Chicago Car Accident Attorney Blog

Unfortunately, after a car accident is when too many drivers realize that they do not know what type of coverage the insurance they have. The Illinois Department of Insurance (DOI) wants to remind drivers to look over their auto insurance polices.

"When a car accidents occurs, no one can better understand the feelings of trauma and confusion than those involved," said Jack Messmore, Acting Director, Illinois Department of Insurance. "The Department is encouraging consumers to review auto insurance policies in advance to better prepare for unexpected emergencies."

The DOI offers these tips to follow after being involved in an auto accident:

Be Prepared- The law requires that all automobiles be insured. Drivers should review their policies with their insurance agent regularly to make sure that they have suitable coverage, that they are aware of their deductibles and to know whether their insurance coverage provides towing and or car rental coverage.

Filing a claim- If a driver is involved in an auto accident, they have the responsbility of reporting the accident to their insurance carrier. The driver should have a copy of a police report and information about the other driver including contact information and insurance information.

The DOI suggests contacting their office with problems filing or settling an insurance claim. They can be reached at 217-782-4515 or through their web site at www.insurance.illinois.gov

In a study conducted by Transportation for America, concluded that between 2000 and 2009 over one thousand three hundred pedestrias died in accidents invovling moving vehicles in Chicago and it's neighboring suburbs

Their study found that most streets are not design for foot traffice making them dangerous to pedestrians.

Of the 1,659 pedestrians killed statewide in traffice-related accidents, approximately 165 were children.

There are several intersections the the Active Transportation Alliances describes as dangerous includnig Chicago Avenue and South Washington Stree in Naperville in addition to several intersections in Chicago including King and 79th streets and Ashland and 79th streets.

With the summer months comes an increase in pedestrian traffic both by Illinois citizens and tourists.

AAA is asking parents to pay more attention to traffic safety for their teens during summertime. .

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, more teen drivers are killed in car accidents than any other time of the year with the 10 deadliest days for teens occurring during these months.

“Parents should not underestimate the critical role they play in keeping their teens safe, especially during these high-risk months,” said Brad Roeber, AAA Chicago regional president, in the press release. “Life feels more care-free when school’s out and teens have more opportunities to drive or ride in cars late at night with other teens – a deadly mix."

In the summer months 2005 and 2009, over 7,00 teen drivers and their passengers were killed car accidents. On average 422 teens are killed in traffic accidents during the summer compare to 363 during other times of the year.

AAA provides the tips below for parents with teen drivers:

Don't let your teens drive just drive. Make sure they have a purpose, a destination. Teen drivers are 3x's more likely to have a fatal accidents based on how many miles they driver. They have the highest risk during their first year of driving alone.

Become an effective driving coach: By supervising their teen drivers, parents can impart skills and experience. Even after your teen gets their license, parents should still practice with them.

Limit the number of teen passengers and time as a passenger: Most states have restrictions on the number of passengers new teen drivers can have in their cars. But if you're state does not, you need to limit the number of people in the car with your teen driver. Other kids in the car can be a huge distraction for a new driver, which can endanger their lives as well as the lives of their passengers.

Restrict night driving: New teen drivers need more practice with night time driving. Keep their night time driving to a minimum until they are able to accumulate more hours behind the wheel.

For drivers who believe bicyce riders in Chicago have an unlimited right of way and can break every traffic law on the books, police were out in force yesterday to suggest otherwise.

A sting was conducted at a single ntersection near downtown for 2 hours during the mornign rush hour. But the intersection that was chosen is a busy one with bicycling commuters, widespread disregard for red lights, and plenty of collisions and near misses, authorities said.

Some 240 warnings and one ticket were issued by the end of the law enforcement and education operation, which was aimed at bicyclists pedaling through red lights and taking over crosswalks meant for pedestrians only, officials said. It was carried out by the Chicago Police Department, the Chicago Department of Transportation and the City of Chicago’s Bicycling Ambassadors program in what officials dubbed a “share the road” campaign.

“We want to let cyclists know that they are not only putting themselves at risk, but also endangering pedestrians in crosswalks and drivers who have to come to a screeching halt for bicyclists going through red lights,’’ said Carlin Thomas, share the road coordinator for the CDOT bicycle program.

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