Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Drunk driving and driving under the influence of drugs are problems that are too common in Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Annually, thousands of drivers take to the roads when they are under the influence, leading to a decreased ability to make quick decisions, a lower ability to focus on traffic and the roads, and significantly increased odds of being involved in a collision. When these drivers do crash, often they are injured or hurt, and often they injure others who were in the wrong place and at the wrong time.
Driving under the influence is reckless and it places the safety of everyone on the road at risk. Causing an accident while being so reckless can make a drunk or impaired driver civilly liable for the financial costs of the injuries that result. A personal injury lawyer can help accident victims understand if they are entitled to bring a claim and if they are entitled to relief.
Often, drugs or alcohol can make a bad situation worse and can combine with other factors to cause an accident where a non-impaired driver may have been able to avoid one. If the early reports by police are correct, this may be the case with a fatal Forest Park crash that happened on Sunday.
Police initially believed that a minivan stalled in the center lane of I-290 and that an SUV rear-ended the van, killing two in the minivan and leaving a third person, as well as the driver of the SUV, injured. But as their investigation has continued, police now believe that in addition to the stalling minivan, the driver of the SUV, a 26-year-old man, was under the influence of alcohol and also had other drugs in his system at the time of the collision.
The 26-year-old driver has been arrested and charged with multiple felonies including two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol that resulted in death and two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of drugs that resulted in death. He is also charged with leaving the scene of a fatal accident. If convicted of the charges facing him, the driver could be sentenced to serious time in prison.
The current charges may not be the end of the young man’s legal problems related to this accident, though, as police are still investigating the incident. Further, any victims injured or the families of those killed in the accident may exercise their rights by bringing a civil claim against the driver for damages, including medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, or even lost time with a loved one. Regardless of the outcome of the criminal charges, the driver may still be held liable in a court of law for the monetary damages that resulted.
If you have been injured or if your family member has been killed in an accident, you may be entitled to compensation. Call the injury lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us provide you with a free, no obligation case consultation. We are standing by 24 hours a day to take your call and we are ready to help you understand your legal rights and options. If an accident has left you injured, do not continue to be victimized. Call us today and let us help you get the relief you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Naperville Fatal Car Versus Bicycle Crash May be Due to Drugs, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published January 10, 2014.
Resource:
Man held on $350K bail in crash that killed 2 on I-290 in Forest Park, by Carlos Sadovi, Chicago Tribune, published January 14, 2014.