Passengers who ride in a car often do not think about their safety. They may focus their attention on something else because as a passenger, it is not their duty to watch the roads or to keep an eye on traffic. Passengers may find themselves using their phones, eating, watching a movie, or even sleeping while someone else is behind the wheel, confident that the driver will exercise caution and use good judgment while the car is moving.
Sometimes, though, a driver fails to act appropriately and instead uses a lack of judgment, causing an automobile collision that may leave a passenger injured or even killed. When this happens, an injury lawyer can help a victim or the victim’s family understand the laws of Chicago and whether the victim may be entitled to bring a claim for financial relief against the driver. These claims are brought in civil court and are separate and distinct from any traffic-related charges brought by the State of Illinois.
It can be hard to tell just what led to a collision and whether the negligence of one or more drivers was responsible but experts often are able to deduce the needed facts in these situations. Police are still investigating a Sunday morning collision that left two people dead in an effort to determine the cause of the crash and whether any other factors were in play. Right now, it appears that a male in his 20s was driving an SUV northbound in the 3700 block of South California Avenue shortly before midnight. The driver may have lost control of the SUV and left the road’s surface, striking a utility pole and causing a crash. The male driver as well as his female passenger, who also is believed to have been in her 20s, were killed in the incident and were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators are exploring every possible explanation for the incident right now but it is still not known what caused the driver to lose control of the SUV in this crash but common causes including speed, distraction, and intoxication will be considered during the course of the investigation.
Accidents can be caused by any number of factors including driver error, negligence, mechanical failure, or even poorly designed roads. If your loved one has been killed in an accident, your family may be entitled to make a claim for your losses if the accident was the fault of one or more persons, companies, or even cities.
Call the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us provide you with a free case consultation. We will discuss your legal options and whether you may be entitled to relief for your damages. At Abels & Annes, P.C., we put the needs of injury victims first and to do that, we make ourselves available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to take your call at (855) 529-2442 or (312) 924-7575. There is no obligation for taking advantage of the free case consultation and if we represent you, we will never charge you a fee unless we make a recovery on your behalf. If you have been hurt in an accident or your loved one has been killed, call us today and let us help you get a recovery you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Passenger Killed in Oswego Head-On Crash, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published December 29, 2013.
Resource:
Police: 2 dead in Southwest Side wreck, by Rosemary Regina Sobol, Chicago Tribune, published December 29, 2013.