Recent decades have focused on safety innovations within automobiles to increase the likelihood of passengers making it through accidents without injuries. Many of those innovations have focused on one group of particularly vulnerable passengers – children. With the redesign of car seats, the institution of booster seats, and the accompanying laws that require children to be restrained properly, cars are safer than they have ever been for the smallest of riders. However, despite these advances and innovations, thousands of children are still injured every year in car accidents in the State of Illinois and many of those crashes happen in the Chicago area.
When children are involved in car accidents, the complicated fallout can leave even the most experienced parent confused about their family’s rights and responsibilities to obtain the relief they need. The facts surrounding an individual accident may determine who is legally responsible and who will be required to pay if a victim chooses to seek a financial settlement. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago can help you walk through the steps that need to be taken to bring a valid claim and to help you and your child recover if a crash has affected your family.
A terrible car accident happened in March in South Carolina and officials have confirmed that three of the people killed were children from the Chicago area. The incident happened on I-26 in Spartanburg County on March 19th and began when the driver of a car veered off the road and collided with a tree. Following the first impact, authorities report that the vehicle returned to the road and struck a semi-truck, causing a second impact that eventually led to the vehicle catching fire. Five people inside the car died as a result: an adult male, an adult female, and the adult male’s three children, ages three, four, and six. In addition to the five people inside the car that lost their lives, another individual in the area was killed while acting as a Good Samaritan but that person’s involvement in the incident has not been specified further.
Police have not released a suspected cause of the collision or stated whether anyone involved was suspected of acting negligently prior to the impact. It is also unclear whether anyone in the semi-truck was hurt as a result of the impact.
If a car accident happens in Chicago, victims who are injured may be entitled to seek relief for their losses. This includes children who are injured in an accident and the surviving family members of a victim that loses his or her life.
To help injured persons learn about their options, the personal injury attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. have a licensed lawyer standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to take your call toll free and to provide you with a free case consultation without obligation. We will keep everything discussed confidential and you can reach us toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575.
If you need help or if you are looking for relief, call Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us fight for your family after an accident.
Prior Blog Entry:
Pit Bull Bites Two People in Lawndale, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published April 1, 2015.
Resource:
3 children from Chicago among 6 killed in South Carolina fiery crash, WGNtv.com, published March 31, 2015.