Northwestern University Law Student Killed In Hit-and-Run Accident
As per a recent report by the Chicago Tribune, a 32 year-old Chicago man was killed in a hit-and-run accident last week at the Near North Side intersection of Division Street and LaSalle Drive.
The victim was identified as a third year law student at Northwestern University Law School, according to university spokesman Alan Cubbage. "A message was sent to the law school community informing them of the death, and we expressed our sympathy to family and friends," Cubbage said.
The driver of the vehicle, a Jeep Liberty SUV, was a 21 year-old woman, who police suspect may have been intoxicated at the time of the crash. The woman had been driving southbound on LaSalle at approximately 2:30 in the morning when her car struck the victim. Though she tried to flee the scene, she was caught a couple of blocks away.
Currently the Major Accidents Investigations Unit of the Chicago Police Department is investigating the crash, reports the Chicago Tribune. No charges have yet been filed, but if the woman was, in fact, impaired she could potentially be held liable in a Chicago wrongful death lawsuit.
Every time a driver gets behind the wheel of a car, he or she is accepting responsibility for the safety of everyone else on the road – including pedestrians. Accidents can and do happen, but when drivers are found to have been negligent, they can be held liable for the injuries they have caused. If a car fails to yield to a pedestrian and that pedestrian is injured or killed, the driver of the car is responsible.
Moreover, driving while intoxicated is negligent behavior. As a result, when an impaired driver kills a pedestrian, there may be sufficient grounds for a Chicago wrongful death claim. Under Illinois law, wrongful death is the legal concept that arises when a person’s death has been caused by the fault or negligence of another person. In cases of wrongful death, such as this one, family members can file claims to potentially make the wrongdoer pay damages for things such as the loss of companionship, monetary damages to cover the earnings the deceased person would have provided, and expenses associated with the death such as funeral and burial costs, as well as having to experience grief and sorrow. Though a lawsuit can never bring a loved one back to life, it is a step in the right direction, both for achieving justice, and making those at fault pay for their careless actions.
Our Chicago personal injury lawyers have successfully handled nearly every type of motor vehicle negligence case and recovered millions of dollars in accident lawsuit verdicts and settlements for victims and their families. They have both the experience and knowledge to handle even the most complex car accident lawsuits. In fact, our attorneys won a $6.5 million trucking accident settlement for the family of a 32-year-old woman who was killed when their pick-up truck was rear-ended by a semi-truck. The defendant truck driver was found to be under the influence of marijuana and operating an over-loaded, unsafe truck.
If you have lost a loved one as a result of the negligence of another driver, contact an attorney immediately to be apprised of your rights under the law. You may be entitled to compensation for your loss.
