Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Every year, safety experts try to determine what factors lead to and cause collisions between cars across the nation with the belief that understanding the cause of crashes can help us eliminate accidents, reducing the number of people who are injured and killed every year as a result. This is a challenging task where officials must sort the details of each car involved in a collision and determine the sum total of the factors and determine which ones were at play.
The factor that is deemed responsible in almost 50 percent of all crashes is excess speed.
When an accident occurs and one or more people are injured, the law provides those accident victims with the possibility of a financial recovery to compensate them for their damages. In most cases, this can provide payment for medical expenses and time a victim must miss from work as well as providing for other damages incurred. These claims are generally made against the driver deemed to be at-fault for the crash and can be available to anyone injured as a result, whether the injured person was in the same car as the responsible driver, another car, walking as a pedestrian, or even on a motorcycle or bicycle. An injury lawyer can help you learn whether you have a claim for your losses after a car accident.
Unfortunately an accident occurred on Monday in California that claimed the lives of two men, one of whom has been reported as former NFL linebacker Thomas Howard. Known for his defensive prowess, Howard spent five years with the Oakland Raiders, two with the Cincinnati Bengals, and part of this season with the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons released Howard last week.
Police in Alameda responded to the scene of a highway collision between two vehicles on Monday and determined that Howard was speeding and traveling between 100 and 110 miles per hour. Authorities believe that Howard struck a semi truck which caused him to lose control of his car. His car rolled over and crossed the center median, entering the lanes designated for traffic traveling in the opposite direction and directly colliding with a second vehicle. The impact was described as severe and both Howard and the man in the second car, a 64-year-old California resident, were killed.
It is not clear at this time whether anything besides speed, including alcohol, played a factor in this crash.
Car accidents occur every day in Illinois and many are due to driver error or negligence in some manner. If you have been injured in an accident or if your family member has been killed, call our lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us provide you with a free case consultation. We can be reached 24 hours a day at (312) 924-7575 or toll free at (855) 529-2442. After an accident, make sure your legal rights are protected by calling our offices and letting us help you get a recovery you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Gurnee Police Seek Suspect in Fatal Hit-And-Run, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published November 19, 2013.
Resources:
Former NFL player Thomas Howard dies in car crash, by Josh Dubow, Chicago Sun-Times, published November 18, 2013.