Anytime a serious car accident occurs, there is always the potential that the motorist or passenger could be thrown from the interior out the window at extreme velocity. When passengers or the driver is ejected, statistics indicate they will likely be critically injured or killed at a rate of three times more than an accident victim who remains in the vehicle during the impact.
For decades, restraining devices, including seat belts, have kept drivers and passengers from being thrown from the vehicle during most car crashes. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represents passengers with injuries sustained after getting thrown from a vehicle in Chicago accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) states that nearly thirty percent of all fatalities suffered in car crashes involve occupants’ ejection. In addition to sustained injuries associated with an occupant ejection from a vehicle, car accident victims have an increased potential of being run over by other drivers who are passing by.
Car Accident Occupant Ejection Injury FAQs
Occupant Ejection Causes
Automobile manufacturers made significant safety designs over the last five decades. Motor vehicles now have extensive equipment, including safety equipment, to help keep vehicle occupants inside the car during an accident.
Unfortunately, sometimes these installed safety devices experience failure during a car crash, causing an occupant ejection from the vehicle.
Motorists and passengers can be ejected from nearly any type of vehicle accident. However, specific causes tend to increase the susceptibility of an occupant ejection from a vehicle. Some of these include:
- Defective seat belt
- Rollover crash
- Malfunctioning door latch
- Weak window glass
Ejection from a vehicle typically falls into one of two categories, including complete or partial ejection. Specifically, each one involves:
- Complete Ejection – Occupants who are thrown entirely away from the car during the time of impact have an increased risk of being run over during a rollover or by other vehicles passing the scene of the accident.
- Partial Ejection – Sometimes, the occupant’s body is thrown forward through the windshield, or thrown slightly out the side window. A partial ejection might occur when the seat belt malfunctions, causing the victim’s body to eject inside and outside the vehicle partially after the impact.
Partial ejection could be extremely dangerous if the vehicle is rolling after the collision.
Common Ejection Injuries
Occupants who have been ejected from a vehicle during a crash impact can sustain specific injuries that might be serious, and at times, life-threatening. The most common types of occupant ejection injuries include:
- Severe head injury
- Broken bones
- Brain damage
- Torso and rib injury
- Spinal cord injury
- TBI (traumatic brain injury)
Hiring an Attorney to Prosecute an Accident Involving an Ejected car Passenger
Treating injuries associated with an occupant ejection is often complicated and expensive. Determining responsibility for the accident can be challenging and usually requires experienced personal injury attorneys who specialize in car accidents.
Lawyers usually build strong cases for financial compensation by determining fault through numerous factors. Some of these factors include:
- Determining if the airbags failed to work or were defective
- Determining the actions of all other drivers involved
- Determining if passenger car occupants were using restraint systems, including seat belt use to avoid severe and fatal injuries
- Determining if the occupant thrown from the single-vehicle was wearing a seat belt, or if it malfunctioned
- Determining if the driver was under the influence or distracted when the crash occurred
- Determining if the vehicle’s tires failed, blew out, or shred before the fatal crash
An attorney working on behalf of the family can handle every aspect of an injury claim. Your lawyer will speak directly to the insurance company about financial compensation for serious injuries and wrongful death.
Building a Case to Recover Compensation Involving Occupant Ejection Injuries
To receive financial compensation, the victim will need to develop a strong claim against the insurance carrier for an out-of-court settlement or file a lawsuit to hear the case at trial.
Vehicle testing will need to be performed, road conditions will need to be evaluated, witnesses contacted, and medical records examined. Once the attorney can establish responsibility, documentation can be submitted to the insurance carrier for financial compensation.
The vehicle-ejected victim can expect to obtain monetary compensation. Usually, this amount is sufficient to cover all crash-related expenses, including ongoing medical costs, hospitalization expenses, rehabilitation, recovery of any lost wages from missed work, along with funds for pain and suffering.
Hiring a Vehicle Ejection Injury Attorney
Were you or a loved one injured in an auto accident? Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC is experienced at handling Chicago car accidents involving car ejection.
Working as your advocate, we take cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning our services are paid out of the settlement or award at trial. If we cannot secure compensation on your behalf, you owe us nothing.
Contact our law firm today at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call) or through the contact form to schedule a free consultation. All discussions with our car accident lawyers remain confidential through an attorney-client relationship.
