Dog causes car accident on I-74

Dog causes car accident on I-74

On April 28, a truck traveling on I-74 near the 280 exit swerved, resulting in a car crash. The truck allegedly hit another vehicle when the driver attempted to avoid colliding with a dog that ran across the road. Shortly thereafter, two cars were involved in another collision. The car accidents occurred at approximately 3 pm.

Following the accident, one person was taken to the hospital for treatment of unspecified injuries. It was not stated whether the dog was injured.

The Moline Police Department is still investigating to determine the cause of both accidents. It was not stated whether the second collision was the result of the first, but the two accidents occurred in close proximity to each other.

Illinois law requires dog owners to maintain control of their pets. When a dog causes injury to others, the owner may be liable, even if the owner was not present on the scene at the time. However, a person who takes evasive maneuvers to avoid an accident also has an obligation to do so safely. If a person who attempts to avoid one accident causes another, that person may be liable – even if the original, avoided accident would have been someone else’s fault. When fault in an accident is not certain, a personal injury attorney may be able to file suit against all persons who contributed to the accident. Under principles of joint and several liability, it may be possible to get a judgment against all persons who behaved carelessly, to ensure that the victim is made whole for injuries. Compensation may be available to cover property damage, medical bills and pain and suffering.

Source: WQAD8 Quad Cities, “Witness says dog caused four-car crash in Moline“, Katrina Lamansky, April 28, 2013