Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
A deadly auto accident in Park Ridge, Illinois has led to a Chicago man being charged with aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the Chicago Tribune. The collision resulted in the death of a passenger in another car.
A 28 year old Chicago resident was driving eastbound on Devon Avenue on Christmas Eve when he rear ended a Mitsubishi that was stopped at a red light. The crash happened on the border of Park Ridge and Chicago at Canfield Road and Devon. The at fault driver’s car then struck a daycare center on Devon.
The passenger/victim was Justin Prendergast, 20, of Chicago. He was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge where he died from injuries sustained in the accident. The driver of the Mitsubishi and two other passengers were taken to Advocate Illinois Masonic Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The estate of the victim in this car accident has a wrongful death claim to pursue against the at fault party. Hopefully the driver carries a significant insurance policy to cover this terrible lose. If the driver did not have insurance, or only had minimal coverage, the estate of the victim could explore an uninsured or underinsured motorist claim.
As for the other occupants in the Mitsubishi, they also have a claim against the at fault driver, however it is likely that the estate of the deceased will have a right to a big portion of the insurance policy, depending on how the limits of the policy is drafted. The other occupants could make a claim against the untouched portion of the policy. They would also have the same options of exploring uninsured and underinsured motorist claims if necessary.