Chicago Accident Lawyer Blog

A new law amends Section 625 ILCS 5/3-707 of the Illinois Vehicle Code making it a misdemeanor to injure someone while driving without insurance. Violators could spend up to a year in jail or face a $2,500 fine.

The amendment reads as follows:

625 ILCS 5/3-707
(a-5) A person commits the offense of operation of uninsured motor vehicle causing bodily harm when the person:
(1) operates a motor vehicle in violation of Section 7-601 of this Code; and
(2) causes, as a proximate result of the person's operation of the motor vehicle, bodily harm to another person.
(a-6) Uninsured operation of a motor vehicle under subsection (a-5) is a Class A misdemeanor.

This law will have especially serious consequences for undocumented aliens who drive without license or liability insurance. The law will also have serious consequences even for aliens who are lawfully in the United States in a valid nonimmigrant status since the commission of any crime is considered a violation of nonimmigrant status under the immigration law, which will make an alien removable from the United States for violation of status.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Immigration , Motorcycle Accidents

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Records compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration show that driver distraction is a significant factor in traffic crashes resulting in injury or death. The use of a cell phone while driving can increase the chances of becoming involved in a crash by 400 percent.

On January 1, 2010, two new traffic laws take effect in Illinois.

The first traffic law restricts drivers under the age of 19 (with an instruction permit or graduated license) from using a wireless or cellular phone while driving. This law law also prohibits the use of wireless telephones for all drivers, regardless of age, while operating a vehicle in a school zone or construction zone.

The law provides an exception to exclude a GPS or navigation system, and creates an exception to the electronic message prohibition for a driver using an electronic communication device while parked on the shoulder of a roadway, and creates an exception for a driver using an electronic communication device when the vehicle is stopped due to normal traffic being obstructed and the driver has the motor vehicle transmission in neutral or park.

The second traffic law prohibits text messaging, composing, reading or sending electronic messages, or accessing internet sites while driving a motor vehicle in a school speed zone or a construction or maintenance speed zone, except for a person engaged in a highway construction or maintenance project for which a construction or maintenance speed zone has been established when the person is using a wireless telephone in furtherance of that project.

The law adds exceptions for specified emergency purposes and law enforcement officers or emergency vehicle operators when performing their official duties. It also adds an exception to wireless telephone in school and construction zones prohibition for a person using a wireless telephone in voice-activated mode.

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Motorcycle Accidents , Truck accidents

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As of January 1, 2010, Illinois makes texting while driving illegal. Specifically, the new law prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle while using an electronic communications device to compose, send, or read an electronic message

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Posted In: Auto Accidents , Motorcycle Accidents , Truck accidents

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The Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety (IDOT/DTS) is offering free driver training classes for motorcycle operators. The Cycle Rider Safety Training Program (CRSTP) was initiated in 1976 in an effort to reduce injuries and deaths in accidents involving motorcyclists.

The training program is free to any Illinois resident 16 years of age or older who holds a valid automobile or motorcycle driver's license or permit. The program is designed to help motorcyclists increase their skills and learn how to avoid crashes. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, research shows that over 90% of motorcycle riders involved in crashes were self-taught or learned from family or friends. In addition, the number of licensed motorcyle riders in Illinois continues to increase. This means there are more inexperienced riders on the highways, and these riders may lack the skills and judgment to avoid crashes.

The Illinois Cycle Rider Safety Training Program (CRSTP) offers courses for beginner, intermediate and experienced riders. If you are a new motorcyclist or want to brush up on your motorcycle riding skills, please consider enrolling in one of these courses.

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Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

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An Aurora woman has been accused of wrongful death and a suit has been filed against her after a motorcycle accident near Elburn on July 28th. Two motorcyclists were killed in the chain-reaction accident.

Alia Bernard, 24, has been accused of negligence in the death of Denise Thomas, 45. Thomas' husband, Wade Thomas, was also killed in the accident. The Thomas' were taking part in a Saturday morning ride with twenty other cyclists.

Apparently, Bernard rear-ended the Honda-Civic in front of her which was stopped at a light and waiting to turn left. The collision caused the Honda-Civic to be forced into the oncoming cycle traffic and the Thomas' were unable to stop before hitting the Civic.

Bernard has not been charged yet officially by the police pending an accident reconstruction report.

It's important to be prepared for bad drivers even when your vehicle is not moving. Look in your local telephone book or on the internet for courses in driving defensively.

Posted by Zneimer & Zneimer, P.C. | Permalink | Email This Post

Posted In: Motorcycle Accidents

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