Commercial truck crashes in Illinois are not as uncommon as you may think and many are caused by distracted driving. Unfortunately, many truck drivers engage in distracting activities behind the wheel, such as using their cell phones or eating while driving.Such actions can cause serious truck accidents that result in severe damages, injuries or even fatalities.

Truck accident victims should consider pursuing compensation through a personal injury claim against the trucking company.

Investigation

The first step in pursuing compensation is to investigate and collect evidence to determine the cause of the accident. In many cases, distracted driving is a key factor, which means that the truck driver or the trucking company may be held liable for your injuries and losses.

 Hit-and-run accidents occur when a driver collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, or property and leaves the accident scene without identifying themselves or assisting the injured parties.

Insurance data suggests that Illinois ranks fourth among the U.S. states with the most hit-and-runs. Such accidents often leave victims with significant physical injuries and property damage, leaving them to wonder how they can recover financial compensation for their losses.

Uninsured Motorists Coverage

If the hit and run driver is never caught, there may still be a way to recover compensation. In Illinois, victims of hit-and-run accidents may pursue financial compensation through their own insurance company's uninsured motorists coverage.

The Illinois Department of Public Health (DPH) reports that 841 people 65 years of age and older died because of falls during the most recent reporting year and more than 100,000 people had to be treated for injuries suffered because of falls. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) also reported that nearly 20 percent of fatal occupational injuries were the results of falls, slips, or trips.

Slip and fall accidents can lead to serious injuries, including brain and spine injuries. Any person who does sustain a severe injury in a slip and fall accident will want to be sure they retain legal counsel because insurance companies are rarely willing to pay victims appropriate compensation without a fight.

How Slip and Fall Cases Work

When a person suffers injuries in a slip and fall accident, they should immediately report their fall to whoever is in charge of the property they fell on, such a manager at a store. Victims should also be quick to seek medical attention so they can be sure their injuries are properly treated and they have a medical record created as soon as possible. An individual harmed in a slip and fall accident can also strengthen their case by immediately taking pictures of whatever caused the fall before a property owner has the chance to correct the condition and the evidence disappears.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reports that there were 3,129 pedestrian accidents in 2020 which included 160 fatal accidents and 2,879 injuries. Crash data for 2023 indicates there have already been 34 pedestrian fatalities thus far this year. 

The bottom line remains that pedestrians are constantly placed at risk in towns and cities throughout the state. Unfortunately, negligent drivers in these cases sometimes flee the scene of the accident to avoid taking responsibility for their actions. If you or a loved one were hurt in a hit-and-run accident, read on to learn about your legal options. 

Options for Hit-and-Run Victims

In most pedestrian accident cases, the victim will be able to file a claim against the negligent driver. In a hit-and-run accident case, however, there can be concerns about whether an offender will be apprehended and what a hit-and-run victim can do if they are not located.

Driving while impaired due to the use of drugs or alcohol increases the likelihood of a car accident by 36 times. Even with the sobering statistics that demonstrate the dangers of drunk driving, people continue to risk their lives and the lives of others by driving while they are intoxicated. In Illinois, more than 20,000 people are arrested for drunk driving each year. If you have been injured by a drunk driver, a skilled attorney can help you establish liability and take steps to get the compensation you deserve.

BAC and Negligence

Drunk driving is associated with negligent behavior that could have been avoided. Driving under the influence of alcohol is considered reckless behavior, because willingly got behind the wheel of a vehicle when they knew they were too intoxicated to drive safely. The legal limit for blood alcohol content (BAC) in Illinois is .08 percent, and driving with a BAC above this limit can result in serious legal ramifications, including jail time, fines, and the suspension of a person's driver's license.

If you are injured in a drunk driving accident, you can seek compensation for your injuries by proving that the accident was caused by another driver’s negligence. If a chemical blood alcohol test showed that a driver’s BAC exceeded the legal limit, this is usually sufficient evidence of their negligence, and they can be held liable for the damages they caused. The presumption of negligence in these cases is known as negligence per se.