When people hit the road for a vacation or to commute to their jobs, they typically do not expect to be involved in a car accident. Unfortunately, vehicle collisions can and do occur on a fairly regular basis throughout the United States. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), there have been just over 500 vehicle fatalities on Illinois roadways as of this writing. In some cases, crashes can be caused by inclement weather. However, sometimes they are the result of the reckless behavior of a motorist.
Every driver has a duty of care to drive safely in an effort to protect himself or herself, as well as other motorists and passengers who are traveling on the road. Due to its size, the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs have many public modes of transportation. The drivers of these vehicles have a special duty of care to protect their customers from harm, including injuries sustained in a car accident.
Common Carrier Vehicles
Any vehicle that transports passengers for hire is referred to as a “common carrier.” Examples of these types of vehicles include buses, taxis, or limousines. Typically, the duty of care that the owners or operators of these automobiles have to their passengers is considered higher compared to other drivers. An example of this enhanced care requires the driver of a common carrier vehicle to look multiple times when checking oncoming traffic before turning at an intersection, when changing lanes, or before merging onto the highway to ensure it is safe to do so. When a driver fails to enforce or enact a high level of care, it may be classified as negligence, and any victims of an accident may be entitled to compensation for injuries suffered.
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