Woman Impaled in Lake County, Illinois Car Crash Caused by Tree Branch Sues Property Owner
Helen Miller, a Lake Villa woman, is suing Vista Health System Surgery and Treatment Center for her Lake County, Illinois car accident injuries. Miller, 42, was driving in Lindenhurst last October when a tree fell on her car, causing one of its branches to crash through her windshield and impale her beneath her lungs and above her stomach. The medical facility is the owner of the property where the tree was located.
The dead tree fell on Miller’s car after gusts of wind over 50 mph caused it to snap. Although she was fortunate because none of her vital organs were hit when she was impaled, Miller had to be placed into a medically induced coma and she sustained serious and permanent injuries.
Car Crashes Involving Falling Trees
A property owner can be held liable for a Chicago car collision if there was a hazard on a premise that caused the accident to occur. Auto crashes caused by falling trees/tree branches are not as uncommon as you would think. Over the years there have been numerous vehicle crashes that have occurred because the owner of a property failed to properly maintain a tree, which ended up falling on a vehicle or a pedestrian. Fatalities have been known to occur as a result.
In February, a 41-year-old man died when a tree collapsed and fell on the pickup truck he was riding. Three other people who were with him were also hurt. In 2008, a woman died from injuries she sustained when a tree fell on her car. Her daughter was in the vehicle with her when the deadly accident happened. The year before, a 49-year-old man was killed when a tree fell on his van. His family sued for wrongful death and claimed the city did not make sure that the tree roots were cut properly.
Woman impaled by tree branch sues medical center, Chicago Tribune, April 20, 2011
Woman Impaled by Tree Branch Sues, NBC Chicago, April 21, 2011
Related Web Resources:
Car Accidents, Nolo
Car Accidents, Justia
More Blog Posts:
Chicago Injury Lawsuit Involving Boy with Brain Damage After He was Struck by Tree Branch is Settled for $1.55M, Chicago Injury Attorney Blog, February 7, 2011
Chicago Car Accident Risks Rise When There is Snow and Ice on the Road, Chicago Car Accident Attorneys Blog, December 21, 2010
