One of the most common scenarios during which auto accidents occur is when one vehicle tries to make a left turn. Illinois law states that any left-turning vehicle (that is not presented with a protected green arrow) must allow oncoming traffic to clear before executing the turn. Not only do left-turning vehicles often fail to yield the right-of-way to oncoming traffic, but additional complications arise when the vehicle tried to turn left across a divided roadway. Perhaps they feel that once they begin their left turn, drivers automatically have the right-of-way; but this is not accurate.
Such were the circumstances during a crash which took place over the Labor Day weekend in Chicago. Shortly after 11:15am on the morning of Sunday, September 1, a young woman was driving a 2003 Dodge Caravan south on Western Avenue in the Brighton Park neighborhood (a little more than a mile past the Stevenson Expressway). The driver apparently tried to make a left turn onto eastbound West 43rd street across Western, which is a divided street at that spot. The minivan struck a 1994 Chrysler LHS sedan traveling north on Western, injuring its occupants. A total of six people in the sedan, including an eight-year old boy, suffered injuries that required transport to nearby hospitals.
The driver of the minivan is expected to be charged with making an improper turn. The driver of the Chrysler was cited for driving without insurance.
In some states, being involved in an auto accident without insurance – even if it was not your fault – would disqualify you from receiving monetary damages or reimbursement for medical expenses. However, Illinois is not one of these states. Therefore, even though the woman driving the Chrysler did not have insurance, she can still file a personal injury lawsuit against the minivan driver. In addition, the injured passengers and the parents of the eight-year old boy can also file personal injury lawsuits as well.