In 2024, Chicago reached a new milestone with over 10 million shared bike and e-scooter trips recorded, reflecting the growing popularity of sustainable transportation. The city has invested in protected bike lane and Divvy station expansion and electrification, building up mobility hubs around key transit connection points, and promoting its Divvy for Everyone Program (D4E) that offers inexpensive annual membership fees and lower per-minute ride fees for members. A Rise in Accidents on the Horizon?It’s clear that more Chicago residents are embracing eco-friendly, convenient transportation. However, increased ridership brings more opportunity for accidents. While the expansion of bike lanes
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Keating Law Offices Blogs
Latest from Keating Law Offices
Keating Law’s Representation of E-Scooter Victims Profiled by Chicago Sun-Times
Keating Law clients Joseph and Marie were the focus of a Chicago Sun-Times front page article on the risks riders of e-scooters in Chicago face. One of the risks that e-scooter riders face is collisions with distracted and entitled drivers of motor vehicles who do not recognize the increasing presence of e-scooters on the city’s roadways. Under the Chicago Municipal Code, e-scooter riders are entitled to the same rights and responsibilities as bicyclists under Chicago law. Keating Law client, Marie, provided video of one of her crashes to the Chicago Sun-Times and you can watch the video here. Like bicyclists, e-scooter riders are
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What To Do If Injured In A Crash With A Lyft or Uber Rideshare Driver?
Who is Responsible for a Rideshare Collision?
Uber and Lyft are some of the more common rideshare companies that we come across daily, especially here in Chicago. Whether you are an Uber or Lyft driver or passenger or find yourself sharing the road with an Uber or Lyft vehicle, as another driver, bicyclist or pedestrian, it is important to understand how their services can impact liability in an accident with them.
Uber and Lyft Have Insurance
Illinois requires all drivers to operate a vehicle with a valid policy of insurance. Illinois also mandates that all rideshare companies have insurance in
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Chicago Bicyclist Killed in Collision in North Damen Bike Lane
A 59-year old Chicago bicyclist was killed when the driver of a passing vehicle struck him in the 5100 block of North Damen Avenue in Chicago’s Ravenswood neighborhood on Monday night. According to reports, the fatal crash occurred at approximately 8 p.m. This stretch of North Damen Avenue is immediately outside of Amundsen High School and has a clearly marked and designated bike lane.The bicyclist was riding northbound when he was struck. News reports indicate that the driver of the Volvo motor vehicle was highly intoxicated with a reported .20 blood alcohol level which is two and a half times
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Teenage Bicyclist In Crosswalk Struck By SUV Driver In Batavia, Illinois
WGN News is reporting that a teenage bicyclist was critically injured when the driver of an SUV struck the bicyclist while he was riding in a crosswalk in the Kane County suburb of Batavia. The collision occurred near South Batavia Avenue and Union Avenue which is just west of the Fox River and the Fox River trail which is a popular trail for Chicagoland bicyclists.The collision occurred on Wednesday at approximately 2:30 p.m. and apparently occurred while the bicyclist was in a crosswalk. Illinois law is very clear regarding the protections provided to bicyclists crossing in crosswalks. Multiple provisions of
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City of Chicago Stiffens Enforcement for Drivers Blocking Bike Lanes
Chicago’s City Council passed legislation that will increase the penalty for parking in the bike lane and provide a platform for more enforcement of drivers blocking the city’s bike lanes. These recent changes to the Chicago Municipal Code provide that a driver can be fined $250 for stopping or parking in the bike lane. While the Code previously provided for the $250 fine, the prior version required a bicyclist to have been injured as a result of the blocked bike lane. With the amendment anyone blocking the bike lane could face a fine. In addition, the amendment provides for immediate towing and extends
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Bicyclist’s Video Shows Lexus SUV Driver Caused Left Hook Crash on Milwaukee Avenue
A normal commute home via the Milwaukee Avenue bike lane by a local cyclist was cut short when he was the victim of a “left hook” collision. This stretch of Milwaukee Avenue is nicknamed the “Hipster Highway” because of the thousands of bicyclists that ride the bicycle lane in this stretch through Chicago’s popular West Town community on a daily basis. The Milwaukee Avenue bicycle lane is the most heavily travelled and well-known bicycle lane in Chicago.Despite the video evidence and many key Chicago bike laws directly on point, the combination of the cyclist’s severe injuries combined with the driver’s
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Chicago Bicyclist Wins Jury Trial Against Law Professor Who Blamed The Cyclist For Crash
On August 29th attorney Tom Reuland of Keating Law won a heavily contested jury trial for a Chicago bicyclist. The cyclist sustained a non-displaced fracture to his wrist when he was the victim of a “left hook” on Sheridan Road in Wilmette. The driver involved in the crash was a local law professor who insisted that the cyclist entered the intersection on a red light and was at fault.State Farm, who insured the driver, considered this a “no-offer” case, meaning they were so confident they would win this case that they refused to pay even a dollar to compensate our
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Winter Solstice Brings Winter And A Reminder To Use A Bike Light
December 21st marks the Winter Solstice for 2021. The Winter Solstice occurs when the North Pole is tilted the farthest from the sun and there is the least amount of daylight. After the Winter Solstice the days slowly get longer until then end of January when we gain two minutes of sunlight each day. While that doesn’t sound that far away, there are some long and dark nights ahead of us. These long nights in winter mean that Illinois bicyclists who commute to work via their bikes will be riding home in the dark. It is important to note that a
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Chicago Cyclist Killed In Crash With Semi-Truck On Ashland Avenue
The Chicago cycling community is again faced with another tragedy due to the death of a young cyclist on Friday night. According to the Chicago Police Department, the fatal crash occurred at approximately 10:20 a.m. on Friday, December 10th in the 4000 block of South Ashland Avenue. This is a stretch of Ashland Avenue that is heavily trafficked with semi-trucks and other industrial traffic due to the nearby Norfolk Southern Railyard and accompanying rail road tracks.
According to the Illinois Traffic Crash Report, the collision occurred when a truck driver turned a 2017 International tractor and connected trailer right
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$300,000.00 Settlement for Injured Triathlete Shows Importance of Fighting for Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage
Last spring on a beautiful day a local bicyclist and her adult daughter went on a bicycle ride through Naperville. Their pleasant day was cut short when a motorist failed to notice them and turned immediately in front of the bicyclists. The daughter was able to avoid the driver but the other bicyclist slammed into the side of the motor vehicle and was thrown off of her bicycle. She landed hard and struck her head in the process. The Naperville police issued a citation to the motorist for failing to yield the right of way to the bicyclists. The driver of
Continue Reading $300,000.00 Settlement for Injured Triathlete Shows Importance of Fighting for Underinsured Motorist Insurance Coverage
Chicago Bicyclist Killed In Collision With Van In Jefferson Park
The Chicago Sun-Times reported that a 59-year-old man named Thomas Travers passed away on Monday July 26, 2021 after being struck by a van on North Milwaukee Avenue. The collision occurred in the northwest side neighborhood of Jefferson Park. Mr. Travers spent two days at St. Francis Hospital in Evanston, Illinois after the crash where he sadly passed away due to the multiple injuries he sustained from the accident.The crash occurred in the afternoon of July 24, 2021, on the busy road of the 5300 block of North Milwaukee Avenue. Milwaukee Avenue is a popular street among cyclists in Chicago
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Chicago Boy Killed in Collision with Modified Truck Driven by Chicago Police Officer
A Chicago police officer tragically ran over and killed a 9-year old Chicago boy who was crossing the street on his bicycle. Chicago is in shock over one of the most tragic deaths of a Chicago bicyclist in the city’s history. Beyond the massive tragedy, the death of 9-year old Hershel Weinberger in West Rogers Park stands out for many reasons: the young age of the victim, the vehicle involved and the status of the driver of the vehicle.According to an interview with the father of the boy, Shamai Weinberger, to the Chicago Tribune, young Hershel Weinberger was riding
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River Forest Cyclist Killed In Crash In Oak Park Near "Share The Road" Sign
The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that an Oak Park bicyclist by the name of Peter McDonnell tragically died as a result of injuries sustained in a bicycle vs. motor vehicle crash. According to the article, Mr. McDonnell tragically succumbed to the injuries sustained in the crash after days at Loyola University Medical Center. The crash occurred on March 9th at the intersection of Division Street and North Harlem Avenue in west suburban River Forest. This intersection is right by Dominican University and is regularly travelled by cyclists. Images of the area show that right on Division Street is a “Share The
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The "Open and Obvious" Defense In Pothole and Roadway Defect Bicycle Crash Cases
Far and away the most common types of cases we handle as bicycle law attorneys involve collisions between motor vehicles and bicyclists where the driver of the motor vehicle is at fault. Common examples of this are doorings, right hook crashes, left hook crashes, failure to give the bicyclist 3-Feet when passing. However, a large number of the cases Keating Law Offices has handled involve bicyclists who were injured when their bicycle hit a defect in the roadway and they crashed.Illinois law on these types of cases is very, very fact specific. IllinoisBicycleLaw.com has previously delved into the crucial Illinois
Continue Reading The "Open and Obvious" Defense In Pothole and Roadway Defect Bicycle Crash Cases
The "Open and Obvious Defense" In Pothole And Other Roadway Defect Cases
Far and away the most common types of cases we handle as bicycle law attorneys involve collisions between motor vehicles and bicyclists where the driver of the motor vehicle is at fault. Common examples of this are doorings, right hook crashes, left hook crashes, failure to give the bicyclist 3-Feet when passing. However, a large number of the cases Keating Law Offices has handled involve bicyclists who were injured when their bicycle hit a defect in the roadway and they crashed.Illinois law on these types of cases is very, very fact specific. IllinoisBicycleLaw.com has previously delved into the crucial Illinois
Continue Reading The "Open and Obvious Defense" In Pothole And Other Roadway Defect Cases