Chicago Accident and Injury Lawyer Blog

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation's Division of Traffic Safety, during the Christmas and New Year's holidays in 2007, 24 people were killed and 9 of those fatalities involved a driver who had been drinking.

IDOT Secretary Milton R. Sees has been blunt about how area police departments plan to deal with drunk drivers this upcoming New Year's Eve: "Police departments will be out in force making sure imparied drivers are off the road. No amount of good cheer will be able to save you from the consequences of impaired driving. If we catch you, we will arrest you. No exceptions. No excuses."

IDOT recommends designating a sober driver and not letting friends and family drive imparied as just two of several simple steps to avoid a tragic crash or an arrest for impaired driving. Other important tips include:

* Plan ahead. Designate a sober driver before going out and give that person your keys.
* If you are imparied, call a taxi, use mass transit, or call a sober friend or family member to get you home safely.
* Use your communtiy's designated driver program.
* Promptely report imparied drivers you see ont eh roads to law enforcement.
* Wear your seat belt. It is your best defense against an impaired driver.

Driving while impaired just isn't worth the risk. The consequences are serious and real. Not only do you risk killing yourself or someone else, but the trauma and financial costs of a crash or an arrest for driving under the influence can be incredibly significant. The tragedies and costs from drinking and driving do not end at potential death, disfigurement, injury and disability - violators who are caught will be spending money on bail, court, lawyers and towing fees. Plus, there is the added embarrassment, humiliation, and potential loss and consequence after informing family, friends and employers. And, as I noted in a previous blog, the Illinois legislature has passed more strigent drunk driving laws that will go into effect on January 1, 2009. Hopefully all of these reasons will encourage you to designate a driver this New Year's Eve.

Best wishes for a safe, happy and healthy 2009!

Continue reading " YOU DRINK & DRIVE. YOU LOSE. " »

The threat of nut allergies has lead many schools to put precautions into place to protect students from potential harm. Unfortunately, a doctor from Harvard believes that the measures amount to “epidemic hysteria.” Dr. Nicholas Christakis recently published an article entitled “This Allergy Hysteria is Just Nuts,” BMJ 2008; 337. According to Dr. Christakis, the threat of a nut allergy has created a “cascade of anxiety” in otherwise healthy people prompted by fears of contamination. He believes that the nut allergy is also fueling anxiety among parents. Unfortunately, Dr. Christakis beliefs and opinions could not be further from the truth.

Over 3 million Americans are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts. Over two thousand children and adults are hospitalized due to nut allergies. One hundred fifty people die from food allergies each year.

Guidelines issued by the National School Boards Association, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network and the National Association of School Nurses do outline steps that parents and schools can take to reduce the risk of serious allergic reactions... and death.

In the fall of 2002, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts issued guidelines for schools to provide children with life-threatening food allergies a quality education in a safe environment. It is important for schools to take this issue seriously.

First, parents should:

• Notify the school about a child’s food allergies;
• Provide written medical documentation of the allergies to the school;
• Provide medications and replenish them as often as necessary;
• Educate their child about safe and unsafe foods; and
• Review procedures with school staff, the school nurse and the child in the event of a
reaction.

A school must do the following:

• Create a food allergy action plan;
• Be aware and follow applicable laws addressing food allergies;
• Review health records of allergic students;
• Create a team to establish a prevention plan;
• Ensure that all medications are stored properly;
• Educate all individuals who will come into contact with the child about food allergies; and
• Enforce a “no eating” peanuts or tree nuts policy on school buses.

Despite such a clear and obvious plan, a recent study suggested that food allergy action plans may be lacking in many schools. In a survey of elementary and middle school nurses in Greenville, South Carolina, forty percent (40%) did not have an food allergy action plans for at least half of their allergic students.

If one were to listen to Dr. Christakis, the nut allergy in students is far-fetched and is creating some type of anxiety in our society. Is it far-fetched? Is it ridiculous? I do not think so. In fact, ask a family member of one of the 150 people who died from a food allergy or one of the parents of a child that was afflicted with a nut allergy and hospitalized, whether their concerns are far-fetched... I doubt it.

Continue reading " SCHOOLS FACE POTENTIAL LIABILITY FOR NUT ALLERGIES " »

Just last week the ECRI Institute published its annual top ten major health technology hazards that should be on every hospital's list of safety concerns. The list is based on the Insitute's experience in investigating and consulting on device-related incidents, as well as on information found in the Institute's medical device problem reporting databases and in other problem reporting databases.

The top ten hazards include the following:
1. ALARM HAZARDS: Clinical alarms can be instrumental in preventing patient injury or death, but if the alarm conditions aren't effectively communicated, patients are at risk. The ECRI Institute placed alarm hazards as the number one hazard because alarm issues are among the problems most frequently reported to the Institute. The variety of affected equipment is considerable - reports involve patient monitoring equipment, ventilators, dialysis units and other devices.

2. NEEDLE STICKS & OTHER SHARPS INJURIES: Consequences from getting stuck can range from serious cuts to exposure to HIV or Hepatis B or C.

3. AIR EMBOLISM FROM CONTRAST MEDIA INJECTORS: The x-ray imaging of blood vessels requires that contrast media be injected into the patient's blood vessels. To improve the control and precision of injection, power contrast media injectors have increasingly replaced handheld syringes in recent years. Unfortuantely, injecting contrast media into the blood vessels creates the risk of injecting air, which may potentially result in a fatal embolism.

4. RETAINED DEVICES & UNRETRIEVED FRAGMENTS: The FDA and ECRI Institute receive reorts of foreign bodies left inside patients following treatment. Retained devices refers to an entire device being left behind in a patient's body (such as a sponge or clamp). Unretrieved device fragments refers to situations in which a protion of device breaks away from the whole and remins inside the patient. Retention of these objects can sometimes lead to serious infection or damage to the surrounding tissue.

5. SURGICAL FIRES: Most surgical fires can be avoided as long as surgical staff are trained to recognize and control the three elements that combine to cause fires: ignition source, oxygen, and fuel.

6. ANESTHESIA HAZARDS DUE TO INADEQUATE PRE-USE INSPECTION: Inspection of anesthesia equipment is often inconsistent and incomplete. Hospital staff sometimes conduct pre-use checks using obsolete procedures or procedures designed for models other than the one being used. Staff may also skip a protion of the inspection, which leaves the safety of the anesthesia system in question and increases the risk of patient injury or death.

7. MISLEADING DISPLAYS: The sole fucntion of displays, which are often built into a variety of medical devices to convey information, is to inform the user. However, some displays are ambiguous or counterintuitive. While they may function as designed, these displays present information in ways that invite misinterpretation.

8. CT RADIATION DOSE: CT is thought to be responsible for about 6,000 additional cancers a year, roughtly half of them fatal.

9. MR IMAGING BURNS: Heating during an MR scan can ocur, so it's importatnt that patients tell the MR technologist to signal if they feel undue heat during the scan.

10. FIBEROPTIC LIGHT-SOURCE BURNS: Fiberoptice light sources are designed to illuminate treatment sites through a number of devices. There are two burn hazards in particular that are commonly reported - burns from the light itself and burns from heated cable connections.

In an effort to prevent these accidents, the ECRI Institute includes a number of recommended tips for hospital staff. For you and your family, consider this top ten list the best reasons to do your best to stay out of the hospital!

Continue reading " TOP TEN HEALTH TECHNOLOGY HAZARDS " »

According to a new study which will be published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association, at least 2 million older Americans are taking a combination of medications or supplements that can be a risky mix. The study found that one in ten older men are taking potentially harmful combination. The study notes that while the results aren't always or even necessarily disastrous, older people are more vulnerable to side effects and drug-to-drug interactions.

The study notes three commonly used and risky combinations:
* Lisinopril, a blood pressure medication, taken in conjunction with potassium. The combination of these two drugs can cause abnormal heart rhythms.
* Prescription cholesterol drugs ("statins") taken in conjunction with over-the-counter niacin, a type of vitamin B that also lowers cholesterol. This combination can increase the risk of muscle damage.
* Aspirin taking in conjunction with over-the-counter ginkgo supplements. The combination of these two over-the-counter remedies increases the chances for excess bleeding.

Experts advise that you should ask your doctor about any side effects of prescription drugs and inform your doctor before taking other medicines. Similarly, doctors should closely monitor what their patients are taking and advise their patients on potential interactions. Taking multiple medications, despite possible bad interactiosn, isn't necessarily a bad idea as long as patients are in close contact with their doctor.

Continue reading " ALERT YOUR DOCTOR TO ALL MEDICATIONS " »

The Illinois Appellate Court has issued a favorable opinion for the Estate of a severely injured plaintiff, Derek J. Thomas, who is represented by the Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll. The Illinois Appellate Court affirmed the Circuit Court of Cook County's grant of the disabled plaintiff's Amended Petition to Vacate an Order entered in the Law Division approving settlement for the mentally and physically disabled plaintiff and dismissing the case.

The appellate court's opinion will allow the firm to continue its fight in pursuing a personal injury lawsuit on Mr. Thomas's behalf. This young man's injuries require an extremely high level of medical care. The court's ruling will allow us to pursue the recovery of a substantial amount of funds to take care of him. The appellate court referenced the trial court specifically noting the "extraordinary efforts" taken by the guardian ad litem, the temporary guardian and Jeffrey Kroll to ensure the protection of Thomas.

The lawsuit arose out of a tragic car accident. Derek Thomas was a passenger in a motor vehicle operated by Robert L. Martin and owned by William L. Dawson Nursing Center on I-57 at or near 103rd Street in Chicago. Martin lost control of his southbound motor vehicle and entered the northbound incoming lanes and collided with a second vehicle.

As a result of the appellate court's ruling, the case will return to the Circuit Court of Cook County where we will continue to engage in litigation to ensure that when this matter is ultimately dismissed, Derek Thomas will be fairly compensated for his injuries.

Continue reading " APPELLATE COURT OPINION FAVORABLE FOR SEVERELY DISABLED PLAINTIFF " »

The Illinois Supreme Court issued an opinion last week on a case involving four ironworkers who plummeted from a collapsed platform to a river below. One of the four men died in the accident.

The four men worked for Midwest Foundation Corporation, a construction company that had entered into a joint venture with Halverson Construction Company, Inc. to repair the McCluggage Bridge over the Illinois River in Peoria. Under the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act, an injured employee may not sue his employer for injuries sustained on the job. Instead, an injured worker must file a workers' compensation claim against his employer. The workers and their survivors collected workers' compensation benefits from Midwest, and then attempted to sue Halverson and the joint venture.

Unfortunately for the ironworkers and their families, the Supreme Court has decided that their case may not proceed. Justice Karmeier, writing on behalf of the Court, concluded that the same immunity afforded to Midwest, the workers' employer, must also be afforded to Halverson and the joint venture because both Halverson and the joint venture are "agents" of Midwest. Under the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act, an employee may not sue the agent(s) of his employer. The court found that Halverson was an agent because it was Midwest's partner and partners are agents of both the partnership (or in this case, the joint venture) and of one another for purposes of the busienss. Similarly, the court found that the joint venture was also shielded by the Workers' Compensation Act because, according to the terms of the joint venture agreement, the joint venture was ultimately responsible for payment of the workers' compensation insurance premiums. As such, the ironworkers may not recover for their injuries from either Halverson or the joint venture. Their exclusive remedy is workers' compensation benefits.

Justice Kilbride filed a dissenting opinion with which I agree. Justice Kilbride highlighted the fact that neither Halverson nor the joint venture produced conclusive evidence that they paid or contributed to the workers' compensation premiums before the accident. Allowing Halverson and the joint venture, neither of whom appear to have paid anything toward the injured employees' workers' compensation benefits, to nevertheless invoke the Workers' Compensation Act's immunity to escape tort liabiltiy for the employees' injuries is like letting them collect lotto winnings without ever buying a ticket. It's unfair for them to shield themselves with a law that is intended to protect employers who have PAID premiums for insurance. If neither of these entities have contributed to the payment of these premiums, why should they get the protection the law affords?

Continue reading " ILLINOIS SUPREME COURT DECIDES 2000 BRIDGE DEATH CASE " »

As you may have heard, three family members were killed by a drunk driver near Morris, Illinois on November 12. Amanda Jahn, 27, and her two children, Ryan, 3, and Kaitlyn, 11 months, were killed when repeat DUI offender, Ann Marie Getz, blew through a stop sign and slammed into the Jahn vehicle. Getz, who was previously convicted of DUI in 2001 and again in 2002, faces up to 28 years imprisonment if she is convicted on aggravated drunk driving charges.

An Associated Press review of state data found that, out of 8.5 million licensed drivers in Illinois, more than 45,000 have one or more DUI convictions. More than 3,800 have two DUIs and more than 2,700 have three. With such alarming statistics, the Illinois legislature has passed more strigent laws that will go into effect on January 1, 2009.

Under the new law, which targets first time offenders, the judicial driving permits (JDPs) formerly available to first time offenders will become extinct. Instead, first time offenders will have the opportunity to request and receive monitoring device driving permits (MDDPs), which will require motorists to have a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) installed in their vehicles. This device requires drivers to provide a breath sample before the vehicle can be started and at random intervals while driving to ensure that the driver is not intoxicated.

The MDDP provisions are somewhat more liberal than the JDP predecessors. First, every first offender is entitled to receive an MDDP unless his or her driver's license is invalid, or death or great bodily harm resulted from the arrest, or the offender was previously convicted of reckless homicide or aggravated driving under the influence involving death, or the offender is under the age of 18. Second, MDDP holders may drive anywhere, anytime, as long as they drive their authorized vehicle that is equipped with a BAIID.

Harsher provisions are also included in the legislation. MDDP holders are also required to take their BAIID-equipped vehicles to a BAIID installer at least every 30 days during the period of the MDDP for calibration. Lastly, MDDP holders must maintain a journal of events surrounding unsuccessful attempts to start the vehicle, failures to successfully complete a running retest, or any problems with the BAIID. The new law also doubles the terms of drivers' license suspensions. As a result, first-time offenders will experience substantially more inconvience for a longer period and will have to pay a substantial amount more than under the prior law.

Hopefully these new measures will prevent tragedies like the one that befell the Jahn family in November. Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) point out that harsher penalties work: since 1980 and up to 2006, nationwide alcohol-related trafic fatalities have diminished by roughly 47%, from over 30,000 to under 16,000 per year. This represents 358,000 lives saved as a result of the enactment of laws imposing stricter penalites against those convicted of DUI during that period.

Continue reading " BIG CHANGES FOR DUI LAW IN ILLINOIS IN THE NEW YEAR! " »

Celebrity Dennis Quaid and his wife, Kimberly, have accepted a $750,000 settlement from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Quaid's twin babies, Zoe and Thomas, were being treated at Cedars-Sinai in November 2007 for staph infections when an employee accidentally administered dosages of heparin, a blood thinner, that were 1,000 times the recommended amounts for newborns. Thankfully, both children fully recovered. The California Department of Public Health later fined Cedars-Sinai $25,000 for multiple failures to adhere to established policies and procedures for safe medication use.

The Quaids remain involved with a lawsuit against Baxter Healthcare Corporation, the manufacturer of heparin, alleging negligently labled medication bottles. The settlement with Cedars-Sinai has no effect on this pending lawsuit.

Continue reading " DENNIS QUAID ACCEPTS A SETTLEMENT FROM L.A. HOSPITAL " »

Two Kaneland High School students were killed in a car accident on their way to school last Thursday morning. Both young men, 18, were academically and athletically gifted and were childhood best friends. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident that occurred around 9:15 a.m. Thursday. It appears that the vehicle left the road and drove onto a gravel shoulder and that the driver overcompensated and shot back across the oncoming lane, slamming into a tree.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for U.S. teens, accounting for more than one in three deaths in that age group. In 2005, twelve teens ages 16 to 19 died every day from motor vehicle injuries. Young people ages 15-24 represent only 14% of the U.S. population, but they account for 30% of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among males and 28% of the total costs of motor vehicle injuries among females.

The CDC warns that the risk of motor vehicle crahses is higher among 16 to 19 year olds than among any other age group. In fact, teen drivers are four times more likely to crash than older drivers. Moreoever, the presence of teenaged passengers increases the crash risk of unsupervised teen drivers; this risk increases with the number of teen passengers. Crash risk is even higher during the first year that teens are eligible to drive.

Male teenagers, like the two who died Thursday morning, are particularly at risk. In 2005, the motor vehicle death rate for male drivers and passengers ages 16 to 19 was more than one and a half times that of their female counterparts.

The CDC has pinpointed some of the reasons why the teen motor vehicle death rate is so high:
*Teens are more likely to underestimate dangerous situations or not be able to recognize hazardous situations.
*Teens are more likely to speed and allow shorter headways.
*Teens have the lowest rate of seat belt use.

If you have a teen driver, please share this information with them...it could save their life.

Continue reading " TWO TEENS KILLED IN CAR CRASH " »

Roughly 22 million Americans suffer from asthma, a disease in which the airways in the lungs become inflamed and constricted, leading to difficulty breathing. Most people with persistent asthma use a combination of long-term control medications and quick-relief medications, taken with a hand-held inhaler.

Just this week, outside experts advising the Food and Drug Adminsitration have recommended that two asthma medications, Foradil and Serevent, no longer be used to treat asthma. They found that the benefits of the more widely used Advair and Symbicort clearly outweigh the risks.

All four medications contain an ingredient that relaxes muscles around stressed airways. Only Advair and Symbicort, however, contain a second ingredient that reduces inflammation inside airways and may help prevent asthma attacks. Foradil and Serevent lack this second ingredient and experts are concerned that these inhalers may actually mask symptoms that can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks.

Dr. John Jenkins, had of the FDA's new drugs office, says that asthma patients should not stop taking any of their medications without first consulting their doctor.

Regardless of what the FDA ultimately decides, Serevent and Foradil are likely to remian on the market because they are also approved for other lung diseases.

The holiday shopping season is unfortunately rife with crime. Protect yourself and your family by following these tips this season:

* Always try to walk to and from your vehicle with another person. If you are shopping alone, try to walk near others and park in a busy area of the parking lot.

* If shopping alone and leaving at night, ask a security officer to accompany you to your car.

* Avoid using bathrooms that are tucked away in a back area of a mall. Find a bathroom in a well-trafficked area and always accompany your child to the bathroom.

* Never use a video arcade or toy store as a baby sitter; predators are on the prowl for unattended children. More than 100,000 children are abducted every year, often in malls or department stores.

* Ladies, carry your purse close to your body, with the opening facing toward you. Gentlemen, carry your wallet in the front pocket of you pants.

* Consolidate your purchases into one or two large bags so you can keep track of everything. Never leave your purchases unattended.

Continue reading " BE SAFE THIS HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON " »

The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll has settled a personal injury lawsuit on behalf of Donald M. Dolph, 51, for $1.1 Million. The settlement also includes waiver of a workers' compensation lien, which was in excess of $500,000. Judge Haddad in the Circuit Court of Cook County entered the settlement order on December 8, 2008.

The lawsuit arises out of the February 7, 2004 incident wherein Mr. Dolph, a union ironworker, was operating a scissors lift at a warehouse project in Romeoville, IL. It was Mr. Dolph’s first day on the job site. The scissors lift, which was extended to 40 ft., fell over as it entered a 22x22x1.5 ft. excavation that was covered with snow. Mr. Dolph did not see the snow-covered excavation and fractured his left ankle and right heel bone. As a result of the severe injuries, Mr. Dolph contended that he was unable to continue working as an ironworker. The settling defendants were Kajima Construction Services, Inc. and A.A. Conte & Son, Inc.

The lawsuit alleged that the defendants should have warned Mr. Dolph of the excavation by placing barricades, marking or backfilling the excavation. If the excavation had been barricaded, this career-ending accident would not have occurred.

It is imperative that construction sites be maintained to ensure safety for all of the workers. When there are a number of trades working on a site, it may be unclear what hazards have been created; therefore, the general contractor and the creator of the hazard have to take measures to make the site safe for all of the workers.

Continue reading " CONSTRUCTION INJURY CASE SETTLED BY KROLL FOR $1.1 MILLION " »

The Law Offices of Jeffrey J. Kroll and another Chicago law firm have settled the wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of Sarah Channick, 18, for $1.25 million.

Sarah, who had started her freshman year at U of I, was struck and killed by the No. 22 Illini bus operated by the Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District (MTD) while crossing within the crosswalk at the intersection of Sixth Street and Chalmers Ave. in Champaign.

Channick is survived by her father, mother and sister.

The MTD acknowledged and accepted responsibility early in the case for causing Sarah’s death. As Sarah’s family’s attorney, I hope that this tragedy and the lawsuit will encourage transit authorities to increase bus driver training and improve safety measures. After this incident occurred, the City of Champaign made changes at this intersection to make it safer for pedestrians.

See additional press coverage on the settlement and the lawsuit.

Continue reading " KROLL SETTLES LAWSUIT AGAINST BUS COMPANY FOR WRONGFUL DEATH OF U OF I STUDENT FOR $1.25 MILLION " »

Under a new federal law, medical incinerators will have to reduce emissions of mercury, dioxins and other pollutants by at least a factor of 10. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, this rule will cut air pollution by up to 1.5 million pounds a year.

While most hopsitals stopped burning their medical waste several years ago, there remain a few medical incinerators in existence, including one at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood. The hospital is currently reviewing how the rule will affect its incinerator and exploring other ways to dispose of medical waste it would otherwise dump into the incinerator.

The US Fire Administration reports that Christmas trees account for 200 fires annually, resulting in 6 deaths, 25 injuries and more than $6 million in property damage. These fires are most commonly started by shorts in electric lights and by open flame from candles, fireplaces and lighters. To properly protect your home and family, remember to water your Christmas tree!! A well-watered tree does not present the fire hazard that a dried out tree does.

If you are going to have a "real" Christmas tree (as opposed to an artificial tree), make sure you follow these tips:
* Buy your tree fresh. To check for freshness, tap the tree on the ground - a fresh tree should not lose many needles. If needles are falling off, consider finding a fresher tree.
* Ask the vendor to cut an additional inch off the bottom of the trunk - this will help the trunk absorb water.
* Make sure your tree stand can accommodate at least one gallon of water.
* Check the water level every day. A six foot tree will use one gallon of water every two days.
* Keep the tree away from floor heaters, fire places, or other heat sources.
* Turn off Christmas lights when you leave your house and when you go to sleep.
* Never use candles on real or artificial trees.

Be safe this holiday season and remember to water that tree!

Continue reading " 'TIS THE SEASON FOR CHRISTMAS TREE SAFETY! " »

At least seven people, including several children, were injured Tuesday night after a carbon monoixde leak in a Humboldt Park apartment building. Officers are still investigating the incident as it was not immediately known what caused the leak, but a situation like this cautions us all to inspect our furnaces for carbon monoxide leaks. To protect your home and family even more, I suggest getting a carbon monoxide detector.

According to a Center for Disease Control report, carbon monoxide (CO) exposures and poisonings occur more often during the fall and winter, when people are more likely to use gas furnaces, heaters and generators in their homes. From 2001-2003, approximately 480 U.S. residents died each year from non-fire-related CO poisoning. In addition, an estimated 15,200 persons with confirmed or possible non-fire-related CO exposure or poisoning were treated annually in U.S. hospital emergency departments.

Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas. The Environmental Protection Agency recommends the following tips to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning in the home:

* Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.
* Consider purchasing a vented space heater when replacing an unvented one.
* Use proper fuel in kerosene space heaters.
* Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves.
* Open flues when fireplaces are in use.
* Choose properly sized wood stoves that are certified to meet EPA emission standards. Make certain that doors on all wood stoves fit tightly.
* Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune-up central heating system (furnaces, flues, and chimneys) annually. Repair any leaks promptly.
* Do not idle the car inside garage.

Click here for more information about carbon monoxide poisoning and remember to protect your family by checking for leaks today!

Continue reading " CHECK YOUR FURNACE FOR CARBON MONOXIDE LEAKS " »

Yesterday, Mayor Daley and Streets and Santitation Commissioner Michael Picardi warned Chicago motorists to drive slower when it snows and expect to wait longer to get side strees plowed as the city seeks to cut costs associated with snow removal.

Monday's snowstorm cost taxpayers nearly $500,000, despite the city's best efforts to control costs. The city used a lighter spread of salt on side streets and limited overtime by pulling trucks off side streets at 3 p.m. Thanks to a two-year contract the city entered into last year, salt cost only $41 per ton, which is considerably less than the $100 per ton price tag most municipalities are facing. Nevertheless, the budget is tight and Commissioner Picardi stressed lower expectations, reminding Chicago residents that a high standard of snow removal comes at a very high cost.

Dive slowly when conditions are bad, and remember to factor in longer travel times for your commute. Arrive alive!