Approximately 6 million car accidents occur each year in the U.S. While these auto accidents cause more than 3 million injuries, about 66 percent of these injuries are irreversible and extremely debilitating. In fact, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 950 fatal car crashes in Illinois in 2008.
While car accidents can be caused by a number of different factors, some of the most common causes may include:
- Animals or debris in the road
- Bad weather
- Driver distraction
- Driver fatigue or intoxication
- Driver inexperience
- Poor road conditions (including lack of lighting, lack of signage or rough roads)
- Reckless driving and/or failure to obey traffic laws
- Vehicle equipment defects or failure
In most cases, motor vehicle accidents are caused or worsened by human error, whether it is a driver, passenger or a pedestrian. Tragically, the larger and heavier a vehicle is, as well as the faster it goes, the more serious and injurious the resulting accident is likely to be.
Chicago Car Accidents Resulting in Death
In 2008, the most recent year for which Illinois car accident statistics are available, there were 1095 fatalities resulting from auto accidents. The types of auto accidents that are the most likely to be deadly include those in which:
- The driver is intoxicated
- Occupants are not wearing their seat belts
- Occupants are ejected from the vehicle
- Heavy trucks are involved in the crash
- Seat backs, brakes or a vehicle's electronic system fail, preventing the driver from being able to control the car
Have You Been Involved in a Recent Car Accident in Chicago?
If you or a loved one has been injured in an auto accident, or if your loved one has died in a car collision, you can learn more about your legal rights and entitlements by attending a complimentary consultation with an experienced accident lawyer at Pfaff & Gill, Ltd. Our dedicated, highly skilled auto accident attorneys have been aggressively representing car accident victims' rights for nearly two decades.
We have a proven track record of success, which has earned our attorneys the distinctions of being:
- Recognized in “The Best Lawyers in America 2010,� a well recognized, respected guide to legal excellence in the U.S.
- Illinois' Top Personal Injury Attorneys, by The American Trial Lawyers' Association
- Listed in the “Top 40 Lawyers Under 40 to Watch,� by The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
- Listed among the top 5 percent of lawyers in Illinois, by The Leading Lawyers Network
- Receiving the “A.V. Preeminent� rating, by Martindale-Hubbell
- Named one of the top “Rising Stars,� by SuperLawyers
- One of only two personal injury law firms in Illinois to have won four clients settlement awards exceeding $10 million
If you or someone you know has been seriously harmed or killed in a car accident on an Illinois roadway, contact a car accident lawyer at Pfaff & Gill, Ltd. today. We will thoroughly evaluate your case and fight to ensure all responsible parties are held accountable.
