2 Chain Reaction Rear-End Collisions in Illinois on Same Day

When one vehicle is involved in a rear-end collision, the potential exists for injuries to the occupants of both vehicles. However, when a vehicle slams into the back of a line of cars, the ensuing chain reaction collision could injure many more people.

This week, this principle was illustrated twice in the same day in different parts of Illinois. The first chain reaction rear-end collision occurred in Lake County on Tuesday morning. About 9am, an 83-year old man was driving a 2003 Cadillac on Illinois 59 in Barrington. He failed to stop at the intersection of Cuba Road, and his car crashed into the back of a 2003 Mercedes waiting at a stoplight, which in turn rolled into a 2001 Mitsubishi. An eight-year old girl in the Mercedes was injured and had to be taken to a nearby hospital.

Then later that day, a similar rear-end collision took place in Trivoli in Peoria County. A 25-year old Peoria woman was driving on Illinois Route 116 about 5:45pm. She claimed that she did not notice the stopped traffic near North Cramer Road which was waiting for a car to turn left into a parking lot. The Peoria woman's vehicle rear-ended a car containing a 50-year old Trivoli woman and a 14-year old girl, both of whom had to be hospitalized. The Trivoli woman's car struck a car driven by a 25-year old Canton woman; which in turn hit a car occupied by a 28-year old man and 21-year old woman, both of whom were from Canton. The pair in that last car were also taken to a hospital for treatment.

Even though the vehicles driven by the 83-year old man and the 25-year old woman did not make contact with some of the other cars involved in the crash, these two drivers will still be held liable for all of the injuries sustained in the rear-end collision. This means that they may be named as defendants in future personal injury lawsuits filed by the victims.