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When two or more roads come together at an intersection, there is a higher possibility of an accident occurring. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers recognizes the dangers of intersection collisions and is committed to helping people injured in Chicago intersection car accidents get the compensation they deserve from responsible drivers.
What Percentage of Accidents Happen at Intersections?
Using the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), the National Highway Traffic Safety Association (NHTSA) estimates that 40% of all auto accidents occur at intersections. On a national basis, more than 2.3 million auto accidents occur at intersections, causing more than 7,000 fatalities and 700,000 injuries each year.
In Illinois, 27.2% of motor vehicle fatalities in 2009 happened at intersections, and many of these accidents could have been avoided.
Following the Illinois Law Applicable to Control of Intersections
With so many accidents happening at these road junctions, many resulting in injury or death, it is important to understand the rules of the road before attempting to determine fault. Most intersection auto accidents happen because one or more drivers made poor decisions before proceeding, resulting in auto damage and personal injury. This poor judgment or recklessness can lead to motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists being injured when drivers do not obey the law applicable to right-of-way and traffic control devices.
According to Illinois state law, right-of-way at intersections requires people to yield to the person to your right or to whoever approached the intersection first.
(625 ILCS 5/11-901) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-901)
Sec. 11-901. Vehicles approaching or entering intersection.
(a) When 2 vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different roadways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left must yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right.
(b) The right-of-way rule declared in paragraph (a) of this Section is modified at through highways and otherwise as stated in this Chapter.
(Source: P.A. 76-1739.)
Types of Intersection Car Accidents
Whenever two roads intersect, there is a chance that the vehicles using them will collide. Four-way stops, whether controlled by stop signs or stop lights, can be dangerous due to the volume of cars passing through them and the actions they might take.
- U-turns: According to Illinois state law, drivers cannot conduct a U-turn within 100 feet of an intersection unless official signs are posted stating that the driver can do so.
- Running a stoplight or stop sign: Drivers who do not obey stoplight signals or stop signs are often at fault for intersection accidents. When vehicles collide in a perpendicular manner, these crashes are frequently referred to as “T-bone” accidents.
- Uncontrolled intersections: The rules of right-of-way are never as important as when multiple vehicles arrive an uncontrolled intersection with no signs or lights to direct traffic. In 2009, the percentage of intersection fatalities that happened at uncontrolled intersections accounted for 41% of traffic-related deaths, nearly doubling since 2006.
- Turning at an intersection: According to the National Motor Vehicle Crash Causation Survey, gathering information on crashes that happened between 2005-2007, turning at an intersection was responsible for more than 23% of intersection crashes during that time frame.
Chicago Intersection Auto Accident Injury Lawyers
Unfortunately, due to the large amount of intersection car accidents in congested cities like Chicago, there are also a large amount of property and personal injury claims to provide compensation to injured victims. Every victim of an auto intersection accident, whether they are a driver, a passenger in a car, a pedestrian, or a bicyclist, deserves to receive compensation for their losses and injuries.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers is experienced in all aspects of Chicago auto injury claims and can negotiate the best settlement for your accident. As with most of our personal injury cases, we only charge a fee after we secure damages on your behalf when resolving your intersection auto accident case. Please contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.
