Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
In the Chicago suburb of Berwyn, Illinois a mother and daughter were injured in an auto accident on Tuesday. The driver who hit them was distracted at the time of the crash, as she was busy lighting a cigarette. To make matters worse, the driver was uninsured. The injured mother has retained Chicago injury lawyers at Abels & Annes to pursue an uninsured motorist claim against her own insurance carrier.
The accident took place during daylight hours at the corner of Kenilworth Ave. & 19th St. in Berwyn. The intersection is uncontrolled by traffic signals (no stop lights or stop signs). When the plaintiff arrived at the intersection she yielded to a car that arrived before her and then proceeded when it was her turn. When she was most of the way through the intersection the uninsured driver entered the intersection without stopping or yielding and struck her car.
When you approach an uncontrolled intersection in the State of Illinois, the driver that arrives first has the right-of-way. If two vehicles arrive at the same time, the vehicle on the right has the right-of-way.
The mother and child were taken by ambulance to MacNeal Hospital. The mother sustained neck and head injuries. She is going through follow-up treatment with an orthopaedic physician.
The Berwyn police department investigated the car crash.
Over the past year the use of cell phones and texting while driving have been a hot topic in Illinois, and new laws have been passed. We should not forget that other activities, such as smoking or eating food, can be just as distracting or more distracting than cell phone use.