The Dan Ryan Expressway was the scene of a fatal motorcycle/car crash early Thursday morning.

In the early morning hours of August 30^th, motorcyclist Sylvester D. Dickson was traveling northbound on the Dan Ryan. At approximately 5:15 a.m., he rear-ended a 2002 Cadillac DeVille as driver Alonzo Cozart , 16, was changing lanes, which he slowed down to do. There were three other passengers in the car at the time of the collision.

Dickson, a Chicago resident, was declared dead at the scene of the accident. Chicago resident Cozart and his passengers did not report any injuries. Cozart was ticketed for not having a drivers’ license or insurance as well as driving too slow. The expressway was closed until late morning as the accident was investigated and removed.

Accidents can change the make-up of a family in a moment’s notice. If you or a loved one knows someone who has lost a family member in a motor vehicle collision, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A bicyclist was sent to the hospital after being hit by an unknown driver in a southside neighborhood of Chicago.

The accident took place on Sunday, August 26 in the Woodlawn neighborhood. A 23-year-old man was riding his bicycle westward on the 600 Block of East Marquette Road. Around 11:15 a.m., a 2000 Dodge Intrepid hit the bicyclist from behind. The bicyclist was thrown on the hood of the car and shattered the driver’s side window. Instead of stopping, the driver of the Intrepid drove away.

The young man took on serious injuries and was sent to John H. Stoger Jr. Hospital. A witness followed the car but found the Intrepid empty. The police are searching for the driver.

The driver may have disappeared but the injuries suffered by the victim of a hit-and-run driver do not. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured by a hit-and-run driver, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Two people have been killed after a Legionnaires’ disease outbreak occurred during the summer at a downtown JW Marriott hotel in Chicago.

According to officials with the Chicago Department of Public Health, two of the eight people who came down with Legionnaires’ disease after staying at the Marriott between the middle of July and August, have now been pronounced dead.

The condition of the six other people that have the disease is  unknown at this time. None of them are from Chicago or are being treated in the area. Legionnaires’ disease is caused by Legionella bacteria and symptoms are similar to a severe case of pneumonia.

The Legionella bacteria is usually found in water and cannot be spread from person to person. Many that are exposed to this bacteria do not  become ill, but elderly and those with weakened immune systems are much more susceptible.

Officials with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention have stated that anywhere between 8,000 and 18,000 people a year require hospitalization for Legionnaires’  disease and 5 to 30 percent of these cases are fatal.

The pool, fountain, and whirlpool at the JW Marriott have all be drained and parts of the spa have also been closed. Guests who stayed at the hotel during the time should contact a doctor immediately if they begin to feel symptoms. Nearly 80 percent of the guests who were there during the time frame in question have been notified at this time.

If you or a love done has become ill after being exposed to a toxin on someone else’s property, contact the Kankakee injury lawyers of Spiros Law, P.C., today by calling  815-929-9292 and discussing whether you have the grounds to file a premises liability case.

A hotel in downtown Chicago is the center of an outbreak of Legionaires’ Disease that has sickened eight people, two of which have died.

The JW Marriot Hotel on 151 W. Adams Street has been linked to eight cases of Legionaires’ Disease as all cases stayed at the hotel between mid-July and mid-August. Health department officials announced three cases last week. Letters have been sent to all guests who stayed at the hotel during that time period.

Legionaires’ Disease is a harsh form of pneumonia characterized by symptoms of headache, high fever and chest pains. Most people will not develop symptoms but those people with weak immune systems are at a higher risk for developing the illness. Legionaires’ is not passed from person-to-person; the disease bacteria lives in water sources that has warm water.

Marriot officials have drained pools, hot tubs and parts of their spa in response. Those guests who are experiencing symptoms associated with pneumonia are encouraged by health officials to see their doctors.

When staying at a hotel, it is assumed the premises is free from illness-causing bacteria. If you or a loved one knows someone who has gotten sick at a business, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

A Lockport man died after crashing his motorcycle on Briggs Street in Lockport Township late Friday night.

According to the sheriff’s police report, Scott Mulac was driving his motorcycle at a high rate of speed on Briggs Street just south of Oak Avenue. The area is about five miles north of Interstate 80. Around 10:50 p.m., 30-year-old Mulac hit another motorcycle from behind driven by James Labeau of Manhattan.

Labeau, 50, traveled into the ditch on the west side of the road along with his motorcycle. Mulac landed in the roadway while his cycle moved into the ditch on the east side of the road. It appears that Mulac was hit by three other vehicles, the last of which stopped and the driver called 911.

Mulac was pronounced dead at the scene. He was found without a helmut. Labeau was wearing a helmut. He was found to have scrapes on his arm and refused medical treatment. At this time the investigation into the crash by police is ongoing.

When a driver goes at a high rate of speed, they not only risk their lives but put others in danger as well. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been injured by a driver going at a high rate of speed, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Two people lost their lives in separate Will County crashes over the weekend. The first one occurred Friday night and the second occurred early Saturday morning.

According to local police officials, the first crash occurred at 10:50 p.m. in Lockport Township on Briggs Street when a 30-year-old man was traveling at a ‘high speed’ and collided into the back of another motorcycle that was being driven by a 50-year-old man.

The 30-year-old man was thrown from the cycle and remained in the roadway as his cycle traveled into a ditch. The 50-year-old man’s motorcycle also traveled into a ditch.

The 30-year-old was then struck by three vehicles while laying in the roadway, only the last vehicle  remained at the scene to assist in the investigation. The man was later pronounced dead at the scene. The 50-year-old was not injured and refused treatment at the scene.

The second crash occurred after 3:30 a.m. when a 22-year-old man was traveling on Steger Road and he lost control of his car causing it to crash into a tree. The impact caused the car to burst into flames. The driver suffered leg injuries and the passenger was killed as a result of the collision. Police have stated that alcohol was a factor in the collision and charges are currently pending while a full investigation takes place.

As of  August 20, 2012, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention states consumers need to be wary of cantaloupe from southwest Indiana identified as a source of an outbreak of salmonella poisoning.

This recent outbreak has been blamed for sickening 200 people in 21 states, 17 cases were reported in Illinois. 62 of those cases were hospitalized and two people have died.  The Chamberlain Farm, which is 20 miles east of Evansville, has been identified as the source of the contaminated cantaloupe. The farm owners are awaiting a report from health officials so that they can fix the problems.

Salmonella symptoms include abdominal cramps, diarrhea and fever. While most people can recover without treatment, those people with compromised immune systems, infants and the elderly are more susceptible to the bacteria. Health officials are advising that people who have gotten sick after eating cantaloupe should see a doctor.

When salmonella poisoning strikes, it may not leave a person sick for just one night. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been made severally ill from contaminated food, call Spiros Law at 815-929-9292 for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

It has now been discovered that some of the contaminated cantaloupe that caused the salmonella outbreak, which sickened nearly 200 people in 21 different states, came from a farm in southwestern Indiana.

According to officials with the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the salmonella outbreak caused 178 people to become ill, 62 required hospitalization and two died as a result of the illness.

The cantaloupe were grown at Chamberlain Farms in Owensville and the investigation into the outbreak is still in its early phases. It is unknown if all the contaminated fruit can be traced back to this farm or not.

Officials have stated that until other sources are ruled out, consumers should avoid cantaloupe that is grown in that area of Indiana. The farm has stopped distributing the fruit as of Aug. 16 when the FDA alerted them that it may be contaminated.

If you or a loved one has become ill after eating contaminated food, contact the the Kankakee product liability lawyers of Spiros Law, P.C., by calling 815-929-9292.

Oil company, BP, announced that contaminated gasoline from their Whiting, Indiana refinery was mistakenly sent to several gas stations in Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana this week.

Seven thousand consumer complaints had reached the company by Wednesday, August 22 after people found their cars had problems starting properly. An investigation lead to the BP refinery in Whiting where reported higher levels of polymeric residue was found in gasoline that has not been sent out yet.

This residue causes the gas to have a sludge-like consistency and is able to clog the fuel system of engines, according to mechanics. The problem was traced back to BP gas stations as a number of vehicles hit repair shops when their engines displayed hard-starting or stalling actions. BP is recalling unused fuel while continuing to investigate the cause of the contamination.

A faulty fuel product can damage property needed for every day tasks and leaving consumers with large bills. If you or a loved one knows someone who has suffered damages because of a faulty product, call Spiros Law to explore your legal rights. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.

Early Sunday morning, a teacher in the Ottawa, Illinois  school district lost her life when the driver of the vehicle she was riding in lost control and crashed.

Chad Marks was driving his 1997 Ford Mustang on Route 6 in Grundy County just north of Longpoint Road with Brittany L. Judy, 26 as his passenger. At about 2:25 a.m. Marks was attempting to pass another vehicle when the Mustang left the road, crashed into two trees and bounced back on the highway into the path of a semi-truck that broadsided the vehicle.

Judy had to be extricated from the vehicle by responders from Seneca and Morris but was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident. Marks was taken to Morris Hospital and airlifted to Peoria later. He is expected to survive. It was determined that Judy was wearing a seatbelt and that the airbags deployed. Marks has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol. The state’s attorney is reviewing the case for other possible charges.

Accidents do not injure only the driver of a car, passengers can be hurt or killed as well. If you or a loved one knows someone who has been hurt in a car accident with a driver charged with a DUI, call Spiros Law for professional legal representation. Visit the website at www.spiroslaw.com.