Illinois Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

A Chicago police officer was injured following a routine traffic stop, when the driver attempted to flee and caught the officer in his seat belt and then dragged him for about 30 feet. The driver of the pick-up truck then was forced to stop due to traffic and paramedics responded to the trucking accident and took the police officer to a local hospital. Luckily, the injuries sustained by the police officer were not too severe and he is expected to recover fully. The driver of the truck is facing charges of aggravated battery to a police officer, aggravated fleeing police, DUI (toxicology test results are currently pending), reckless driving, and driving without a driver's license. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the truck driver was also cited for multiple infractions. To read more about this Chicago trucking accident, please click on this hyperlink.

Chicago accident attorneys remind drivers that even though getting pulled over without proper documentation can result in citations and serious fines, it is much better than trying to flee from the police officer. If you are pulled over and lack a current driver's license or current automobile insurance, remember that no good will come of trying to get away and that you will face much more serious consequences if you attempt to disobey a police officer. Additionally, make sure to never drive anywhere without a current license and valid insurance. Even if you think it will be okay to drive just short distance without a license or without insurance, please never do because you can face serious fines and citations.

A trucking accident on the I-94 on the Northwest side of Chicago left the truck driver injured and the highway temporarily closed for a couple of hours following the crash in the early morning hours of June 22nd. The truck driver was driving a load of about 1200 cases of beer and then crashed and the truck overturned, spilling the load all over the highway. According to the Chicago Sun Times, at this time police are not aware of what caused the driver to crash and the truck to overturn, but they do not suspect that alcohol or drugs were a factor that was a contribution to the crash. The driver suffered some personal injuries in the accident and was taken to a local Park Ridge hospital for treatment of these injuries. Following the accident and the spill, the highway did have to be closed for a little while, but the lanes were reopened later that morning. To read more about this Illinois trucking crash, please click on this link.

Trucking crashes that involve trucks carrying large loads can often lead to the area where the crash occurred having to be shut down for clean-up. This means that even if a trucking accident is minor, traffic could still be backed up for awhile if the truck's load spills. In some cases, when the truck involved in an accident was transporting hazardous material, a special team (the HAZMAT team) has to be called in to clean up the spill. The reason a special team is necessary in this type of trucking accident is that the spill needs to be contained a certain way to ensure that people and the land near the accident do not get exposed to the hazardous material. Because of the possibility of load spill, trucking accidents can often lead to extreme back-ups around the site where the accident occurs.

A trucking safety coalition hopes to have the hours of service that truck drivers can drive in a day reduced by 27 percent, in accordance with the new hours of service law that has recently gone into effect. According to The Trucker, the document filed by the Truck Safety Coalition argues that there should be no more that eight hours of consecutive driving per shift and cites information that after this threshold is when most trucking accidents occur. Additionally, the Coalition suggests that the maximum driving hours per seven day week be 40, and the maximum number of on-duty hours per seven day week be 60. The document also suggest that their be at least 48 hours of off-duty time between each five day stretch of working. This document was filed in connection with the recent hours of services rule, and the people proposing the rule say that the newer law calls for these restrictions in trucking driving hours. To read more about the new hours of service law and what it requires of trucking companies and drivers, please click on this link.

The reason that limiting the number of hours that a trucker may drive consecutively, and how many days in a row drivers may drive, is because without any restrictions many trucking companies encourage, or truck drivers themselves choose to, drive when they are exhausted and when it is not safe for the drivers to still be on the road. Illinois accident attorneys ask trucking companies to take this into consideration and to follow the new rule setting out hours of service in order to hopefully help reduce the number of trucking accidents that occur each year due to driver fatigue.

The administrator for the estate of a woman that died from the personal injuries she sustained in a trucking accident in May, has filed a lawsuit against the driver of the truck that caused the accident, as well as the trucking company that he drove for. The truck accident complaint alleges that the truck driver was driving too fast, was driving on the wrong side of the street, and was not in control of his truck at the time that he caused the accident. According to the State Journal, the truck driver fled the scene of the accident and did not call any help to assist the victim whose car he had just struck. The truck driver was charged with leaving the scene of a trucking accident that resulted in death, and also faces criminal charges in connection with this fatal trucking accident. To read more about this truck accident lawsuit, please click on this link.

This lawsuit is an example of the fact that trucking companies are often sued as additional defendants in addition to the truck driver that caused the accident. Illinois accident attorneys remind trucking companies of the importance of insuring that all drivers are adequately prepared before getting on the road and are fully aware of the safety precautions they should always take when driving trucks, and to keep track of drivers and make sure they are in fact driving safely all of the time. The importance of this is not only to help keep trucking companies from getting sued in the event of a trucking accident, but also to help reduce the number of victims that die, or are injured, each year as a result of truck driver's not driving safely and not being fully aware of their surroundings.

A truck accident lawsuit has been filed against a truck driver who allegedly crashed into a passenger car while the truck driver attempted to change lanes. The plaintiff in the lawsuit was the driver of the passenger car that was involved in the accident. The complaint alleges that because of the truck driver's negligence the plaintiff has suffered serious and permanent personal injuries of which she is suing for compensation. The truck driver apparently failed to keep his truck under control, was driving at too fast of a speed, was not keeping a proper lookout, was not maintaining a proper distance between other cars on the road, as well as multiple other driving infractions that the plaintiff alleges were what contributed to the trucking accident. According to The Madison Record, the complaint is seeking over $100,000 in damages in connection with the accident. To read more about the Madison County trucking accident and the lawsuit that has been filed in connection, please click on this hyperlink.

All of the allegations that the Plaintiff makes against the truck driver in this accident lawsuit stem from the driver not being cautious or aware enough while behind the wheel. It is extremely important for truck drivers to not only know all the safety precautions that they should take while driving, but also to actually follow through and make sure they are driving in the safest manner possible. Illinois truck accident attorneys remind all truck drivers of the importance of being an alert aware driver, always obeying safety rules in all circumstances. Aside from the fact that these rules are created for a reason and should be followed because of that, trucks are such large and potentially dangerous vehicles in the event of a crash that this provides drivers extra-incentive to stay safe while on the road. Additionally, it is good for truck drivers to be defensive drivers because even though the truck driver may follow all safety laws, other drivers they encounter may not, and if the truck driver is prepared they can hopefully avoid an accident that another unsafe driving may have been about to cause.

An Addison, Illinois trucking accident that happened on June 16th near I-290 left the tollway shut down for about an hour and a half in the location where the accident occurred. The accident occurred when a semi-truck and a box truck collided, causing the box truck to roll onto its side and spill the load it was carrying. The spilled load is what caused the lanes to have to be shut down following the accident, so the clean up crews could make the roads drivable again. According to ABC Local News, the semi-truck driver was ticketed for improper lane usage, which in turned resulted in the trucking crash. Luckily, neither driver suffered any major personal injuries in the accident. If you want to read more about this two truck Illinois accident, please click on this hyperlink.

This accident occurred in a construction zone, which likely means that the truck driver's citation was for more money than if the accident had occurred on a normal stretch of the road. The reason that the fines can be significantly higher in construction zones is to further deter drivers from behaving in risky or illegal ways when driving, because of the higher danger present in construction zones. Often times there are construction workers present or dangerous construction equipment present in construction zones that create a more dangerous environment for drivers. Illinois accident attorneys encourage all drivers to remember this and always obey any signs in construction zones, whether they warn you of workers, remind you of increased fines in the area, or create a temporarily reduced speed limit for that area. Following these rules can help keep you from getting high penalty fines and will make driving safer for you as well as for any construction workers that may be present in the construction zone.

More and more states are joining the fight against distracted driving by making texting while driving illegal for all drivers including truck drivers in order to try to reduce the number of automobile accidents. At this point 28 states, plus Washington DC, all have anti-texting laws for all drivers on their books. As many as 32 states have included a distracted driving section in their driver license education manuals, showing that even more states realize the importance of educating drivers about the dangers of distracted driving. According to Trucking Info's website, 35 states are working with state agencies and other companies within the state to help address the problem of distracted driving and to try and reduce the number of car and trucking accidents that occur as a result of this problem. For example, the state of Illinois has created the Distracted Drivers Task Force which was created in order to learn more about the growing issue of distracted driving and to try to find a solution to this problem. To read more about the efforts that different states are making to try to make a difference in the number of trucking accidents that occur each year by addressing the distracted driving accident problem, please click on this link.

Distracted driving does not only mean texting while driving but also any other form of using a cell phone, eating or drinking, talking to other passengers, reading a map, changing the radio, or doing anything else that takes your eyes and focus off of the road while you are driving. According to the government's statistics on driver distraction close to 6,000 people were killed in accidents caused by distracted drivers in 2008, with the percentage rising significantly from several years before, and the most common driver in these types of accidents were inexperienced drivers under the age of twenty years old. Illinois accident attorneys hope all drivers realize the prevalence of this problem and take it upon themselves to always pay attention to the road and not allow distractions while driving, so everyone gets where they are going safely!

A Williamson County trucking accident occurred on June 13th and left six people with serious personal injuries resulting from the crash. The accident occurred when a semi-truck crashed into four others cars that were slowing down for construction in the area. The truck then crashed into another semi-truck which then hit a construction vehicle. Three more cars were then involved in this chain reaction crash when they were unable to stop in time to avoid the accident. Six people that were involved in this accident had to be taken to local hospitals for treatment of the injuries they sustained in the accident. According to KFVS News, the driver of the original semi-truck that caused the accident has been cited with failing to reduce speed in order to avoid a car accident. To read more about this Illinois trucking accident, please click on this link.

The trucking industry has recently been trying to make changes and adjustments in order to help reduce the number of trucking accidents like the one above and make the trucking industry a safer place overall. The trucking industry has become noticeably safer in recent years, with a marked decrease in truck accident related fatalities, and hopefully will continue in this fashion. One of the measure the industry has taken to increase safety is the creation of new technologies which help truckers drive safer and be more aware of their surroundings, and these include anti-rollover safety equipment, lane departure warning systems, and blind spot and collision warning systems. Another important stand that the trucking industry has taken on safety, is that they are strong advocates of limiting highway speeds for large commercial trucks, seeking a national speed limit of 65 miles per hour. A third very important safety measure that trucking companies have recently enactedare the implementation of a national Roadcheck, which was sponsored by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and in which at the first check trucks were pulled over at random to check that they were in compliace with all safety requirements. All of these measures taking by the trucking industry have helped tremendously make the number of trucking crashes decrease and make the roads safer for everyone.

An Illinois trucking accident left one man dead on June 10th, when the concrete mixer he was driving rolled over as he tried to exit the highway. According to WGN, the accident occurred on the Bishop Ford expressway when the truck crashed into a van and then rolled over. The driver of the cement truck was killed as a result of the personal injuries he sustained, but the driver of the van was not injured. At this time the Illinois State Police are still investigating what the cause of the fatal accident may have been but it does appear that the truck driver may have been speeding at the time the accident occurred. To read more about this Pullman trucking accident, please click on this link.

It is important for truck drivers to always remember to drive the appropriate speed given the speed limit and the conditions on the road around them. This means that if the weather is bad or if the road conditions are dangerous, that truck drivers should even drive below the speed limit and at a comfortable speed. This way, they have the appropriate time to react if something happens and it helps to keep their truck under control. Trucks are large vehicles which can make them much more difficult to control or to stop in the event of an emergency. Illinois accident attorneys ask truck drivers to always remember the danger of speeding in a large commercial truck and the danger it can pose not only to the driver and passengers in the truck but also to other drivers and passengers on the road.

When truckers take to the highways, there are a number of safety precautions to consider. On long trips, one may be motivated to drive without a safety belt, but this decision can lead to devastating personal injuries should an accident occur. Therefore it is important to remind drivers and truckers alike to buckle up at all times.

A recent study entitled the Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that in trucking accidents about 23 percent of truck drivers were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident. Many truckers feel that in a big truck and on a long ride, the seat belt may be too uncomfortable and the large truck cab space will offer enough protection in the event of a crash. However, seat belts are just as important in large trucks as they are in passenger vehicles and they can often be the one small safety measure that saves a life in the event of a traffic accidents. One of the main benefits of a seat belt in a car accident is that it can be what keeps a driver from being ejected from the vehicle. The seat belt will often stop the driver, or passenger, if the force of the crash would normally have caused the person to be thrown from the truck or car. To read more information on the importance of seat belt usage and seat belts can make such a crucial difference in a car accident, please lick on this link.

Chicago accident attorneys remind all truck drivers that they should always wear a seat belt, no matter the length of the trip or how safe a driver they feel they are. Even a short trip can result in an accident, and even the safest driver can encounter a dangerous driver or situation that would lead to an accident. This is why it is so important to make sure to always buckle up no matter what!

An Illinois trucking accident that occurred near Lake Springfield on June 8th left a teenage girl with serious personal injuries. The accident occurred when the teenage victim got into an accident with a truck, spun around and was struck by another truck, causing the car to end up in a ditch. According to The State Journal-Register, at this point in time police are not sure which driver caused the truck accident and therefore no citations have been issued. The driver of the passenger car and her passenger were taken to a local hospital following the accident, and the teenage driver is still hospitalized. Neither of the semi-drivers were injured and did not need to go to the hospital following the accident. To read more about this Springfield trucking accident, please click on this link.

Teen drivers are at a higher risk of getting into traffic accidents than any other age group, and according to the National Safety Counsel, teenage traffic accidents account for about 44% of teenage deaths each year. According to The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, teenage inexperience is a major factor in accidents involving teens and this issue is likely not helped out by the fact that the process for getting a driver's license is not a very difficult or demanding. Like any other skill, learning to drive well and safely takes time and practice. This is one of the reasons that teenage drivers are at such a higher risk for accidents. Illinois accident attorneys remind adults to help young drivers learn the rules of the road and help make sure that teenage drivers get plenty of practice with experienced drivers before they are on the road alone.

Another major issue affecting teenage drivers is distractions that take teens attention off of the road. According to ABC News, distractions while driving can be as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Distractions range from talking on a cell phone, sending and receiving text messages, adjusting the radio, eating while driving, to other teenagers in the car that cause the driver to become distracted. To combat this issue, please talk to your teens about how dangerous it can be to lose focus from the road and how important it is to not let these distractions in while driving. One of the best ways to show teens how to not let distractions become the cause of an accident is to set an example and make sure not to allow distractions to take your focus of the road when you are driving with the teens in the car.

A chain reaction truck accident resulted in the death of three people on May 31st. The Illinois truck crash is believed to have occurred when drivers were trying to merge into one lane because of construction and a crash occurred in which nine vehicles were involved, including a semi-truck. This Mattoon area accident is believed to have primarily been the result of driver distraction and at this time there is no evidence that drugs or alcohol played a factor in the fatal accident. According to The Herald Review, the accident occurred on I-57 which was closed for about 7 hours to clean up from the multi-car accident. To read more about this tragic trucking accident, please click on this link.

Many accidents occur everyday as a result of distracted drivers. Distracted drivers can be as dangerous as drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol and the results can be very severe. Our Illinois accident attorneys remind drivers of the importance of always keeping an eye on the road and being aware of your surroundings and of other drivers while behind the wheel. Please make sure to limit cell-phone use with a hands-free device. Do not try to send or respond to text messages while you are driving because even taking your eyes off the road for one second can lead to a serious crash that can harm you, your loves ones, or others on the road. While there are rules in certain parts of Illinois that ban cell phone usage to different degrees, it is best to error on the side of caution and avoid potential distractions. Taking this one safety measure can make all the difference in preventing an accident.

Sleep apnea is a serious problem for truck drivers and may be an underlying cause of many trucking accidents. According to Trucking Info, around three out of every ten truck drivers suffers from some level of sleep apnea, which leads to high rates of truckers driving while tired. Given the prevalence of this disorder among trucking drivers, many believe that sleep apnea will become a factor in proving negligence in trucking accident lawsuits. Plaintiffs attorneys could even use health reports to show that the trucker had symptoms of sleep apnea to help further their clients case against the trucking companies. Chicago injury attorneys remind companies that this could be a major problem for them and encourages letting this information lead them to address the severity of the problem and implement some kind of testing or regulation to ensure that their drivers are not on the road overly fatigued. One company that has taken this problem into their own hands reports that in a study done before and then after a fatigue management system was put into play, the percentage of crashes went down thirty percent. The way that this company handles the issue is by screening all applicant drivers and it they test positive for any level of sleep apnea to get them treatment and follow up with them for up to ninety days, if that amount of time is necessary given their issue. To read more about the connection between sleep apnea and trucking crashes, and what can be done to help fix this unnecessary problem, please click on this link.