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Failure to Yield for an emergency vehicle causes Chicago crash that injures nine

Posted by David Nemeroff | Feb 06, 2012 | 0 Comments

How many times do we see drivers ignoring the sirens of a fast approaching emergency vehicle such as a fire truck or ambulance? Most often we see this at busy intersections. Perhaps the drivers are too nervous to remain in the intersection? Maybe they are trying to pass through or beat the emergency vehicle through the intersection? There could be multiple reasons for the driver's failure to yield to an emergency vehicle. As an experienced Chicago failure to yield accident lawyer, I have represented many injured parties in these types of automobile accidents.

Over the weekend, a failure to yield to an emergency vehicle crash revealed that the 18-year-old driver of the passenger car involved was drunk. The crash involved a Chicago Fire Department truck and sedan passenger car. According to police reports nine people were injured in the failure to yield crash. It was reported that the Chicago fire truck was responding to an emergency, when the collision occurred at the intersection. Five passengers in the car were hospitalized in serious to critical condition. Four Chicago firefighters were taken to a local hospital. They are all reported in good condition.

The driver of the car was an 18-year-old Dolton man. He was cited for failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and failure to stop at a stop sign. He was also charged with misdemeanor felony aggravated DUI. In addition, the driver was cited for driving without proof of insurance. According to witnesses at the accident scene, the driver stated that he did not hear a siren. He did report seeing flashing lights as the fire truck entered the intersection. A failure-to-yield accident occurs when a vehicle operator fails to give or yield to the vehicle or party that has the right of way. The majority of failure-to-yield accidents occur due to distracted drivers. In today's world of mobile devices, drivers are talking, texting or reading mobile devices while driving a vehicle. It's a rare occurrence today to drive and not see another driver using their mobile phone in some form while driving.

As an experienced Chicago car accident lawyer understands, the key to successfully handling a failure to yield accident claim is to determine which vehicle involved in the failure to yield accident had the right of way when the crash occurred. Many times this involves obtaining eyewitness accounts and securing intersection videos from the cameras that many municipalities have installed. The red-light cameras can prove conclusively that the at-fault driver failed to yield the right of way at an intersection.

If you have been involved in a failure to yield car accident, it is important to meet with an experienced Chicago personal injury attorney. They can explain the insurance claims process in Illinois and help you to determine the value of the case. Injured passengers involved in accidents have the legal right to seek compensation for their injuries. A lawsuit can be filed even when the driver of their car is found at fault. According to the law, the driver could be named as a defendant in a Chicago personal injury lawsuit filed by the cars passengers. Most injured passengers are hesitant to file a lawsuit against the driver of the car, as they usually have a personal relationship with the driver.

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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