Driver's Attempt To Divert Blame For Darting In Front Of Lake Front Bicyclist Fails

His time in the Marine Corps toughened him, but did not prepare him for being launched headlong into the side of an SUV.  The 40 year old Chicago man suffered a separated shoulder when he collided with the side of a 2007 Ford Explorer while riding along the lake front bicycle path on November 15, 2011.  With my law firm's help, the bicyclist's claim against the driver has successfully resolved for a significant sum of money.

The collision occurred at around 11:15 a.m. near the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive where the bike path is intersected by West LaSalle Drive.  When the southbound cyclist approached the short crossing he encountered a large truck parked nearby.  Its precise location at the time was a matter of considerable controversy during the case.  It was there to repair a malfunctioning light near the intersection.  As he approached the area, the bicyclist slowed to pass in front of the truck, which was pointed east toward the lake.  Unbeknownst to him, at the same time the Explorer was crossing on the other side of the International 4300 into the area from the adjacent off ramp of North Lake Shore Drive.  West LaSalle Drive at that location serves as an entry point for North Avenue Beach's parking lot.  With the truck blocking his sight of the off-ramp, the bicyclist was unaware what was happening.  When he rounded the truck the SUV suddenly appeared.  The bicyclist struck the driver's side of the vehicle, spearing it with his helmeted head and his shoulder.  He was taken from the scene by a City of Chicago ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital nearby.

The driver of the SUV attempted to lay much of the blame for the crash on the operator the International truck.  He claimed that the truck was parked in the middle of the intersection so as to obscure view of bicycle traffic on the path, and that the operator actually waived him through causing the collision.  We conducted a thorough investigation of the incident.  The driver of the International emphatically denied that her truck was parked in the middle of the intersection.  She also denied that she waived the SUV driver through.  Further, we took the position that regardless, the SUV driver had a duty to proceed with caution across what he knew, or should have known, was a well used bicycle path.  If his view was obscured then there was all the more reason for him to proceed cautiously.  He could not transfer his responsibility to someone else.

The bicyclist lost consciousness at the crash scene.  He was placed on a backboard and in a cervical collar.  At the emergency department x-rays were performed on his pelvis and chest, and CT scans were done of his brain and cervical spine.  Thankfully, he was wearing a helmet and did not suffer a serious, permanent head injury.  However, he sustained a “grade 2 acromioclavicular separation.”  After discharge from Northwestern pain in his neck and right shoulder compelled medical follow up at the Lakeside Veterans Administrations Hospital and the Jesse Brown Veterans Administrations Medical Center.  (He was on active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1995 to 1999.)  At the VA he was noted to experience significant pain in his right shoulder and upper back that was 7 on a 10 scale with motion.  He was “having difficulty dressing, driving and lifting things.”  This was not surprising given the nature of his injury.  A Grade II separation means that the acromioclavicular ligament is completely torn and that the joint is at least partially torn with some displacement.  He was prescribed physical therapy which he underwent from mid-November until late December.  On December 30, 2011 he was finally able to see an orthopedic surgery consult.  At that time he was noted to have a “right shoulder with obvious deformity at AC joint.”  However, his healing had plateaued.  Presently, he still suffers from periodic pain in his right shoulder which waxes and wanes.  His pain increases while wearing a backpack and is impacted by the weather.  He continues to take significant doses of Motrin to help abate these flare-ups.

The bicyclist is presently enrolled in law school in Valparaiso, Indiana.

Worker's Mistake At The Lake Injures Chicago Bicyclist

A 40 year old Chicago man suffered a separated shoulder when he collided with an SUV while riding along the lake front bicycle path on November 15th.  The collision occurred at around 11:15 a.m. near the 1600 block of North Lake Shore Drive where the bike path is intersected by West LaSalle Drive.  When the southbound bicyclist, an ex-Marine, approached the short crossing, a Meade Electric truck was positioned in front of him in the middle of the crossing.  According the company's website, Meade maintains traffic lights for the City of Chicago and the Illinois Department of Transportation.  None of Meade's workers were positioned to direct or instruct southbound cyclists.  There were no safety cones, flags or signage posted directing users of the bicycle path as to how to navigate around the stopped vehicle.  The bicyclist slowed then attempted to pass in front of the truck, which was pointed east toward the lake.  Unbeknownst to him, however, a Meade employee positioned on the other side of the International 4300 had waived a motorist operating a 2007 Ford Explorer into the area from the adjacent off ramp of North Lake Shore Drive.  West LaSalle Drive at that location serves as an entry point for North Avenue Beach's parking lot.  With the truck blocking his sight of the off ramp, the bicyclist was unaware what was happening.  When he rounded the truck the SUV suddenly appeared.  The bicyclist struck the driver's side of the vehicle, spearing it with his helmeted head and his shoulder.  He was taken from the scene by a City of Chicago ambulance to Northwestern Memorial Hospital nearby.


My law firm is representing the bicyclist who was diagnosed with a separated shoulder and related injuries.  He has undergone physical therapy and is recovering.

Recumbent Bicyclist Struck By Motorist Along Lakefront Bicycle Path, Suffers Head Injury

A bicyclist on a recumbent suffered a head injury when she was struck by a motor vehicle as she crossed West Wilson Avenue along Chicago's lakefront bicycle path.  The crash occurred just before 1:00 p.m. on June 26th.  The bicyclist was traveling northbound on the path.  When she reached the intersection with Wilson Avenue she slowed when she saw a vehicle at the eastbound stop sign.  Bicycle traffic at that location is not required to stop or yield to motor vehicles and has the right of way.  The cyclist proceeded across Wilson.  As she approached the median dividing east and westbound traffic the car that had been stopped at the sign suddenly accelerated forward and crashed into her.  She was propelled from her recumbent bicycle up onto the car's hood, smashing the windshield with her helmeted head.  She was then thrown to the ground where she slid along the pavement before loosing consciousness.  She was taken via ambulance to Weiss Memorial Hospital where she received an extensive workup.

Our law firm is representing the bicyclist against the driver.  This is the second time within the last year that we have represented a bicyclist injured at West Wilson Avenue's intersection with the lakefront path.  The bicyclist continues to receive medical treatment.

Improvement Planned For Chicago Lake Front Bicycle Path

Construction is planned to start next year on a pathway near Chicago's Navy Pier that would fix one of the lake front bike path's most notorious pinch points, according to Crain's Chicago Business. Additional funding is still needed, but the city has applied for the necessary $13.7 million in federal money that has been set aside for projects that may reduce the number of cars on the road, the article said.

This would be a most welcome change. Anyone who has ridden the lake front path near Navy Pier and over the Chicago River knows how treacherous it becomes there. Bicyclists, joggers, pedestrians and inline skaters are now required to squeeze through a pretty small area. Redesigning and fixing that part of the path is a no-brainer in order to make the lake front safer and more enjoyable.