Dedicated Injury Attorneys for Chicago-Area Auto Accidents
About 1,000 people lose their lives on Illinois roadways every year, and thousands more suffer serious or catastrophic injuries. The majority of Illinois motor vehicle accidents happen in Chicago and Cook County. These accidents don’t happen because the roads are in terrible shape or because driving is an inherently dangerous activity. They happen because people don’t pay enough attention to their driving and the traffic around them, and they don’t drive with the care and competence that they should.
We call them “accidents,” but crashes don’t happen for no reason. Motor vehicle accidents are almost always preventable, and they almost always occur because one driver failed to drive with the necessary standard of care required of the average driver. This is called negligence, and negligent drivers can and should be held accountable for the damages they cause when they hit another driver, cyclist or pedestrian.
This is what we do at AFW Law Group. No case is too big or too small for the dedicated and successful motor vehicle accident attorneys that our office is affiliated with. Whatever your needs, we fight to see that you get the right amount of compensation to make up for the harm inflicted on you by another driver’s negligence. If you have been injured in a car, truck or motorcycle accident in Chicago or surrounding areas, call AFW Law Group for immediate assistance.
Leading Causes of Motor Vehicle Accidents in Chicago
According to the Department of Transportation’s 2019 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics, 312,988 crashes occurred in the state, with injury resulting in more than 20% of the time and an incapacitating injury in more than 12% of all crashes. Cook County alone saw more than half of all crashes in the state with 159,471 motor vehicle accidents, including 30,337 injury accidents and 3,149 incapacitating injuries. Cook County had more than ten times the number of accidents of every other county except DuPage, where the ratio was slightly less. After Cook County, DuPage, Will, Lake and Kent counties were the only counties to see auto accidents in the tens of thousands.
The leading causes of traffic accidents in Chicago and surrounding areas are:
- Drunk driving (Alcohol was implicated in 27.1% of all fatal crashes.)
- Distracted driving (Illinois prohibits texting while driving and only allows hands-free cell phone use, and only for drivers 19 and older. Even hands-free communication is still distracting and not recommended.)
- Speeding (Speeding accounted for one-third of all accidents.)
- Failure to yield
- Following too close
- Failure to obey traffic signs and signals
- Drowsy driving
- Failure to adjust driving according to weather conditions and traffic patterns
- Unsafe lane changes
- Aggressive driving/road rage
Car Accidents
Illinois drivers are required to carry a minimum of 25/50/20 liability insurance, meaning their insurance will cover $25,000 in bodily injury per person or $50,000 per accident, plus $20,000 for property damage. Although these policy limits will cover most fender benders, they can be pitifully inadequate to compensate a person who has suffered severe or catastrophic injuries in a serious crash.
Despite insurance mandated by law, more than one in ten Illinois drivers on the road right now are driving without insurance. If you are hit by an uninsured driver, you can file a claim under your Uninsured Motorist (UM) policy. Your UM coverage should have the same limits as your liability coverage, which might not be enough to cover all your damages.
Whether filing a claim against the other driver’s insurance or your own policy, AFW Law Group can help you get far better results than you could on your own. We will refer you to legal counsel that knows what car accident claims are worth because they handle them every day, just like the insurance companies do. Don’t let the other side have all the knowledge, information and bargaining power. Level the playing field by getting as much or more experience and expertise on your side.
Truck Accidents
Most trucking accidents in Illinois involve semi-trailers, although a significant number occur with single-unit trucks with or without trailers. A fully loaded tractor-trailer can weigh more than 25 times the average passenger vehicle, and in a collision with one of these big rigs, the occupants of the smaller, lighter vehicle can suffer terribly. Truck accidents are complex, expensive and hard-fought by trucking companies and their insurance carriers. AFW Law Group will assist you in the fight to get meaningful results that compensate you for the harm done.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accidents make up less than one percent of all traffic crashes in Illinois, yet they account for 14.6% of fatal crashes. Motorcycle riders enjoy the freedom of riding in the open air, yet they are almost completely vulnerable to serious injury or death if they get hit by a car or truck. Motorcycle accidents happen when drivers of motor vehicles misjudge the speed or distance of an oncoming bike when making a left turn, or when they fail to look for or notice a motorcycle before changing lanes. Some drivers also cause motorcycle crashes by their unsafe and overly aggressive driving behavior, even if they don’t physically strike the motorcycle.
Drivers, their insurance companies and juries are often biased against motorcycle riders and blame them for the crash. If you were injured because of another driver’s negligence and not your own, we’ll put in the time and effort to prove your case and get you the financial help you need and deserve.
Help With Motor Vehicle Accidents in Chicago
If you’ve been hurt in a motor vehicle accident in metro or suburban Chicago, call AFW Law Group for access to a team of dedicated and successful Chicago-area automobile accident lawyers who work to get the best results in every case.
