The firm scored highly on more than 25 variables across five categories where the results were then hand-analyzed to select the best Chicago bicycle accident lawyers in each region. This selection criteria includes measuring the Availability, Credibility, Experience, Professionalism, and Reputation of each firm.

Clifford Law Offices attorneys have significant experience handling serious bicycle accident claims and have done extensive work to advocate for cyclist safety in Chicago.

The firm has also been named to the following Expertise.com lists for 2024:

• Car Accident Lawyers
• Litigation Attorneys
• Motorcycle Accident Lawyers
• Personal Injury Attorneys
• Truck Accident Lawyers
• Medical Malpractice Lawyers

Click here to learn more about Clifford Law Offices’ expertise, reputation, and results.

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Elizabeth Grace “Lily” Shambrook was killed in June when she was bike riding with her dad and mom who were forced into the traffic lane by a Commonwealth Edison (COMED) truck that was blocking the marked bicycle lane near the intersection of Leland and Winthrop avenues. A Mondelez 18-wheeler was next to the COMED truck at a busy intersection where construction work was going on at Winthrop.

Among the defendants are COMED, Mondelez, Penske, and the City of Chicago. The complaint filed in the Law Division of the Cook County Circuit Court alleges negligence on the part of the corporations and their drivers, as well as willful and wanton misconduct on the part of the city. COMED was issued a city permit that specifically stated the company was allowed to stage vehicles and equipment on the adjoining street, Winthrop, yet the large utility truck was parked on Leland.

Lily’s parents, Tim Shambrook and Kate Snow, are devastated by the loss of their daughter and are determined to make the biking community safer so their little girl’s death wasn’t in vain.

In December 2022, the Chicago City Council passed an ordinance, introduced by Ald. Andre Vasquez of the 40th Ward in Uptown, that requires signage advising that a bike lane is closed when a city permit or any type of ongoing work results in the closure of the bike lane. It also requires signage warning vehicles to yield to bicyclists. The new ordinance also empowers employees of the city’s Department of Finance to ticket, tow, and impound vehicles driving, standing, or parking in bike lanes.

Just weeks after Lily’s death, the City of Chicago announced an aggressive plan to construct concrete barriers along every bike lane by the end of 2023 that would be similar to a curb so as to prevent drivers from even entering bicycle lanes.

Clifford Law Offices, in Chicago, is representing Lily’s parents by investigating what occurred at about 8:15 a.m. on June 9, 2022, on Leland, a designated Greenway.

“The City of Chicago issued a permit to COMED without adequate concern for the size and amount of heavy equipment that would be brought into the neighborhood, or where their vehicles actually would be parked,” said Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of the firm. “We all co-exist in a society where it takes cooperation and concern for others who need to do their jobs to ensure that senseless tragedies like this cease. That concern was missing here. The flagrant and repeated disregard for the safety of bicyclists and lack of respect for designated bike lanes by operators of trucks and vehicles create deadly hazards that simply cannot be tolerated.”

Press Conference 3 P.M. Tuesday, January 17, 2023

CLIFFORD LAW OFFICES WILL BE HOLDING A PRESS CONFERENCE TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, AT 3:00 P.M. AT THE FIRM, 120 N. LASALLE ST., 36th FLOOR, CHICAGO. ATTORNEYS WILL BE ON HAND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND WILL PRESENT VARIOUS EXHIBITS INCLUDING AN ANIMATION DEPICTING THE DANGEROUS CONDITIONS THAT EXISTED ON THE MORNING OF LILY’S DEATH. A STATEMENT FROM THE FAMILY ALSO WILL BE MADE AVAILABLE. THE FOUNDER OF BIKE LANE UPRISING, CHRISTINA WHITEHOUSE, A PROMINENT ORGANIZATION BASED IN CHICAGO, ALSO WILL BE ON HAND TO DISCUSS BIKE SAFETY ISSUES IN CHICAGO.

For further information, please contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).

MEDIA

• Photo of Lily
• Photo of Shambrook Family
• Shambrook Family Complaint
• Shambrook Family Statement
• Animation of Location of Death of Three-Year-Old on Bike in Chicago
• Footage of press conference held on January 17, 2023

The post Clifford Law Files Case in Death of Three-Year-Old on Bike; COMED and City of Chicago Among Defendants appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Lily’s parents, Tim Shambrook and Kate Snow are devastated by the loss of their daughter and are determined to make the biking community safer so their little’s girl’s death wasn’t in vain.

Alderman Andre Vasquez of the 40th Ward introduced the new regulation at December 14th’s City Council meeting that requires signage advising that a bike lane is closed when a city permit or any type of ongoing work results in the closure of the bike lane. It also requires signage warning vehicles to yield to bicyclists. The new ordinance also empowers employees of the city’s Department of Finance to ticket, tow, and impound vehicles driving, standing, or parking in bike lanes.

Just weeks after Lily’s death, the City of Chicago announced an aggressive plan to construct concrete barriers along every bike lane by the end of 2023 that would be similar to a curb so as to prevent drivers from even entering bicycle lanes.

“This ordinance is a first step but simply doesn’t go far enough and just papers over the real problems,” Shambrook said. “When asked about tow truck response times, camera enforcement of safe bike lanes, or progress toward the 2023 city-wide curb program, answers from the city simply are deficient. Safety should be every elected official’s top priority and our little Lily paid the ultimate price for others’ misconduct and disregard for the safety of bicyclists.”

Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner of Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, is representing Lily’s parents in investigating what occurred on June 9, 2022, when a Commonwealth Edison truck was parked blocking the bicycle lane painted on the street. ComEd held a permit from the city to stage vehicles and equipment on the adjoining street, Winthrop, yet the large utility truck was parked on Leland. About 8:15 a.m. that morning, at the same time the Shambrook family had to navigate around the illegally parked ComEd truck, a Mondelez 18-wheeler tractor-trailer truck drove down Leland through a residential neighborhood with a school on the corner, striking and killing Lily.

“The City of Chicago issued a permit to ComEd without adequate concern for the size and amount of heavy equipment that would be brought into the neighborhood, or where their vehicles actually would be parked,” Clifford said. “We all co-exist in a society where it takes cooperation and concern for others who need to do their jobs to ensure that senseless tragedies like this cease. That concern was missing here. The flagrant and repeated disregard for the safety of bicyclists and lack of respect for designated bike lanes by operators of trucks and vehicles creates deadly hazards that simply cannot be tolerated.”

For further information, please contact Clifford Law Offices Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909 (cell).

www.CliffordLaw.com

Media

• Photos from Tuesday morning, Dec. 13, 2022, the day before the Chicago City Council passes an ordinance attempting to strengthen bicycle laws. These photos are from the intersection where Lily Shambrook was killed in June:
  • Photo #1
  • Photo #2
  • Photo #3
  • Photo #4

The post Statement of Shambrook Family Following Chicago City Council Passage of Bicycle Ordinance appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

While this is an achievement to be proud of, the statistics show that Chicago still has work to do on the road to safe bicycling for all residents.

Chicago Bike Crash Statistics

In the 2018 report, the most recent data collection, a bicyclist was killed almost every third day in the greater Chicago region. 8,414 bike crashes accrued across the state and 6,098 in Cook County.

According to the Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT), people walking are 12 times more likely than people in vehicles to be killed or injured in a crash. For cyclists, that number is 5 times more likely. Furthermore, while 66% of our state’s population lives in the Chicago region, our bustling city is responsible for 85% of pedestrian and bicycle crashes.

Across the US, between 2000 to 2017, $237 billion was spent on medical costs due to bicycle injuries. The majority of these injuries are from people ages 45-64. As you can see, a bicycle crash can lead to significant bills for the victim.

Why File A Personal Injury Lawsuit?

Since insurance companies tend to give you the bare minimum compensation package, working with a highly skilled bicycle crash attorney could be your best chance at getting the complete compensation package you deserve. There are various time constraints that will affect your rights. Accordingly, you should contact us promptly.

Here are a few recent settlements we have secured for our clients:

• $6,000,000 for a six-year-old boy who was killed by a garbage truck while riding his bicycle. The truck driver did not see him because his vehicle was not equipped with proper side and back mirrors to spot children nearby.
• $3,000,000 for a young girl on a bicycle struck by a police car in a residential neighborhood. She is now quadriplegic.
• $700,000 for a 58-year-old who sustains a serious shoulder injury when his bicycle hits a pothole on the Lake Shore Drive bike path.

Please review more recent case results here.

Contact Our Personal Injury Team

If you got hurt in a bike crash, contact a bicycle crash lawyer in Chicago at (312) 899-9090. We are here to support you.

The post Bicycle Crash Statistics appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

As reported in a May 2022 article in The Chicago Tribune, the young bicyclist was killed after being struck by a car while riding in the Old Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago. Another bicyclist, just 37 years old, was killed just across the street in 2019 which prompted residents to petition for a stop sign there.

This tragedy is just one of several known car-related cyclist fatalities in Chicago so far in 2022, nearly matching half the number of bike fatalities recorded in 2020, the last year for available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Ken McLeod, policy director of the American League of Bicyclists, shares that the data from NHTSA shows that since 2016, Chicago has averaged about six bicyclist deaths per year, with eight relevant fatalities in 2020 alone. He reflects, “if you ask me, that is a big number for a city.”

Chicago bike safety advocates are demanding better bike infrastructure and safety from city officials. Courtney Cobbs, the co-founder of Better Street Chicago, argues that the city is not doing enough to properly protect bicyclists, citing faded bike lanes and obstructive construction projects. Cobbs stated, “We need to respond to these preventable incidents by fixing the streets and making them truly safe for people.”

Cyclists in Chicago are being asked to exercise extreme caution as they ride, especially with the warmer months approaching.

Here are some urban cycling safety tips from Harvard University School of Public Health to keep in mind as you travel the city by bike:

1. Follow the rules of the road. Bikes are considered vehicles and are expected to follow all rules of the road.
2. Avoid blind spots. Larger vehicles have blind spots – especially on the right side – that prevent them from seeing cyclists when turning. If you can’t see their mirror – they can’t see you.
3. Leave 3 feet of space. Provide extra space along parked cars to avoid being hit by a swinging car door.
4. Wear safety gear. Protective wearables such as a helmet, lights, and reflective and bright clothing can make all the difference to your visibility. Many cities have laws that require cyclists to use proper gear such as lights within a specified time frame.
5. Learn signaling. Using hand signals can help drivers around you know your next move such as when you are going to turn and in which direction, which helps them stay alert when sharing the road.

The post Chicago Car-Related Cyclist Fatalities and Bike Accidents On the Rise appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Clifford Law Offices is known across the Chicago area and beyond for its tenacious, skilled representation in all types of personal injury claims, including bicyclists involved in tragic vehicular crashes.

Our law firm has also helped multiple injured bicyclists and pedestrians hit by vehicles recover fair and just compensation for their injuries, including these cases:

• $35 million record settlement on behalf of a 24-year-old woman who was severely injured after a truck struck her and dragged her for 60 feet at a Chicago street corner
• $700,000 for a man who sustained a serious shoulder injury when his bicycle hit a pothole on the Lake Shore Drive bike trail
• $310,000 for a bicyclist who sustained a concussion, knee injury and meniscus tear when hit by a driver making a left turn

Bicycle accidents on Chicago’s roads are on the rise, according to a study conducted on the numbers. And it’s been reported that even more bicyclists are on the road since the coronavirus epidemic because people want to avoid taking public transportation as much as possible.

The post Chicago Bicyclist Run Over By Truck On Northwest Side appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Many families turn to Clifford Law Offices after a loved one is the victim of a traumatic bicycle accident. Although nothing can bring back losses, our bicycle accident lawyers can help victims and the families of victims receive the compensation to which they are entitled.

• According to Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, “A total of 817 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2015. This represents a 13 percent increase from 2014 and the highest number of bicyclist deaths since 1995.”
• In the last decade alone, biking to work has increased 60%.
• Pedestrian deaths shot up 10 percent between 2014 and 2015, bicyclist deaths by 13 percent – both more than any other category of traffic-related fatalities, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
• According to SafeKids.org, “Teens account for 50 percent of all pedestrian deaths among kids ages 19 and under.”

Bicycling Verdicts Obtained By Clifford Law Offices

• Robert Walsh obtained a $100,000 verdict for a 64-year-old retired farmer, sustains multiple fractures to his lower limbs when he was riding his bike and was struck by a motorist exiting a hospital parking lot.
• Robert Walsh and Craig Squillace obtained a $225,000 verdict for a 34-year-old social worker, sustains abrasions and burns after she was struck by a car while walking her bike across a Lake Shore Drive entrance ramp.
• Robert Walsh obtained a $100,000 verdict for a 57-year-old bicyclist, suffers fractured hip when a motorist on Chicago’s South Side strikes him on his bike.
• Robert A. Clifford obtained a $190,000 verdict for a woman on bicycle, suffers back injury and road rash after being knocked to the ground by a CTA bus that was attempting to pass her.
• Robert Clifford and Richard Burke obtained a $3.45 million on behalf of a girl on bicycle struck by police car in residential neighborhood, rendered quadriplegic.

If you think you have a bicycle accident case, please contact the bicycle accident lawyers at Clifford Law Offices to seek answers to questions you may have.

We invite you to call Clifford Law Offices directly to speak to schedule a consultation with one of our bike accident attorneys at 312-899-9090.

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On its website, the City of Chicago states that it has more than 200 miles of bike lanes and bike trails. As a result, the city is accessible for bicyclists to travel throughout many neighborhoods. In addition, Divvy, Chicago’s bikeshare system, has thousands of bicycles and more than 500 stations across the city. The Loop Link system, with barrier protected bike lanes on Washington Street and Clinton Street, are critical in helping bicyclists effective navigate the Loop, Chicago’s downtown area.

While Chicago has attempted to accommodate bicyclists, bicyclists are still killed or injured all too often. Through December 15, 2016, the Chicago Tribune reported that six bicyclists were killed in 2016. In comparison, New York City had 14 cyclist deaths in 2015, per the New York City Department of Transportation’s most recent statistics. While New York City had more than twice as many deaths, New York City has more than three times the population of Chicago.

Any type of bicycle accident can cause severe injuries

Even when bicyclists wear helmets, follow the rules of the road and take all reasonable precautions, a motorist can cause devastating or even fatal injuries. Some of the more common types of bike accidents involve:

• Drivers turning in front of a bicyclist
• Drivers opening doors in front of a passing bicyclist
• Drivers running bikes off the road

In addition, potholes and poorly maintained roads can cause severe injuries. Bicyclists can sustain head injuries, spinal cord injuries, the loss of limbs, broken bones and other life-altering injuries in any type of accident.

A bike accident requires exceptional legal representation

Clifford Law Offices is known across the Chicagoland area and beyond for its tenacious, skilled representation in all types of personal injury claims, including bicycle accidents. Right now our law firm is representing the surviving family members in a wrongful death lawsuit against a trucking company and driver who killed a Chicago woman in September, 2016. Our law firm has also helped multiple injured bicyclists recover fair and just compensation for their injuries, including the following recent cases:

• $700,000 for a man who sustained a serious shoulder injury when his bicycle hit a pothole on the Lake Shore Drive bike trail
• $310,000 for a bicyclist who sustained a concussion, knee injury and meniscus tear when hit by a driver making a left turn
• $150,000 for a 10-year-old boy who suffered a non-displaced fractured tibia when he was hit by a bus

Even in the best of conditions, bicyclists still have to contend with vehicles and other potential hazards on the road. Clifford Law Offices stands ready to help any bicyclist who has been injured recover the financial resources necessary to move forward with their lives.

The post While Chicago is a Haven for Bikes, Drivers Still Cause Accidents appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

Anastasia Kondrasheva, a 23-year-old recent Loyola graduate, was biking to work the morning of Sept. 26 when a truck driver struck her as he made a right-hand turn onto a street marked for bicycle sharing. Ekaterina Kondrasheva, mother of Anastasia, filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court.

“Chicago has become a very bike-friendly town, and all drivers should know to expect bicyclists will be in the bike lanes because that’s what they are there for,” said Robert A. Clifford, founder and senior partner at the firm. “A bicyclist is defenseless when a truck driver is so negligent as to not take precautions to avoid them.”

The lawsuit was filed against Westmont Interior Supply House and the driver, Andre J. Sanders, who was ticketed for his failure to exercise due care for the cyclist. She was pronounced dead at the scene in the Roscoe Village neighborhood.

Her co-workers at a North Side health care center held a vigil for her following her tragic death.

Tracy A. Brammeier, attorney at Clifford Law Offices, also is an attorney on the matter.

Click here to read the Complaint.

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For further information, please contact Clifford Law Offices’ Communications Partner Pamela Sakowicz Menaker at 847-721-0909.

The post Clifford Law Files Lawsuit Today in Bicyclist’s Death in Chicago’s Roscoe Village appeared first on Clifford Law Offices.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) bills itself as a national clearinghouse for information about “health and safety, engineering, advocacy, education, enforcement, access and mobility for pedestrians and bicyclists.”

League Represents Interests of America’s Bikers

Founded in 1880, the League of American Bicyclists is the oldest recreational biking group in America. In addition to extensive educational resources and training courses, the group also sponsors National Bike Month in May and the National Bike Challenge.

Everything You Want to Know About Helmets

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute is the A-to-Z authority on bike helmets. Check out their no-frills website for helmet statistics, reviews, fitting guides, teaching resources and more.

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