Pileup car accidents pose a particularly deadly threat to Chicago area residents in the winter months though they can occur at any time during the year. In many situations, however, poor driving conditions and wintery roads lead to an initial impact between two or more cars and from there, the conditions worsen as additional vehicles are unable to avoid the collision and become involved in the chain reaction.
When many vehicles are involved in a crash, it is difficult to understand who is at fault or whether any motorist bears the responsibility for the results of a crash. In some cases, it can take local authorities weeks to sort out the wreckage and to recreate the conditions prior to the collision to determine whether anyone is properly to blame. Victims of these crashes may be forced to deal with the fallout in the meantime and may need to seek medical help for their injuries, leaving them to wonder if anyone will be forced to pay for their bills or whether they will have to continue to suffer long after the accident ends. If a collision has affected your life, you may receive the answers you need by speaking with a personal injury lawyer in the Chicago area who can help you understand the laws as they apply to your case.
On Sunday morning, 38 drivers and numerous passengers on the Kennedy Expressway learned firsthand the threatening nature presented by a chain reaction accident. The incident happened shortly after 10:30 a.m. in the inbound lanes near Armitage and North Avenue exists and involved 38 different vehicles. While the investigation is still ongoing, police suspect that the crash may have begun due to slick roads attributed to the winter weather conditions that struck the city recently.
The crash prompted emergency crews to respond to the scene and 12 victims were evaluated for injuries and taken to area hospitals. Reports indicate that at least one of the victims may have been a firefighter who was there to assist with the crash. While the current conditions of these victims are not clear at this time, all were expected to survive and it was believed that most sustained minor or moderate injuries.
It took crews nearly seven hours to remove all the vehicles involved from the Kennedy Expressway and to reopen all inbound lanes to traffic heading towards the city. While crews were working, warming buses arrived on the scene to temporarily house those who were involved in the accidents but were unharmed; the warming buses were able to occupy space on the outbound side of the expressway and eventually left the scene once drivers and passengers found alternate transportation.
If you were involved in a collision due to winter weather or as a result of another motorist’s actions, you may be entitled to seek financial compensation for your injuries, including any medical bills you incurred. To help you understand your rights, the personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to take your call and to provide you with a free case consultation without any obligation on your part.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., all of our attorneys believe in fighting for the legal rights of those who have been hurt by others, and if an accident has affected you or your family, we want to help you as well. Call us today and let us fight for the relief you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Actor Gary Busey Hit Elderly Pedestrian with Car, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published February 14, 2015.
Resource:
Nearly 40 Vehicles Involved In Kennedy Pileup, CBSlocal.com, published February 15, 2015.