Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
A Chicago area resident has been killed in a pedestrian vs. auto accident that occurred this past Saturday, according to the Chicago Tribune. The collision took place at 87th Street and Cicero Avenue in Oak Lawn, a suburb just south of the Chicago city limits.
It has not been reported how the accident took place, however an arrest has been made by the investigating police department. This strongly indicates that the driver was at fault.
Every year there are thousands of traffic accidents involving pedestrians in the State of Illinois. For example, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) reports that in 2004 there were 5,694 pedestrian accidents throughout the State, and that 155 fatalities resulted from those collisions.
IDOT states that pedestrians involved in accidents (as opposed to vehicle occupants) are much more likely to be injured or killed. Pedestrians are 8.7 times more likely to be injured and 23.1 times more likely to be killed as compared to people riding in vehicles. And, while pedestrians are only involved in 1.3% of the accidents in Illinois, they account for 12.7% of the fatalities.
Pedestrian accidents also occur more often in congested areas. Of the 5,694 pedestrian accidents in 2004, 77% occurred in Cook County, and 97% happened on roads that have been classified as urban.
If you have been involved in a pedestrian accident, contact our office for a free consultation. Our law firm often handles these types of claims, and we just settled a case against Allstate Insurance this past week.