If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident, it is important that you begin looking out for your best interests.

Hit-and-run between car and motorcycle leads to criminal charges

A car accident can affect anyone at anytime in Illinois, but there are times when the circumstances are such that the people involved and believed to have been at fault should know better. These accidents can involve professionals, people in the legal field, those in public safety, and even law enforcement officers. Whether the person involved in the crash should have known better is irrelevant. When there is an accident with injuries or even fatalities, those who have been harmed by it need to understand what they should do in the aftermath in terms of an automobile accident investigation and seeking to be compensated.

A police officer from the Chicago area was involved in an accident in his personal vehicle while off duty, and fled the scene. The incident occurred late in the summer of 2015 and the officer was recently charged with the hit-and-run involving a motorcyclist. The officer, 40, has been a policeman for thirteen years and is on administrative leave as the investigation continues.

The accident occurred at around 11:24 p.m. when the officer, in a 2005 Toyota, turned left and cut in front of a motorcycle. The motorcycle hit the passenger side of the officer’s car. Witnesses stated that the light was green for both, but the motorcyclist had the right of way. The rider was thrown off his bike and suffered serious injuries for which he had to be airlifted for treatment.

This accident is notable in part because the rider was injured in the crash and the driver of the car left the scene, but also because the driver of the car was a police officer who has been on the job long enough to know the proper procedures following a crash. Instead, he left the scene and is now facing hit-and-run charges as well as other allegations. The motorcyclist needs to be cognizant of what he faces in terms of medical expenses and that he can be compensated for his pain and suffering, medical costs and other losses. For more information, victims of these types of accidents, or their family members, should contact an attorney experienced in helping clients after an accident.

Source: nwittimes.com, “Illinois officer charged in Hammond hit-and-run crash,” Elvia Malagon, March 1, 2016

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