A recent Illinois car accident in Effingham County took the life of a 3-year-old when the SUV she was in crashed on Interstate 57, according to The Effingham Daily News. According to the County Coroner, the little girl was pronounced dead at the scene just an hour after it happened.
The accident happened at mile marker 168 when the SUV ran off the road. Once it left the roadway, it flipped a number of times and finally came to a stop in the ditch. Emergency responders reported that the little girl died from traumatic head injuries and the news article claims that she was not properly restrained in a child’s car seat.These are always tragic cases. Our Chicago child injury lawyers know the importance of properly buckling children during every single car ride. Car seats have been proven to save young lives. As a matter of fact, parents and guardians of children in Illinois are required by state law to keep children under the age of 8 properly buckled into a child restraint. If you’re caught by an officer with a child who is not buckled in properly, you could face a $75 fine, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
The driver of the vehicle was transported to St. John’s Hospital in Springfield. There were seven other passengers in that SUV. They were all transported to the Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and it’s recently released FAQ page, traffic accidents are the number one cause of death for children who are 3-years-old and older. There were more than 1,000 children under the age of 13 who were killed in traffic accidents in 2009. Nearly 800 of these fatalities were child passengers.
To determine which seat your child should use, review the following:
-Infants and toddlers should be placed in a rear-facing car seat in back seat until they’re at least 2-years-old or until they’ve reached the seat’s height and weight requirement.
-Children who are 4- to 8-years-old should ride in a harness-equipped front-facing child seat for as long as they can until they exceed the seat’s height and weight requirements.
-Children who are over the age of 8 should be seated in a belt-positioning booster seat until they’re able to fit properly in an adult seat. Once a child is 4’9″ or at least 80 pounds, they should be moved to an adult seat with a seat belt.
Child seats are difficult for some people to use. The NHTSA reports that from 2002 to 2003 there were approximately 70 percent of children who were improperly placed in child restraints. You can visit one of Illinois’ Child Seat Inspection Locations to have a certified technician look at your car and your child’s seat to make sure that everything is properly installed. We urge all residents to properly buckle in children during every car ride. A properly used seat can mean the difference between life and death in the event of an accident.
If you or your child has been injured in car accident, the personal injury attorneys and wrongful death lawyers at Abels & Annes offer free and confidential appointments to discuss your rights. Call (866) 99-ABELS. There is no fee unless you win.
Additional Resources:
Three-year-old killed in accident, by Bill Grimes, The Effingham Daily News
More Blog Entries:
Child Passenger Safety Week Kicks Off to Help Save Children in Illinois Car Accidents, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, September 4, 2011
Two Children Injured in a Three-Car Accident in Illinois, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, August 16, 2011