It is a crime in the state of Illinois to drive a car while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, yet every day, some motorists knowingly ignore this law and take to the road while they are impaired. Chicago drivers will be presumed to be under the influence of alcohol when they have a BAC of .08 or greater, but the law does not make that the only time that a driver can be guilty of drunk driving. In fact, any amount of alcohol in a driver’s system can lead to a charge of driving under the influence if the alcohol present affects a motorist’s ability to operate a car. Further, certain types of drivers, like those under the age of 21 and those who drive school buses, are not allowed to have any alcohol in their systems while they drive.
The reason driving under the influence of alcohol is illegal is because of the drastic consequences that may result. Drunk driving accidents injure thousands in Illinois every year and cause millions of dollars’ worth of damages in the form of personal injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. While victims cannot erase the harm done to them once a collision occurs, they may be entitled to seek relief for their losses through the use of a civil claim. Speaking to a personal injury lawyer may help you understand your options, including your ability to obtain compensation, if an accident has left you injured or has harmed your loved one.
Just prior to midnight on Saturday, police in Palatine discovered a driver unconscious in his vehicle near the 700 block of Independence Drive. Officers were in the area after they received calls that a car collided with two parked vehicles in the area and then came to a stop. Officials were able to determine that the unconscious driver was the same one suspected of colliding with the parked cars and that he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol. He was arrested and charged in the incident, but police quickly learned that this was not the first time that the driver had been involved in a drunk driving offense.
Previously, the suspect was arrested and charged following a 2003 accident that left a 17-year-old girl dead. The 2003 incident took place in Kane County and involved the current suspect crossing a center line and causing a head-on crash that killed the other driver. After charges were filed, the suspect was convicted and sentenced to 7 1/2 years in prison. Prior to 2003, the suspect was charged twice with offenses related to driving under the influence, once in 1997 and once in 2001.
Fortunately, police were able to apprehend the suspect in this incident before anyone was hurt but after a crash occurred, yet as the 2003 incident indicates, that does not always happen. Too often, a drunk driver causes injuries or even death and leaves those victims behind to pick up the pieces and their family members to suffer.
The personal injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. understand how devastating Chicago-area drunk driving collision can be and that is why we fight for the victims of these accidents. To help you understand your rights, we offer a free, no obligation case consultation to all victims who call us toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and we provide the consultations 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. never charge our clients a fee unless we make a recovery in their cases and we fight for the best possible outcome in every matter we handle. If you have been injured and you are looking for help, call us today and let us fight for you.
Prior Blog Entry:
Alleged Drunk Driver Traveling Wrong Direction Causes Car Accident on Kennedy Expressway, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published November 17, 2014.
Resource:
Man jailed for ’03 fatal DUI crash again charged with DUI, by Sally Ho, Chicago Tribune, published November 17, 2014.