On behalf of Strom & Associates, Ltd. posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Wednesday, October 15, 2014.
A lawsuit in Illinois on behalf of three individuals injured in a Sept. 13 accident is asking for damages in excess of $600,000. Of the three, a 30-year-old woman was paralyzed in the crash from a crushed spine, and another suffered a severed thumb. The driver of the vehicle, the suit says, was allegedly impaired when the crash occurred and fled without calling for help.
According to the suit, the 28-year-old driver of a BMW was drinking in the hours leading up to the crash at two establishments in Chicago. The man and four other individuals, including the plaintiffs, were in his vehicle when it hit a utility pole. According to police accounts, the driver was allegedly speeding prior to the crash and lost control. He surrendered to police a week later. He faces charges of failing to report the accident with injuries and not reporting an unattended vehicle as well as speeding. He is under a 24-hour curfew after posting a bail of $200,000.
The suit seeks damages from the BMW driver and his employer. The suit includes the two establishments where the man drank prior to the accident as defendants under the Dram Shop Act. A fund has been set up to raise money for medical bills the paralyzed woman incurred, according to a close friend.
Individuals injured in a car accident due to an intoxicated driver may file a personal injury lawsuit to recover both compensatory and punitive damages. In a similar situation, an attorney may assist an injured victim who incurs medical bills and lost time from work as well as disabilities caused by an accident by filing suit in civil court.
Source: Chicago Tribune, ‘Man accused of leaving River West car crash under 24-hour curfew”, Sept. 26, 2014
Source: CBS Chicago, “Woman Paralyzed In Crash, Two Others Sue Driver Who Fled“, October 09, 2014
