A man who hit a college student with his car and kept on going was sentenced to eight years in prison on Dec. 3, according to CBS2 Chicago. The defendant pleaded guilty to aggravated DUI in the March incident. The victim and a friend had just stopped two men from attacking a woman outside the bar. When they were approached by the men’s friends, the victim and his friend moved toward their car to escape. But before the pedestrian finished crossing the street, the driver ran a stop sign and hit him. The motorist later crashed into a utility pole and abandoned the car. He later told police that he’d had five drinks and smoked marijuana before heading home.
In this case, the driver was charged criminally for the DUI and its results. But when criminal charges aren’t filed, or when they’re not enough, victims may also choose to file a Chicago car accident lawsuit. A lawsuit over a wrongful death — any death caused by someone else’s careless or illegal actions — is always a sensitive matter, because no lawsuit can bring back a lost loved one. But a legal claim can help victims deal with the practical effects of a death that came too soon, including medical and funeral bills, loss of an income and other financial costs caused by the death. It can also help compensate victims for their intangible but very real emotional losses.
And perhaps most importantly, it can hold wrongdoers responsible for their actions in cases where charges aren’t filed, or where they just don’t seem like enough. If you have lost someone to drunk driving accident or another fatal crash caused by someone else’s carelessness, you have the right to pursue a Chicago auto accident lawsuit. Contact us at Abels & Annes today for a free consultation on your case.