The failure of a driver to stop at a red light or stop sign can lead to an accident involving catastrophic injuries or even death. If you were in an accident due to another driver running a stop signal, contact our legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 to find out how a Chicago running a stop signal accident lawyer can help you determine your legal rights.
Illinois Law
The state of Illinois requires that all drivers stop at a red light at the clearly marked stop line, or if no line exists, before the crosswalk where pedestrians would cross. Additionally, the state of Illinois requires all drivers to stop at intersections with stop signs, again either at the white line or crosswalk. If a driver fails to stop at a stop signal of any kind, as outlined by the Illinois General Assembly, the penalty is a maximum fine of $1,000 plus any additional court costs or assessments. Additionally, the conviction will include 20 points on the driver’s license. In some instances, the driver may avoid these penalties by completing traffic school, however, this is up to the complete discretion of the judge.
Additionally, in some cases, a police officer will find that the driver of a car did not only fail to stop at a stop signal but also drove in some other reckless way. If this is the case, a charge of reckless driving, as outlined by the Illinois General Assembly, is a Class A misdemeanor and will include additional fines and possible time in jail, depending on the facts and circumstances of the situation.
What to Do Following an Accident Involving Running a Stop Signal
Any driver who runs a red light or fails to stop at a stop sign places not only themselves but other motorists, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians at risk for serious injuries. If you suffered injuries as a result of a driver running a stop signal, the police will likely be at the scene of the accident and issue a citation to the driver. If it is possible for you to obtain the contact information of the other driver and other witnesses, it is important to do so. Otherwise, the official police report should include this information.
Make sure to always seek immediate medical evaluation and treatment. This is critical not only for your health but also because it will establish that your injuries came directly from the accident. When visiting with any insurance company following an accident, make sure that you never allow the insurance company to record your conversations, and never allow them full access to all of your medical records. Additionally, keep all of the documentation related to your accident including all medical diagnostic testing, diagnosis, medical bills, information from your employer indicating lost wages or bonuses, and a daily diary of your pain and suffering. This documentation will help establish all of the financial losses and emotional and physical suffering you endured as a result of the accident. If you are in need of a Chicago running a stop signal accident lawyer, contact our legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm today.
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Types of Injuries Suffered from Accidents Involving Running a Stop Signal
Accidents involving a motorist running a stop signal can result in serious injuries, including death. In some cases, an accident may include a direct head-on collision, a T-bone accident, or a sideswiping accident. Some of the types of injuries suffered by victims involved in an accident with a motorist running a stop signal include:
- Concussions
- Neck and head injuries, including whiplash
- Traumatic brain injury
- Nerve damage
- Aortic dissection (due to seat belts or airbag deployment)
- Fractured or broken bones
- Spinal cord or disc damage
- Amputation
- Paralysis (either temporary or permanent)
- Organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Death
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Reasons for Running a Stop Signal Accident
There are many reasons that a driver might run a stop signal. In some cases, simple impatience or being late to an event causes a driver to run a stop signal. In other cases, the driver is somehow distracted by either texting and driving or some diversion to their attention. In many cases, a driver is simply behaving in a reckless or aggressive way due to either emotional issues or being under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Whatever the reason, a driver’s negligence and failure to stop at any type of stop signal or stop sign can result in serious injuries or death to themselves, their passengers, or other motorists.
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Negligence Per Se
If an investigation proves that a driver failed to stop at a stop signal of any kind, which resulted in an accident involving damage and injuries, the legal obligation to prove negligence is somewhat reduced. The reason is that under the doctrine of negligence per se, the act, in and of itself, of running a stop signal is negligent under the law. Therefore, because running a stop signal is inherently a violation of the law, negligence can be automatically attributed to the driver who failed to stop at the stop signal.
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Compensation for Injuries Related to a Running a Stop Signal Accident
While every accident involving running a stop signal will be unique, some types of compensation for a victim may include medical bills, lost wages, disability, future loss of wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. Every case of personal injury related to running a stop signal is different and will, therefore, have different kinds of potential compensation available to a victim depending on the circumstances.
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If you suffered injuries due to driver’s negligence and failure to stop properly at a stop signal, you may have substantial medical bills, lost wages, loss of future wages, a disability, property damage, and pain and suffering.
Contact our legal team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 794-0444 to get connected with a Chicago running a stop signal accident lawyer who can fight for justice and a financial award on our behalf.
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