Thursday, December 6, 2012

Keating Law Offices Retained to Represent Victim of Lincoln Park Hit-and-Run

The attorneys at Keating Law Offices have been retained to represent a bicyclist who was the victim of a hit-and-run bicycle accident in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. The incident occurred during the afternoon this last 4th of July. The victimized bicyclist was heading eastbound on Fullerton near the intersection of Lincoln Avenue and Halsted Street. The high number of designated bike lanes in this area of Lincoln Park makes it one of most popular bike routes for those using bicycles to commute to work and riders connecting to Chicago’s Lakefront path.

According to witnesses, a car was traveling eastbound on Fullerton when the driver suddenly veered right into the bike lane and directly hit the bicyclist and caused the bike crash. The collision with the car immediately knocked the cyclist to the ground where she hit the curb. The hit from the car and impact with the curb left her with multiple injuries, including a knee injury that has required physical therapy as part of her recovery.
Witnesses reported that as the bicyclist lay injured on the side of the road, the driver of the car fled the scene without stopping to check on the bicyclist. Fortunately, many bystanders came to the aide of the bicyclist and were able to identify the car that hit her. After the alleged driver was located by the Chicago Police Department, he was issued three citations, including failure to report an accident. The attorneys at Keating Law Offices recently assisted the bicyclist as she appeared at traffic court as part of the criminal case against her alleged hit-and-run driver. This was particularly beneficial to the client as the offending driver was unruly in court and taken away by the sheriff's deputy acting as the court's bailiff.
This case is a reminder that even with protection from designated bike lanes, bicyclists in Chicago are still too often the victims of careless or inattentive drivers. Any motorist, like the alleged driver in this case, who hits a cyclist in Chicago and causes physical injuries to the rider or damage to a bike may face both criminal and civil penalties. Under Section 09-56-010 of the Chicago Municipal Code:
The operator of a vehicle involved in any accident resulting in injury to or death of any person or in property damage to an apparent extent of $250.00 or more, if such operator is physically capable of doing so, shall immediately report such accident to the police department.

The attorneys at Keating Law Offices have vast experience representing bicyclists who are victims of hit-and-runs as they pursue justice against the drivers who injured them. If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving Illinois personal injury law, please contact Illinois Bicycle Attorney Mike Keating — by calling 312-208-7702 or emailing him at MKeating@KeatingLegal.com — 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. All emails and phone calls are returned promptly. All initial consultations are confidential and free.