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Hit and Run Deaths Are at an All-Time High
Fatalities from hit and run accidents have never been higher in this country, according to a 2018 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.
According to the study, 2,049 people died in hit and run accidents in 2016. This figure is an astonishing 62 percent increase from 2009. AAA reports that 2016 is the year with the most fatalities since 1975 when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration began collecting numbers on fatal motor vehicle collisions.
The study found that the states with the highest rates of fatal hit and runs were New Mexico, Louisiana, and Florida. The states with the lowest rates were Maine, Minnesota, and New Hampshire.
What Is a Hit and Run Crash?
A hit and run collision occurs when at least one person leaves the accident without offering appropriate information or help to the other parties. Failing to report the accident can also be considered a hit and run.
Illinois Passes New Children's Car Seat Law
Illinois recently passed a law mandating that child passengers under two years old must ride in car seats that face the back of the vehicle. The bill was signed into law on August 3, 2018.
The law states that children under two years old may sit facing forward in car seats if they are at least 40 pounds or 40 inches tall. A first offense is punishable by a $75 fine, and a second offense is punishable by $200.
This requirement had long been the recommendation made by experts, however, the law previously only required rear-facing car seats up to a year old. Prior to 2011, the Academy of Pediatrics recommended rear-facing car seats until the child was a year old or 20 pounds.
The new recommendation and subsequent law came about after studies showed that death rates were 75 percent lower when car seats were positioned rear-facing until two years of age.
Common Vehicle Collision Injuries in Children
Why Soft Tissue Injuries Should Be Taken Seriously after Car Accidents
If you have been in a car accident, you run the risk of getting soft tissue injuries. These injuries are common and can be debilitating for significant periods of time. If you were not at fault, or not fully at fault, in the car accident, you should be fairly compensated for your injuries.
Types of Soft Tissue Injuries
This class of injury involves damage to the soft tissue of the body such as muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Soft tissue injuries can leave one immobile and in pain for weeks and months. These injuries can also require extensive physical therapy in order for you to be fully rehabilitated.
Types of soft tissue injuries that can be sustained in an auto accident include:
- Whiplash. This is the most common soft tissue injury caused by car accidents. Whiplash occurs when a car strikes another and the force causes a victim’s head and neck to violently move backward and forwards. Symptoms of whiplash include stiffness of the neck, sharp neck pain, back problems and even cognitive issues, such as problems with memory and concentration.
Pedestrian Safety Tips
In 2007, the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration reported that over 4,500 pedestrians were killed as result of an auto accident. It is the responsibility of drivers and pedestrians to keep each other safe on the road. Drivers should always be operating in a defensive mode. However, a pedestrian suddenly crossing into the road to cross does not give a lot of time to react behind the wheel. A driver disobeying a traffic light also puts a pedestrian, crossing safely, at risk.
Traffic Lights Explained
At intersections, traffic lights help us stay organized and safe. For drivers, the light patterns are more straightforward: green: go, yellow: slow down, red: stop. Here are the pedestrian lights explained further:
- Walk: The symbol of a walking person means that pedestrians may cross the street that the signal is facing, and have the right of way.
Preventing Pedestrian Accidents
A pedestrian is considered a person who is not utilizing a motor vehicle. People go to the streets on foot to get to a destination or even to get exercise in the form of a walk or run. Despite safety precautions from motorists, over 5,000 pedestrians were killed during an auto accident in 2015 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection. Even more pedestrians were injured, so in the case of an auto accident with a pedestrian, who is responsible?
It is important for drivers and pedestrians to be mindful of each other. Here are steps each party can take to lower their chances of getting into a potentially fatal accident.
Vehicles
- Obey the speed limit - 30mph speed limits are not there to annoy, but to keep everyone safe. The road may be unsafe to drive at higher speeds, or the low-speed limit may be there because the area is residential or there is a school. A slower speed gives you a higher reaction time if a child suddenly crosses the road.
Getting in an Accident with an Uninsured Driver
For things not required by law, we purchase insurance as a safety precaution. That being said, liability car insurance is mandatory in 49 out of 50 states. Getting into a car accident with someone who is uninsured may be concerning, but it does not mean that you will not be paid.
What Is Liability Car Insurance?
When someone is found at fault for a car accident, it is the at-fault driver's automobile insurance company that pays the affected party. Each state has their own minimum rates of protection that drivers must reach. In Illinois, are minimums are as followed:
- Death or injury of one person - $25,000,
- Death or injury of multiple people - $50,000,
- Property damage - $20,000.
This insurance helps cover the medical expenses and lost wages of people injured in an accident, as well as your legal fees if you are sued.
Despite it being illegal to be on the road in Illinois without car insurance, the Insurance Research Council reports that 1 in every 8 drivers operates a vehicle without it. Car insurance is expensive, and it may feel like your best interest to avoid it. However, a person found without insurance will be subject to fees, have their license suspended, have their vehicle impounded, and be responsible financially for any accidents by their fault.
Who Is at Fault in a Pedestrian Accident?
When getting in an auto accident, it is easy to blame the other person for what happened. The blame may feel more justified with another car or vehicle, but when a pedestrian is hit, the driver can feel villainized. However, just because a person was on foot instead of driving a car, does not mean that they can not be found responsible for an accident.
Pedestrian Accident Statistics
Cook County alone had 155,935 motor vehicle crashes in 2015. According to the Illinois Department Of Transportation, 146 out of 5,050 car accidents in the same year involving a pedestrian in Illinois, were fatal. The majority of the remainder resulted in injury.
Auto accidents are not often straightforward, but here are two examples of when a pedestrian would, or would not, be at fault for an accident.
- A person jaywalking, or otherwise crossing the street at an unsafe time, may be held responsible for an accident. Any driver going at a reasonable speed within the area would not be held accountable for a person stepping in front of their car, and not being able to stop in time; or
Car Accidents with Rideshare Services
Services like Uber and Lyft have changed the way we get around. Instead of needing to hire a taxi company with hidden fees, you get a price upfront depending on your city, location, and where you are trying to go. It is a great resource whether you have a car or not, for example, if you drive to a bar and drink too much, a rideshare service can get you home safely. However, once back in your own car, what happens if you get into a car accident with a rideshare driver?
Unlike a person driving his or her car for leisure, a rideshare driver is guaranteed to have car insurance - it is a requirement. When with a passenger in the car, or on the way to pick up a passenger, there is additional coverage provided by the rideshare company. Uber, for example, provides a $1,000,000 minimum for liability coverage, and the same amount to protect their driver, and any passengers, if the people in the rideshare are not at fault and the other party has poor or no insurance. Rideshare drivers not interacting with the app are covered by their own insurance only.
The University of Chicago and Rice University researchers have found that fatal injuries spiked after Uber or Lyft was launched in a city. Rideshare companies offer incentives for their drivers to complete more trips, and this can cause dangerous competitiveness because there is no limit of how long a driver can complete trips for. A driver may become overtired trying to earn a badge or reach a goal, instead of calling it a night.
It may not be obvious at first if you have been in an accident with an Uber or Lyft driver, Â especially if they are in the middle of a trip, but you will want to react similarly to a car accident with anyone. First, call the police if you are able. Having a police report will be important when filing an insurance claim. After calling, gather as much information as you can. Get the insurance and contact information of everyone in the other car, including passengers. If there were any witnesses to the accident, get their contact information as well. Take pictures of the accident and any bodily harm to yourself.
Contact an Orland Park Car Accident Attorney
Getting in a car accident with a rideshare driver can complicate your ability to get the compensation you deserve after an accident. These cases can uncharted territory due to the new technology. Contact an experienced Orland Park car accident attorney today to handle your accident with an Uber or Lyft Driver. Set up a free consultation by calling our office at 708-966-2408.
Pedestrian Accidents in Illinois
Even while taking safety precautions as a pedestrian, it is still possible to get hit by a car or truck. In the United States, there were just under 6,000 pedestrian deaths in 2017. Although this was a decrease from the years prior, it is estimated that a pedestrian died every 88 minutes as a result of a pedestrian accident in the same year. Many more have been injured as a result of getting hit by a car. A pedestrian has little outward protection from a vehicle hitting them on the road. Head trauma, broken bones, or spinal damage are possible injuries a pedestrian can face. When faced with an auto-pedestrian accident, it is important to know your rights.
Getting hit by a car can be a traumatic experience. After a pedestrian accident, it is important to make your safety a priority. If possible, remove yourself from immediate danger such as in the middle of the road. If your injuries are too severe, try to get assistance in order to move or have a safety warning until authorities arrive. Once safe, call 911 to report the accident. This will alert the police to come to the scene of the accident to begin an accident report. Statements will be taken from yourself and the driver. If you are able, take photographs of the scene, including your injuries. The more information you can gather, the more it can help your case when filing an insurance claim.
Who Is Responsible for a Pedestrian Accident?
Pedestrian accidents can be fatal and it may seem obvious who is at fault for the accident, Illinois law may see it a different way. Although pedestrian deaths were down from the year prior, 5,977 people in the United States lost their lives due to being hit by a car.
As a fault state, Illinois breaks down damages by whose fault the accident was. When it comes to pedestrian accidents, it breaks down to who has the right of way. This is the legal right for a vehicle or pedestrian to proceed first when on the road. For example, at a four-way stop, the first driver to arrive at the intersection has the right of way, and then the driver to the right then has the legal right to cross.
There are two opportunities where a pedestrian can be hit while crossing the street - in a crosswalk and outside a crosswalk. Crosswalks are the safest point for people to cross, and pedestrians are often given the right of way - but that does not mean that a pedestrian cannot be blamed for an accident in a crosswalk. It is unlawful to cross in front of a moving vehicle close enough to cause danger to yourself and the driver. If there is no light system, then drivers must yield to pedestrians crossing the street in the crosswalk if the people on foot are halfway, or further, across the road. Drivers behind a stopped vehicle at a crosswalk may not lawfully pass.
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9631 W. 153rd St., Suite 32,
Orland Park, IL 60462
Phone
708-966-2408
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9631 W. 153rd St., Suite 32, Orland Park, IL 60462
708-966-2408
