Police are searching for the driver responsible for a West Garfield Park hit-and-run crash that took a woman’s life.
Just Steps From Victim’s Home
The fatal West Garfield Park hit-and-run crash took place at approximately 8:30 p.m. on January 15, 2022. At that time, 37-year-old Angel Thomas was walking to her car in the 4300 block of West Jackson Boulevard when she was struck by an unidentified vehicle.
She was transported by emergency responders to Mount Sinai Hospital, where she was pronounced dead from injuries she sustained in the collision. The fatal accident occurred just steps from her apartment.
The driver who struck Angel Thomas has not been identified, and the Chicago Police Department has not yet released a description of the vehicle involved in the West Garfield Park hit-and-run. Police urge the public to reach out if they have any information.
No car accident attorneys are known to have been retained as of this time.
The Challenge of Hit-and-Run Claims
Hit-and-run accidents carry very stiff penalties for those who leave the scene. In Illinois, at-fault drivers may face up to seven years in prison and/or a fine of up to $25,000.00 for cases resulting in injury, and as much as fifteen years in prison when someone is killed.
Nevertheless, tragic incidents like the West Garfield Park hit-and-run remain all too common in the United States today. The AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that:
- Eleven percent of all domestic auto accidents involve hit-and-run drivers.
- There is more than one hit-and-run crash per minute nationwide.
- There has been an average of 682,000 hit-and-run accidents each year in the United States.
Additionally, hit-and-run accidents create greater challenges when injured people seek compensation. By definition, hit-and-run drivers leave the scene without exchanging any information, let alone insurance information, so victims may lose access to a primary source of financial recovery.
However, it is not necessarily impossible to obtain compensation in a hit-and-run accident. For instance, if the at-fault driver is located, a victim could pursue a claim against that person’s insurance policy, assuming there is one.
Even if that does not happen, a victim might be able to recover financially if there is uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage available. UM/UIM coverage is a type of insurance policy that can compensate motorists who have sustained damages from drivers with either inadequate insurance or no insurance at all.
UM/UIM policies are typically used in accidents that involve the insured vehicles themselves. However, they may sometimes be accessed when policyholders are injured in other vehicles, on bicycles, or on foot. In certain circumstances, even people who do not have a vehicle with a UM/UIM policy could potentially obtain compensation if they live with a close family member who has UM/UIM coverage.
Fighting for Illinois Car Accident Victims
Even though multiple avenues of recovery may be available in the case of a hit-and-run accident, a successful outcome is never certain. To help increase the odds in your favor, reach out to 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 knowledgeable car accident attorneys have the experience, the determination, the resources, and the reputation you need to get you and your family the justice you deserve.
Contact GWC today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with a car accident attorney. You may call our office at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with a representative at any time.
<< BACK TO BLOG POSTS