Illinois van driver may be responsible for motorcycle accident

Passengers traveling by bus or van naturally trust the driver to deliver them to their destination without incidents. However, if the driver fails to obey the basic rules of the road, he or she puts not only the lives of passengers in jeopardy, but also the lives of other road users. In a recent Illinois motorcycle accident on Route 52 in Lee County, police officers suspect a van driver was at fault. Apparently, charges were pending.

According to police reports, the van was carrying several passengers and was southbound and reached a stop sign at an intersection. However, the traffic on the joining road has the right of way and is not required to stop. It is suspected that the 34-year-old van driver failed to stop and an approaching motorcyclist, with the right of way, smashed into the van.

The motorcycle driver and his passenger suffered critical injuries and were transported to the hospital. The passenger remains in critical condition, but the driver passed away. The van driver and seven passengers suffered minor injuries and were released after medical treatment.

The 37-year-old van driver may be held criminally responsible for the death and injuries in this motorcycle accident. Regardless, the family of the motorcycle driver has the right to file a wrongful death claim in an Illinois civil court. The claim may be directed at the van driver as well as her employer, if applicable. Similarly, the injured parties retain the right to pursue recovery of damages by filing personal injury claims. If the claims are successfully presented, the court may award monetary damages to cover medical and end-of-life costs that were brought about by the tragic accident.

Source: kwqc.com, “One Dead, Nine Injured in Van-Motorcycle Crash In Lee Co., IL”, Marcia Lense, May 27, 2014