By Dan Noll on February 2nd, 2025 in Car Accident
Car Accident Lawyers in Springfield Explain How Blind Spots Cause Auto Accidents in Illinois
Blind spots are one of the major causes of motor vehicle accidents. This is particularly true of lane changing, merging, and other types of common maneuvers on local roads, highways, interstates, and even in just parking lots. Despite the blind spots which are inherent in all vehicles, the car accident lawyers at the Noll Law Office know that defendants who cause an accident by not checking a blind spot can still be liable for a crash. That’s because the excuse “I didn’t see you” is not a valid defense to a car accident claim like this. Indeed, under Illinois law, all motorists must operate reasonable care in the use or operation of their motor vehicle, which includes seeing what there is to be seen. Unfortunately, too many drivers fail to properly check their blind spots before making a turn or merging lanes, therefore causing serious and fatal motor vehicle accidents that could have been prevented. Thus, it is important for drivers to understand how blind spots cause auto accident in Illinois in order to prevent these types of crashes.
At the Noll Law Office, their compassionate and skilled legal team can help victims and their families who have been injured in a blind spot car accident. This includes by gathering your medical record, police reports, and other evidence that may help support your car crash case. They may also hire experts to help support your damages and liability claim, using such experts to prove cases in front of a jury or judge. To learn more about your rights to compensation after a motor vehicle accident, and to hear how blind sports cause auto accidents such as your own, schedule a free consultation with one of the car accident lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office.
What is a Blind Spot?
Some people use the term “blind spot” inappropriately, usually in a manner to escape liability. This includes insurance adjusters or defense lawyers, who try to normalize what a blind spot is and claim that it is a normal risk of driving and a normal cause of accidents that is unavoidable and forgivable.
It is not.
As defined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), a blind spot is defined as the area around a vehicle that cannot be observed by a driver when he or she is facing forward and sitting normally in the driver’s seat, when taking into consideration the use of side and rear mirrors. Said differently, a blind spot is an area that a person cannot see when normally driving a car. Because of this, drivers are responsible for checking their blind spots by physically moving, usually turning their heads to check behind them but sometimes also having to lean forward to see deeper/longer into a mirror (depending on the angle and the type of a vehicle).
What Are Examples of Blind Spot Car Accidents?
How blind spots cause car accidents and other types of vehicle collisions depends on many different factors. For instance, blinds spots in a typical four-door sedan are much different than the blind spots of a large tractor trailer truck. But even beyond that, the blinds spots in a vehicle can be drastically different based on the person who is driving. Thus, one of the initial and major causes of blind spot accidents is when drivers do not properly adjust their mirrors and check assume their blind spots are the same in every vehicle – they are not.
Some other common causes of blind spot car accidents range from not checking to inadequately checking. Thus, the most common examples of blind spot car accidents include the following:
- Not checking
- Failing to turn all the way around to check
- Relying on automatic systems and blind spot indicators
- Speeding or driving too fast for the weather conditions
- Not repairing mirrors or driver supports systems and therefore being unable to check
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving or drugged driving
- Inexperience, and
- Other common causes that may lead to a blind spot car accident in Illinois.
Could a Defendant Be Liable Even If a There was a Camera or Blind Spot Warning System?
One of the best safety innovations in recent years was the advent of blind spot warning systems. Many drivers have these systems now on their vehicles and their mirrors, or have seen the orange, red, yellow, or another light on another driver’s mirror. These systems use cameras or lasers to detect whether there is another vehicle in the blind spot area that is customarily not visible in a driver’s mirror. And they have been wildly successful in doing so, as some statistics estimate that blind spot indicator systems are responsible for up to a 53% reduction in lane change or merging car accidents.
However, that does not mean that a defendant relying on a blind spot indicator is immune from liability. Although these indicators and support systems are excellent, they are not perfect and they still require a driver to manually check his or her blind spot. Additionally, these cameras or blind spot warning systems may become blocked due to dirt or snow, and may not detect motorcyclists or other cyclists that have a smaller profile. In addition, these systems may also fail to detect vehicles in the other lane who are driving much faster than the driver, which is a common scenario when a vehicle is merging onto a highway.
Defendants who have these types of blind spot checkers must still check for you and other motorists, and the failure to do so could result in liability – whether or not the indicator was working.
Still Not Sure How Blind Spots Cause Auto Accidents? Call the Car Accident Lawyer in Springfield at the Noll Law Office
Blind spots are a common cause of car accidents and trucking accidents in Illinois and throughout the United States. They can result in catastrophic and life-changing injuries, as well as fatal injuries resulting in the wrongful death of an innocent person. Anyone who has been severely injured in any type of motor vehicle crash where a defendant may have failed to check his or her blind spot, should call the Noll Law Office.
Their skilled legal team can investigate your case and build your claim to recover compensation for pain and suffering, lost wages, medical bills, and other damages. There is no upfront cost and they only recover compensation if you recover compensation in a settlement or verdict. If you have been injured in a blind spot car accident in Illinois, schedule a free consultation with one of the car accident lawyers in Springfield at the Noll Law Office by dialing (217) 414-8889 or by sending a message here.