When a car crash in Illinois causes serious injury, you may wonder, “Who will pay these medical bills?” Unfortunately, the short answer is, “You.” When you seek medical treatment, you are personally responsible for making sure the bills get paid. However, the longer answer is, “A combination of your own pocket, your health insurance coverage, your auto insurance coverage, the insurance of the at-fault driver, and the at-fault driver personally.” This is especially true if you hire an experienced Illinois car accident lawyer to help with your claim.

The use of red light camera photo enforcement as a tool to prevent auto accidents is not a new concept. This technology has been around for years, beginning with the first bill being signed for the effort in New York City in 1993. Over the years, countless states and counties have adopted red light cameras as a means to prevent accidents at intersections and to keep tabs on the rate and severity of collisions that take place. In fact, many Illinois car accident attorneys have found them helpful in their investigations.

What are Red Light Cameras?

Red light cameras are automated traffic enforcement systems designed to capture and monitor vehicles that run red lights at intersections. These cameras are strategically positioned to capture clear images and videos of vehicles entering an intersection after the traffic signal has turned red. The primary goal of red light cameras is to improve road safety by deterring and penalizing drivers who disregard traffic signals, ultimately reducing the risk of collisions and enhancing pedestrian and driver safety.

Did you know that car accident injuries with delayed pain often go unreported during personal injury lawsuits? Injured individuals may not recognize the direct relation between their pain and the collision if they do not receive medical attention after the incident. From internal damage and muscle sprains to underlying injuries, there are many different things you need to watch out for after an automobile accident.  This article shares an overview of common car accident injuries and the advantages of seeking medical help after the incident. 

What Type of Car Accident Injuries Cause Delayed Pain?  

Here are common accident injuries that have delayed symptoms: 

The confusion caused by a multi-car accident makes it difficult for those involved to determine who is liable to pay the compensation. As an at-fault state, Illinois courts order the person responsible for the crash to pay for the damages sustained during the accident. Determining fault in these incidents can be tricky. Therefore, it is important to be aware of the problems you may face before filing a car accident lawsuit. 

Difficulty in Determining Fault 

Once you file a personal injury lawsuit, the court will thoroughly investigate which driver is at fault. This can be difficult to prove when more than one driver was responsible for the collision. 

For instance, rear-end collisions occur when one car collides with the rear end of another car. The abrupt stop can result in a pileup if the drivers behind them are speeding or do not have time to stop their vehicle, leading to a multi-car crash. 

Imagine this scenario: As car 1 is lawfully passing through a dangerous intersection, car 2 comes from their right, runs the stop sign, and T-bones car 1 on the passenger side. The passenger in car 1 suffers severe injuries that incapacitate them for months and leave lasting damage. In most cases, you could rightfully assume that car 2 is at fault for causing this car accident; therefore, the driver of car 2 and their insurance company will have to pay out thousands of dollars in damages to the car 1 passenger.  But is that always the case? No, not always.

In what situations would someone who runs a stop sign not be the at-fault driver in an accident such as the one described above?

One situation is a medical emergency. Suppose the driver of car 2, the one who ran the stop sign, suffered a heart attack or stroke that caused them to lose consciousness. This can happen with no previous warning signs. As long as the driver had no indications that they were not safe to drive, a sudden medical emergency is a defense against liability for the accident.