I-80 accident kills 1, injures 1

I-80 accident kills 1, injures 1

Illinois State Police say that a four-vehicle crash on Interstate 80 left one person injured and another dead on July 11. The car accident happened around 1:30 p.m. in Country Club Hills.

Authorities say that an eastbound SUV rear-ended a sedan. The impact caused a chain reaction that involved collisions with two other cars. Pictures of the accident scene showed that the SUV turned over onto its roof, and there was debris spread across the interstate. All of the lanes were closed near the accident, causing widespread delays. The lanes were reopened by 4:30 p.m.

The SUV driver suffered injuries that were non-life-threatening, while the 50-year-old male driver of the sedan was taken to South Suburban Medical Center, where he died. The occupants of the two other vehicles involved were not harmed, but the drivers were transported to hospitals for evaluation.

When people are injured or killed in traffic accidents, their surviving family members may be burdened with emotional and financial damages. In Illinois, the surviving spouse and next of kin of people who die in crashes might be able to recover some of these damages through wrongful death claims.

If the wrongful death claims are successful, a jury decides on an amount of compensation that it deems fair and just. The surviving family members could receive compensation that pays for the medical treatment that their deceased loved ones received prior to their deaths. In addition, the compensation may pay for other pecuniary damages, such as funeral and burial costs. The survivors might also receive compensation for mental suffering, grief and sorrow.

Source: Illinois General Assembly, ‘Wrongful Death Act”

Source: Chicago Tribune, “1 killed, 1 hurt in I-80 crash“, July 11, 2014