Illinois Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

An Illinois man was killed when his postal truck was struck by a train in Illinois on July 27th. At the time of the trucking accident, the victim who was a mail carrier, was driving his work truck. The section of train tracks where the trucking crash occurred was a spot that did not have crossing gates or flashing lights, and which was only marked by yield signs. According to The Chicago Tribune, little more is known about this accident, including why the man chose to try to cross the tracks at the time that he did. Police say that the truck driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident, after his truck was carried 300 yards along the tracks before the train was finally able to come to a complete stop. To read more about this Illinois truck accident, please click on this link.

While it is not very safe for train crossings to be equipped with only a yield sign, as long as this is the case at certain stops, drivers need to be completely alert and aware of approaching trains if they are driving in an area like this. If you come to a train crossing and there is no other warning measures, other than a yield sign, please both listen for an approaching train as well as look as far as you can see to see if one is approaching in the distance. If you have any thought that a train could be approaching, please wait in order to err on the side of safety.

An Illinois man was involved in a horrible traffic accident on I-70 early this morning, and then proceeded to flee the scene and attempted to steal another vehicle to get away from the scene. The police were able to catch the fleeing man and when they took him out of the cop car, a packet of cocaine fell out of his pocket onto the ground. The Illinois man was then charged with driving under the influence, endangerment, and leaving the scene of an accident where there was property damage. In addition to these charges, the driver received citations for driving with a suspended license and for unsafe lane movement. According to Chicago Breaking News, the accident occurred when the driver attempted to move to the off-ramp of the highway by cutting across the section of highway separating the ramp from the lanes of traffic. As the driver attempted to make this risky maneuver, he struck the side of a semi-truck and caused the truck to jackknife and hit a large concrete barrier which then caused the semi to roll onto its side. Luckily, the truck driver was not injured but the Illinois man, as well as his highly intoxicated passenger, were taken to a local hospital following the accident. To read more about this Chicago crash, please click on this link.

Illinois accident attorneys remind drivers to never flee the scene of an accident, even if you believe you will get in trouble if you stay. Fleeing the scene is a very serious offense and considered a class four felony in Illinois It is important for all parties involved to remain at the scene to assist injured drivers and passengers and help police determine what caused the accident.

A trucking accident occurred on I-57 in Franklin County, Illinois and resulted in the death of two people, and was caused by a truck failing to slow down in time to avoid an accident. The accident involved seven vehicles total, four of which were semi-trucks and three of which were passenger vehicles. One of the people killed in the trucking accident was the semi-truck driver that initially caused the chain-reaction crash. The driver came upon a slowed highway, due to construction in the area, and failed to appropriately gauge the situation and tried to stop too late. The truck driver crashed into another semi-truck in front if his truck, and then was struck by another semi-truck which was in turn struck by yet another semi-truck. The second person that was killed in this accident was the driver of the second semi-truck that crashed directly into the first victim’s truck. The reason that the two drivers were killed in the accident was because the initial truck caught fire and spread to the truck that crashed into it. According to STL Today, no charges have yet been filed in connection with the accident but charges are pending. To read more about this Illinois trucking accident, please click on this link.

Illinois accident attorneys ask drivers to always be extra cautious in allowing yourself time to break and come to a complete stop when approaching slowed-down traffic. The best way to ensure that you will not hit a car when you are slowing down is to leave an appropriate amount of space between you and the cars in front of you so you will always have time to react to even a sudden slow-down in traffic. The general rule of thumb is for every ten miles an hour you are driving there should be one car length between you and the car in front of you to ensure safe distance and reaction time, meaning that if you are driving at 60 miles an hour on a highway the car in front of you should be at least 6 vehicle lengths ahead of you. Please follow this simple tip and hopefully help avoid an accident!

A trucking accident occurred on the I-65 on July 23rd in which all the northbound lanes of the highway, in the section where the accident occurred, had to be shut down for several hours. The accident only involved one semi-truck that other drivers on the highway reported was swerving for some time before the crash. When the police caught up with the swerving truck, the truck was already overturned in the middle of the highway lanes. The truck had been transporting cars and a couple of them rolled out of the truck in the midst of the trucking crash and further obstructed the highway lanes. According to WLFI, no one was injured in the crash but the roads had to remain closed for awhile to clean up the crash load and the overturned semi-truck. The truck driver was issued a citation for improper lane movement in connection with the driving that caused the truck accident. To read more about this I-65 trucking accident, please click on this hyperlink.

At this time it is unknown what caused the driver to be swerving prior to the accident and what it was that actually caused the truck driver to crash. However, many truck drivers drive when they are too fatigued to be behind the wheel and it leads to unsafe driving and often times can lead to trucking crashes. Truck drivers often times take certain measures to try to stay awake, whether it be taking excessive amounts of caffeine or of drugs to try to keep them alert, however this usually does not result in keeping a person that is overly tired alert and ends up being a danger to the driver and to others on the road. Illinois injury attorneys ask all truck drivers to keep in mind themselves and others that they will encounter on the road, and to always make sure to not get behind the wheel when they are overly tired or do not feel like they are alert enough to safely drive at the given time. Given the huge size of semi-trucks, a truck driver falling asleep or failing to pay attention poses a much bigger threat and risk to other drivers than the a driver of a passenger car likely would.

While a recent study of Chicago accident deaths shows improvement, there is still a long way to go. Around 300,000 accidents occur each year in Chicago and the surrounding areas, and about one fatal accident occurs each day. Of these accidents, many were trucking accidents. Certain safety features that have been added to roads in recent years, are believed to account for the reduction of close to 200 less deaths each year in the area. One of the safety features that has led to less fatal accidents are the addition of cable median barriers in certain areas. These barriers are high-tension steel cables that are aimed to prevent vehicles that are out of control from traveling into other lanes or flipping over into oncoming traffic. These barriers are especially useful for out-of-control trucks because a flipped over truck blocking the roadway can not only lead to many accidents and often fatalities, but can also block traffic for a long stretch of time. These barriers have helped keep trucking accidents much more contained and less dangerous than they would have been in areas without reinforcements. The areas that have these barriers are mostly in more densely populated areas and the number of fatalities in these areas is decreasing more dramatically than in areas with more rural roads that lack these types of safety features. Additionally, areas where the crash rates are reducing at an even higher rate, have added more highway dividers and pavement markings that also aim at keeping vehicles in their own lanes. These improvements are especially useful for trucks which often lead to such dangerous conditions when they flip over for crash into another lane of traffic.

One of the factors that the study cites as still being a big problem for Chicago drivers is the high incident of late-night driving accidents. This is especially relevant for trucking accidents because of how many truckers drive on overnight trips. According to Chicago Breaking News, the reasons that the study cites as leading to more late night crashes are things like impaired drivers, tired drivers, faster speeds because of less traffic and slower reaction times when driving at night. Chicago accident attorneys remind truck drivers of the danger of driving late at night when you are overly tired. Tiredness is the cause of many traffic accidents and whenever you feel like you need more rest of the road, please make sure to pull over and rest before getting back on the road. This is one way that individual drivers can help reduce the number of tragic accidents, and if everyone does their part to make sure they do not driver when impaired, tired or distracted, the number of traffic accidents each year will greatly decrease. To read more about this reduction in traffic accidents study, please click on this link.

An Illinois trucking accident that occurred on July 15th on I-57 in Southern Illinois resulted in the death of two truck drivers. The truck crash involved a total of seven vehicles, including four semi-trucks, a Jeep and two pickup trucks. According to The Pantagraph, Illinois State Police have reason to believe that the accident was related to a slow-down in traffic due to construction in the area. Two of the semi-truck drivers were killed as a result of the personal injuries they suffered in the accident, one other person involved was airlifted to a local hospital, and one other person involved had to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. Other people were also involved in the crash but did not have to go to the hospital because any injuries they had were minor enough to leave untreated or were able to be treated at the scene. Following the accident, several fires started because of the semi-trucks that were involved in the trucking accident. The local firefighters had to be called and it took awhile to get all the flames under control, and there were even explosions resulting from the accident. The Hazmat team also had to be called to the scene, because two of the semi-trucks were carrying loads of hazardous material that spilled onto the road at the time the trucking accident occurred. Given the immensity of the accident and the commotion it created, the entire section, all lanes in this section of the road way, of the I-57 were shut down for around 57 hours. To read more about this disastrous trucking accident, please click on this link.

We often see accidents that are caused when traffic slows or comes to a stop suddenly because of accidents, construction or other stoppages. In this case, one of the semi-trucks failed to come to a stop fast enough, initiating a chain-reaction crash. This case illustrates the importance of paying attention to the road at all times in order to protect your safety and the safety of those around you. Staying alert will help to give you ample time to slow down when traffic slows. By slowing down early, you also warn drivers behind you that a slow-down is occurring, giving them time to slow down or stop as well.

A trucking accident lawsuit has been settled and the mother of the victim of the accident will receive a settlement of $5 million dollars in connection with the wrongful death lawsuit. The trucking accident that is the reason for the lawsuit allegedly occurred when the trucker driver, who suffered from diabetes, failed to test his blood sugar and blacked out while driving his truck and crashed into the young victim's truck, killing her and one other young man. The truck driver previously had pled guilty to vehicular manslaughter in the criminal case involving this accident, but the lawsuit currently being settled is the civil wrongful death lawsuit that the family of the victim filed against the trucking company that owned the truck the driver was driving and that employed the driver. The family of the victim wanted the trucking company to have some accountability for their drivers, however initially the trucking company refused to support legislation to make companies held more responsible for their driver's mistakes, but have since been able to come to an agreement somewhere in the middle. The company agreed to pay the victim's family $5 million dollars as well as have the settlement recorded as a judgment rather that a confidential settlement. The reason that this is an added plus to the victim's family is that the judgment is public record and any other family of a victim from an trucking crash involving the same company would be able to look up the settlement and it paves the way for that family having an easier time reaching a settlement. This added plus, aside from the money, was important to the victim's family because they wanted the company to take some responsibility for what happened and wanted to help make sure that other families did not have to go through what they went through to put the awful tragedy behind them. To read more about this trucking lawsuit settlement, please click on this hyperlink.

A trucking accident occurred earlier today in which a semi-truck crashed into the side of a Metra train at the extremely accident-prone intersection of Nagle and Avondale. This exact intersection has been the location of five train accidents over the course of four years and has been named one of the most accident prone intersections in northeast Illinois. The cause of the accident, according to Chicago Breaking News, was that the semi was struck in traffic passing through the intersection and when the truck driver realized the train was coming he was unable to move forward and was also unable to back up because of the traffic behind him. Luckily, no one suffered any serious injuries as a result of this train-truck accident. To read more about this Illinois trucking crash, please click on this link.

Interestingly enough, this specific intersection had just been named one of the most dangerous in Illinois, and the article was published shortly before this accident occurred. Chicago Breaking News, earlier this morning and prior to the accident, posted an article discussing the most dangerous railroad stops in Illinois and specifically discussed how dangerous the Nagle and Avondale crossing had become. The main reason that many believe this intersection is so accident prone is that traffic is often stopped, waiting for a light next to the intersection to change to green, in the middle of the tracks. While this seems like an obvious danger and not something drivers would subject themselves to, many drivers are found waiting on the tracks all the time. A better system for traffic in this area, or at least stronger deterrents against waiting in the intersection, are not only greatly needed but would hopefully prevent more of these types of truck crashes in the future.

A trucking accident occured on July 7th in Troy, Illinois which resulted in the closure of Illinois Route 162. The trucking crash occurred when a truck was traveling on the I-55/70 which then crossed under the bridge, and the truck then struck the outside edge of the bridge, causing damage to the bridge itself and to the road that crossed over the bridge. According to The Telegraph, the reason the bridge has to be closed following the truck crash is because the trucking accident loosened some concrete and the Illinois Department of Transportation wanted to inspect the damage to insure that it was still safe for cars to drive across without any additional repairs. Work is currently underway on the bridge to replace the damaged areas and to make sure the bridge is back up to the appropriate safety standards before reopening the road. To read more about this Troy trucking accident, please click on this link.

The Department of Transportation makes it their goal to close roads after accidents in cases where drivers could be placed in danger if they remained open. This includes situations, like the one mentioned above, where the roadway itself may have suffered some structural damages as well as other types of disruption such as a spill on the road resulting from a commercial trucking accident. Illinois accident attorneys point out how helpful and important these preventative measures are, because if a potentially dangerous stretch of road is left open following a car or trucking accident it is far too likely that another accident will occur in that same spot. Department of Transportation workers also realize how much of a delay closing the roadways can be and do their best to fix the issue and reopen the road as soon as possible.

A former Kenawee mayor was killed in a fatal trucking accident after the truck that he was driving in crashed head first into another truck. The accident occurred near Geneseo, Illinois on Highway 6 on July 7th. At this point not a great deal is known about the accident, however it is clear that the former mayor was killed as a result of the personal injuries he suffered in the accident. Two other people that were riding in the other truck did not suffer major injuries in the accident. A friend of the victim who had seen the former mayor earlier that morning actually passed the accident once the police had arrived and had no idea that it was his friend that had been involved in this tragic accident. According to WQAD, the friend, as well as many other Kewanee residents, had nothing but kind things to say about the former mayor, including what a wonderful and devoted family man he was and what great things he had been able to do for the community. To read more about this Illinois accident, please click on this link.

A Carthage, Illinois trucking accident occurred on July 3rd on Illinois 94 and left the truck driver with minor personal injuries resulting from the accident. The teenage driver was driving in Illinois 94 when for an unknown reason his truck left the highway and overturned before coming to a stop on the roof of the truck. According to The Whig, the driver was ticketed for failing to reduce speed in order to avoid a car accident and failing to wear a seat belt. To read more about this Illinois truck accident, please click on this link.

This accident involved a driver who was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the crash. Luckily, he was not severely injured, but he would likely have been injured even less had he been wearing a seat belt. It is not only against the law to drive without a seat belt, but it can often mean the difference between suffering injuries in the event of a car accident and can even be the difference between life and death. Many people feel that because they are good drivers, or because they are only traveling a short distance, that they do not need to wear a seat belt. However, as Chicago accident attorneys remind readers, many accidents can occur very close to home on a short trip and no matter how safe of a driver you may be, there are others you may encounter on the road that are not as safe of drivers. Because you cannot be sure of what you will encounter while driving, it is important to always be safe and wear your seatbelt any time you are driving. In addition to always wearing a seat belt when you are driving, please make sure that any passengers are also buckled up so that they are protected in the event of a car accident.

An Illinois man is behind bars after causing a car accident that resulted in the death of one man on June 29th. According to NBC News, the trucking accident occurred when the driver of a passenger car crashed into another passenger car while trying to avoid emergency triangles placed on the road by the truck driver whose truck had broken down. The reason that the truck driver is being charged for the man's death is because he should not have placed the triangles in the road to show that his truck was broken down on the highway, but rather they should have been placed behind the broken down truck on the shoulder of the highway. The reason for this specific placement requirement is so the emergency triangles will hopefully not cause more cars to be placed in danger and risk getting into accidents, and will hopefully provide them adequate warning of a broken down vehicle in the vicinity. Please click on the link to read more about this tragic trucking accident that resulted in one man's death.

This trucking accident shows the importance of truck drivers being aware of the rules of the road and the safety precautions that are to be taken in order to alert other vehicles, but also keep them safe in the event of a broken down vehicle on the highway. In this case, had the truck driver known the correct protocol, the man would likely not have been killed and the truck driver would not be taken in on these charges in which be could face serious jail time under the criminally negligent homicide charge. Illinois accident attorneys remind truck drivers that even when a safety precaution may not make sense to them or may not seem important enough to follow exactly as it is supposed to be, that there is a reason for all of these measures and that following them exactly may make the difference in saving a life.

A recent study conducted by the Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that about 13 percent of all trucking accidents were the result of the truck driver being overly tired, or fatigued, at the time the accident occurred. It is very dangerous for truck drivers to be driving when they are too fatigued to be on the road and it ends up being a danger to other drivers on the road as well as to the drivers themselves. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has several tips that can help insure that drivers are not too tired to be driving. The first recommendation that is offered is to make sure to always get enough sleep before going on a long trucking trip. While this may seem like an obvious point, many people overlook this very important tip and do not actually get the appropriate amount of sleep they need in order to function properly behind the wheel. A second tip, that may be overlooked often, is the importance of having a healthy well-balanced diet before embarking on a long truck trip. The reason for this is that eating healthy meals at the appropriate times can actually help a person stay less fatigued, meaning you should never skip meals or have too heavy on a meal before setting out on a trip. The third tip is to take a nap whenever you do start to feel too tired or not alert enough to drive. This can help restore your energy when you do feel better to get back on the road, but make sure to give yourself around 15 minutes to get back to normal after the nap before driving. Additionally, never rely on caffeine, turning the radio up loud, or opening the window as a method to stay awake when you feel too tired to be driving. These tricks are not likely to help if you really are fatigued and you need to stop driving until you feel alert again. Similarly, do not drive on long trucking trips when you are taking a medication that is known to lead to drowsiness. One of the best tips to remember is to know what the signs are that you are too tired to be driving and should stop in order to avoid a trucking accident. These signs may be different for different people, but often include symptoms such as yawning, having blurred vision and a feeling that your eyes are starting to get heavy. Illinois accident attorneys remind drivers that these rules are not only useful to truck drivers to help avoid accidents, but to all drivers. Please click on this link to read more about truck driving fatigue and ways to avoid trucking accidents.

A common cause of trucking crashes are truck drivers driving at speeds which are too fast given the road and weather conditions. Trucks are much larger vehicles than passenger cars and often times need to travel at a slower speed in order to maintain control of the truck at all times. A recent study conducted by the Large Truck Crash Causation Study found that 23 percent, or in other words almost a fourth of all trucking crashes, were caused by truck drivers driving at a faster speed than the conditions called for. Examples of conditions that might require a truck driver to need to travel more slowly than usual could be weather issues, such as wet roads or low visibility, or road work, such as construction zones which may have large equipment near the road or uneven roadways. These are just a couple types of conditions that would make a lower speed necessary, and if truck drivers are aware of the need to slow done in any kind of changed condition, the number of trucking accidents that occur each year would probably decrease dramatically.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has come up with five useful tips for truck drivers to always keep in mind and that can help them remember when they need to slow down and be extra cautious of their speed. The first tip is to reduce speed in the event of any adverse weather conditions. Even if the weather does not seem to be bad enough to affect one's ability to drive, it is always best to err on the side of caution and remember that on slick roads, or in hard to see conditions, a truck driver can easily lose control on the truck if going too fast. The second tip offered is to enter all curves slowly. The reason this is so important is that trucks are such big vehicles, and if a truck driver takes a curve too fast it is very easy to lose control of the truck and cause a trucking accident. Similarly, the third tip offered is to always reduce your speed when entering or exiting a highway and this is because these ramps are a very likely place for a truck to rollover if the truck is traveling at too fast of speeds. The fourth tip is to always drive more slowly when driving with a loaded trailer because trucks with loaded trailers have a shifted center of balance and are up to ten times more likely to rollover than a truck with no trailer or an unloaded trailer. The final tip that is suggested is to always slow down in work zones. The reason for this is that work zones often result in sudden slowdowns or stops and if a truck is traveling at too high of a speed, the driver may not be able to stop in time to avoid a trucking accident. To read more about the importance of maintaining an appropriate speed while driving a truck in order to avoid a trucking accident, please click on this link.