It’s All About Me

Regular readers know that one of my pet peeves is people who are unwilling to or disinterested in worrying about other fellow humans. After all, isn’t that the entire purpose of a civilized society?

Apparently, drivers don’t seem to have received that memo, as I personally witness, and represent clients who are on the receiving end of, a complete lack of concern for laws, rules, and other people.

This is not just a “pet peeve” or really annoying, although it is both of those in spades. What this really represents is danger and mayhem. Peoples’ lives are at stake.

Why Driving Requires Buy In

We all learned to drive and were instructed as to the awesome responsibility of piloting a two-ton vehicle capable of killing human beings. Most people take this responsibility seriously and drive aware of traffic laws, others on the road, and defensively.

Increasingly though, there are numerous examples we all witness of vehicle operators behaving as if no one else is important and ignoring the potential serious harm that can occur by driving like this.

It’s Not Just Your Road

If you’ve ever had the experience of driving in the rural British Isles, as I have, you understand that “the road” is more of a shared concept than the “my lane and your lane” self-contained environment pods most Americans endorse. Roads in parts are often so narrow, with stone walls abutting one side and steep cliffs the other, that one must constantly be prepared to move over, stop, and let oncoming traffic through. Animals may also share the road. It means driving requires awareness, caring, and perhaps a few minutes more to reach your destination.

What my clients experience are drivers running into them when they are riding their bikes through intersections on green lights. They also get hit by people driving through construction zones at full speed and disregarding red lights.

I observe people holding their phones (that’s illegal—hands-free only!) and talking while making a turn at full speed. To say they are unconcerned about pedestrians or bicyclists in the crosswalk would be an understatement. I also see jerks using the expressway as their personal weaving racetrack, often resulting in near misses that take my breath away.

Driving like that is fine, as long as you’re okay with the guilt of maiming or killing someone.

Stop it. Just stop it. Start observing other cars, other people. Put your phone down and look at the road. That really isn’t that big a request, is it?

Contact Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Stephen Hoffman

As in all cases involving injury and potential liability, if you have been hit by a vehicle immediately get medical treatment, report the crash to police and your own insurance company, and contact a lawyer with expertise in your type of case, such as bicycle accidents or pedestrians hit by cars.

If you've been in an accident and have questions, contact Chicago personal injury attorney Stephen L. Hoffman for a free consultation at (773) 944-9737. Stephen has nearly 30 years of legal experience and has collected millions of dollars for his clients. He is listed as a SuperLawyer, has a 10.0 rating on Avvo, and is BBB A+ accredited. He is also an Executive Level Member of the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce.

Stephen handles personal injury claims on a contingency fee basis, which means you don’t pay anything upfront and he only gets paid if you do. Don’t wait another day, contact Stephen now.