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Broken Glass and Windshield Impact

Chicago Lawyers for Car Accident Victims

Car accident victims in Chicago may suffer a wide range of injuries after an accident. Often car accident victims do not have enough saved up if they are in a serious collision. Potentially serious and common injuries involve broken glass and windshield impact. If you were injured or a loved one was killed under these circumstances, the experienced Chicago car accident attorneys at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca may be able to help.

Broken Glass and Windshield Impact

Broken glass coming at the face and upper body at high speeds can pose a huge risk to drivers and passengers. Often glass-related injuries are due to the force of the car crash. When two vehicles hit each other, the glass may shatter. There are some car designs that utilize glass that has a lower likelihood of shattering, but at high speeds, this design may not matter. In a T-bone accident, side windows may break and send glass flying from all directions. Similarly, in a forceful rear-end collision, rear-window glass may go flying and injure the heads of passengers.

Victims who are injured by flying broken glass may be restrained by seatbelts or protected by airbags and still sustain deep lacerations, shock, severed limbs, or fatality. Lacerations can be dangerous, particularly if they penetrate all the way to bone. Sometimes it becomes necessary to amputate a lacerated, infected body part and in other cases, lacerations result in permanent disfigurement and scarring. Surface-level skin cuts may be less serious, but they may also require medical treatment. When lacerations are experienced, it is common for accident victims to also experience shock. This can result in psychological trauma and the possibility of death. If a car accident victim bleeds too much from broken glass lacerations that cut vital arteries, it is possible that he or she will die or require an amputation.

Establishing Negligence After an Accident

If you were harmed by broken glass or due to hitting the windshield in a car accident, you may be able to recover damages by establishing another driver’s negligence, and a knowledgeable injury attorney can assist you in this process. You’ll need to show: (1) the defendant owed you a duty, (2) the defendant breached this duty, (3) causation, and (4) actual damages. The other driver may raise the issue of comparative negligence, and in that case, the other driver would need to show your negligence. The jury would evaluate the evidence and arguments, determine damages, and reduce your damages by an amount proportionate to the degree of fault you were assigned.

Many accident victims also have to address other medical issues even after they heal. Broken glass can cause disfiguring scars that may be painful for the rest of the victim’s life. There is an increased risk of infection wherever glass penetrates the body and these infections, not properly treated, may be fatal. Visible scars can also alter quality of life and a victim’s ability to attract a partner or get a job.

Seeking Damages

Damages that may be recovered after suffering injuries from broken glass during a car accident may include coverage for medical bills, rehabilitation, therapy, replacement services, scarring, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of consortium. The value of scarring can vary greatly. Generally both insurance adjustors and jurors find that scarring has a greater value if it is in a visible place. Bias can also influence the award for scarring or disfigurement. The jury may be inclined to believe that scarring or disfigurement on the face more substantially impacted the emotions of a plaintiff who was a young female model than it would have an elderly old man.

Consult an Experienced Car Accident Attorney in Chicago

If you have suffered injuries from broken glass and windshield impact in Chicago, a skillful, tenacious personal injury lawyer may be able to help you. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, we represent accident victims in communities including Champaign, Aurora, Quincy, Rockford, and Springfield, as well as Cook, Adams, Sangamon, Champaign, Winnebago, and Kane Counties. Please call us at 312-724-5846 for a free consultation.