Personal Injury Law

Illinois Death by Dragracing Results in Settlement; Highlights Need for Adequate Underinsured Coverage

By Hurley, McKenna & Murtz

As reported in The Pantagraph by Edith Brady-Lunny, a Bloomington, Illinois family settled their suit against two drivers for a 2007 collision which resulted in the death of the 25 year-old Bloomington resident. The deceased was the passenger in one of the vehicles, which was apparently drag racing when it struck the other vehicle head-on. The vehicle which was drag-racing appears not to have been insured, and that driver, allegedly drunk at the time and now in prison for ten years, paid only $16,000 as part of the settlement. The other driver looks like he paid his insurance policy limit of $100,000.

This case highlights a common problem that we see today-- the prevalence of many negligent uninsured or underinsured drivers. At Hurley McKenna & Mertz, we advise all of our clients to purchase uninsured and underinsured insurance coverage, with limits of no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence. You take a risk every time you drive in your car that a collision will occur, and that you may experience significant injuries, medical expenses and lost time from work. To have little or no compensation available for yourself, or for your family, because you assume other drivers are carrying adequate insurance, is a risk you cannot afford to take in today's world.

Full post as published by Illinois Car and Truck Accident Lawyer Blog on April 22, 2009 (boomark / email).