Four Hurt in Crash; Chicago Fire Truck Involved

Why do you need an attorney on your side in an auto accident case? Because even the seemingly simplest crash scenarios can often become convoluted and difficult to resolve. These cases increase in complexity when there are several vehicles involved. And when a city vehicle is part of the mix - well, that brings a whole new set of complications to the table.

One such incident took place this week in Chicago on the West Side. A Chicago Fire Department truck was involved in a motor vehicle collision with at least one other vehicle on Tuesday just before noon. The crash occurred near the intersection of North and Cicero Avenues in the city's Austin neighborhood.

A total of four people were injured and had to be transported to Stroger Hospital in serious-to-critical condition. No other information about the victims is available other than they were not employed by CFD.

Details about how the wreck occurred have not yet been made available. But a photo of the auto accident scene shows a red Ford Focus that had sustained significant rear-end damage. That might indicate that it was hit from behind by another vehicle.

If an investigation discovers that the fire truck rear-ended the Focus and injured some of its occupants, then they would have solid grounds to file personal injury lawsuits against the Chicago Fire Department as well as the truck's driver. These suits would have to be filed within a year of the accident date, or else the statute of limitations in Illinois would expire. However, if similar lawsuits were to be filed against a civilian vehicle driver that may have been part of the crash, then the plaintiffs would have two years to submit the legal paperwork to the courts. That's because most auto accident lawsuits carry a two-year statute of limitations, whereas legal action against the city of Chicago and other Illinois municipalities have a one-year period before such claims can no longer be pursued.