Car collisions are common occurrences and accidents happen on Chicago-area roadways every day. As recently discussed on this blog, inexperienced young drivers are often the victims of car accidents, though anyone can suffer an injury as a result of a motor vehicle crash. A recent deadly car accident highlights how a driver’s negligence can lead to a devastating roadway incident.
An early morning crash on Easter Sunday left one person dead and two others injured on the Bishop Ford Expressway. One car collided into another as both vehicles traveled south on Interstate 94, resulting in fatal injuries and lane closures on the freeway for several hours. An investigation into the cause of the crash is pending, though alcohol is believed to be involved.
Car accidents often occur due to some form of negligence. While the failure to maintain a personal vehicle in proper working order may result in an accident, driver negligence is more often to blame. Negligent driving can range from speeding or failing to signal, to driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Drunk drivers kill thousands of people in car accidents every year, and thousands more are injured as a result of their negligent actions. Victims of drunk driver-caused car accidents can suffer serious injuries that require expensive medical procedures for treatment. In addition to the monetary costs that a victim may incur during recovery, that victim will also have to cope with the emotional pain and suffering of surviving the accident.
Although car accidents are relatively common occurrences, victims of serious car collisions have the right to pursue damages against the negligent parties who contributed to their injuries. In drunk driver accidents, recovery may not be limited to just the driver but may also extend to third parties who enabled the driver to become intoxicated or who failed to prevent the driver from getting behind the wheel.
Source: NBC 5 Chicago, “1 Dead, 2 Injured in Bishop Ford Crash,” Alexandria Fisher, March 31, 2013
Additional resources used for information contained in post:
https://sgklawyers.com/wp-contentinjury.findlaw.com/car-accidents/car-accident-basics.html