Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog
An off-duty officer with the Chicago Police Department was recently killed in a tragic rollover accident on the South Side of Chicago. The 31-year-old woman was reportedly driving her sport utility vehicle on the Chicago Skyway around 10:30 pm when she struck a concrete barrier near 81st Street. According to a spokesperson for the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office, the woman was pronounced dead at the scene of the single-vehicle crash.
The exact cause of the fatal wreck is purportedly under investigation by the Chicago Police Department’s Major Accidents Investigation Unit. A crash witness reportedly told police that the SUV was traveling at a high rate of speed immediately prior to the accident. At this time, it is unclear whether alcohol or drugs played a factor in the deadly rollover collision.
Fatal one-car traffic wrecks like this one occur all too often in the Chicago area. A malfunctioning vehicle, swerving to avoid unexpected road hazards, speeding, and inclement weather are common causes for such crashes. Additionally, a careless, distracted, or impaired motorist may also cause an injury accident. In 2011, 532 people died as a result of a single-vehicle collision in the State of Illinois. That means more than half of the 918 fatal traffic wrecks throughout the state involved only one automobile. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration suggests the bulk of those one-car crashes occurred in cities like Chicago.
In some cases, an auto manufacturer, a city, another motorist, and others may be held responsible for the injuries that resulted from a single-vehicle crash. Our office often represents passengers that have been injured in single car accident. As a passenger, you are typically considered free of negligence.
If you were hurt through no fault of your own in a one-car traffic wreck, you may be eligible to receive compensation for your medical expenses, physical therapy, pain and suffering, any resulting disability, lost wages and benefits, and more. Because Illinois is a comparative negligence accident state, you may be able to recover damages for any harm you sustained in a single-vehicle crash even if you were somehow partially to blame. A hardworking car accident lawyer can explain your options for recovery in more detail.
If you were injured in a single-vehicle or other traffic accident in the Chicago Metro, you should contact the dedicated attorneys at Abels & Annes, P.C. Our knowledgeable Chicago car accident lawyers are available 24 hours per day, every day of the week to answer your questions and help you file your personal injury or wrongful death claim. Our quality attorneys have years of experience advocating on behalf of clients who were hurt in motor vehicle collisions throughout the Chicago area. To speak with a committed car accident attorney, give the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. a call at (312) 475-9596 today.
More Blogs:
Senior Citizen Dies Following Negligent Pedestrian Accident in Palatine, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, February 24, 2013
Two Killed When SUV Plunges Off of Lyons Overpass Near Forest View, Chicago Car Accident Lawyers Blog, February 14, 2013
Additional Resources:
Off-duty Chicago police officer killed in crash on Skyway, by Becky Schlikerman and James Scalzitti, Chicago Sun-Times
Family: Off-duty cop who died in Skyway rollover loved helping people, by Peter Nickeas, Carlos Sadovi and Dawn Rhodes, Chicago Tribune