As a Chicago personal injury lawyer, I understand that every time you place yourself in the vicinity of automobiles an accident can happen. Just this week a Chicago woman who lived in the Brighton Park area was killed after a car struck her as she unloaded groceries from her car. The victim was doing something many of Chicago residents to everyday. She parked her car and was loading or removing packages from her trunk. It is estimated that may accidents occur in the close proximity of one's home. The accident victim was identified as Tina Ramirez. She was 40 yrs. old and resided in Chicago. She died from the serious injuries suffered from the accident.

The driver of the car that struck Ramirez was ticketed for failure to reduce speed and failure to take due care of a pedestrian. According to the Illinois Rules of the Road, motor vehicle operator needs to take caution when in areas of high pedestrian traffic. This includes driving through the car lines streets of Chicago.

As an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer knows there are many driver errors that cause accidents, the number one cause is disregarding pedestrians entering a crosswalk. Drivers today are in a hurry and sometimes feel that they can beat a pedestrian through a crosswalk. Other times drivers are trying to beat a traffic control signal before it changes status. They speed through or disregard the traffic Control signals. Many times a driver can be fatigued or distracted while driving. Many times I see drivers doing various activities while driving that can distract them. Many are talking or texting, eating and some are putting on makeup. The others just have a blatant disregard for the safety of other and are drunk or drugged while driving.

When a pedestrian is struck by an automobile it carries a high potential for serious or catastrophic injuries. It's man vs. automobile. More often than not the automobile wins. As a pedestrian there are some common simple tips that may help you avoid a collision with a motor vehicle. When entering a crosswalk be alert and attentive. I see many pedestrians walking and texting or talking on their call phones. This very activity takes their eyes of the road, making them an easy target for a distracted driver. Please hold the calls for a time when you are not walking.

Pedestrians should avoid entering a crosswalk, when the traffic control signal indicates no walking. Many times pedestrians are in hurry, and try to beat the light. Just as a car should exhibit extreme caution, so should a pedestrian. As pedestrians we need to take the necessary steps to avoid car crashes. Remain alert and attentive while walking on the Chicago streets. This may save your life!

Source: Woman dies when vehicle hits her as she was loading car trunk, Chicago Tribune, October 6