A Chicago man was charged with failure to reduce speed and driving an uninsured vehicle in connection with a January crash that killed his passenger in suburban Alsip. The 32-year-old man was allegedly driving a Ford Taurus south on Cicero Avenue near 128th Street when he struck the trailer of a semi from behind. According to police, the Taurus became trapped beneath the trailer and local fire personnel were forced to extricate the driver and his 37-year-old passenger from the wreckage. Following the accident, both occupants of the Taurus were reportedly taken to Oak Lawn’s Advocate Christ Medical Center in critical condition. The female passenger purportedly died as a result of the injuries she sustained in the early morning collision almost one week later. The driver of the semi was allegedly uninjured in the traffic wreck.
At this time, no court date has been set for the man charged in the accident because he reportedly remains hospitalized. Police stated alcohol did not play a role in the fatal collision. Unfortunate and deadly car accidents like this one occur often throughout the Chicago Metro. According to data from the Illinois Department of Transportation, 957 people were killed in an Illinois traffic accident in 2012. Sadly, the total number of traffic fatalities in our state this year may be even higher.
Although Illinois requires all drivers to carry a minimum level of motor vehicle liability insurance, many motorists are either uninsured or do not carry a sufficient level of insurance to cover the cost of the damages they may cause in a traffic accident. When a driver, passenger, pedestrian, or bicyclist is injured in a car crash that was caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, the victim may be entitled to file a claim for damages against his or her own automobile insurance policy or the policy of a member of the same household. In order to collect from your Illinois uninsured or underinsured motorist policy, several written notices must be filed in addition to any damages claim. Because some insurance issues may need to be litigated, you are advised to contact a skilled personal injury lawyer after any traffic wreck that was caused by an uninsured or underinsured motorist.
Due to the fact that the driver was uninsured in this matter, once an injury law firm gets involved they will have to carefully look at police reports and determine if there was any contributory fault on the part of the truck driver. For example, whether there was any type of equipment violation that could have contributed to the accident.
If you were hurt or someone you love was killed in a Chicago traffic accident, please contact the quality attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. Our capable Chicago uninsured motorist claims lawyers are available 24 hours per day, seven days of the week to answer any questions you may have and help you file your personal injury or wrongful death claim. Our hardworking attorneys have years of experience advocating on behalf of clients who were hurt or lost a family member in a Chicago area motor vehicle collision. To speak with a committed car accident attorney, do not hesitate to give the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. a call at (312) 475-9596 today.
More Blogs:
Albany Park Woman Dies Following One-Car Crash in Chicago’s Avondale Neighborhood, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, February 27, 2013
Senior Citizen Dies Following Negligent Pedestrian Accident in Palatine, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, February 24, 2013
Additional Resources:
Man charged in car crash that killed Oak Forest woman, by Susan DeMar Lafferty, Southtown Star
Two Critically Injured In South Suburban Crash, Chicago.cbslocal.com