Bicycle Accidents

March 16, 2020

COVID-19 and our current business operations

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission announced a suspension of business to limit the effect of the COVID-19 virus. This suspension of operations is in effect until 3/31/2020 when the situation will be re-evaluated. Here is the link to the Commission’s announcement: ⁣

http://www.iwcc.il.gov/ ⁣

Unfortunately, no hearings nor docket calls will take place during this period. In order to comply with the order of Governor Pritzker, the law firm will not be traveling to the union halls for interviewing at least through the end of March. However, your Katz Friedman lawyers are working hard for you and remain available to take telephone calls. Our office is open with a reduced non-lawyer staff to insure we make progress on each and every case.⁣

June 21, 2018

Appellate Court Allows a Bicyclist Injured in a Race to Pursue a Taiwanese Bike Manufacturer in Illinois

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

There can be many different reasons why you are involved in a bicycle accident. Perhaps your accident was the fault of a negligent driver, a negligent property owner, or some shortcoming in your bicycle itself. Regardless of who is at fault, you need a knowledgeable Illinois bike accident lawyer fighting for you to make sure that yours is a solid case against all of those responsible for the harm you’ve suffered. If your case involves a defective bike, you may have to pursue multiple different defendants, some of whom may be based in far-off locations.

In one recent case, the plaintiff, Janet, was a woman from Illinois who intended to participate in The Register’s Great Bicycle Race Across Iowa. In preparation for the race, she took her Giant bicycle, which she purchased from an authorized Giant retailer in Illinois, to an Illinois shop (which was another authorized Giant retailer) for a tune-up and inspection.

Janet started but never finished the race across Iowa. During the event, the front fiber fork of the bicycle broke. This breakdown caused Janet to fall and suffer injuries. When you’re injured in a bicycle accident, there may be multiple different avenues for recovering the damages that you suffered. If your fall was a result of a path or route that was not properly maintained, you may be entitled to seek recovery from the owner or operator/manager of the bike path upon which you fell, as some Chicago bicyclists recently did.

July 13, 2017

Illinois Appeals Court Affirms Judgment and $1.8M Damages Award for Family of Deceased Bicyclist

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

In a personal injury case, you’ll likely need a variety of types of evidence to support your claims. This might include expert opinions, eyewitness testimony, document evidence, and photographic evidence. In the recent wrongful death case of a Chicago-area bicyclist, the bicyclist’s family had all of these things. With this substantial evidence backing up the plaintiffs’ case, the Illinois Appellate Court ruled that the trial court was not unreasonable in finding for the plaintiffs and awarding $1.875 million in damages.

May 2, 2017

Two Chicago-Area Bicyclists Win Appeals in Riding Trail Injury Cases

by Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, PC

In two separate cases involving very similar sets of facts, two different Northern Illinois bicyclists won their respective appeals and got renewed opportunities to pursue compensation for the harm they suffered after they fell while riding along bike paths in the greater Chicago area. In both cases, the plaintiffs’ appeals succeeded because the government entities that owned and were responsible for maintaining the paths were not immune from suit under Illinois statutes.