Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
If you live in the City of Chicago, you may expect the City to perform certain tasks and certain duties to ensure your safety on a daily basis. From maintaining the roads and intersections to ensuring pedestrian crosswalks, there are many areas of Chicago that are designed or maintained with safety in mind.
Police serve a vital function in this arena as they patrol the streets to help citizens and improve safety. Officers may be on the lookout for traffic violators or for those who drive in an unsafe manner. However, the actions of police officers themselves can also contribute to the safety of an area and in some cases, detract from it. When a car accident happens and a City of Chicago employee is involved, the results to a victim can be devastating. From broken bones to bumps and bruises and even head and neck injuries, these victims can be left with injuries that may require medical treatment and may force them to incur medical bills. In the worst instances, a victim may lose his or her life due to a collision and the victim’s surviving family members may possess the right to seek a wrongful death claim due to that incomprehensible loss.
A skilled personal injury attorney can help you understand your options and your legal rights if a collision has affected you or has harmed your loved one. The possible relief may vary based on the facts surrounding an accident so it is a good idea to get your information from a lawyer who has experience with cases against the City of Chicago or local police departments so that you understand how your claim may be affected.
Shortly after 1:00 a.m. on Wednesday, a male pedestrian believed to be in his 40s or 50s was allegedly hit by an unmarked police car while he walked along the 2800 block of East 79th Street. At this point in time, little has been confirmed about the collision other than the fact that the man was critically injured and died as a result of the accident.
Witnesses at the scene claim that the street lights along the block at issue were out and, according to the Chicago Tribune, 311 reports requesting to have the street lights fixed were logged on January 29, 2015. Despite this, the City of Chicago has not confirmed that the lights were out nor stated why they had not been fixed since the issue was first reported.
Police officers responded to the scene of the accident and began an investigation that is ongoing at this time and currently being conducted remotely. The officer’s vehicle was reportedly towed from the scene and it is not clear whether the officer or anyone else involved will face charges as a result of this crash.
If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident in Chicago or if your loved one lost his or her life, you may have a valid claim for financial relief, regardless of whether the crash involved a City of Chicago employee or a regular citizen.
The personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. are always available to take your call regardless of what time of day you need answers. We offer a no-cost, no-obligation case consultation to victims who call us toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and we will keep everything confidential.
No amount of money can be considered adequate when a loved one is killed but a financial settlement may help your family move forward and beyond an accident so do not wait. Call Abels & Annes, P.C. now.
Prior Blog Entry:
45 Vehicle Pileup on I-294 Injures at least 8 People, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published February 3, 2015.
Resource:
Man fatally hit by unmarked police car on unlit street, by Quinn Ford, Chicago Tribune, published February 4, 2015.