Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
You may not realize it, but drunk drivers are all over the roads in Chicago and across the rest of the state. Their numbers are staggering and the damage they cause devastating. Yet when the dust settles, it is often the innocent victims of these accidents that remain to pick up the pieces, whether the damages are medical expenses, lost wages, or even pain and suffering.
The victims of drunk driving accidents in Chicago may be able to seek relief for their losses through the use of a civil claim, a type of action that belongs to a victim and can be brought against an at-fault driver. This holds true when a responsible driver is drunk or under the influence of drugs at the time a crash occurs and can be possible whether or not that driver was ticketed in the accident. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago may help you understand your legal options if you have been hurt or if your loved one has lost his or her life in a traffic collision.
An accident yesterday on I-294 left a trooper in critical condition and seven other people injured, according to police. Officials have reported that a 59-year-old woman approached a trooper who was out of his vehicle conducting a traffic stop in the area of Berkeley when the woman reportedly swerved off the road and onto the shoulder, striking the trooper. The full nature of the trooper’s injuries are not clear but it has been reported that he sustained several fractures, including a broken shoulder blade, vertebrae, knee, and ribs. He is still receiving medical treatment at this time.
But the trooper was not the only casualty. According to witnesses, the female driver was operating erratically prior to the initial impact, and following that crash, she struck a divider and continued for approximately two miles before colliding with an SUV with seven people inside, leading to a rollover crash. All seven people inside sustained injuries and were transported to area hospitals where the extent and the nature of their injuries are unknown.
Yet the most shocking part of this collision is what officials have now stated about the driver’s history. The suspected at-fault driver reportedly pleaded guilty to a charge of driving under the influence just last week in an Illinois court. The charge stemmed from an incident early in 2014 and it appears that the driver did not have a valid license as a result, though it is not clear when her license was revoked or whether she never had a valid license. A record search has revealed that the suspect had a DUI conviction in 2008 as well.
Drunk drivers place the safety of all others at risk when they take to the road. Too often, it is these innocent victims that are forced to pay the price and must deal with injuries that can be severe or even last a lifetime.
If a drunk driving accident in the Chicago area or surrounding suburbs has left you with injuries or has affected the life of your loved one, do not let that drunk driver continue to victimize you as you recover. The lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. are standing by 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to make sure that you understand the legal implications of your accident whenever you need answers.
We offer a free case consultation without any obligation on your part to all those victims who call us toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575. At Abels & Annes, P.C., we advance all case related expenses and we never charge our clients a fee unless we make a recovery in their case.
If you have been hurt, let us help you seek a recovery you deserve now.
Prior Blog Entry:
Hit-And-Run Driver Seriously Injures Pedestrian in West Chicago, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published September 5, 2014.
Resource:
Driver charged with hitting state trooper pleaded guilty to DUI days earlier, Geoff Ziezulewicz, Chicago Tribune, published September 8, 2014.