Highway Accidents

Illinois has some of the most challenging toll roads and highway system in the Midwest. Many of the car and truck crashes in Illinois are on the state highway system. The Chicago area has a number of toll ways and many state and U.S. highways without tolls that connect the Chicago’s Loop with the north, northwest, west and south suburbs and beyond. Recently, Illinois’ highways increased the speed limit to 70 mph in some open highway areas. High speeds combined with heavy use of Illinois’ highways contribute to the number of serious highway car accidents in the state.

Most of the serious highway accidents take place in the more rural areas throughout Illinois. Chicago area highways are extremely busy and well-traveled, yet the number of serious injuries and deaths has many contributing factors. Weather conditions play a part, but so does driver negligence, including distractions with the use of cell phones and GPS lead to many fatal accidents on highways.

Because Chicago area highways are so busy during the rush hours, drivers tend to be more aggressive in their driving patterns than in other areas of the state. Speeding, tailgating and distracted driving are common practices in and around the City of Chicago. As a result, the Chicago area highways are frequently ones that produce serious highway accidents.

The highest frequencies of highway crashes are those involving alcohol-impaired drivers. Illinois drivers are considered to be alcohol-impaired if their blood alcohol concentrations or BAC are .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. A licensed driver in Illinois includes motorcycle drivers, truck drivers, pick-up truck drivers as well automobile and SUV drivers. In 2013 alone 10,076 individuals were killed in alcohol-impaired driving crashes, many of those or a high percentage was on highways where the speed limits are generally high. In fact 31 per cent of all of the traffic accident fatalities in the United States in 2013 involved alcohol-impaired driving.

Illinois’ roads, highways and toll roads are in constant need of repair and maintenance given the high volume of traffic and the weather conditions. The federal government does a lot in the way of contributing to the safety of highways. The government has made funds available to Illinois under a variety of qualifying programs for the states to make the federal highway system safer by making possible the improvements needed to reduce hazardous road locations, road congestion and revise the highway design. For Illinois to receive federal highway funds it must develop and implement particular strategic highway safety plans to reduce safety problems it has identified and describe in detail as required the potential remedies, costs and needs associated with the proposals.

Illinois’ highways and toll ways are monitored by the Illinois State Police. If you were involved in a highway crash, Illinois State Police will generally handle the crash report by conducting a thorough investigation. It is vitally important to move a vehicle off of the highway if it was involved in a crash so as to avoid another or secondary crash from oncoming traffic. Sometimes a vehicle is not drivable in which case caution lights or flares should be turned on or any other flashing warning lights put in place to make the crash scene noticed by other traffic and until the Illinois State Police arrive to take over.

If you or someone you know has been injured or died as a result of a highway accident, please call us for an immediate free consultation.

Robert Kreisman of Kreisman Law Offices has been handling Chicago and Illinois highway accident cases for more than 40 years.

With our years of experience in trying and settling highway accident cases in Chicago and around the state of Illinois, Kreisman Law Offices provides the best possible services to our clients. Our service is unmatched. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online. There is no charge for a consultation that will include an evaluation of your case, assessment of your damages such as lost income, lost wages, medical and hospital bills, past and future pain and suffering, loss of normal life and wrongful death.

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