A one-year-old girl has been killed in a Near West Side crash in Chicago.
Near West Side Crash Was Hit-and-Run
The fatal Near West Side crash took place on May 27, 2021 at approximately 12:02 a.m. in the 300 block of South Western Avenue.
The driver of a black Chrysler 300 was traveling northbound on Western Avenue when he rear-ended a black Toyota sedan that was double-parked on the street, according to the Chicago Police Department. A one-year-old girl inside the Toyota was transported to Stroger Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. She was identified as Jamyah Harris by the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Two women, ages 23 and 18, who were also inside the Toyota refused medical attention at the scene. The Chrysler continued driving northbound after the Near West Side crash and reportedly hit struck other parked cars before the driver fled on foot.
Nobody is in custody in connection yet with the Near West Side crash. Chicago police continue to investigate.
The Challenges of Hit-And-Run Accidents
While hit-and-run accidents have very serious legal consequences in Illinois, incidents like the Near West Side crash still happen. One study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that:
- Eleven percent of all American car crashes involve hit-and-run drivers;
- There is more than one hit-and-run crash each minute; and
- There were 2,049 American hit-and-run deaths in 2016 – a 62-percent increase from 2009, which was the last year with a downward trend in national hit-and-run fatalities.
Additionally, a hit-and-run accident victim can face greater challenges when seeking financial compensation for his or her injuries. Drivers who leave the scene of hit-and-run crashes obviously do not exchange insurance information, if they have insurance at all.
Even with these challenges, however, hit-and-run accident victims can still obtain compensation. A victim could uncover the hit-and-run driver’s insurance policy and pursue a claim against it if that driver is located. But even if that driver cannot be found or lacks adequate insurance coverage, the victim might be able to obtain financial damages from an uninsured/underinsured motorist (UIM) policy.
Lawyers Fighting for Hit-and-Run Victims
Nevertheless, while hit-and-run victims may have multiple avenues of recovery, a successful outcome is not a sure thing. To help increase your odds of being fairly compensated, consider doing what so many others have done before you and retain the car accident attorneys at GWC Injury Lawyers LLC.
With more than $2 billion recovered in verdicts and settlements, GWC is one of the premier Personal Injury and Workers’ Compensation law firms in Illinois. No other plaintiff firm in the state is more respected – or more feared – by its adversaries, both inside and outside of the courtroom. Our Chicago car accident lawyers have the experience, the determination, the resources, and the reputation of success necessary to get you and your family the justice you deserve.
Contact GWC today to schedule a free, no-obligation case evaluation with one of our attorneys. You may call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
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