Category: Pedestrian Accidents

Parking lots usually are not settings for serious pedestrian accidents. However, since August (2019) there have been at least three fatal pedestrian accidents that occurred in Chicago-area parking lots.

Two of those fatal pedestrian accidents that occurred in parking lots have been previously summarized on this site. The first post was “Parking Lot Accidents That Cause Injuries And Other Harm” which summarized an August 2019 fatal pedestrian accident in Forest Park.

The second post summarized the December 4, 2019 Orland Park fatal accident. That post was titled “Parking Lot Pedestrian Accidents That Cause Serious Injuries.” In that accident, one woman was fatally, and another woman was injured after a car struck them from behind.

Another accident occurring in parking lots happened on Tuesday morning, November 26, 2019. In this pedestrian accident, a 70-year-old man was fatally injured when he was struck by a City of Chicago tow truck.

Details on the reason for this accident appear limited at this time. An excerpt, from the November 26, 2019 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Man, 70, fatally struck by city tow truck in O’Hare Airport parking lot“:

The man was was hit by a city tow truck driven by a 26-year-old man about 8:45 a.m. in parking lot D at Terminal 5, according to Chicago fire and police spokespeople.

Police said the man was not in a crosswalk or designated walking area.

The man hit was taken to Lutheran General Hospital for treatment of his accident injuries. He was pronounced dead shortly after.

The accident investigation is being conducted by the Chicago Police Major Accident Investigation Unit.

Additional details regarding these fatal pedestrian accidents that have recently occurred in parking lots can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

For those that have been hit by a vehicle, there are various steps that should be immediately taken. Those steps address both medical and legal issues.

Parking lot pedestrian accidents can cause injuries. Parking lot pedestrian accidents usually don’t cause serious injuries, primarily because the vehicles are typically traveling at lower speeds at the time of the accident. However, if the vehicle, for whatever reason, is traveling at a higher speed, or other risk factors are present, the vehicle striking the pedestrian can cause serious accident injuries.

A fatal Forest Park parking lot accident occurred on August 16. That accident was summarized in the August 19, 2019 post titled “Parking Lot Accidents That Cause Injuries And Other Harm.” In that accident, a woman was fatally struck in the Forest Park Plaza parking lot. The woman died after being taken to the hospital for medical treatment.

Parking lot pedestrian accidents can involve “hit & run” drivers. This was the case in the December 4, 2019 fatal Orland Park parking lot accident. In this accident, one woman was fatally struck and another woman was injured. This accident occurred while the women were walking to their cars after being at the Square Celt Ale House & Grill at the Orland Square Mall.

The two women hit were identified as Rone (Margaret) Leja, 61, and Elizabeth Kosteck. 54. Margaret Leja was pronounced dead after being taken to Silver Cross Hospital; Elizabeth Kosteck was treated for her accident injuries and released.

Additional details regarding parking lot pedestrian accidents can be seen in various media sources, including the December 6 Orland Park Patch article titled “Fatal Orland Park Hit-And-Run Driver In Custody: Police.”

Any time a person is hit by a vehicle, there are various steps that should be taken. These steps involve both medical issues as well as legal issues. Due to the typical severity of pedestrian accident injuries, these steps are very important, and should be attended to as soon as possible following the accident. The subject of pedestrian accidents and “what to do” after being hit by a vehicle is discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

As seen in Cook County pedestrian crashes summarized on this site, pedestrian crashes can lead to a range of serious accident injuries. These injuries can vary both in type and severity. Many such injuries are serious enough to be 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.

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 costs that accompany the injury. The medical bills and other financial issues that often occur can place financial pressures on those hurt during an accident.

The Elman Law Group has handled many lawsuits concerning Cook County 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.

Parking lot accidents have the potential to cause serious injuries. While, in most cases, vehicles move at slower speeds, there are many opportunities for accidents to occur. In many cases there is limited visibility, such as when a vehicle is backing up, as well as many vehicles and pedestrians in a limited space.

Fatal parking lot accidents in the Chicago area remain rare. However, there was such a fatal incident on Friday, August 16, 2019. This parking lot pedestrian accident occurred in Forest Park.

This fatal pedestrian accident is discussed in various media sources, including the August 19, 2019 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Woman, 67, fatally struck by vehicle in Forest Park Plaza parking lot.”

An excerpt from the article:

Shortly before 3 p.m. on Aug. 16, the 67-year-old woman was walking east across the Lathrop Avenue exit and entrance drive of Forest Park Plaza, 7600 Roosevelt Rd., when she was hit by a vehicle that was turning onto the drive to exit the lot, according to Forest Park police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

She was taken to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where she died hours later, the medical examiner’s office said. She lived in Forest Park.

A subsequent autopsy indicated that the woman died from multiple injuries caused by a vehicle striking a pedestrian.

The accident remains under investigation.

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in a variety of media sources, including that seen above.

Pedestrian accidents of all types can result in a broad range of accident injuries that vary in severity. On this site, many Cook County pedestrian accidents have been summarized in posts found under the “Pedestrian Accidents” category. As well, the topic of pedestrian accidents, as well as what to do if you are hit by a vehicle, is discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

There are a significant number of Cook County pedestrian accidents that happen as the pedestrian is walking in a crosswalk.  While, in theory, a crosswalk should allow a person to safely walk across the street, for many reasons the safe passage of the pedestrian may not occur.  Driver distraction, as well as other factors such as the driver “not seeing” the person walking across the street, can contribute to the possibility that the pedestrian will be hit by the vehicle.

Various aspects of the possibility of a person being hit while they walk in a crosswalk – as well as statistics concerning accidents that occur in crosswalks – are further discussed on the “Chicago Pedestrian Accidents That Happen While The Person Is Walking In A Crosswalk” and “Safety Concerns Posed By People Attempting To Walk In Crosswalks” posts.

As often discussed on this site – and as seen in the pedestrian accidents that have been summarized – when a person is hit by a vehicle it often is highly physically traumatic for the pedestrian, and the collision can lead to a range of serious accident injuries.  In many instances such injuries have led to the death of the pedestrian.

There was a fatal Chicago pedestrian accident Sunday (September 16, 2018) afternoon in Chicago’s Scottsdale neighborhood.  The accident occurred as a woman was walking in a crosswalk.

According to information provided by Chicago Police, and summarized in various media sources including the September 19, 2018 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Woman, 87, fatally struck in crosswalk on South Side”  – the accident happened in the 8300 block of South Tripp.  At approximately 1:50 p.m., a 75-year-old male driver who was driving northbound struck the woman.

The woman hit was identified as Alvina Santillan, 87.  An excerpt from the Sun-Times article:

Santillan was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where she died the following day, authorities said. An autopsy Wednesday found she died from a head injury she suffered in the crash and her death was ruled an accident. She lived about a block away from where she was struck.

Police said the driver remained at the scene after hitting Santillan and has not been charged or issued citations.

Additional details and discussion regarding these pedestrian accidents that happen while the person is walking in a crosswalk can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Various aspects of Cook County pedestrian accidents – including what to do if you are hit by a vehicle – are further discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

Pedestrian safety continues to be a substantial traffic safety concern.  As seen in Chicago area pedestrian accidents, many of which have been summarized on this site, when someone has been hit by a vehicle a range of serious accident injuries can result from the collision.  In many cases these injuries are life-threatening in nature and many have led to the death of the pedestrian.

After pedestrian accidents, lawsuits are often filed in instances where the motorist was at fault.  While there are many reasons why personal injury lawsuits may be filed, one of the primary reasons is that those injured seek to recover medical costs and other expenses that have been incurred due to the accident injuries.  In an accident leading to a fatality, a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed.

Recently there have been incidents in which pedestrians have been hit in Chicago.  One was a fatal pedestrian accident in the Belmont Terrace neighborhood.  Another was a pedestrian accident in the Cragin neighborhood in which a 4-year-old boy suffered various injuries including a fractured skull.

According to Chicago Police, the collision which involved the boy occurred on Wednesday (June 6, 2018) evening in the 5000 block of West Montana Street.  In this accident the boy was in critical condition, and was taken to Illinois Masonic Hospital for treatment of his fractured skull and other injuries.  The accident is further discussed in the June 6, 2018 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “4-year-old boy struck by vehicle, seriously injured in Cragin.”

According to Chicago Police, the fatal pedestrian accident in the Belmont Terrace neighborhood happened early Tuesday (June 5, 2018) evening.  Details on this accident appear limited.  However, the accident happened in the 8300 block of West Belmont.  The man who was struck was identified as Paul J. Gunia, 61.  He died from his accident injuries the next day.  The accident is discussed in the June 11, 2018 Chicago Sun-Times article titled “Pedestrian fatally struck by vehicle on Northwest Side.”

Additional details and possible updates can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

Accidents often happen during and after a police chase.  Many times, the vehicle being pursued is traveling at unsafe speeds and in a reckless manner as the driver attempts to flee from police.  There have been many Chicago accidents which have occurred that have involved drivers attempting to elude police.

There was another instance of such a crash happening in the Chicago area on Thursday (May 10, 2018) evening.  In this instance, one pedestrian was fatally struck by a speeding car and another pedestrian was injured by the same car.   At the time of the accidents, the car was attempting to flee from Chicago Police during a traffic stop.

According to Chicago Police, the fatal pedestrian accident happened on Chicago’s South Side, at 79th Street and Lafayette. The woman who was killed was identified as the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office as Julia Callaway, 55, of Chicago.

In addition to Julia Callaway being hit by the car, a 30-year-old man was also hit at the same intersection.  He received medical treatment at the accident scene.

At the time of the collision, the car was reportedly traveling at a high speed, with some media accounts saying the car was going 80 mph.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this fatal Chicago pedestrian accident that involved a police chase can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the May 11, 2018 abc7chicago.com article (with video) titled “Woman killed in South Side chase, crash was picking up granddaughter from daycare, husband says” as well as the May 10 CBS Chicago article (with video) titled “1 Pedestrian Injured, 1 Dead In Traffic Crash.”

Pedestrian accidents continue occur in the Chicago area on a regular basis.   Pedestrian accidents are particularly notable as the person hit usually is hurt, and there is a wide range of seriously injuries that can result.  As seen in various individual pedestrian accidents summarized on this site, many of these injuries become life-threatening in nature, and some prove to be fatal.

Various aspects of Cook County pedestrian accidents – including what to do if you are hit by a vehicle – are further discussed on the “Cook County Pedestrian Accidents” page.

A man was struck by a vehicle on Friday (March 2, 2018) in the Austin Neighborhood on Chicago’s West Side, and was critically injured.

Details on the accident appear to be limited at this time.  However, the man struck was 51 years old.

An excerpt regarding the accident, as seen in the March 2, 2018 Chicago Tribune article titled “Pedestrian in critical condition after being struck on West Side“:

Details were scarce, but the man was hit shortly after 2:05 p.m. near Lamon and Chicago avenues in the Austin Neighborhood, according to a Chicago Fire Department spokesman.

He was taken in critical condition to Stroger Hospital, he said.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this Chicago pedestrian accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above.

There was a pedestrian accident Tuesday (February 20, 2018) in Winnetka.  The accident involved a woman being struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Green Bay Road and Elm Street.

According to Winnetka Police, the accident happened at 6:00 p.m.  At the time of the crash, the pedestrian, a 55-year-old woman, was crossing the street.  She was then struck by the vehicle driven by a 62-year-old man from Glencoe.

The woman suffered injuries that were described as serious injuries, and she was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment.

The accident remains under investigation.

Additional details and possible updates concerning this pedestrian accident can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the Daily North Shore article of February 22, 2018 titled “Woman Injured in Winnetka Crash.”

On this site, accidents in which people have been hit by vehicles are summarized in posts under the “Pedestrian Accidents” category.  Additionally, the broader subject of pedestrian accidents – as well as what to do if you have been hit by a vehicle – are discussed on the following two pages:

“Cook County Pedestrian Accidents”

“Chicago Pedestrian Accidents”

As well, because many serious pedestrian accidents occur while people are walking “with the light” in crosswalks, this subject is discussed on the “Accidents That Happen Within Crosswalks” page.

As discussed on those pages, it is common for those who are hit by vehicles to suffer serious if not life-threatening accident injuries.  Due to the severity of the accident injuries, as well as the possibility of injuries occurring that may not be immediately apparent, it is very important to have a thorough medical exam as soon as possible after being in an accident.  Injuries that may occur that may not be immediately apparent include traumatic brain injuries (TBI) as well as internal bleeding.

Additional information concerning these injury topics can be seen in the sources mentioned above.

There was an accident involving a woman who was hit by a car in Glenview on Saturday morning (November 25, 2017).  At the time of the accident the woman was standing at a bus stop.

An excerpt regarding the accident, as seen in the Chicago Sun-Times article of November 25, 2017 titled “Woman, 24, injured when crash forces car into Glenview bus stop“:

A Nissan Maxima was speeding east on Golf Road about 7:10 a.m. near Washington Street when it rear-ended a Ford Taurus, according ot Cook County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Sophia Ansari.

The crash forced the Taurus onto the sidewalk and into a bus stop, where it hit the 24-year-old woman, Ansari said. She was taken to a hospital and her condition was stabilized.

The driver of the Nissan was later identified as Ted Ramos, 47, of Glenview.

According to the article mentioned above, he “was taken into custody and charged with DUI and cited for failure to reduce speed, failure to carry or display a driver’s license and operating a motor vehicle without insurance…”

Additional details and possible updates concerning this accident in which a woman was hit by a car can be seen in a variety of media sources, including the article mentioned above as well as the November 25 abc7chicago.com article titled “Woman, 24, injured when crash forces car into Glenview bus stop.”