Car Accidents and Wrongful Death in DuPage County

 Posted on December 22, 2014 in Personal Injury

In 2014, to date, the Illinois Department of Transportation has recorded 734 deaths on Illinois roadways. In some cases, car accidents only lead to minor injuries or damage to motor vehicles and other property. Unfortunately, as is highlighted by the statistics in Illinois, car crashes may lead to fatalities as well.

Filing a Wrongful Death Suit after a Car Accident

In wrongful death cases, an investigation takes place by the authorities regarding the cause of a car accident and the resulting wrongful death. In an accident involving a fatality, the experts involved gather data at the scene to piece together the cause of the accident.

Accident reconstructionists visit the site of a car accident to take measurements, and examine the vehicle, the traffic control lights, and the intersection. The authorities canvas witnesses to obtain statements regarding their observations of an accident.

At the outset of a wrongful death case, personal injury attorneys work tirelessly, independently and alongside the authorities to investigate the cause of the accident. With the advancement of technology, it is possible to gather significant amounts of data. Cameras, including red-light cameras, often provide detailed video or photographic evidence of crashes. It is also possible that vehicles involved in crashes leading to fatalities are equipped with an electronic control module (ECM), which contains information regarding the vehicle's speed at the time of the collision, as well as whether the vehicle's brakes were deployed. The ECM is similar to a "black box" in an airplane. The police and/or the parties to the accident download the pertinent information if an ECM is on the vehicle.

Hiring an Attorney is Important

In an accident involving a wrongful death, it is important to move quickly to ensure that all critical evidence is preserved. Retaining a wrongful death attorney is a critical step to take towards the preservation of evidence. The retained attorney may decide to file a Motion for a Protective Order before a judge at the DuPage County courthouse—or the necessary jurisdiction—to ensure that evidence is properly preserved.

As a wrongful death case progresses, an experienced personal injury attorney works with the family who lost their loved one to articulate what the loss of their loved one means. Through the discovery process, our firm will support you to bring meaning to a difficult process. We will explain in clear language what you should expect. We understand that we cannot bring your loved one back, but we will work with you to keep their memory alive.