Personal Injury Law

Hit and Run Accident Claims Life of Illinois Man

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Clyde Barrell, 51, died Monday after being involved in a hit and run incident over the weekend. Barrell was riding his bicycle on East Elm Street around 1:44 a.m. on Saturday, May 31, when he was struck from behind by what witnesses described as a small, dark colored vehicle that continued without stopping.

Officers responding to the 911 call found Barrell lying in the road with visible injuries to his face and head. EMS units transported Barrell to the Heartland Reginal Medical Center in Marion and he was later flown to the St. Louis University Medical Center in Missouri. Officials at the Medical Center say he died at around 5:30a.m. on Monday.

The West Frankfort police believe that weather conditions may have contributed to the incident and ask that anyone that may have information on the driver contact the police department or call them at 618-937-3502.

In this Illinois car accident, even if the driver is never found, Barrell?s family could make a personal injury claim on Barrell's own auto insurance policy for Illinois uninsured motorist benefits. States have different regulations on the amount of personal injury protection coverage that insurance companies must offer their insureds. Since this is such a complicated issue, it is very important a talented Illinois personal injury attorney is consulted to examine the case. Hopefully, if and when the driver is found, negligence claims will asserted against him or her. In addition, that driver will likely face multiple criminal charges, including leaving the scene of an injury accident. Whenever you are involved in an accident, even if you do not believe the other party is injured, you must stop and exchange insurance information. In many instances, failure to do so may result in very serious felony charges against you and a high likelihood of jail time. In this most unfortunate case, the driver, if found guilty of felony charges, will likely do considerable jail time.

After an accident and the exchange of insurance information, one of the most important things to do is to consult with an experienced personal injury attorney. The Bradley Law Firm has handled injury cases for over 30 years and offers free consultations on all injury matters. Please contact us for a free consultation on your injury case.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on June 04, 2008 (boomark / email).