Driving a car in reverse is simply a much more difficult maneuver than driving forward. The driver’s view is often limited by side mirrors, rearview mirrors and the fact that it is difficult to see what’s behind as a driver backs up. Crashes occur because a driver is negligent in first observing what may be behind the vehicle before putting the car in reverse. Sometimes vehicles are not well-equipped. There are blind spots for drivers who are backing up.
Most back-over car accidents occur at low speeds. However, the consequences can be severe. Too often the safety reporting agencies reveal that a driver unknowingly backing up and injures or kills a small child. Sometimes children walking or riding bicycles behind a higher car are not seen by backing up drivers.
Official estimates report that back-over accidents cause an average of 221 deaths per year. As many as 14,000 individuals are injured each year as the result of back-over accidents. Most of those injured in back-over car accidents take place on public roads, but many occur on off road terrains.
Back-over accidents occur when a driver of a pickup truck, an SUV or a passenger vehicle backs up into another vehicle, backs-over into traffic or into a pedestrian.
Back-over accidents are preventable. Each year thousands of young children are injured or killed in car back-over incidents. These accidents happen most often because the driver of a car, truck and even a motorcycle do not see a child behind them as they back up. More than 100 children are killed each year in these accidents. Most of the children who are killed are toddlers. Sadly, the driver who injures or kills a small child is usually a relative, parent or grandparent or someone the child knows.
Most back-over accidents occur in the driver’s own driveway, usually in a residential area. The problem is inattention. Children are small and often hard to see, especially when backing up a SUV, car, van or truck. Furthermore, and clearly, children of tender years do not understand the danger of standing, sitting, playing on a driveway or near the rear of a vehicle. The larger the vehicle the larger can be the blind spot that obscures the rear vision of the driver. Usually it’s the SUV’s, pickups and minivans that present the higher risk of being involved in a back-over accident.
Another known risk of back-over accidents are with those hybrid vehicles or electric cars who are much quieter when operating than the traditional gasoline powered car, truck or minivan. Because the vehicle does not produce much noise, a child behind the vehicle will not recognize the danger of the backing up car or truck.
Drivers must be acutely aware of children playing, sitting or standing behind their car. A driver should walk around and behind the vehicle before starting out. Then, the driver should back up very slowly. Drivers should be on lookout for children who may run behind a backing up vehicle. Children must also be instructed about safety and in the areas they are allowed to play in and those that are off limits, like the driveway. Sometimes and too often children are injured by a backing out car because the child runs behind it, maybe in the effort to say goodbye to the leaving adult. These back-up accidents are tragic, but most are preventable by sound safety practices by the drivers and the children.
If you or someone you know has been injured in a back-over car accident, call Kreisman Law Offices. Chicago attorneys at Kreisman Law Offices have more than 40 years successfully handling back-over car accidents. Our lawyers understand the need to immediately respond to investigation, witness location and handling insurance issues for their clients. The case of a back-over car accident is devastating to individuals and families. Oftentimes the driver at fault may be a relative or friend of the injured party.
For an experienced attorney in a back-over car accident, Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Chicago area car accidents for more than 40 years in and around Chicago, Cook County and its surrounding areas in Illinois. Back-over accidents, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) indicate that more than 35% of those killed in back-over accidents are children under the age of 5. Of the 292 fatalities reported by the NHTSA, about 25% of those deaths occur in individuals 70 years or older.
More than 18,000 individuals are injured each year as a result of a back-over accident. This number is reported by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A back-over car accident can be devastating to individuals and families. Too frequently, the injured or killed are children.
If you or a loved one has been involved in a back-over accident, contact Kreisman Law Offices at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online. We are here to assist you and your family so that responsible parties are held accountable for the injuries or death to passengers of cars or trucks involved in back-over car accidents.