Many elderly drivers don’t drive often or far. If they’re retired, they don’t fight the daily traffic. Many drive only to the doctor, supermarket, and pharmacy, and maybe to weekly worship services. It’s natural to assume that if they aren’t causing accidents, they aren’t posing risks. When people have driven for decades without a genuinely serious accident, they may have difficulty accepting that they are no longer able to operate a motor vehicle safely. If a loved one suffers from slowed reactions, eyesight or hearing impairments, or other serious physical limitations, family members may want to consider alternatives to driving. And if you’re injured in an accident with an elderly driver in the Chicago area, you’ll want to seek immediate legal help from experienced Chicago personal injury attorney Joseph Dooley.
If you have an elderly loved one, at some point you may need to suggest – diplomatically, of course – that he or she should give up driving for good. It’s imperative to have the discussion when a driver is no longer safe behind the wheel, and it’s important to do it before there’s a tragedy with injuries and lawsuits. Victims injured in a traffic accident have a right to hold an unsafe driver accountable for damages, no matter how old the driver is. You may be compensated for your medical costs, lost income, and other injury-related expenses. If you’ve been injured in any traffic accident in the greater Chicago area, speak at once to experienced Chicago personal injury attorney Joseph Dooley.
Safety Tips for Older Drivers
Older drivers are involved in fewer accidents, cited for fewer DUIs, and they wear safety belts in greater numbers than any other age group. While older drivers are, as a group, dependably safe and reliable, the most elderly drivers are dealing with slower reaction times, declining hearing, and fading or blurring vision. Some of those elderly drivers also take prescribed medications which have the potential to cause drowsiness or confusion. In other words, for our most elderly drivers, safe driving can be a challenge. If you’re injured by a negligent driver of any age in the Chicago area, speak about your case at once with experienced Chicago personal injury attorney Joseph M. Dooley. To avoid accidents and injuries, successful elderly drivers generally follow these recommendations offered by the AAA (formerly the American Automobile Association):
- Whenever possible, avoid driving after dark or at rush hour.
- Whenever possible, avoid driving in snow, ice or heavy rain.
- Ensure that you have had a full healthy meal before driving.
- Ensure that your seat, mirrors, and steering wheel are properly adjusted.
- Ensure that you can monitor your vehicle’s blind spots.
- Always buckle your seat belt – no exceptions.
- Have an eye examination every year.
- Review with your doctor any of your prescriptions that might impair your driving.
If you’re retired, you may have the time and interest for a refresher course in driving safety, and some insurance companies will reduce your rates when you complete an approved course. The American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) and other reputable providers offer low-cost driving safety courses at a number of convenient times and locations in the Chicago area.
If you are an elderly driver and if – despite your best safety efforts – you are injured in a traffic accident in or near Chicago, arrange at once to speak with experienced Chicago personal injury attorney Joseph M. Dooley. You may be able to win financial compensation for your medical expenses and lost income. Make a copy of any police, medical, or insurance reports. If possible, take photos of injuries and property damage. Attorney Joseph Dooley can examine the details of your case and discuss your legal rights and options, which may include a personal injury lawsuit. Contact Chicago personal injury lawyer Joseph Dooley as soon as possible.
Five Steps You Must Take After A Traffic Accident
If you’re in a traffic accident in or near Chicago, and you or someone you love is injured, what should you do? What shouldn’t you do? Be sure that you take these five steps immediately after any traffic accident that results in personal injury. This way, if you need to file a personal injury claim to recover damages, you’ll be well-prepared:
- Call the police: A police report is an official report of what happened, and if you need to pursue a personal injury claim, it can become key evidence.
- Exchange insurance information: Make certain that you obtain the other driver’s name, driver’s license number, license plate number, address, phone number, insurance company name, policy number, and the make and model of that driver’s vehicle. You may not be able to pursue a claim without this information.
- Seek medical attention at once: You must be seen by a physician immediately after an accident. This way, you’ll have an official medical record of the injuries caused by the accident.
- Avoid speaking with an insurance company: You are not obligated to make any statement or to speak with the other driver’s insurance company for any reason. The insurance company for the negligent driver is not taking a statement from you to help your case and in fact, may try to talk you into quickly accepting an offer that may be far below the real monetary value of your injury.
- Obtain trustworthy legal counsel immediately: Take your case at once to experienced Illinois personal injury attorney Joseph M. Dooley. With more than 25 years of experience representing injury victims in the Chicago area, attorney Joseph Dooley can determine if you have grounds to file a claim, and if you do, he knows what it takes to prevail. If an insurance company will not pay you the full value of your claim, Illinois personal injury attorney Joseph M. Dooley can take your case before a jury and advocate aggressively on your behalf.
After any traffic accident with injuries, take these five steps, and you’ve done everything you can. Then let Chicago attorney Joseph M. Dooley handle the case on your behalf. Contact him by email at [email protected] or call 312-219-5916promptly after any accident with injuries in the Chicago area.