Fatal Car Accidents In Chicago: Seeking Justice For Grieving Families

Losing a loved one in a car accident is a devastating experience that no family should endure alone. At Barney & Karamanis, LLP, we stand by grieving families in Chicago. We provide compassionate legal representation based on decades of experience to help them navigate the complexities of wrongful death claims.

What Causes Fatal Car Accidents?

Fatal car accidents occur all too frequently, often due to preventable causes. The causes of these tragic events include:

1. Distracted driving: Drivers who are distracted by texting, calls, navigation apps, passengers, food and many other issues can easily misjudge distance, fail to notice other vehicles or drive at unsafe speeds.
2. Speeding: Driving above the speed limit reduces the driver’s ability to react to sudden changes, increasing the severity of accidents.
3. Driving under the influence: Alcohol and drugs can leave drivers unable to make sound decisions behind the wheel, control their vehicle and react to hazards.
4. Reckless driving: Tailgating, changing lanes without signaling and road rage all increase the risk of a collision.
5. Running red lights or stop signs: Ignoring traffic signals can result in high-speed collisions, often at intersections.

These tragedies leave families in turmoil, facing emotional and financial challenges that require professional legal support.

What Rights Do Family Members Have After A Fatal Collision?

In Illinois, the law allows the personal representative of the person who passed away to file a wrongful death lawsuit. They do so on behalf of the next of kin. Beneficiaries of a wrongful death claim can include:

• The surviving spouse
• Children
• Parents, if the deceased was a minor or had no spouse or children

However, they have a limited time to act. The deadline for filing a wrongful death lawsuit in the state of Illinois is two years from the date of the death. Acting quickly preserves your right to seek justice.

What Support Can A Wrongful Death Lawsuit Offer?

The loss of a loved one in a fatal collision can have a wide-ranging impact on a family. Not only do they lose the relationship with that person, but they may also have to deal with the financial strain of losing their support while bearing the cost of funeral expenses and, sometimes, medical care.

When a family in Illinois loses someone in a fatal car accident, a wrongful death lawsuit can help cover funeral and burial expenses. They might also get money for medical bills that came before the person passed away, like emergency care or hospital stays.

Families can also receive compensation for the income and benefits the person who died would have given the family. This means not only what they earned at the time but also what they could have earned in the future, like raises and retirement benefits. This support is important for families who depended on their loved one’s income.

Families can also ask for money for things like losing a loved one’s companionship, guidance and emotional support. Even though it is hard to put a price on these feelings, they matter a lot in wrongful death cases because they show how deeply a family misses their loved one. For children of the deceased, the court looks at how close the family was and how much the loss affects them when deciding these payments. For a lost spouse, they may look at the closeness and length of the marriage.

Why Call Barney & Karamanis, LLP?

When you lose a loved one, you deserve legal support from a firm that knows the law and has the skill to fight for justice on your behalf. Over the years, Barney & Karamanis, LLP, has successfully achieved favorable settlements in numerous fatal car accident cases. Our team has recovered millions for injured people and their loved ones in our decades serving the Chicagoland area.

After The Loss Of A Loved One In A Collision, Call Us

If you have lost a loved one in a fatal car accident, you deserve a law firm that combines empathy with experience. Contact the Chicago wrongful death attorneys at Barney & Karamanis, LLP, today for a compassionate consultation and let us help you seek the justice your family deserves. Call us at 312-702-0872 or send us a message online to schedule a free consultation with our team.