A pair of crashes that involved Amtrak trains colliding with smaller passenger vehicles resulted in severe injuries and multiple deaths. Sunday saw an Amtrak train carrying 85 passengers approaching an intersection in Brentwood, California, only to collide with a...
Motor Vehicle Accidents
Number of Illinois auto fatalities climbs again in 2021
The year 2020 was the worst in Illinois history for traffic fatalities. It appears 2021 was even worse, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Illinois had 839 traffic fatalities in 2020. From January 2021 to September 2021, Illinois was on...
How do stopped or disabled vehicles contribute to crash risks?
Most significant motor vehicle collisions involve two or more vehicles in motion. Sometimes, a driver doesn't slow down fast enough and rear-ends the vehicle in front of them. Other times, it is a mistaken assumption about someone's intention at an intersection that...
Overheating brakes may cause fires in semi trucks
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says that as many as 500,000 semi trucks currently traveling on U.S. roadways contain brakes that could catch fire. The NHTSA says its investigation involves mostly Kenworth and Peterbilt semis with brakes...
$4.05M MCLEAN COUNTY SETTLEMENT
In settlements just approved by Judge Rebecca Foley in McLean County, two wrongful death cases were resolved for a total of $4,050,000. Shirley Jones, 78, and Kristine Trudeau, 66, were passengers in a car driven by Shirley's husband, John Jones, in Villa Grove,...
Ambulances have the right of way, but they still get into crashes
While many people understand that medical errors happen during surgeries or treatment plans, there are other kinds of patient injuries that can occur. For example, some patients are badly hurt due to ambulance collisions.Ambulance collisions happen more often than...
Surprising but common causes of distracted driving
For most people, the term distracted driving will conjure up mental images of someone recording a Tik Tok video or reading a text message. Thanks in part to public awareness campaigns, distracted driving has almost become synonymous with the use of a phone while at...
Top 7 most dangerous roads around Chicago
Statewide, the Illinois Department of Transportation reports that nearly 1,000 people die annually in our state from injuries they suffer in collisions. Not surprisingly, the bustling hub of Chicago sees more than its fair share of wrecks.Below are the top seven sites...
Legalized marijuana in Illinois raises questions regarding motor vehicle safety
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports that approximately one-third of all fatal motor vehicle accidents involve an impaired driver. Illinois has new recreational marijuana laws, and it raises a question: how will the new law affect highway safety?...
Recent Study Ties Marijuana Legalization to Car Accidents and Injuries
A recent study in the BMJ Open found that car accidents increased 10% in Colorado after legalization of marijuana. Cannabis was legalized for medical use in Colorado in 2000 and for recreational use in 2012. For more please, read:Research Ties Marijuana Legalization...