Chicago Area Cyclist Left With Serious Facial Injuries From Intersection Collision In Evanston

The lean, 31 year old athlete was sitting across the conference room table from me when he felt the need to apologize for what he was about to attempt:  Eat.

I sat quietly as the young man reached into his backpack and pulled out a bottle of fruit juice along with a giant syringe.  Instead of a needle, attached to the end of the device was a thin tube about 12 inches long.  The man unscrewed the bottle top and pushed the tube deep into it.  He pulled the plunger until the barrel was filled completely with bright orange liquid.  He took the tube out of the bottle, stuck the end into his mouth then depressed the plunger.  Most of the liquid went to the back of his throat.  Some trickled down his chin.  He dabbed his swollen, scarred mouth with a napkin and looked at me.

"Sorry.  This is the only way I can 'eat'," he mumbled.  "I can't even use a straw."

Ever since the June 2nd collision that left him with eight missing front teeth, a broken jaw and a fractured cheek bone, Richard Breininger, has taken in all of his nourishment this way.  He faces many months of difficult, expensive treatment before he can hope to sink his teeth back into his favorite foods.  

The crash occurred at around 7 a.m. on a dry, pleasant morning as Mr. Breininger, an elite amateur cyclist, was riding his bicycle north along the right side of Chicago Avenue in Evanston.  When he approached the intersection with South Boulevard the controlling traffic light was green and he proceeded straight.  At the same time, a 29 year old woman driving a 2006 Toyota Corolla was proceeding south through the same intersection.  Apparently not seeing Mr. Breininger who had the right of way, she swung her vehicle to the left in an attempt to turn onto eastbound South Boulevard.  She nailed him head on.  The bike's front wheel fragmented upon impact.  Its fork was sheared clean off at the head tube.  The cyclist fared worse.  All of his front teeth splintering on impact with the car and the bones on the right side of his face shattered.  Later, in the hospital, he would find flecks of silvery paint from the car imbedded in his skin.  He was wearing a helmet, and never lost consciousness.  He was fully aware when he looked up from the pavement to see the young driver exit her vehicle talking on her cell phone.

An ambulance rushed Mr. Breininger from the scene to St. Francis Hospital nearby.  He remained there for a short time until he was taken by ambulance to Maywood and Loyola University Medical Center where he could receive a more thorough assessment of his severe injuries.  He is expected to undergo several surgeries in the coming months.

Mr. Breininger has retained our law firm to represent him.

Settlement Reached In Bicyclist's Case Against Driver Who Claimed Sun Blinded Him

The driver of an SUV, who claimed that the rising sun prevented him from seeing a bicyclist, has agreed to resolution of a claim brought by my law firm on the cyclist's behalf.  The settlement will compensate the bicyclist for his injuries and enable him to have his custom bicycle rebuilt.

At around 6:30 a.m. on August 7th the male bicyclist was riding west bound on Howard Street on his way to work.  The driver was traveling east bound on the same road when they both entered the intersection with Dodge Avenue in Evanston.  The cyclist should have been easily seen by the driver as they both traveled through the middle of the intersection.  However, the driver of the 2004 Chevy Blazer claims that the morning sun partially blinded him as he began to turn left onto north bound Dodge.  When he did he crashed hard into the left side of the bicyclist.  The impact was so heavy that the rider's left hip left an imprint in the middle of the SUV's front grill.  Unable to walk following the crash, the cyclist was taken to Resurrection St. Francis Hospital later than morning.

The weight of the impact also demolished the man's brand new, custom built Rivendell bicycle, just over a week old.  The bike has been assessed as a total loss, it's steel frame and many of its components badly damaged.

Evanston Police Officer Strikes, Injures Female Bicyclist

A female bicyclist in her twenties was struck and injured by an Evanston police officer driving a police cruiser at a high rate of speed out of an alley near the intersection of Dempster Street and Hartrey Avenue, according to a witness.  The cyclist was riding westbound along the sidewalk on the north side of Dempter Street at the time of the collision.  The police officer was driving an Evanston Police Department SUV southbound out of an alley when he struck the cyclist.  A witness reports that the officer did not stop before reaching the sidewalk.

I have been told that numerous other Evanston police officers were on the scene following the crash.  The injured cyclist has been taken to Evanston Hospital via ambulance.  Her condition is unknown.

This incident has not been reported in the media.  A witness, who does not know the cyclist, contacted me directly to report the incident.

Bicyclist Struck By Left Turning SUV Whose Driver Claims Sun Obscured His Vision

Early on a warm summer morning, a 31 year old Chicago man was riding his dream bicycle, barely a week old, on his way to work when he was hit by a left turning SUV which did not see him.  At around 6:30 a.m. on August 7th the bicyclist was riding west bound on Howard Street on his way to work.  The driver was traveling east bound on the same road when they both entered the intersection with Dodge Avenue in Evanston.  The cyclist should have been easily seen by the driver as they both traveled through the middle of the intersection.  However, the driver of the 2004 Chevy Blazer claims that the morning sun partially blinded him as he began to turn left onto north bound Dodge.  When he did he crashed hard into the left side of the bicyclist.  The impact was so heavy that the rider's left hip left an imprint in the middle of the SUV's front grill.  Unable to walk following the crash, the cyclist was taken to Resurrection St. Francis Hospital later than morning.

The weight of the impact also demolished the man's brand new, custom built Rivendell bicycle, just over a week old.  The bike has been assessed as a total loss, it's steel frame and many of its components badly damaged.  It is estimated as a $4,000 loss.

Bicyclists in Illinois traveling through an intersection have the legal right of way over left turning vehicles.  Also, motorists whose vision is obscured for any reason are required to act with caution when turning so as to avoid colliding with a bike, pedestrian or another vehicle.

My law firm has been retained to represent the bicyclist.

Avid 81 Year Old Bicyclist Killed By CTA Bus

Heart and legs pumping, at age 81 Lane Swanson, an avid cyclist, was pedaling in the bike lane on Dodge Avenue at around 10:15 a.m. on September 12th when a CTA bus collided with him.  He was pronounced dead the following afternoon at St. Francis Hospital having suffered a head injury.  TribLocal reporter, Jonathan Bullington, reports that the force of the collision cracked Mr. Swanson's bike helmet.

The cause of the accident is not entirely clear.  According to the Tribune report, Mr. Swanson was riding in the designated bike lane when he was passed by the bus.  Allegedly, a witness saw the cyclist swerve into the right side of the bus as it passed.  The vantage point of the witness has not been reported.  If he did swerve, it is not clear whether he was attempting to avoid an obstacle in the bike lane.