Bicyclist On Irving Park Road Struck By Motorist Attempting to "Beat" Red Light

View Larger MapThe Illinois Bicycle Lawyers at Keating Law Offices have been retained to represent a Chicago bicyclist who was severely injured in a collision on Irving Park and Kedzie on September 5th. The bicyclist was riding on Irving Park and entered the intersection with Kedzie with the right of way. At the same time, the driver of a car entered the intersection on Kedzie at a high rate of speed and struck the bicyclist. Witnesses at the scene stated that it appeared the motorist was trying to "beat" the red light. Unfortunately, the driver's judgment was completely wrong and he entered the intersection on a red light.

The front of the car struck the bicyclist directly and threw the bicyclist onto the car where his body shattered the windshield. The bicyclist was then thrown to the pavement of the roadway. The Chicago Police Department and the Chicago Fire Department responded to the scene. The bicyclist was stabilized at the scene, placed on a backboard, and transported to the trauma center at Illinois Masonic Hospital. The bicyclist was diagnosed with a dislocated elbow, a fractured pelvis, a fractured ankle, and a head injury that left fluid on his brain. His injuries were so severe that the bicyclist remained hospitalized for three full days following the collision.

Unfortunately, bicycle crashes involving drivers failing to yield at intersections are not uncommon in Chicago. According to the Chicago Department of Transportation, approximately 55% of all Chicago bicycle crashes occur at intersections. Moreover, 40% of all Chicago bicycle crashes occur as a result of a motorists' failure to yield. Unfortunately, this  recent collision is on point with these trends, as the motorist in this collision completely failed to obey the traffic signal and stuck our client in an intersection. This collision and existing data confirm that motorists need to be hyper-aware when approaching an intersection for bicyclists lawfully sharing the road. It is also important to note that the Illinois Rules of Road require a motorist to slow down at an intersection, even if there is a green light. In other words, there is never a situation where it is lawful or safe to speed up through an intersection. This is a very clear example of how bicyclists and other vulnerable users of the roadway are put at risk when motorists fail to adhere to the Rules of the Road.



Keating Law Offices is the premiere law firm handling claims and lawsuits stemming from bicycle collisions and crashes in the State of Illinois. The firm is also a national leader in the emerging field of bicycle litigation. The firm's commitment to injured bicyclists is simple: We will assist ANYONE injured while bicycling ANYWHERE in Illinois at ANYTIME. If you have any questions regarding this post or an issue involving Illinois personal injury law, please do not hesitate to contact Illinois Bicycle Lawyer Mike Keating at 312-239-6787 (Business Hours) or  312-208-7702 (24/7) or at MKeating@KeatingLegal.com. All emails and phone calls are returned promptly. Keating Law Offices offers free, no obligation consultations to injured bicyclists. There are never any attorneys' fees or expenses unless the firm is able to make a recovery on your behalf.