Traffic accidents often result in serious injuries, especially when multiple vehicles and high speeds are involved. These kinds of accidents can happen on main roadways like interstates. Interstate 57 runs through Marion, IL. While it may be an essential route that many drivers depend on, it also has many traffic collisions involving cars, trucks, and motorcycles.
High-speed accidents cause injuries that may put your life on hold. Severe injuries often prevent one from working and the treatment plan can be rigorous. You need to take time to recover, but you may stress over how you’re going to afford the medical bills along while keeping up with your other financial responsibilities. If others depend on your income, you may feel completely overwhelmed. The Marion Interstate 57 accident lawyers at Prince Law Firm can assist you with your claim. We will fight for you to get full and fair compensation through settlement or jury verdict.
Illinois has two major interstates: I-57 and I-55. I-57 runs North-South and is a popular option because it avoids St. Louis traffic. The route goes from Sikeston to Charleston, Missouri and then turns northeast with the Mississippi River. When the Interstate gets south of Marion, it starts to become busier with traffic coming from Nashville, Clarksville, and Paducah.
What Accidents Occur on Interstate 57?
In Illinois, there have been about 101 fatalities on interstates since the beginning of 2019. I-57 has already had fatal accidents. One accident caused five fatalities when an SUV and semi-trailer collided. The SUV, a Ford Expedition, was in a rear-end crash with the Freightliner semi-trailer. Only one person in the Expedition survived.
In another accident, one semi-trailer served out of its lane and hit another semi that was parked on the right shoulder. Luckily, no one was injured.
Interstate accidents are unpredictable. Sometimes they result in death and terrible injuries, and sometimes everyone in the vehicles walks away from the accident. Reducing negligence behind the wheel can help prevent these wrecks from happening.
- Reduce Distractions
- Follow Speed Limit
- Take Weather Conditions into Account
Cell phones, food, getting something out of a bag, and even other people can distract the driver from paying attention to the road. Keeping items out of reach can help with the temptation to get them while your hands should be on the wheel. Newer drivers may begin driving by themselves and build their experience before driving with groups of people. If you are driving and people in the car are too loud, you can always politely ask everyone to quiet down because you need to focus on what you’re doing.
Drivers may speed if they’re in a rush but going above the speed limit increases their chances of getting into an accident whether it’s losing control of the vehicle or not having enough time to slow down or stop your vehicle if the vehicle in front of you suddenly stops.
Adapting your driving to the weather can help you keep the roads safer. Pouring rain, snow, and ice are all dangerous conditions to drive in. Check the weather before getting into your vehicle. If possible, delay running errands or traveling if the weather is poor. While there may be circumstances where you’re caught in bad weather, slowing down and driving with extreme caution can decrease your chances of being in an accident.
How Do Interstates Compare to Rural Roads?
Since Interstate 57 has its fair share of accidents, drivers in Marion may take measures to avoid the highway and take rural roads instead. However, rural roads can be just as dangerous as interstates. It’s important to remember no matter where you’re driving, you should always exercise caution and drive defensively.
In Illinois, 438 traffic fatalities occurred on rural roads while 642 traffic fatalities occurred on urban roads in 2016. Rural roads showed higher percentages of having fatal accidents during the daytime on weekdays, where urban fatalities were more common during the night and on the weekend.
Potholes, cracks, and loose gravel can be the hallmarks of rural roads. Drivers that encounter these road hazards could lose control of their vehicle while swerving to avoid issues with the road, but collide with another vehicle.
Every driver should remember negligence can occur on any kind of road. When you’re driving, keep your hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, and your focus on driving. Giving other vehicles plenty of space will allow you to have more time to react if they need to slow down or stop.
While you can take as many precautions as possible, another driver’s negligence could cause a serious accident. Car accident injuries can be debilitating. You can turn to Prince Law Firm to talk about your options.
Why Choose Prince Law Firm?
Our firm has fought for fair compensation for those who were wrongfully injured in car accidents. While dealing with insurance companies can be intimidating, our Marion interstate 57 accident lawyers will stand by your side. We can deal with harassing insurance adjusters, so you don’t have to. Our attorneys are prepared to protect your rights and get you the compensation you deserve.
To get started on your case, give our office a call today. We’ll set up an obligation-free consultation to go over the details of what happened to you and the losses you incurred. This includes past and future medical expenses, lost wages, lost earning capacity, and more. You’ll have peace of mind you’re taking the steps to move forward.