When listing the most common car accident injuries in Chicago, it’s good to keep in mind that no two collisions are the same. Vehicle wrecks result in a wide range of injuries. While some are minor, having little impact on the victim’s day-to-day, others are catastrophic, impacting every aspect of the survivor’s life.
What are the most common car accident injuries in Chicago? Here are ten of the top car accident injuries:
- Whiplash
- Broken bones
- Concussion
- Other traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Back and neck injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Sprains, strains, and other soft tissue injuries
- Facial injuries
- Knee injuries
- Lacerations, burns, and abrasions
In 2022, the City of Chicago experienced over 108,000 traffic crashes. This resulted in thousands of injuries to drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and bicyclists.
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What Types of Car Crashes Cause the Worst Injuries?
The type and severity of injuries depend on several factors. For example, a fender bender at 25 mph will rarely cause catastrophic injuries. But a head-on crash at 65 mph is likely to be fatal.
Some of the factors that influence the type of injuries car occupants might suffer are:
- The speed of all involved vehicles
- The size of all involved vehicles
- How many vehicles are involved
- The angle at which vehicles collide, or a vehicle strikes a stationary object
- The position of vehicle occupants
- Whether drivers and passengers are wearing seat belts
- Whether small children are secured in size-appropriate safety restraints
- Airbag deployment
- The health condition of vehicle occupants
- The condition of the vehicle, including tire and brake condition
- The actions of the driver
These and other factors strongly influence how seriously those involved will be injured.
In general, crashes that occur at lower speeds, involving like-sized vehicles and attentive drivers, result in relatively minor injuries. Crashes that involve non-sensitive parts of the vehicle (like front and rear bumpers) are also typically more moderate in severity.
The types of car crashes that cause the worst injuries usually involve high speeds, lack of seat belt use, and drivers who are intoxicated, distracted, or reckless. Head-on crashes and side-impact collisions usually cause the most harm to occupants.
What Are the Most Common Types of Car Accidents in Chicago?
Chicago is a city notorious for bad traffic. No matter how safe you are behind the wheel, another driver’s negligence can put you in a situation in which a crash is unavoidable.
When traveling through Chicago, follow these tips: Stay attentive, be aware of your surroundings, drive defensively, and never assume the other motorist will do what’s safest. Some of the most common types of collisions in our city include:
- Intersection accidents
- Rear-end accidents (which often result from tailgating)
- Broadside, side-impact, or T-bone crashes
- Bicycle and pedestrian accidents
- Single-vehicle accidents
- Collisions with parked cars
- Head-on crashes
- Left-turn accidents
- Blind spot collisions
- Drunk driving accidents
- Construction site/work zone crashes
What Makes Driving in Chicago So Dangerous?
Chicago has more accidents than any other city in Illinois—and more than most other cities in the entire country. Our distinction as one of the largest metropolitan areas with one of the highest populations certainly plays a role in the number of crashes we suffer each year. But there are also factors unique to Chicagoland that cause our area to be a hotbed of dangerous traffic events.
When three million residents share an aging traffic infrastructure for their everyday transportation needs, there’s a lot that can go wrong—especially when not everyone is willing to promote safety above all else.
Some of the things that make driving in Chicago dangerous include:
- High volumes of commuter traffic
- Frequent work zones in high-speed areas
- Unclear or obscured road markings and signage
- Large numbers of visitors, tourists, and out-of-town drivers unfamiliar with roads
- Confusing directions for making turns
- Lack of bike lanes
- Inadequate crosswalks for pedestrians
- Poor street lighting
- Narrow streets
- Outdated traffic lights not equipped to handle the volume of traffic
- Higher-than-average numbers of intoxicated and unlicensed drivers
- A large number of commercial drivers, food delivery drivers, and Uber and Lyft drivers
- Extreme weather patterns
Even under ideal driving conditions, the poor choices of one motorist can create danger for everyone else. Anyone who has driven the streets of Chicago is familiar with what it’s like to share the road with a dangerous driver. You’ve probably observed one or more of the risky behaviors listed below:
- Speeding
- Texting and driving
- Using a cell phone behind the wheel
- Cutting off other vehicles
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Road rage
- Erratic lane changes
High-risk behaviors like these can cause some of the most common car accident injuries in Chicago—and some of the most catastrophic. If you or a loved one suffered an injury because of actions like these, a legal advocate from Thomas Law Offices can help you seek justice.
Legal Help for Victims of Common Car Accident Injuries in Chicago
Very few car accident injuries leave no mark on a person’s life. The types of injuries typically considered to be minor are still life changing.
A broken bone, although usually fully recoverable, can put a person out of work for months. A concussion, one of the mildest brain injuries, can disrupt sleep, appetite, mood, and normal functions. Abrasions can lead to infections. Soft tissue injuries can sideline an active person. A dental injury can set you back thousands of dollars in repair bills.
Were you impacted physically, emotionally, and financially by a car accident injury? You are not alone. Thousands of residents suffer preventable injuries every year. Unfortunately, severe crash injuries from car accidents in Chicago are more common than they should be.
That’s why we at Thomas Law Offices built our careers on helping those who never should have been injured in the first place. Are you ready to move forward with your life? We’re ready to provide legal guidance to help you overcome your losses. Call for a free case consultation today.
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