasonable searches and seizures. The trial Court sided with the officer and the appellate Court reversed.  The matter then went to the state Supreme Court, who sided with the officer.

The majority concluded that the McCaine’s drunken call to 911 offered sufficient evidence that Roybal was also intoxicated and therefore could be stopped unless the officer saw evidence to the contrary.

“Once a reasonable suspicion is reached by the originator of the information — in this case, the dispatcher — the responding police officer is entitled to rely on the information unless the officer’s personal observations or interaction with the suspect present indications to the contrary,” Wilkins wrote. “That is to say, if the suspect’s actions are not inconsistent with the reasonable suspicion, the police officer may pursue the suspect and stop him or her immediately.”

So despite the fact that this was a clear attempt to get back at an ex-boyfriend and that the boyfriend hadn’t violated any laws, the cop was justified in stopping Roybal for drunk driving – because his jilted lover said to stop him.  Just what the Founding Fathers had in mind when drafting the 4th Amendment, I’m sure.

Another update from our personal injury attorneys.  Chicago, with it’s large population of motorcycle riders, has seen its fair share of motorcycle accidents over the years.  Here’s another sobering reminder of the caution that all drivers need to take as the weather gets warmer.

Motorcyclist killed on Southwest Side

A motorcyclist who died early this morning in a collision with a car on the Southwest Side has been identified as a 36-year-old Hampshire man.

The motorcycle was traveling at high speed when it collided with an auto in an intersection at 55th Street and South Laramie Avenue about 2:30 a.m., said Chicago Police News Affairs Officer Amina Greer.

Emergency crews took the motorcyclist to Advocate Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn. The motorcyclist was declared dead there, police said.

The man was identified as Edil Vega, 36, with an address listed on Homestead Drive in Hampshire, and he was pronounced at 3:58 a.m., according to the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

The driver of the car was not injured, according to police.

Anyone involved in a Chicago personal injury accident should contact our experienced injury attorneys for a free consultation on how to protect your rights.

Our Chicago DUI Lawyers have long argued that the twisted logic used to enforce DUI laws boggles the mind.  Another case in point from West Virginia.

West Virginia Supreme Court: DUI Does Not Require Proof Of Driving
Drunk driving fines may be imposed without proof that the accused ever drove, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled.

Justice Thomas E. McHughState officials can punish an individual for driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI), even if they are unable to prove the accused was ever behind the wheel, the West Virginia Supreme Court ruled Thursday. The decision came in the case of Eric R. Cain who was found lying passed out on in front of his car on Route 19 by Marion County Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Cole at around 2:30am on June 2, 2007. The car had been safely parked and there was no key in the ignition.

“All that is required to seek a license revocation under West Virginia Code Section 17C-5A-2 is that the arresting officer have ‘reasonable grounds to believe’ that the defendant committed the offense of DUI,” Justice Thomas E. McHugh wrote for the court. “Rather than requiring an arresting officer to witness a motor vehicle in the process of being driven, the statute requires only that the observations of the arresting officer establish a reasonable basis for concluding that the defendant had operated a motor vehicle upon a public street in an intoxicated state.”

Judge Janes had ruled that the arresting officer was obligated to identify specific facts and evidence that give rise to a reasonable suspicion that a crime was committed. Cain did not testify in his own defense at the administrative hearing, leaving no direct evidence that Cain had been driving while drunk. The supreme court ruled that the burden was properly on Cain to prove his innocence.

Welcome to the state of DUI enforcement.  No driving necessary.

Our Chicago DUI Attorneys‘ weekly DUI Checkpoint alert:

DUI STRIKE FORCE PATROL IN THE CENTRAL (001ST) & THE NEAR NORTH (018TH) DISTRICT
The Chicago Police Department will conduct a DUI Strike Force Patrol in the Central (001st) District and the Near North (018th) District beginning at 7:00 p.m., Friday, May 14, 2010 and ending at 3:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 15, 2010.

Be careful out there, folks.

Two more Chicago DUI checkpoints coming this weekend.

ROADSIDE SAFETY CHECK IN THE SHAKESPEARE (014TH) DISTRICT
The Chicago Police Department will conduct a Roadside safety Check in the Shakespeare (014th) District at North Avenue and Albany.  The Roadside Safety Check will commence at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2010 and end at 4:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 9, 2010.

ROADSIDE SAFETY CHECK IN THE GRAND CENTRAL (025TH) DISTRICT
The Chicago Police Department will conduct a Roadside Safety Check in the Grand Central (025th) District at 5436 W. North Avenue. The Roadside Safety Check will commence at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, May 7, 2010 and end at 4:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 8, 2010.

Our Chicago DUI Lawyers urge everyone to be careful out there.

Our Chicago Personal Injury Attorneys want to remind everyone to be careful, especially as pedestrian and cyclist traffic increases in the upcoming months.

Vehicle strikes cyclist in Loop, seriously injuring rider
SUN-TIMES MEDIA WIRE

A bicyclist was seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle Thursday morning in the Loop.

The cyclist was struck about 9: 45 a.m. at the intersection of Madison and Franklin streets, police News Affairs Officer John Mirabelli said.

The person was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in serious-to-critical condition, Fire Media Affairs spokesman Richard Rosado said.

Further details were not immediately available. Belmont Area detectives are investigating.

In Chicago, car accident injuries, bike accident injuries can lead to loss of normal life, pain and suffering, and loss of income.  Anyone involved in any type of accident should seek the advice of a reputable experienced Chicago injury lawyer.