Seven people were sent to the hospital with injuries after a BMW collided with a CTA bus on Damen Avenue near West Taylor Street in Chicago on Wednesday, January 15. Police suspect alcohol may have been a factor in the crash.
According to Chicago police, a black BMW X3 was speeding on Damen Avenue when it rear-ended a northbound CTA bus that was turning left onto Taylor Street at around 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The BMW then jumped over a median and started driving northbound before striking a pole and coming to a stop.
The bus had 13 passengers at the time of the crash. Five men and two women between the ages of 27 and 53 were injured and hospitalized following the crash. None of their injuries were considered serious.
This crash is currently being investigated by Area Central detectives, who believe the BMW driver may have been intoxicated. That driver’s name has not been released. Charges were pending as of Thursday.
Attorney Guy D'Andrea represents people who have been rear ended by drunk drivers, helping them recover the full financial compensation they need for the damages they’ve suffered. Brian has a few thoughts to add on the legal rights of those who have been injured in crashes with drunk drivers in Illinois:
Drunk driving crashes often result in serious financial and personal difficulties for those injured. This is why it’s critical that people injured by drunk drivers are aware of their options for financial compensation. Drunk drivers can be sued in personal injury lawsuits in all 50 states. Additionally, Illinois and most other states have dram shop laws that allow these victims to sue alcohol vendors in some situations.
According to dram shop laws in Illinois, an alcohol vendor can be sued for providing alcohol to someone who causes an accident after consuming the alcohol that they were provided if their intoxication played a role in causing the injuries. Unlike many other states, there is no requirement that the person was already visibly intoxicated at the time they were served. Simply provided alcohol that causes intoxication leading to a crash is enough to provide grounds for a dram shop lawsuit in Illinois.