Most high-speed crashes are harmful, but vehicles don’t need to move quickly to cause serious injuries or deaths. If drivers aren’t careful as they reverse, they could drive over someone behind them. These incidents, called backovers, can have severe ramifications.
If you or a loved one have been hurt in a backover incident, you should call an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer to help you recover the compensation you deserve. The Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., are ready to hear your case and get started with your recovery.
What Are Backover Accidents?
As the name implies, backovers occur when vehicles reverse and strike a person. These accidents can occur wherever a vehicle is backing up, so it could be on the street, in parking lots, or from driveways.
Backover accidents are dangerous because victims might not just get struck by the vehicle but could get trapped under the wheels.
When Do Backover Accidents Occur?
There could be several reasons for an accident to happen, like:
- Inattentive Drivers: If a driver is not properly looking around as they reverse, it’s easy for them to reverse over anyone behind the vehicle.
- Blindspots: these are areas a driver cannot see from their position behind the wheel. Even with mirrors, backup cameras, and windows, obstructions can block a driver’s view. Anyone in a blind spot could be run over or hit.
- Lack of Working Safety Features: although backup cameras have been required in new cars since 2018, there’s still the possibility of broken cameras or vehicles without the feature at all. Broken or misaligned mirrors could also cause backover accidents. Some cars have alerts that might not trigger as the vehicle reverses, leading to accidents.
- Driving Too Fast: it might be hard to imagine a car speeding in reverse, but drivers in a hurry could be going too fast to be safe. Anyone behind a speeding car could get hit, especially if they don’t have enough time to react.
- Reckless Behavior: Anyone engaging in reckless behavior, like riding on the side or back of a car, could get run over by a vehicle driving in reverse.
SUVs and Large Vehicles Are Prone to Backup Incidents
Because of their size, blind spots in SUVs and large trucks are prominent: some blind spots are 30 feet long. SUV windows are much higher off the ground, so it’s easy to miss people below the edge.
Who’s at Risk In Backover Accidents?
Anyone behind a reversing vehicle could be at-risk for a backover accident. Pedestrians walking down sidewalks across driveways or through parking lots could get hit by an inattentive driver. Drivers might not see people riding bikes or motorcycles, either.
Backover incidents also happen on the job, like at construction worksites. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports dozens of struck-by accidents on construction accidents each year, several of them deadly.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, about 210 people are killed in backover accidents annually, with about 7,000 people injured.
About half of the people killed in backover accidents are children, often under two years old. In many of these cases, the at-fault driver is a parent or relative of the child. Because they’re small, it’s easy to lose children in blind spots. They also aren’t usually aware of their surroundings.
What Kind of Injuries do Backover Accidents Cause?
In car accidents, speed can increase the severity of injuries. Even if backover accidents aren’t happening at high speeds, they can still cause injuries that will have a lifelong impact or be deadly.
Some backover injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injuries: anything that jolts or shocks the body can cause brain injuries. A car moving backward can knock anyone over. The victim could hit their head after they fall, or be struck by the vehicle
- Crush injuries: backover accidents are dangerous because victims could be trapped under the car. Backovers are especially bad because drivers may panic and park or use their brakes to stop moving. The full weight of the car could rest on the victim
- Broken Bones: Like TBIs, a victim struck by a car could experience breaks from the impact or in the fall. Driving over someone’s limbs could also result in cracks or fractures
What Damages Can I Recover in a Backover Accident?
Anyone hit by a negligent or reckless driver could recover compensation for the damages caused in the backover accident. Victims could seek to recover economic and non-economic losses.
Economic losses are easier to calculate. They’re out-of-pocket expenses, like medical bills, prescription costs, or lost wages.
Non-economic losses are more conceptual. These could be the pain and suffering you’ve experienced from your injuries, the loss of the ability to socialize, the mental anguish you’ve felt, or any scarring or disfigurement. A personal injury lawyer can help you calculate your losses.
Illinois is an at-fault state, so you can file an insurance claim with the driver that caused your injuries. If your expenses exceed their policy, you can file a lawsuit.
Avoiding Backover Accidents
To prevent backover accidents, there are steps drivers can follow.
- Look around before you back up. Ensure no one is around before moving the vehicle.
- Use caution as you move. Even if you’ve cleared the area, someone could move into a blind spot.
- Don’t speed. Moving carefully will give anyone behind you time to move out of the way.
- Check that your safety gear is working. If you have a backup camera, ensure it functions and is unobscured.
- Limit distractions as you drive. Turn down the music, put down the phone, and focus as you back up, so you don’t hit anyone.
Kids And Car Safety has more facts and advice about backover accidents.
How Can a Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Help?
You likely suffered injuries if you’ve been injured in a backup accident. You want relief, physically and financially. Hiring a Chicago car accident lawyer can benefit your case. They’ll understand which laws govern your case. They can help you secure evidence, investigate the accident, and file a claim.
A lawyer will understand how to prove the driver was neglectful, and show they were at fault for your injuries. An experienced personal injury attorney can empathize with your pain and help you move forward.
Get Help From a Chicago Backover Accident Lawyer Now
At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, our team understands that accidents happen. We know you don’t have to face recovery alone. If you or a loved one have been hurt in a backover accident, we are ready to hear your case and help.
We understand Illinois personal injury law and have experience working with clients like you to recover the compensation they’re owed after a crash.
Call (312) 236-2900 or use our online form to schedule your consultation.
