By Osborne & Francis
October 25, 2023

Mistakes Cost Lives Says Boca Car Accident Lawyer Joe Osborne

Negligence by third party may lead to an accident, create liability for someone other than the driver at fault says Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne.

If someone is killed while traveling it’s often a chain of events that lead to the accident. One of the links may be government mistakes or inaction that resulted in someone driving who should’ve been kept off the road. Because of this person’s negligence an innocent party has paid the ultimate price. It’s not just the mistakes by drivers that result in accidents, sometimes it’s the mistakes by governments who are supposed to be keeping us safe says Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne.

One such incident occurred in Des Plains, Illinois in February because of what was done and not done with a 2013 ticket issued to a driver who caused a fatal crash, according to the Chicago Tribune. Officials with the state’s Secretary of State's office and the Cook County Circuit Court Clerk's office are blaming each other because the ticket should lead to Piotr Rog’s license being revoked.

Rog had his license suspended three times when he was ticketed for going through a stop sign in 2013. That ticket should’ve lead to his license being revoked. It was discovered in March after media inquiries into Rog's driving record.

Law enforcement officials estimate he was driving at about 100 miles per hour when he crashed into the car with Kevin, 52, and Anita Crawford, 50, and their 20-year-old daughter Kirsten in it. The three family members and Rog, who was 21 at the time, were killed in the accident. One person survived the accident, which occurred on a city street in front of a YMCA.

A spokeswoman for the court clerk stated their records show their office followed all the proper procedures and reported the ticket to the Secretary of State's office. The ticket should have resulted in the revocation of Rog's license years before February’s accident in Des Plaines. Copies of documents were sent to the Tribune showing the ticket had been reported to the Secretary of State's office on March 26, 2013.

The Secretary of State claims the ticket was only entered into the system in March, after the accident, triggering a revocation of Rog's license four years after the conviction. They claim Cook County did not report the traffic ticket to the Secretary of State's office. A spokesman for the Secretary of State claims they have no record of receiving the ticket in 2013.

Illinois county traffic courts input ticket information into a computer system, which is supposed to send data to the Secretary of State's office. Their computers are supposed to automatically assign the infractions a given number of points based on the violation. If a person has accumulated enough points a driver’s license can be revoked.

Local officials want the war of words stopped so the agencies can find out what happened and prevent the problem from happening again. This problem has surfaced at time when the court clerk’s office is considering a $36 million upgrade to its computer system. The current, outdated system is run by a decades-old mainframe that prevents officials from loading court data on to a modern "cloud" system.

If a third party, like a government entity, someone serving alcohol or a car dealership servicing a vehicle committed negligence and they were a factor in a vehicle accident that caused a serious injury or death, that party, depending on the circumstances, could be a defendant in a personal injury action.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, contact an experienced motor vehicle accident lawyer right away. Your lawyer can answer your questions and help you determine the next steps in your case.

Call Boca car accident lawyer Joe Osborne today at (561) 293-2600 today to discuss your case with a knowledgeable car accident lawyer.

Erica F.

5 star icon

"Best personal injury attorney around, I could not be happier! I was seriously injured in a car accident and Osborne and Francis helped me through the entire process. I was blown away by how knowledgeable the staff and attorneys are at this incredible law firm. I would not hesitate to recommend this law firm to friends and family!"

C. Smith

5 star icon

“I am so thankful for EVERYONE, the entire staff at Osborne & Francis Law, for mentoring me through the mediation process with my hip replacement failures. I didn't realize how MUCH pressure they relieved me of by helping me deal with the reality of this traumatic time in my life, as it was OVER so quickly with a positive result. My family is grateful to have their mom HAPPY & FOCUSED on the future, rather than worrying over what happened in the past! FAST FORWARD, we are LIVING LIFE to the fullest once again!”

J. Davis

5 star icon

“I couldn’t have asked for a better lawyer/ firm — everything was done professionally exactly how I wanted. Due to COVID my personal attorney Mr. Garcia was still able to make things work in a timely manner and he never made me feel like he wasn’t working. Overall I’m happy with how my case turned out and I would recommend him and this law firm to anyone. 100% satisfied.”

Alfred

5 star icon

Quick and fair resolution to a unique case. On advice of my own attorney, I engaged Joseph Osborne of Osborne & Francis of Boca Raton, FL. Mr. Osborne had considerable experience in cases such as mine and the results showed that. Mr. Osborne and his staff were very helpful, kept me up to date, and listened to my input. The settlement was very fair as far as I am concerned.

E. Holland

5 star icon

Dennis and the other Osborne & Francis staff were amazing! Our case was HUGE and required tender loving care. Everyone on our case did their part by putting all the puzzle pieces together. We were given step by step updates and put at ease when our nerves got the best of us. For every inquiry we made we received a timely response...You are appreciated!

T. Andrews

5 star icon

“Attorneys Greg Francis and Ryan Fletcher at Osborne & Francis Law Firm represented me in my personal injury case.The defendant drew a line in the sand and was adamant on a settlement amount I was almost willing to accept. After the dust settled and the smoke cleared, we settled for 3 times that amount!!! When they say ‘Real Tough Lawyers,’ they mean it.”

Ready For Your Free Consultation?