Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
A serious collision occurred when a northbound Honda drove in the southbound lanes last week on the Chicago Skyway, according to police. The Honda struck a southbound pickup truck near 84th Street and caused a violent impact that pushed the pickup truck into a concrete barrier.
The driver of the pickup truck was injured and was treated at South Shore Hospital and later discharged. In addition to the driver, two passengers were in the Honda and all were injured and treated at various hospitals with the driver reportedly suffering a broken arm. A female passenger has been described as “gravely injured” and it is not clear whether she will survive.
It is not yet clear what caused the Honda driver to travel in the wrong direction but police say the driver will be issued citations.
Though it is not clear if alcohol was involved, alcohol is a common factor in many of the wrong-way collisions that occur in the United States every year. A driver under the influence is less aware of other motorists, including the direction they are traveling, and statistically pay less attention to road signs, making it easier to drive against traffic without realizing it.
Wrong-way collisions are often very violent and severe because each vehicle is traveling in the opposite direction, making the force of the impact large. This type of collision is also likely to produce injuries to the drivers and passengers of both vehicles.
Wrong-way collisions can often occur when a driver is inattentive or just not paying attention. Distraction may come from inside the car or out and can include things like phone conversations, texting, other passengers, children, arguments, the radio, checking email, and even a GPS system. When a driver is distracted, the driver is a danger to those on the road and is more likely to cause an accident than if he was focused and attentive on the road.
Whether they are caused by alcohol, distraction, or something else, wrong-way collisions are dangerous and often deadly, and the person injured or killed is often not the distracted driver. In addition to serious criminal charges, a distracted driver may also face civil claims for the injuries caused in a collision. Both people in another vehicle and passengers in the distracted driver’s vehicle may be able to bring a claim if they are injured in a wrong-way crash.
If you have been injured as the result of a wrong-way collision, please contact the attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. for a free, no-obligation consultation. As Chicago car crash lawyers, we only represent victims in car accidents and we never represent insurance companies. We know how to fight for a recovery and we are ready to fight for you. Call us today at (312) 924-7575 to discuss your case. If you want to meet with us in person and you are too injured, we also offer free in-home and in-hospital consultations.
Prior Blog Entries:
Alcohol Believed to Be a Factor in Chicago Crash that Injured 4, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published May 22, 2013.
Semi Truck Crash Leaves 1 Dead in Chicago, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, published May 21, 2013.
Resources:
4 hurt in wrong-way Skyway crash, Chicago Tribune, published May 23, 2013.
Female gravely injured in Skyway crash, Chicago Sun-Times, published May 23, 2013.