Illinois Bicycle Lawyers

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Michael Keating

Latest from Illinois Bicycle Lawyers

Another Chicago-area cyclist has been killed in a hit-and-run. This most recent tragedy unfolded this past Tuesday in Elgin when a reckless driver struck and killed one cyclist and left another critically injured. According to the Chicago Tribune and the Elgin Police Department, the shocking timeline began around 4 pm near East Chicago and Villa Court when the driver, Lance C. Neal of Elgin, IL struck his first victim. That victim was able to flag down police in the area who then pursued Neal. As police attempted to stop him, Neal fled at a high rate of speed. Unfortunately,…
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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…
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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…
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“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…
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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…
Nearly two years after a driver struck and killed an Illinois bicyclist, the driver who originally fled the scene is facing the criminal justice system. According to news reports, the Barrington Hills police department along with the Major Crash Assistance Team of Lake County located and identified the driver of a hit-and-run fatal bicycle collision that took place in Barrington Hills, Illinois on May 11, 2018.  28-year old Rafal Ryndak of Schiller Park died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash. The driver has been identified as Tommy Walker III. With assistance of the Cook County’s states…
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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.…
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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…
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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…
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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…
The Chicago Tribune posted a series of Letters to the Editor entitled “Letters: In light of death, how cyclists can ride smarter.” The letters unfortunately reflect many of the misguided and inaccurate sentiments that have long plagued cyclists. Despite the hundreds of miles of bicycle lanes in Chicago and the specific sections of the Chicago Municipal Code and the Illinois Vehicle Code that serve to protect bicyclists, there are those that any crash is in some way the cyclist’s fault.  And apparently the Chicago Tribune thinks a fair summary is all cyclists should be riding “smarter,” which would imply…
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The driver of a dump truck who struck a bicyclist when turning from southeast bound Milwaukee Avenue onto Kilbourn Avenue has been issued two traffic citations by the Chicago Police Department. The two citations stem from the fatal crash which occurred early Wednesday morning. The police officers that originally arrived at the scene did not issue citations, but it appears that after the Major Accidents Investigation Unit became involved and additional details emerged that the traffic citations were issued. The driver of the dump truck was issued a citation for negligent driving and another for an improper right turn.  “Negligent…
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A 37-year old Chicago bicyclist has been killed in an apparent “right hook” at the intersection of Milwaukee Avenue and Kimball Avenue on the city’s northwest side. According to news reports, the bicyclist was riding southeast on Milwaukee Avenue when she was struck by a dump truck as its driver turned right onto Kilbourn Avenue.  This section of Milwaukee Avenue contains marked bike lanes on both sides of Milwaukee Avenue and the adjacent section of Kilbourn that runs parallel to the railroad tracks. Metra’s Grayland station and Schurz High School are near this intersection and there is near constant bicycle…
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Keating Law Offices, a Chicago-based personal injury firm that devotes part of its practice to representing victims of bicycle collisions, is proud to be the title sponsor of the Keating Law Offices Illinois State Cyclocross Championship. The state championships will be held on Saturday, November 9, 2019 in Woodstock, Illinois. Cyclocross is the fastest growing bicycle discipline in the country and has seen exponential growth over the past decade. The sport is especially popular in Illinois where fall and winter climates are perfect for the races over fields and hills. The Illinois Bicycle Lawyers at Keating Law Offices take great…
July 1, 2019 is a notable day in the history of transportation in Illinois. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law a bill that puts $45 billion towards state construction projects. Within that $45 billion is $50 million annually toward projects for pedestrians and bicyclists. This is a massive victory by the Active Transportation Alliance, other advocacy groups, and the legislators who worked to get the bill passed and on the governor’s desk. The funding will work towards efforts to increase bike ridership and public transportation use across Illinois. The additional resources will substantially increase the size of the Illinois Transportation…
Starting July 1, 2019 drivers in Illinois will automatically be ticketed if caught texting, looking at social media, or even holding their phone while talking. Under the previous version of the law a police officer had the authority to issue a warning to a driver. Not any more. Now a police officer who catches someone using their phone in any way other than hands free is required to issue a traffic citation.  And it is not just phones. Here’s what Illinois law says about all the devices that are banned:  “Electronic communication device” means an electronic device, including but not limited…