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First snowfall of the season causes fatal Chicago truck crash

Posted by David Nemeroff | Dec 10, 2011 | 0 Comments

Welcome to winter Chicago. I woke Friday morning to my backyard covered in snow. It looked like a Norman Rockwell painting. The trees and streets were all lined with a brilliant white coating of snow. Even the most experienced driver can come across some dangerous conditions on the snow covered roads. It is best to drive slow and take your time to reach your destination. As a Chicago car accident lawyer, I realize that along with the beauty of a fresh snowfall come many dangers.

Although, this snowfall didn't amount to much, it still caused some hazards on the roads. When the weather is bad it is best not to drive at all, if you can avoid it. For many of us this is not a reality, so we must drive with caution. If driving in snowy conditions, make sure your car is prepared and that you know how to handle road conditions.

When driving on snowy or icy roads, it is best to follow the TIPS below from the National Safety Council:

  1. Reduce your speed
  2. Leave adequate space for you to stop.
  3. Gently apply your brakes. This will help you to avoid skidding.
  4. Keep your headlights on. This will increase your visibility to other motorists.
  5. Keep your lights and windshield clean from falling snow and ice.
  6. Keep the car in a low gear.
  7. Never use cruise control on icy roads.
  8. When traveling on bridges and overpasses use extreme caution when. These areas of roadways tend to freeze first.
  9. Watch out for black ice.

This morning's snowfall that covered many of Chicago's roadways caused multiple spinouts and minor fender benders. Unfortunately, there was one fatal accident on the Eisenhower. It was reported by the Illinois State Police that a fatal truck accident occurred on the inbound Eisenhower. The truck accident occurred at Cicero Avenue exit. It involved a box truck and a pickup truck. A passenger in the pickup truck was killed. At this moment, there are no details regarding the accident. The family of the fatal accident victim may be able to file a wrongful death law suit.

A wrongful death case is a law suit lawsuit that is filed when someone's negligent behavior results in the wrongful death of another person. The law suit is brought by the victims surviving family members or the victim's estate. Under most circumstances a wrongful death claim is brought to recover damages due to the death of a family member. The damages that are awarded in a wrongful death case are to compensate the family or estate for losses resulting from the death of a family member.

Some of the damages that can be recovered in a wrongful death case are what is called direct expenses. These are expenses incurred such as funeral costs and medical bills. Other damages can be for the loss of benefits and future earnings. Additional damages can include loss of companionship and punitive damages.

Motorists were urged to drive carefully and with caution during snowfalls.

About the Author

David Nemeroff

David Nemeroff was voted one of the Top 100 Lawyers in the entire state of Illinois (out of 83,000 lawyers) by Super Lawyers Magazine...

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