The City of Chicago has garnered a great deal of attention for its efforts in making Chicago more friendly to cyclists. A large part of the city’s efforts have been in enacting new laws designed to try and protect bicyclists. What is interesting is that one of the most explicit laws in Illinois is nearly forty years old. On August 12, 1981 Public Act 82-132 became law when it amended the Illinois Vehicle Code. It stated: Every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any person operating a bicycle or other device propelled by human …
Continue Reading The Duty of "Due Care" in the Chicago Municipal Code and Illinois Vehicle Code

A female Chicago bicyclist was struck by a City of Chicago as she turned from Milwaukee Avenue onto Belmont in the Avondale neighborhood. This tragically appears to be yet another “right hook” collision involving a Chicago bicyclist and a commercial truck. Most troubling is the fact that the truck was a City of Chicago Department of Transportation dump truck. A “right hook” where a vehicle turns right across a bicyclist to the right of the vehicle is always illegal in the city of Chicago. The action by the truck driver in this instance is most concerning because there is a street…
Continue Reading Chicago Cyclist Critically Injured in Right Hook Crash with City of Chicago Truck

A man cycling in north suburban Waukegan was fatally struck this past Thursday at the 3600 block of North Lewis Avenue, local news sources report. Officers were called at around 11:30p.m. and arrived to find an injured man lying on the road. After being transported to the hospital, he was pronounced dead. Investigators believe the man is in his 20s or 30s, was riding his bicycle and was struck by a dark-colored sedan. A survey of the area shows that it is a busy stretch, with Wesley Free Methodist Church and a Travelodge Hotel along the route. It is…
Continue Reading Waukegan Police Search For Vehicle Involved in Fatal Hit-and-Run of Bicyclist

“Bicyclist Safety on US Roadways: Crash Risks and Countermeasures”The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) published a recent report to bring society up to speed regarding its interpretation of bicyclists’ safety in the United States. While increased access to bicycles and reliance on them as a main mode of transportation brings numerous positives to the community, such as awareness of cyclists’ rights on the roadway, unfortunately it also brings serious negatives such as heightened rates of serious personal injuries and deaths of bicyclists. The report cites that “since 2017, 806 bicyclists died in collisions with motor vehicles which was comparable to…
Continue Reading National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Details "Countermeasures" to Address Bicyclist Injuries and Deaths

A bicyclist has lost their life as a result of injuries sustained in a collision with a semi-truck near  Mahomet, Illinois in Champaign County. According to reports, David Powell was killed when he was struck by a semi-truck driver who failed to provide the legally required distance when passing the bicyclist. The crash occurred on Friday around 9:30 a.m. when 46-year old David Powell was bicycling northbound on Illinois 47. This roadway is frequently used by bicyclists as it is just north of the Lake Of The Woods Bike Path. The roadway is one way in each direction. At the same…
Continue Reading Illinois Bicyclist Loses Life In Crash With Semi-Truck in Mahomet, Illinois

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has announced that his Executive Order or what is otherwise known as the “Stay In Place Order” will continue through April of 2020. At this juncture, it is fair to say the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic remain largely unknown. Looking at the short-term, there stands to be financial impacts on most Illinois residents and businesses. The anxiety surrounding one’s personal expenses will continue to rise the longer the uncertain financial times remain. As financial stresses persist, the risk increases substantially that Illinois motorist’s insurance premiums will go unpaid causing policies to lapse.
Continue Reading Underinsured/Uninsured Motorist Insurance Coverage: One-Way Bicyclists Can Provide Certainty In Otherwise Uncertain Times

On March 20, 2020 Illinois Governor JB Pritzker issued an “Executive Order In Response to COVID-19.” What has been commonly referred to as the “Stay In Place Order” also details requirements for social distancing and outlines when certain activities are permissible. Governor Pritzker’s power to take this extreme action stems from the powers vested in him as Governor of the State of Illinois under the Illinois Emergency Management Agency Act. This Act allows Governor Pritzker to issue a “Gubernatorial Disaster Proclamation” and take immediate action without any laws being first passed by the Illinois Senate and the…
Continue Reading Can I Ride My Bike? The Role of Bicycling Under Governor JB Pritzker’s “Stay In Place” Order

CHICAGO, IL (January 30, 2020) – All of the attorneys at Keating Law Offices have been named to the 2020 Illinois Super Lawyers and Illinois Rising Stars list. Super Lawyers makes its selections with a patented multi-phase selection process that evaluates each candidate on twelve indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement on an annual basis. Of all the attorneys in Illinois, only 5% of attorneys receive the distinction of being a Super Lawyer and only 2.5% of attorneys in Illinois receive the Rising Star designation. Keating Law Offices’ founder Michael Keating was named a 2020 Illinois Super Lawyer. Senior Associate…
Continue Reading All Keating Law Offices Attorneys Named Super Lawyers for 2020

The annual Chicago Winter Bike Rally is again presented by the bicycle lawyers at Keating Law Offices. The Winter Bike Rally is one of the Active Transportation Alliance’s events to celebrate cycling in Chicago. The Winter Bike Rally is Friday, January 24 from 7:00am to 9:00am in Daley Plaza. 

This year’s weather is looking better than 2019’s sub-zero temperatures yet brisk enough to proudly show your commitment to year round bike commuting. Keating Law Offices will have swag bags of winter Chicago Bike Flag gear for the first 100 winter warriors who ride to the event. 

Keating Law Offices is the premiere personal injury…
Continue Reading Keating Law Offices Presents the 2020 Winter Bike Rally