No reasonable person who engages with traffic in the vast and varied Chicago metro area underestimates the road risks routinely linked with its constant flow.
Candidly, the myriad streets, state highways and interstate corridors that crisscross one of the nation’s largest urban areas daily throw up challenges for throngs of people.
That exposed demographic is materially diverse. Chicagoland roadways feature a mix of vehicles that range from the largest commercial trucks and passenger cars to motorcycles and bicycles. And that diverse mix is added to by legions of pedestrians – literally millions of people – out walking on city streets.
Culled and carefully researched data indicate that a notable and constant personal injury potential exists for every single person out on Chicago streets and roads.
And that risk is increasing.
Worrisome trend in Chicagoland traffic fatality statistics
The numbers don’t lie.
And what they say is this, according to federal safety regulators: The traffic fatality rate last year was the highest ever based on number of miles driven overall.
Death-linked numbers for Chicago were truly sobering. Reportedly, there were nearly 100 fatalities just for the April-November 2020 period. Notably, that toll was reached despite appreciably fewer people out driving during the health pandemic.
The bottom line: Clear lanes are spurring pedal-to-the-metal behavior, with adverse consequences for third parties across Chicagoland.
Things were concerning even prior to the onset of Covid-19, as underscored in a recent in-depth article on Chicago metro traffic injuries and deaths. That source notes Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning data emphasizing that “the five-year average of traffic deaths on Chicagoland roads has trended upward in recent years.”
Injury implications for parties harmed in motor vehicle accidents
The post-crash consequences for injury victims are obvious, aren’t they? An authoritative Chicago legal source addressing driver negligence and its adverse outcomes states that, “Sadly, too many vehicle collisions result in the wrongful death of an innocent driver, passenger, bicyclist or pedestrian who is obeying the rules of the road.”
The consequences for accident victims are frequently dire even when not fatal. Crash injuries encompass a wide spectrum, including these outcomes:
- Head trauma, including skull fractures and traumatic brain injuries
- Broken and fractured bones
- Neck, back and spinal cord injuries
- Internal complications
- Burns
Accident victims suffering from third-party negligence command strong legal rights that can be exercised by taking legal action focused on securing accountability, future deterrence and maximum compensation for harms suffered.
A proven and empathetic personal injury legal team can help promote those rights while fighting diligently for an optimal case outcome.
