Hancock County, Illinois Auto Accident Death Leads to Lawsuit

Several family members died in a car accident in the Hancock County, Illinois town of Hamilton.

The lawsuit filed by attorneys Tom Falb and Michael Glisson of Williamson, Webster, Falb & Glisson against a tavern that served the drivers states that the order of death was unknown, but four people all died from the same wreck. Also named in the lawsuit are the builders and maintainers of the road in a subdivision which was unlit, unmarked and dangerous to drivers.

The fatal wreck occurred on a foggy night. The road was a gravel and chip road with dips and curves, most notably a 90-degree curve between two ponds with deep embankments from near the edge of the roadway into each pond. As the driver attempted to make the sharp turn, the vehicle slid into the pond and caused massive car damage and drowning.

The wrongful death lawsuit claims that the roadway owners were neglectful in maintaining a proper level of safety for drivers using the road.

Alton, Illinois-based attorneys Tom Falb and Michael Glisson’s lawsuit filed in Hancock County Circuit Court seeks damages for 64 counts against the defendants, including premises liabilities, wrongful death, survival acts, and dramshop violations.

According to the Federal Highway Administration, although only 23 percent of Americans lived in rural areas, 53 percent of fatal vehicle accidents occurred on rural roads in 2007. The study explained that this may be due to a number of factors, including the greater distance to hospitals, higher speeds of driving due to less traffic, a lack of shoulders and marked lane dividers, lower safety belt usage, and a higher likelihood of alcohol involvement.

Whether rural, urban, or suburban, fatal car wrecks create tragedies for everyday families. When caused by improper service of alcohol or negligent care of roadways, the tragedy becomes even greater because the deaths could have been prevented.

The law firm of WWF&G is skilled, experienced, and licensed in handling such cases in the states of Illinois and Missouri. Attorneys Tom Falb and Mike Glisson handle cases involving wrongful death, auto accidents, and dramshop violations with the utmost thoroughness and professionalism.

Below is a list of cases where WWF&G attorneys successfully recovered damages for their clients negatively affected by alcohol:

1. Man driving to work in the morning killed by a drunk driver in a head on collision.

2. Pedestrian on roadway killed by drunk driver who fled scene and was caught.

3. Woman had her hair pulled out at a bar by a drunk woman.

4. Sober man trying to break up a bar fight is kicked severing his spleen.

5. Drunk driver hits a telephone pole, knocks it to the ground. Neighbor comes out to help, drunk pushes him down and fractures neighbor’s ankle, and drunk flees scene.

6. Man attacked by a drunk man with a baseball bat, resulting in fractured skull.

7. Drunk driver kills a pedestrian standing next to a vehicle. Drunk driver consumed alcohol purchased from Walmart.

8. Numerous others; generally 20-30 pending dramshop claims.

If your family has been affected by an auto accident, wrongful death, dramshop violation, or other act of negligence, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-877-WWFG-LAW.