Pedestrian Crashes And A $775,000 Personal Injury Lawsuit Settlement

As seen in Will County pedestrian crashes summarized on this site, pedestrian crashes can lead to a range of serious accident injuries. Many such injuries are serious enough to be potentially life-threatening in nature. Some lead to the death of the pedestrian, either at the accident scene or at some time afterward. For those Cook County pedestrian crashes that are not fatal, extensive medical treatment, including hospitalization, is often required. This is especially the case if the injuries are permanent injuries that require ongoing medical care.

For those that have been hit by a vehicle, the injuries can present many challenges. In addition to the trauma of being injured in an accident and the associated medical issues presented, there can be substantial medical bills. As well, there can be other financial pressures that occur, such as if the injured person can not work for a time after the accident.

The Elman Law Group has handled many lawsuits concerning pedestrian crashes as well as other vehicle accident injuries. It recently settled a Chicago pedestrian crash lawsuit for $775,000.

The case involved an 80-year-old woman, Georgina Melendez, who was struck by a vehicle on March 11, 2017. The accident occurred at 8:00 p.m. at the corner of Ashland and Leland.

According to the police report, the defendant and two witnesses both indicated that at the time of the accident the intersection was dark, and the plaintiff was wearing dark, non-contrasting clothing.

Claimed harm to Georgina Melendez included a dislocated left knee with a post-operative blood clot. Specifically, the knee injury was an acute complete ACL rupture, with associated slight anterior translation of the proximal tibia relative to the distal femur.

After the operation, the orthopedic surgeon indicated that Georgina Melendez made a nearly full and complete recovery.

Medical bills related to the initial knee surgery were approximately $220,000.

The defendant was insured by State Farm Insurance.

Elman Law Group has achieved notable settlements and jury verdicts across a range of personal injury cases. Over the last 25+ years, Elman Law Group has handled over 10,000 Illinois personal injury lawsuits.

During this time, Elman Law Group has established a reputation for its court trial performance. As seen in many cases, the Elman Law Group’s ability to win court cases has often resulted in significantly higher monetary awards for its clients. Some of the more notable awards and accomplishments are highlighted in the “Personal Injury Lawsuit Results And Litigation Capabilities” page.

Anthony Elman, the Lead Trial Attorney for the Elman Law Group, has been designated as a “Super Lawyer” by Thomson Reuters. This designation, which is based upon various factors including lawyer performance and peer review, is granted to no more than 5% of attorneys.

Accident Scenes As Potentially Dangerous Areas For Motorists And Others

Crashes that occur at existing accident scenes continue to be a major traffic safety concern. There have been many crashes in which motorists and other people have been injured or killed after a crash occurs at an existing accident scene.

There are many reasons as to why this type of secondary accident can occur. Often, those who have been injured in the original accident are anxious to get out of their vehicles, which may or may not be safe to do. As well, there can be a considerable amount of uncertainty at accident scenes, which may distract drivers of other vehicles. As well, there can be traffic actively passing accident scenes.

For the same reasons as discussed above, stalled vehicles can also present a traffic safety hazard for both the motorist of the stalled vehicle as well as other motorists. As well, those who attempt to fix or move the stalled vehicle may be at risk. These include tow truck drivers, police officers, and others.

There was a fatal accident in which a man was killed as he attempted to assist a stalled vehicle. This fatal accident occurred on Route 47 over the Illinois River Bridge in Morris on August 18, 2019.

An excerpt regarding this fatal accident, from the August 19 wspynews.com article titled “Off Duty Cook County Sheriff’s Officer Dies While Aiding in Crash on Illinois River Bridge in Morris.” An excerpt:

The Morris Police Department said a vehicle broke down in the southbound lanes of Route 47 and another vehicle assisted at the scene. That’s when another vehicle rear-ended the assisting vehicle causing a chain reaction.

Several people were injured at the accident scene and taken to hospitals. One of these people was an off duty Cook County Sheriff’s Officer identified as Ronald Prohaska, 50. He died after being flown to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove for treatment of his accident injuries.

According to the August 20, 2019 wgntv.com article titled “Cook County officer killed while helping stalled motorist in Morris” a motorist was cited regarding this “chain-reaction” crash. An excerpt:

Authorities say Matthew Taylor of Morris was issued a citation for failure to reduce speed. Morris police says the crash remains under investigation.

Additional details can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Interstate 80 Car Crash Involving Parked Semi Truck

A Interstate 80 car crash occurred Saturday (August 10, 2019) in Minooka. This Interstate 80 car crash resulted in the death of the driver of a car.

The accident happened in the westbound lanes, at the exit to a rest area. This I-80 car crash happened at approximately 10:30 a.m.

An excerpt regarding this Interstate 80 car crash, from the August 11, 2019 Kane County Chronicle article titled “St. Charles man dies in accident on I-80 in Minooka.” An excerpt:

Grundy County Coroner John Callahan reported Saturday afternoon that the preliminary investigation indicates a sedan, driven by Steven Raymond Shambora, 48, of St. Charles was heading west on I-80 when Shambora drove into the back of a semitractor-trailer which was parked on the shoulder of the roadway. The impact put the car under the trailer to the rear axle. Extrication was done by Minooka Fire.

Shambora was declared deceased at the accident scene. No other occupants were in the vehicle at the time of the crash.

The driver of the semi truck was not injured during the collision.

The accident investigation is being conducted by the Coroner’s Office and the Illinois State Police.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Interstate 80 car crash can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the August 10 The Herald-News article titled “One person killed in car-truck accident along I-80 in Minooka.”

Additional discussion regarding I-80 accidents can be seen on the “I-80 Traffic Accidents In Will County.” Various accident statistics are seen on that page. As well, individual Will County Interstate 80 crashes are highlighted.

Steps to take after an accident are also discussed, including legal considerations such as medical considerations and the possible filing of a personal injury lawsuit.

As stated on the page, I-80 has a lot of truck traffic, and as such accidents involving semis and other trucks tend to frequently occur.