Road Departure Crashes

Knowledgeable Car Accident Lawyers Assisting People in Schaumburg and Wheaton

If you or your loved one has been injured in a road departure crash caused by someone else’s negligence, you need to understand your legal rights and options. At Therman Law Offices, our Wheaton and Schaumburg car accident attorneys can investigate the facts of your case and help you obtain the compensation that you are legally entitled to receive to address your harm. We understand that dealing with an accident is never easy, but you can rest assured that you do not need to go through the legal process alone. Instead, we are here to guide you at every step of the way.

Assert Your Rights Following a Road Departure Crash

Road departure crashes refer to accidents that occur when a car crosses an edge line or a center line, or otherwise leaves the road. When a driver veers off the road, the results can be catastrophic. Road departure crashes can injure pedestrians and lead to significant property damage. The car itself may end up in a ditch, strike a tree, or hit another vehicle.

Unfortunately, road departure crashes are more common than you may think. According to the Federal Highway Administration, road departure crashes result in many injuries and deaths around the country. In fact, from 2014 to 2016, an average of 18,779 deaths resulted from roadway departure crashes, which is 53 percent of all traffic fatalities in the United States. Road departure crashes have a variety of causes, including these:

• Drugged driving;
• Excessive speeding;
• Tailgating;
• Tire blowout;
• Fatigued driving;
• Intoxicated driving.

If you have been injured in a road departure accident, you may have a strong legal right to get compensation. Whether you were a passenger in the car or you were in a different car, you may be able to seek damages for your harm. All drivers are required to drive safely in order not to injure others on the road. When a driver’s carelessness or wrongdoing causes a road departure crash, that driver will likely be liable for the resulting harm under the legal theory of negligence. Negligence applies when someone owes a duty to another person and fails in that duty, thus causing injuries or death to the person to whom the duty was owed. The duty in this context refers to the obligation of every individual to act as a reasonably prudent person would act under the same or similar circumstances.

In some cases, governmental entities or car manufacturers may be responsible for a road departure crash. For instance, if an improperly maintained road, faulty traffic signal, or poorly designed road led to your accident, the government may be liable. You should know that there is an extremely narrow window to file a lawsuit against the government, so it is important for your attorney to act quickly after a crash. If faulty brakes or another mechanical defect caused the accident, the manufacturer or retailer of the vehicle may be liable.

An injured victim of a road departure crash may be able to recover a variety of damages under Illinois law. These damages typically include medical expenses for doctor’s visits and necessary medication, lost wages due to time away from work, pain and suffering, property damage, and any other losses arising from the accident. Each case is different, and the exact amount of compensation that you will be able to recover will depend on the circumstances of your case.

Contact an Aggressive Car Crash Lawyer in Wheaton or Schaumburg

Road departure crashes can lead to serious and life-altering injuries. In the most severe cases, victims of these accidents may die from their injuries. If you or someone close to you has been injured in a road departure crash that was not your fault, you need to reach out to a skilled injury attorney who can assess the merits of your case. We are committed to assisting clients across Cook County and represent people in areas such as Schaumburg, Wheaton, Lombard, Villa Park, Addison, Elmhurst, West Chicago, Lemont, Westmont, Oakbrook Terrace, Clarendon Hills, and Downers Grove. To discuss your case in more detail with us, call us at 312-588-1900 or contact us online.