What to do when you’re involved in a car accident in Chicago
In this blog post, you will find advice about what to do if you’re involved in a car accident in Chicago. Of course, the first thing you should do is stay calm. Accidents happen. Just because someone did something stupid, like texting while driving, doesn’t mean they’re an awful person. They just made a mistake.
Sometimes those mistakes have big consequences. One of my clients was rear-ended while driving in Aurora, Illinois. The young woman who hit him admitted that she was texting when she hit him. He suffered multiple shoulder tears because of her negligence. Simply stated, her mistake caused him severe pain and suffering that may result in permanent injuries to his shoulder. Unfortunately, neither side had enough insurance (liability or underinsured protection) to cover his injuries – see my article on UM/UIM insurance.
If you are involved in a car accident in Chicago, you should:
- Call the police/file a report
- Get the contact information, insurance information and names of all witnesses to the accident
- Obtain medical treatment: put your lawsuits/claim aside, it is critical that you obtain medical assistance to quickly treat your injuries
- Take photographs immediately – this includes photos your injuries as well as the damage to your vehicle
- Keep everything involved in the accident
- Never give a recorded statement to an insurance company without first consulting a Chicago car accident attorney
- Do not post much about the accident on Facebook
- Keep a daily journal of how you are feeling and the way your life is impacted by the accident.
- Keep a mileage log of visits to your doctor’s office or to get your car repaired and receipts for all medical or other bills
- If you did suffer injuries, contact a Chicago car accident attorney for a free consultation
Every few minutes, a car accident in Chicago takes place. It’s an epidemic. In 2014, the most recent year that the Illinois Department of Transportation released records for, there were 296,409 car accidents in the State and 143,943 car accidents that took place in Cook County, Illinois. That’s 394 car accidents in Chicago per day!
Nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there is a traffic crash every 10 seconds. In 2015, there were 6,296,000 crashes. That number is astonishing when you think about it. Of those, there were over 35,000 fatalities.
Common causes of car accidents include getting hit by a drunk driver (around 20% of all crashes), weather conditions like ice, snow or rain, or due to distracted driving. In my practice, I would guestimate that 7 out of 10 of all accidents we see were caused by a distracted driver. They could be smoking a cigarette, talking on the phone or, texting while driving.
Our office regularly represents people who are the victim of a car accident in Chicago. Our clients have suffered various injuries and recoveries have varied greatly depending how injured they were as a result of their Chicago car accident.
If you are involved in a car accident in Chicago or anywhere in the State of Illinois, contact our office for a free consultation at 312-848-9783
Disclaimer
This blog is for entertainment and informational purposes only. It is not intended as legal advice and the accuracy thereof is not warranted or guaranteed. This information is prone to errors and omissions. Use this information at your own risk. Reading this blog does not create an attorney-client relationship. All content in this blog is owned by the creator. This blog may include copyrighted information. Use of this information constitutes a “fair use” of this material.
