It was a Saturday afternoon. Carmen had just finished shopping for her grandchildren and was walking across the parking lot of a large retailer. Suddenly, out of nowhere, she was struck by a car. The driver stopped briefly then sped away. Fortunately, Carmen survived this hit and run accident, but required extensive care for head trauma, broken bones and other injuries. How is Carmen able to pay for her injuries in a hit and run accident? Can she use her own insurance? She wasn't driving her car at the time.
The answer is yes. Yes she can.
Many people aren't aware that whether you are running, biking, walking your dog, or skateboarding,
If you are involved in a pedestrian accident, you may use your own insurance to pay for your medical bills.
It's the law in Illinois and has been since 1977.
Unfortunately, Carmen's insurance company, Direct Auto, refused to pay, ignoring the law. For our client 's case and for all drivers in Illinois, we took this case all the way to the Appellate level and won. It's unfair for sub-standard insurance companies like Direct Auto and many others to ignore well established Illinois law.
Fighting insurance companies in court
In 2022, Ankin Law advocated for thousands of clients who would otherwise not have a voice, in auto, workers' comp, medical malpractice, and mass tort matters. Carmen's case also caught the attention of ABC 7 News. Investigative reporter Jason Knowles
met with Carmen, her daughter, and me recently to
talk about the case and bring attention to the law.
The story will air in January.
I hope this news attention will incentivize Direct Auto and other sub-standard carriers to do the right thing and pay their clients. This would not only be great for Carmen, but for Illinois.
Happy New Year,
Howard