Chicago Accident Lawyer Blog

A 61 year old man was riding his bicycle in Ford Heights near Chicago when he was hit by a driver and left at the side of the rode. The bicycle rider was taken to St. James Hospital in Chicago Heights and then airlifted to Christ Hospital in Oak Lawn where he died, Park Forest news reported. Police gathered evidence at the scene indicating the hit and run vehicle was a 1996 to 2002 Chevy Van.

IDOT has recorded more than 3,810 Illinois bicycle accidents in 2009. In these bicycle accidents, 27 people were fatally injured.

If you are a bike rider in Chicago and frequently use bike lanes on the street you maybe surprised to learn that it is illegal for cars to drive, stand or park in these bike lanes. I say maybe surprised because from what I observe cars drive in the bike lanes all the time in Chicago. Anyway, the law is on the books (Chicago Municipal Code 9-40-060) and reads: “The driver of a vehicle shall not drive, unless entering or exiting a legal parking space, or stand , or park the vehicle upon any on street path or lane designated by official signs or markings for the use of bicycles, or otherwise drive or place the vehicle in such a manner as to impede bicycle traffic on such path or lane. The driver of a vehicle shall not stand or park the vehicle upon any lane designated by pavement markings for the shared use of motor vehicles and bicycles, or place the vehicle in such a manner as to impede bicycle traffic on such lane.”

If you are a bike rider and have been hit by a car while riding in a bike lane and are injured, you have a cause of action for money damages against the driver. The law firm of Zneimer & Zneimer P.C. has handled many bicycle injury cases and have obtained good results for our clients.

A Chicago ordinance requires bicycles being ridden at night to have a white head lamp and a rear red reflector. Chicago municipal ordinance 9-52-080 states:

(a) Every bicycle when in use at nighttime shall be equipped with a head lamp which shall emit a white light visible from a minimum distance of 500 feet from the front and with a rear red reflector capable of reflecting the head lamp beams of an approaching motor vehicle back to the operator of such vehicle at distances up to 200 feet or a rear lamp emitting a red light visible from a distance of at least 200 feet from the rear.

The city of Chicago’s bike safety ordinance provides for a $150 fine for drivers who endanger Chicago bicyclists in any of the following ways:

1. Driving in a bike lane 2. Parking in a bike lane 3. Turning into a cyclist’s path 4. Opening a car door on cyclist 5. Passing within three feet of a cyclist
The fines jump to $500 if the bicyclist is injured. The laws are to encourage drivers to watch out for bicyclists on the road. Bicyclists can also, of course, can make a civil claim for money damages against the negligent driver.

A 22 year old bicyclist was hit by a car and was critically injured in the Chicago neighborhood of Portage Park. The car against bicyclist crash took place at the intersection of Austin and Montrose in Chicago. The motorist was cited for negligent driving for allegedly driving around a stopped vehicle that was faced southbound on Austin and failing to see the bicyclist who was westbound on Montrose. The bicyclist was run over and was admitted to Advocate Masonic Medical Center in critical condition.