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Bill Would Require Missing Child Report Within 24 Hours

by on February 24, 2012 in Accident, accidental death, new law

A bill that would require parents to report a missing child younger than 13 within 24 hours has passed through a committee and is heading to the House floor for discussion.

The legislation, born out of the Casey Anthony murder case where Anthony failed to report the disappearance of her young daughter for a month, has gained momentum in recent weeks. It is sponsored by State Rep. Jack Franks, D-Marengo and would make it a class 4 felony if a parent or guardian fails to report a child missing within that window.

The legislation also proposed parents and guardians be charged with a felony if they provide false information during a missing child investigation.

You can read the text of the bill here >>.

If you or your loved one has suffered a personal injury as a result of someone else’s actions, you may want to speak with an experienced personal injury attorney. Contact your Illinois personal injury attorneys today for a free, initial consultation.

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New Law Encourages Seeking Help For Drug Overdoses

by on February 18, 2012 in Accident, accidental death

A new law would allow people to call 911 to report an overdose without worrying about facing criminal charges.

The new law, which Gov. Pat Quinn signed last week, is set to take effect June 1. It will grant immunity to those who call 911 to report a drug overdose or for those who seek medical attention at a hospital from a drug overdose from facing charges of drug possession and other minor drug charges.

The new law does not cover every case however. Officials said that the person may not be exempt from drug trafficking charges and if they have a large amount of drugs, they may also still face charges.

Many hope the new law will reduce the number of overdose deaths but giving people the ability to seek help without automatically incriminating themselves.

If you or your loved one has suffered a serious injury, you may want to discuss your case with an aggressive Chicago personal injury lawyer. Contact our offices today for a free, initial consultation.

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Gov. Quinn Signs Law Allowing Speed Cameras At Some Intersections

by on February 12, 2012 in Accident, bus accident, car accident, new law, transportation news, truck accident

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed the Chicago speed camera bill into law Monday.

The new law, Senate Bill 965, allows Chicago to use its red light camera to issue speeding tickets by mail at 79 intersections within 1/8 of a mile from a school or park. The bill should take effect July 1.

It is set to be the largest automated speed enforcement program. In order for officials to utilize the new law, they must retrofit the 79 eligible locations with speed camera hardware, which could take some time.

Drivers photographed at the intersections and exceeding the speed limit by 5 mph and 11 mph would be fined $50 and those exceeding the speed limit by more than 11 mph would be fined $100.

Red cameras were first installed in Chicago by the Chicago Department of Transportation in 2003. The Chicago city council now must pass an ordinance allowing the city to utilize the red light cameras as speed camera enforcements Wednesday.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a car or truck accident, you need an experienced Chicago car accident attorney. Contact our offices today for a free case evaluation.

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IDOT Officials Consider Ways To Reduce Wrong-Way Accidents

by on February 11, 2012 in Accident, accidental death, wrong-way accident

A crash on Lake Shore drive early Thursday morning takes officials back to a question many of them have been exploring for the past year, can more be done to prevent wrong-way crash on Illinois’ roads?

According to an article on nbcchicago.com, the crash was the fourth in the past month. Wrong-way crashes tend to be more deadly than other types of crashes because of the nature of them.

The Illinois Department of Transportation is evaluating many options including more pavement markings or different pavement markings, changes to signs and different roadway designs.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured or your loved one has been killed in a wrong-way crash, you may want to discuss your case with an aggressive Chicago personal injury attorney today. Call now for a free, initial consultation.

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MADD, NFL Designated Driver Program Sees Increase In Volunteers

by on February 1, 2012 in Accident, drunk driving, MADD, transportation news

A program aimed at keeping drunk drivers off the road during and after NFL games announced they have had record sign ups for volunteers this season.

According to the press release from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, also known as MADD, the organization had 220,000 fans sign up to be designated drivers for game day, representing a 30 percent increase from 2010.

The Chicago Bears, along with eight other NFL teams, partnered with MADD in 2011 for a designated driver program to help make game-day safer for the fans. The program ran throughout the season and will conclude with the Super Bowl XLVI, Sunday.

MADD and the NFL worked together to urge people to take a stand against drunk driving through a Facebook campaign and a program encouraging parents to discuss drunk driving with their children.

During the pre-game MADD distributes information cards and plays a PSA urging people to be designated drivers and avoid drinking and driving.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured in a drunk driving accident, the Chicago personal injury attorneys at Dwyer & McDevitt are here to assist you. We can discuss your situation and help you decide if a personal injury claim should be persued. Call us today and find out how we can help you.

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Kia Recalls 146K Cars With Defective Airbags

by on January 18, 2012 in Accident, defective product, product liability

Kia recalled almost 146,000 vehicles due to defective airbags, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The recall involves Kia Optimas made from 2006 – 2008 and the 2007 – 2008 Kia Rondo. The release said a flawed spring system may become damaged over time, disabling the driver’s side airbag.

The official recall is expected to begin in March. The company said they became aware of the problem last week, but were not aware of any injuries or airbags that did not deploy due to the defect.

The release said Kia will attempt to notify owners and dealers will replace the affected part. Owners may call 1-800-333-4542 to get in touch with the company and find out more information. You can read the full recall notice by clicking here.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured while using a defective product, the attorneys at Dwyer & McDevitt are here to assist you. We are your Chicago personal injury attorneys and may be able to help you recover the compensation you deserve.

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Study: Wearing Headphones And Walking Can Be Deadly

by on January 18, 2012 in Accident, accidental death, train accident

A new study by researchers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that serious injuries to pedestrians listening to headphones has more than tripled since 2005.

According to the news release, in many instances a car or train is sounding a horn to alert the pedestrian, but that person is unable to hear it. Those cases lead to fatalities in 70 percent of all incidents.

Dr. Lichenstein, along with some colleagues, studied 116 accident cases after gathering case reports from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Comission, Google News Archives and the Westlaw Campus Research databases for reports of pedestrian injuries or fatalities from crashes with trains or motor vehicles between 2004 and 2011.

Their findings were released online Monday in the journal ‘Injury Prevention.’

Sixty-eight percent of the victims were male and 67 percent were younger than 30. According to their findings, more than half of the accidents involved trains and 29 percent reported sounding a horn or other warning prior to the incident.

The study was initiated after a local teen died at a railroad crossing. The teen was noted to be wearing headphones and did not avoid the train, despite several warnings.

If you or your loved one has been seriously injured or killed in any type of motor vehicle accident, the Chicago personal injury attorneys at Dwyer & McDevitt, Ltd. are here for you. Contact us today for your free, initial consultation.

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Train Derails, Traffic Diverted For Hours

by on January 14, 2012 in Accident, train accident, transportation news

Traffic was diverted Thursday when a train carrying ethanol derailed in Gibson City.

Officials said two tanker cars contianing 28,000 gallons each of ethanol slipped off the railroad tracks about 2 p.m. Even though no leak happened, the highway was clear for nearly 11 hours after the derailment.

According to reports, the trains did not tip over and the tracks were being repaired on Friday. Local businesses did have to evacuate as a safety percaution, however, and a mile-long stretch of Illinois 9 was closed until about 1 a.m.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

If you or someone you love has been injured in a train accident, you may need the counsel of an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer. Contact our office today for your free, initial consultation.

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More Drownings In Great Lakes In 2011

by on January 8, 2012 in Accident

The number of people who drowned in the Great Lakes in 2011 increased from the previous year by 18 percent.

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, 87 people drowned in the Great Lakes in 2011 compared to 74 who drowned in the Great Lakes in 2010.

Forty-four of the drownings occurred in Lake Michigan, according to the Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project, and 15 of those were due to rip currents in the lake.

The group’s Facebook page describes themselves as “Great Lake surfers dedicated to reducing drowning incidents on the Great Lakes.”

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious injury in the water, you may have a personal injury case. Call us for a free, initial consultation to discuss what options you may have.

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Motorcyclists Allowed To Run Some Red Lights

by on December 28, 2011 in Accident, accidental death, new law

A new Illinois law taking effect Sunday will allow motorcyclists to run red lights.

The law is an attempt to problems motorcyclists have encountered with road censors. Many censors do not detect the weight of motorcycles because they do not weigh as much as cars or other motor vehicles.

The law states if the light has not changed after a “reasonable amount of time” the motorcyclist can run the light. However, not everyone is in support of the new law. Some have expressed concern that it will increase accidents.

Both Wisconsin and Indiana have similar laws in effect already.

If you have been involved in a serious motor vehicle accident, you need an attorney who will fight for you as you work to recover. Contact us today for your free, initial consultation.

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