A tragic car accident claimed four lives and provided another unfortunate reminder about how dangerous the roads are on the Fourth of July weekend. The wreck occurred here in Illinois and it involved just two vehicles. They collided head first, killing four people and leaving another with injuries that were thankfully non-life threatening.
It appears that there may have been negligence involved in the crash, as witnesses of the wreck described one of the vehicles traveling at speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. The police have not yet determined who was at fault yet.
It would seem very easy to blame one car, given the reports of one of the vehicles traveling at or in excess of 100 miles per hour. However, this is one of the most important functions of the police investigation into a car crash: to not jump to conclusions. The investigation must be thorough, so that the police can make a conclusive ruling on how and why the crash occurred. The victims of the crash and their loved ones can then use the information contained in the the accident report to file a civil lawsuit, if they so choose.
Motor vehicle accidents can cause very serious, catastrophic or even fatal injuries to unsuspecting people. When it is discovered that these injuries happened because a reckless, inattentive, negligent or otherwise irresponsible driver caused the wreck, the consequences of the wreck seem so much worse — and in many ways, they are. For this reason, personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits are very important after a crash. Holding people responsible for their actions is important, and it can give a grieving family a small sense of justice.
Source: Palos Patch, “Four Dead in Bridgeview Head-On Collision,” Lorraine Swanson, July 5, 2014