Illinois Auto Accident Lawyer Serving Clients in Chicago

Auto accidents in Chicago can be devastating, especially when they could have been prevented. Much too often, another driver’s negligence, or recklessness, leads to a serious or fatal motor vehicle collision. At Arami Law, we know how difficult it can be to deal with the costs of medical bills and lost wages in the aftermath of an accident. If you or someone you love got hurt in a car crash, it is important to learn more about filing a claim for compensation by speaking with an experienced Chicago auto accident attorney near you.

Learning More About Car Crashes in the Chicago Area

How common are serious and fatal auto accidents in Illinois? According to a fact sheet from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), there were more than 32,000 fatal traffic collisions in the country in 2015, and 914 of those happened in Illinois. In total, 998 motor vehicle occupants died in car crashes in Illinois in 2015.

What are some of the most common reasons that auto accidents happen? A crash causation report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) cites some of the following as frequent causes of motor vehicle collisions:

• Speeding;
• Following too closely;
• Running traffic lights;
• Weaving in traffic;
• Texting while driving;
• Talking on a cell phone while driving;
• Fatigued driving, or getting behind the wheel when you are too tired to focus;
• Alcohol-impaired driving; and
• Defective auto parts.

As you can see, many of these causes are linked to another driver’s failure to abide by Illinois traffic laws. Under Illinois law, any handheld use of a smart phone behind the wheel of a car is illegal. However, despite traffic safety laws, drivers continue to behave aggressively and to engage in distracted driving behind the wheel. When another driver’s negligence causes an accident, it is important to hold that driver accountable by filing a car accident lawsuit.

What Types of Damages Can I Receive?

If you file a car accident lawsuit in Chicago, what types of damages can you expect to receive? In most cases, injury victims can be eligible for two different kinds of compensatory damages. Compensatory damages provide exactly what their name suggests: compensation for losses. Those two different kinds of compensatory damages include:

• Economic damages: objective, precise losses that have a dollar figure attached to them. Economic damages can include, for example, surgical costs, hospital bills, the price of prescription drugs, and the wages you have lost (which would be determined by looking at previous paycheck stubs).
• Non-economic damages: subjective losses that do not have a dollar figure attached to them. Depending upon the specific case, non-economic damages can vary widely. This type of damage award is supposed to compensate a plaintiff for subjective losses like pain and suffering, or the loss of the plaintiff’s enjoyment of life as a result of her injuries.

Discuss Your Case with an Auto Accident Attorney Near You

If you have questions about filing a car crash lawsuit, an experienced auto accident attorney in Chicago can help. Contact Arami Law today to discuss your options.