Experienced Car Accident Attorney Serving Clients in Kankakee, Momence, and Throughout Northeast Illinois
You know that every time you get into the car, there is a chance that you will be involved in an accident. Of course, by staying alert and following all traffic laws, you can decrease the likelihood of a collision. However, some accidents are beyond your control, and you may find yourself overwhelmed in the aftermath. At Fotopoulos Law Office, we help car accident victims and their families pursue meaningful compensation from negligent drivers and their insurance companies. Attorney John Fotopoulos is a former judge and a long-time Kankakee County car accident lawyer who cares deeply about each of his clients. He aggressively pursues maximum compensation on behalf of every client he serves.
Kankakee County Car Accidents
Kankakee County, Illinois, presents a unique backdrop for analyzing traffic accidents. Geographically, it is a region defined by sprawling farmlands and smaller communities. Yet, it also serves as a crucial artery for commerce and travel, located just south of the sprawling Chicago metropolitan area. This duality—the quiet, low-traffic rural setting juxtaposed with the high-speed, high-volume thoroughfare of Interstate 57—means that the county sees a diverse and often catastrophic mix of motor vehicle collisions.
In Kankakee, accidents are not limited to typical fender-benders. They span the spectrum from low-visibility, head-on crashes characteristic of two-lane country roads to high-impact, multi-vehicle pileups frequently involving heavy commercial trucks on the Interstate. Regardless of the setting, the root cause is almost always the same: driver negligence.
When a driver fails to uphold their duty to operate a vehicle safely, they place every other motorist at risk. For those injured by a careless driver, understanding the causes of these accidents is the critical first step toward pursuing compensation through a Kankakee County personal injury lawsuit.
The Dual Risk: Rural Roads vs. Interstate Commerce
Kankakee County’s geography creates two distinct accident zones, each with its own set of risks.
The rural network of county and state roads often lacks the wide shoulders, median barriers, and ample lighting of major highways. These roads frequently feature blind intersections, sharp or unbanked curves, and the ever-present hazard of wildlife (such as deer).
Accidents here tend to be severe, often resulting in head-on collisions due to improper passing or drifting across the centerline, or single-vehicle accidents caused by drivers overcorrecting for sudden obstacles. The remote nature of these crashes can also delay emergency response times, exacerbating injuries.
Conversely, Interstate 57 acts as a primary commercial route connecting Chicago to downstate Illinois and the South. This corridor is characterized by high speeds and a disproportionately high volume of truck accidents.
Tractor-trailers require significantly greater stopping distances and often suffer from limited maneuverability. When driver negligence occurs—particularly fatigued or distracted driving on a long haul—the resulting collision can involve multiple passenger vehicles and lead to catastrophic or fatal outcomes. The sheer mass and momentum of a fully loaded semi-truck means that even minor driving errors can turn into life-altering events.
Negligence in Action: The Common Causes of Collisions
While environmental factors or road conditions can play a part, the vast majority of severe Kankakee County accidents are traceable to specific, preventable acts of negligence behind the wheel.
1. Distracted Driving
Distracted driving has become one of the leading causes of preventable accidents nationwide, and Kankakee is no exception. A distraction involves any activity that takes a driver’s hands off the wheel, eyes off the road, or mind off the task of driving.
The use of electronic devices—texting, scrolling, or navigating complex infotainment systems—is particularly dangerous because it combines all three types of distraction: visual, manual, and cognitive.
Even a few seconds of inattention at highway speed can mean traveling the length of a football field without seeing the road ahead, making a sudden stop or necessary maneuver impossible. The rise of smartphones has transformed simple carelessness into a pervasive, deadly epidemic of divided attention.
2. Impaired Driving (DUI)
Impaired driving remains a major contributor to severe and fatal accidents. While alcohol is the most well-known culprit, impairment extends to the use of illegal drugs and even the misuse of prescription medications. A driver under the influence experiences diminished reaction time, poor coordination, and a compromised ability to judge speed and distance—all critical functions for safe driving.
The consequences of a DUI crash are often immediate and devastating, as the impaired driver lacks the capacity to avoid an impending accident. Illinois law, like most states, imposes severe criminal penalties, but injured victims must also pursue civil action to recover the economic and non-economic damages they have suffered.
3. Fatigued Driving
Especially relevant on the long, monotonous stretches of I-57, fatigued driving is a serious form of negligence. Drowsiness mimics the effects of alcohol impairment, leading to slowed reactions and impaired judgment.
This is a common issue among commercial truck drivers who may be pressured to meet tight deadlines, violating federally mandated Hours-of-Service rules, but it also affects any motorist undertaking a long trip. “Micro-sleeps”—brief lapses of consciousness—can cause a vehicle to drift completely out of its lane, leading to catastrophic head-on or rollover accidents. Drivers have a responsibility to pull over and rest when they feel drowsy, making fatigue a conscious choice and a form of negligence.
4. Aggressive Driving and Speeding
The combination of high-speed interstate travel and congested local traffic periods often leads to aggressive driving. This encompasses a range of dangerous behaviors, including tailgating (following too closely), excessive speeding, improper or unsafe lane changes, road rage, and failure to yield the right-of-way.
Speeding exponentially increases the severity of an accident because it increases the force of impact and decreases the time available for a driver to react. In Kankakee County, aggressive maneuvers are particularly hazardous when impatient drivers attempt risky passes on narrow rural roads or weave through traffic on I-57 during peak travel times.
5. Failure to Follow Traffic Signs and Laws
This category covers fundamental breaches of the rules of the road that are often the direct cause of intersection and merging collisions.
Specific violations include running red lights or stop signs, which instantly converts an intersection into a dangerous crossing point; failing to stop for a school bus; and improper lane usage. These basic traffic laws are designed to create predictability and order on the roadways. When a driver knowingly or carelessly violates them, they are directly breaching their duty of care to others, making them liable for any resulting injuries.
Establishing Negligence and Seeking Justice
In the wake of a serious car accident in Kankakee County, the path to recovering compensation hinges entirely on proving negligence. In Illinois, an injured party (the plaintiff) must demonstrate four elements to establish a valid personal injury claim:
- Duty: The defendant (the negligent driver) owed a duty of care (the duty to drive safely).
- Breach: The defendant breached that duty (e.g., by texting, speeding, or running a red light).
- Causation: The defendant’s breach was the direct cause of the accident and the resulting injuries.
- Damages: The plaintiff suffered quantifiable losses (injuries, financial costs).
Illinois utilizes a modified comparative fault rule. This means that if you are found to be partially at fault for the accident, your compensation will be reduced by your percentage of fault. Crucially, if you are found to be 51% or more at fault, you are completely barred from recovering compensation. This legal detail underscores the absolute necessity of thoroughly investigating and documenting the scene to accurately assign fault.
If you have been seriously injured by a negligent driver in Kankakee County, you may be eligible to recover damages for a wide range of losses, including current and future medical expenses, lost wages and earning capacity, property damage, and non-economic damages such as pain and suffering, and emotional distress.
None of these accidents “just happen;” they are the result of a driver not taking their responsibilities seriously. Seeking legal counsel quickly ensures that evidence is preserved and that the responsible party is held accountable for the harm they have caused.
Obtaining an Accident Report in Kankakee County
After a car accident, the primary focus is on recovering from your physical injuries. Once you are on the road to recovery, however, you may want to obtain a copy of the accident report completed by responding officers. This can help you determine what the officers determined was the cause of the accident, which may help you decide whether you want to pursue a car accident lawsuit against the other driver.
To get a copy of a Kankakee County accident report, you must contact the Records Division of the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Department at 815-802-7107. Note that some accident reports may not be available through the mail, email, or fax. You can also visit the Sheriff’s Department in person at 3000 S Justice Way, Kankakee, IL.
Fatal Car Accidents in Kankakee County
While any car accident can disrupt the lives of anyone close to the victim, fatal accidents take the greatest toll on families. For one of the smaller counties in Illinois, Kankakee County sees a surprising number of motor vehicle deaths each year. For example, according to the most recent data from the Kankakee County Coroner’s Office, there were 17 deaths caused by motor vehicle accidents in 2021 alone.
Families grieving the loss of a loved one in the aftermath of a fatal traffic accident can pursue a claim for compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit. These claims are similar to other personal injury claims; however, rather than being filed by the accident victim themselves, they are filed by the personal representative of the deceased.
Contact Our Kankakee County Car Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one was recently injured in a car accident, contact Fotopoulos Law Office to discuss your case with an experienced Kankakee County car accident attorney. As a former judge in Cook County, Attorney Fotopoulos has a vast knowledge of the law and how it applies to his clients’ cases. He is also an experienced negotiator, and many of our cases end in car accident settlements, avoiding the need for long and stressful trials. Because we also have significant litigation experience, we will not hesitate to take your case to trial if the insurance company is not willing to extend a fair settlement offer. We offer free consultations to all prospective clients, and we will not bill you for our services unless we can recover compensation on your behalf. To learn more, call 708-942-8400 or fill out our online contact form.
