Distracted Driver Sued for Fatal Accident in Chicago

February 16, 2011 - The family of a man who was killed in a Chicago car accident in December has sued the driver for wrongful death, alleging that she was distracted by her cell phone when the accident occurred. According to a report at the Chicago Tribune, the fatal car accident occurred on Dec. 7, 2010 on the South Side of Chicago.

Police say the victim, a 70-year-old man, was standing outside his car on Ewing Avenue, exchanging insurance information with another driver after a fender bender, when he was hit by another vehicle. The victim suffered a severed right leg, and he died shortly after the South Side accident at Advocate Christ Medical Center. The driver who hit him, a woman from Chicago, was updating her Facebook status using her cell phone when the car accident occurred. However, the driver says she couldn't see the victim because the sun was in her eyes.

The victim's family is suing the driver in Cook County Circuit Court, saying that her distracted driving led to the victim's death. The driver had no comment when contacted by reporters.