Fatal auto collisions are thankfully a small percentage of all crashes in Chicago. Data from the Illinois Department of Transportation show that Cook County saw a total of 293 fatal car accidents in 2019.
But as small as that number seems in comparison to the total crashes, that’s 293 lives lost and 293 families shattered when their loved one didn’t come home. Many fatal accidents are preventable, and happen because another driver was distracted by a cell phone, intoxicated, or driving faster than they should have been — or sometimes because of a combination of those factors.
If someone you know has suffered fatal injuries from an accident, you should contact a lawyer for car accidents today at (312) 236-2900.
Not every fatality is instant. Sometimes a person may be hospitalized for days or weeks with injuries suffered in the accident. Head injuries may lead to a coma, or a spinal cord break or serious burns may not be immediately fatal. Delayed fatalities are perhaps the most tragic because they add to a family’s emotional toll in the aftermath of an accident as they watch their loved one suffer, and their hope fades that their loved one will recover.
When someone you love suffers fatal injuries in a car crash caused by someone else’s negligence, recklessness, or intentional action, you may have a claim for compensation under Illinois law. Money doesn’t bring your loved one back, but it can help secure your family’s financial future in the wake of your loss.
Depending upon the circumstances of the accident and your loved one’s death, you may have a claim under the Wrongful Death Act for loss of your loved one’s economic contributions, loss of your relationship with your loved one, and for your grief and emotional suffering. If the injuries weren’t immediately fatal, you may have a claim under the Survival Act for medical bills related to your loved one’s injuries and other personal injury damages your family member would have been able to claim had he or she lived.
An experienced Chicago personal injury attorney can discuss with you the circumstances of your loved one’s death and what kind of claim for compensation you may have. Contact a fatal attorney today at (312) 236-2900.