Earlier this month, one driver’s failure to yield at an intersection caused minor injuries to another motorist and major property damage to an Evanston restaurant.
On April 22, a 25-year-old Chicago woman made a left turn from Crawford to Gross Point Road in front of a vehicle driven by a 54-year-old man from Buffalo Grove. According to statements given by Evanston police commander Joe Dugan, the vehicles collided, and the impact caused the 54-year-old to lose consciousness with his foot on the accelerator.
His vehicle, a Honda, shot through the patio area of the nearby Sarkis Café and came to a stop in the restaurant parking lot.
Fortunately, he only suffered minor injuries, which were treated at Skokie Hospital. The other driver, who was not injured, was cited for an improper left turn and failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.
Improper turns, speeding are major causes of accidents in Illinois
Turns are some of the most dangerous situations on the road – and failures to yield, as in the case of the Evanston accident, are some of the most common causes of car accidents. According to statistics compiled by the Illinois Department of Transportation, collisions involving turns are the second-most common type of accidents, trailing only rear-end collisions.
Accidents involving turns can be particularly dangerous because in most cases, one vehicle strikes the side of another vehicle rather than the front or rear bumper. The side of a passenger car offers relatively little protection to the driver and passengers compared to the large amounts of metal in the front and back.
In the case of last Thursday’s accident, the impact was enough to cause one motorist to lost consciousness. While he was fortunate to only suffer minor injuries, our attorneys have seen many similar collisions lead to much more serious injuries.
Speed was also a factor in the collision in Evanston, and driving too fast tends to make car accidents substantially more dangerous. At higher speeds, drivers have less time to react to changing situations and avoid obstacles. Moreover, the higher the speed at the moment of impact, the more force involved – and the more serious injuries can become.
Drivers have a responsibility to watch out for oncoming vehicles when making left turns and yield when appropriate. When they do not, serious injuries and property damage can ensue. If you’ve been hurt by a motorist who failed to yield, you’ll need strong legal representation to get the compensation you need.
