Illinois Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

The size of sixteen wheel tractor-trailers makes all truck accidents potentially deadly incidents. Another complication in these accidents often involves the damage does to surrounding areas from contamination when the contents of a truck are released. Blog readers are aware of various examples of crashes that caused substantial health concerns when parts of the community near an Illinois truck accident must be evacuated because of the substances released in the crash.

A recent trucking accident reported in the Merced Sun caused similar secondary risks to nearby areas. According to reports, the driver of a big rig was traveling on Highway 152 when for unknown reasons his truck began to drift. Witness report that the large vehicle slowly slipped onto the shoulder of the road before slamming into a dirt embankment. Upon hitting the embankment the truck overturned and then slid a bit back toward the road.

Unfortunately, as the vehicle was overturning it caught fire. A Good Samaritan who saw the entire event unfold rushed over to the scene to try to help the driver. The flames engulfed the cab quickly, however, and the would-be-rescuer was unable to get the driver out of the truck before the fire overcame the area. The driver was killed in the accident.

The fire from the accident also sparked a grass fire. The flames engulfed a 44 acre area before local forestry and fire protection professionals could contain the blaze. Several fire engines, a water tender, helicopter and various other equipment and personnel was needed to stop the spread and eliminate the risk.

Continue reading " Truck Driver Killed in Accident that Ignites Grass Fire " »

Accidents involving buses remain some of the most deadly because these vehicles so often are carrying many passengers who are less secure in their seat compared to other vehicles. Any time that one of these machines goes awry, the potential for catastrophic loss is present. Unfortunately, Illinois bus accidents still strike in and around our area. Blog readers have been apprised of the incidents over the last year including those involving school buses and public transit vehicles.

Another particularly deadly bus accident struck this weekend on the other side of the country, according to ABC Local News. Shortly before six in the evening on Saturday a charter bus was carrying local soccer fans from a game on Interstate 90. While packed with fans, without notice the bus drifted onto the shoulder of the highway and hit a tractor-trailer that was parked on the side of the road. That first impact tipped the bus over onto its side. While on its side, the bus then crossed into the center median and came to a crashing stop.

As anyone would imagine, the accident was a terrifying ordeal for those involved. One man and one woman who were on the bus were killed in the collision. While an exact report isn’t yet available, police believe as many as fifteen other passengers in the vehicle were injured. Also, a man who was standing outside the disabled truck at the time of the crash was severely injured. He was airlifted to a local hospital following the accident.

Police are still piecing together the situation to determine exactly what caused the bus to hit the disabled truck.

Continue reading " Deadly Bus Crash Kills Two and Injures Fifteen " »

St. Louis Today reported this week on the conclusion of the criminal trial related to a particularly deadly Illinois trucking accident. We had previously reported on the civil lawsuit which was filed by a woman whose husband and infant son were killed when their stalled vehicle was hit by a truck driver.

The negligent truck driver was behind the wheel of a tow truck in November 2008. The man had been drinking before the accident. His truck came upon the stopped car of the two victims; their vehicle had run out of fuel and they were parked on the side of the road. The infant was fastened inside the vehicle while the father was outside inspecting the situation.

The truck driver did not properly take the stopped car into account and ultimately slammed into it. The car was pushed onto the father outside, crushing him. The infant inside suffered severe injuries in the impact and died shortly afterwards. The civil lawsuit was eventually settled by the parties shortly before a trial was set to begin.

The criminal trial related to that accident was recently concluded resulting in a guilty verdict on both charges of felony aggravated driving under the influence and leaving the scene of an accident. He was given consecutive terms of eleven years and five years. Experts indicate that he will likely be required to actually serve about twelve of those years.

Continue reading " Man Sentencing to 16 Years in Prison Following Illinois DUI Truck Accident " »

The State Journal Register reported today on news about an Illinois truck crash that struck on Monday morning on a southern Illinois highway. According to the early initial reports, this latest accident involved two tractor-trailers.

A 72-year old truck driver was traveling northbound on Illinois 111 at Gun Club Road shortly before noon on Monday a few miles north of the town of Brighton. The driver was traveling behind another semi-trailer. The leading truck was eventually forced to slow down because the vehicle in front of him was preparing to turn left onto Gun Club Road. However, the second semi was perhaps traveling too fast and too closely to be able to stop in time to account for the slowing semi-truck in front of him.

As a result, the second semi slammed into the back of the first. The impact caused extensive damage. The negligent vehicle was sent careening to the left side of the highway, ultimately tipping over onto its side.

Both truck drivers were severely injured in the accident and rushed off to local hospitals. Police officers ticketed the driver which caused the accident for his failure to properly reduce his speed to avoid the truck crash.

Continue reading " Southern Illinois Accident Involves Two Semi-Trailers, Severely Injures Both Drivers " »

Earlier this month we reported on the tragic death of a 24-year old Streeterville resident who was killed in a Chicago bus accident. According to reports, the woman was rightfully crossing the street at the corner of Illinois and Columbus Drive when a bus driver failed to see her and turned directly into her path. The woman was killed in the accident.

It was later discovered that the bus driver had cocaine in his system while behind the wheel. In addition, the driver had a variety of other troubling past driving conduct including a suspended license two years prior for speeding and driving without a license. In fact, in the twenty years before the accident the man had been ticketed for around 20 different driving infractions.

As the Chicago Tribune reports, following the deadly truck accident, the family of the victim has now filed a Chicago wrongful death lawsuit against the bus company which owned and operated the tour bus. The suit contends that the company was negligent in its hiring of the man with known driving problems. As a result of their careless choice of employee, an innocent pedestrian lost her life. It is unclear if the company conducted any background check on the man before hiring him.

Continue reading " Family of Bus Accident Victims Files Chicago Wrongful Death Lawsuit " »

The Journal Online reported last week on even more developments about the driver killed in the traumatic suburban train-truck crash. We have already explained the lengthy list of driving citations that the man had compiled over the past twenty years. However, it has now been revealed that the man was stopped by police mere days before his negligence led to the deadly Illinois truck crash.

The paper reports that the man was issued two tickets one week before his death for not having a valid safety test conducted on his truck and trailer. Following those citations, he was allowed to continue driving while paying a fine.

Trucks like the one the man was driving in this case are often required to undergo safety inspections. A sticker must be prominently displayed in the truck’s window to indicate that the check has been performed properly and timely. Police are well-trained in identifying the stickers even before stopping a vehicle. In this way they can monitor the safety of these machines in a more rigorous manner.

Those tickets were just the latest in a string of citations that the man has received over the last several years. He had previously been stopped for traveling the wrong way down a one-way street, following too closely to another vehicle, and a string of other problems.

Continue reading " Driver Involved in Chicago Truck-Train Crash Was Stopped By Police the Week Before " »

The Chicago Tribune reported today on a deadly area truck crash involving multiple vehicles that ultimately took the life of a Park Forest woman.

The Chicago semi accident took place on Interstate 80 at the location where the highway intersects with Interstate 355 near New Lennox. According to reports, the 60-year old female victim was driving a Toyota Corolla shortly after 2 p.m. last Wednesday when she hit the back of a stopped semi-truck on the highway.

Following that initial impact, a tractor-trailer that was traveling behind the car failed to stop in time to avoid hitting the back of the first accident. As a result, the second semi slammed into the back of the Corolla pinning the small car in between the two trucks. The second impact also caused the second semi to swing out and sideswipe a car headed in the opposite direction.

All told, four vehicles, including two trucks, were caught in the accident. The female Corolla driver was pronounced dead at a local hospital shortly after.

Unfortunately, when collisions occur on area highways, they often involve more than just one or two cars. With so many different vehicles traveling on the high-speed roadways at the same time, many other vehicles are often caught up in accidents following an initial collision.

Continue reading " Deadly Chicago Semi Crash Involves Two Trucks " »

A Chicagoland semi crash last week ultimately took the life of a female SUV driver and injured two young children who were in her vehicle. The Chicago Tribune reported on the crash, which is still under investigation by local authorities.

The Illinois truck crash struck in Channahon last Tuesday afternoon around 3:30 p.m. A female driver in a white SUV was stopped westbound on Eames Street at the Bell Road intersection. Witnesses report that the woman was attempting to make a left turn onto Bell Road. At the same time a semi-truck was traveling westbound on Eames. For reasons still being determined, the on-coming truck crashed into the passenger side of the SUV and eventually pinned it against a pole on the side of the road.

The SUV driver was stuck inside the vehicle for several hours and was pronounced dead at the scene. The two children in the back seat suffered severe injury but were able to be pulled from the car by the first passersby.

Authorities are investigating to determine if the traffic signals were activated and working properly. The circumstances suggest that the SUV driver either pulled out too far into the oncoming lane when attempting to make the turn or assumed that the truck driver would stop at the intersection. This could have occurred merely by an oversight, slight error, or potentially a malfunctioning traffic signal. The signal had only recently been installed at the intersection, mostly in response to safety concerns of parents at a nearby school.

Continue reading " Illinois Trucking Accident Kills Woman and Injures Two Children " »

A tragic Chicago truck accident involving a collision at a Metra railroad crossing struck on Friday morning. ABC Local News reported on the accident and what has since been uncovered about the truck driver whose mistake caused the deadly crash.

According to the initial reports, the accident occurred in Mount Prospect at a spot known as a “diagonal crossing” where three separate tracks intersect at the same point. The driver of a dump truck was at the intersection around 8:40 a.m. A train was approaching at the time and the crossing lights were activated. The gates were also down attempting to further warn travelers of the approaching train. A no-left turn sign was posted, because the maneuver is not allowed even when no trains are near.

Unfortunately, the truck driver ignored the warnings and attempted to make a left turn across the tracks. As he did, the speeding Metra train collided with the truck. The driver was killed in the accident and dozens of passengers received injuries. Several cars derailed and a fire broke out in one of the first train compartments.

It has since been discovered that the truck driver had a history of traffic violations. He was involved in an Illinois truck accident lawsuit in 1993 after being ticketed for hitting another car while driving a Mack truck. He received a DUI in 2000, a ticket for driving the wrong way down a one-way street in 2007, and another in 2008 for disobeying a traffic light.

Continue reading " Truck Driver Killed in Deadly Chicago Train Crash Had Past Driving Violations " »

Chicago residents usually countdown the days until warm weather arrives. Summertime offers a bevy of new activities for area residents to get outdoors and shake off the winter doldrums. Dinner on outdoor patios and lounging near Lake Michigan are all possible once the warm season arrives. With the temperature change, however, also comes the start of many road construction projects that were stalled in the winter.

While the construction will create many needed changes that will improve road safety in the long term, the fact remains that construction zones are often rife with Illinois truck accidents. It is important that all travelers be aware of the locations of these zones and prepare accordingly.

The Chicago Tribune recently published a report that summarizes many of the upcoming road construction projects that will begin on area roadways.

For example, Interstate 80 will be widened to three lanes in the stretch between Route 45 and Route 30. I-80 will also be filled with workers performing basic resurfacing work and checking bridges for safety. U.S. Route 30 will also be widened to three lanes in a section near Mokena and New Lennox south of the city. These are only two of a variety of road construction projects that will begin both within and between many local cities and towns.

The start of these construction projects means that traffic is going to build up in many different areas across our area. All construction zones usually lead to temporary lane closures and speed reductions. However those lane mergers and slow-down areas remain real risk spots for Chicago car accidents and truck accidents. It is important for all drivers to become accustomed to the change areas and remain on the lookout for other drivers who may not be so careful in the construction zones.

Continue reading " Watch Out for Illinois Trucking Accidents During Summer Construction Season " »

We have reported on many car accidents and Illinois truck crash lawsuits and each has somewhat different circumstances and causes. However, it does not take much comparison before many trends being to emerge. For example, many of these accidents are caused by cars and trucks that drift across the center lane on roads and highways.

Roadways remain dangerous for the very reason that only a few inches of painted line on the asphalt often separate cars traveling in different directions. That means that even minor drifts and lapses of focus can be enough to cause an accident. The consequences are highest when the roads allow high-speed traffic.

Various causes for the drifting exist, but distraction is often at the root of the problem. When a driver is on the phone (or worse, texting) than their eyes are often off the road and their minds are not on the task of driving. When that occurs, it is easy for the vehicle to drift slightly across the center line, leading to a potentially deadly accident.

For example, the Chicago Tribune reported last week on a trucking accident that took the life a young woman. The 24-year old victim was driving on Illinois Route 64 in Kane County when her car drifted across the center line. Just as it did so, a semi-trailer was heading in the other direction. The two vehicles collided and the woman was killed at the scene.

Continue reading " Drifting Across the Center Line Remains Major Cause of Trucking Accidents " »

Two southern Illinois women were killed last week after being caught in trucking accident in O’Fallon, Illinois. KSDK News had the story of the tragic collision involving a flatbed semi-trailer and a passenger car.

The southern Illinois truck accident occurred shortly after 12 p.m. last Thursday. The two victims, 70-year old twin sisters, were stopped in a car at the intersection of Green Mount Road and Cambridge Boulevard. The car driver was attempting to make a left hand turn off of Cambridge and onto southbound Green Mount Road. As the car was making the turn, it was struck by a northbound flatbed semi-trailer. The speeding truck killed the two women instantly, but the truck driver was not hurt in the accident.

The exact situation remains under investigation. It is unclear if the car driver simply failed to see the semi approaching or if some other factors were involved in the crash.

Often, these accidents are difficult to understand without a thorough investigation. When ambiguities remain about what caused an accident, it is important to get in touch with an Illinois truck accident lawyer to help in the process. Our attorneys represent victims in these actions as they seek compensation for their losses. Part of that job involves sifting through all of the evidence explaining what happened in an accident and conducting some investigation to better understand the factors that allowed the incident to occur.

Continue reading " Illinois Truck Crash Kills Local Sisters " »

The Chicago Sun-Times reported late last week on a bus crash involving a large tour bus and an area pedestrian. The Streeterville bus crash struck shortly before 7 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

Witnesses report that the victim, a 26 year old resident of the area was crossing Columbus Drive at Illinois Street when the accident occurred. At the time the crosswalk sign was lit up and the pedestrian had the right of way. However, a large tour bus without passengers was trying to make a right turn. The bus was supposed to allow all pedestrians to cross before attempting to turn, however the driver did not see the victim. As a result, the bus driver drove right into the woman as she was crossing the street. Witnesses rushed to the scene to attempt to help the unconscious woman, but little could be done. She was taken to Northwestern Memorial Hospital in critical condition and was pronounced dead shortly after.

Investigations subsequent to the accident revealed a list of concerns with the driver who was behind the wheel when the accident occurred. It remains a mystery how the man ever got a job driving a large bus at all. For one thing, cocaine was found in his system shortly after the crash occurred. On top of that the man had over 20 traffic citations in the past two decades—he clearly had repeated problems following basic traffic laws. What’s more is that the driver was wanted on two counts of aggravated sexual abuse for apparently molesting two young girls in his home.

It remains a tragedy that Chicago truck crashes continue strike across our area. Unfortunately in many of those cases, like this one, the driver of the large machine violates safety standards causing the accident. In the most egregious cases, also like this one, truck drivers are under the influence of substances like drugs and alcohol.

Last October our attorneys at Levin & Perconti worked on a similar case where we earned a record $6.5 million Illinois truck crash settlement for the surviving family of a woman who was killed when a truck driver rear-ended the family’s vehicle. In that case the negligent driver was under the influence of marijuana at the time. The owners of that truck did little to ensure that their employee was capable of driving safely. The owners did not perform regular drug tests, obtain his driving records, or conduct a background test to ensure his fitness.

Continue reading " Streeterville Woman Killed After In Chicago Bus Accident " »

The Southtown Star reported yesterday on a deadly Chicago truck accident that took the like of a trucker on an area highway.

The deadly accident struck on the northwest Indiana portion of the Borman Expressway. According to reports, the crash occurred around 4 p.m. on Tuesday. A 60-year old truck driver was standing outside of his semi-trailer on the expressway, a portion of eastbound Interstate 80 and 94. It is unclear why the trucker was pulled onto the shoulder, but the crash occurred just as the man was beginning to get back behind the wheel of his big rig.

A 50 year old Chicago man was in a pick-up truck traveling on the same highway when his began to drift from the right lane and onto the shoulder where the semi-truck was stopped. Just as the truck driver was on the side of the rig and stepping into the driver’s side door, the pick-up’s passenger mirror hit the side of the semi. The mirror then hit the trucker who was thrown onto the top of the pick-up before rolling onto the highway.

Emergency crews rushed to the site following the accident, but nothing could be done. The truck driver died shortly after at a nearby hospital. The pick-up driver was eventually cited by local authorities for improper lane usage.

Continue reading " Chicago Truck Accident Kills Driver on I-80/94 " »

A Chicago truck accident lawyer is just one of many people who continually advocate for efforts to improve the safety of area roads and highways. However, there remains much disagreement among those involved about the best ways to maximize safety on these roadways.

For example, St. Louis Today recently published a story that discusses the recent debate around raising the speed limit for trucks on some parts of Illinois roadways. The Illinois State Senate recently approved a bill that would increase trucking speed limits to 65 miles per hour (up from 55 miles per hour) on a few stretches of highway, specifically I-270 and I-255. In total, the legislation would increase the speed on 307 miles of roadway in the state.

While the American Trucking Association is in favor of the proposal, Illinois Department of Transportation officials are adamantly against the effort. IDOT employees explain that the data from other states shows clearly that increasing the speed of these trucks comes with an increase in truck accidents, injuries, and death.

The director of traffic safety for IDOT summarized his concerns: “The impact of a truck hitting another vehicle is over 30 percent greater when traveling 65 miles an hour compared to 55 miles an hour. Trucks traveling at 65 miles an hour will cause more injuries, crashes, and deaths.”

He went on to point out that our neighboring state to the south, Missouri, saw truck deaths rise from 97 to 167 within a single year following their raising of truck speed limits.

Continue reading " Illinois Truck Safety Advocates Debate Speed Limit Changes " »

A good Chicago truck accident attorney knows that representing injured victims and their family members following accidents involve both helping the victims and working to prevent future accidents. Beyond seeking compensation for clients, an Illinois truck crash lawsuit can often spur necessary changes within a trucking company and ensure that driving safety becomes more of a priority.

We recently shared information on this blog about the way in which litigation often leads to safety improvements. A trucking firm is often required to do more than simply pay damages to the victim of an accident.

This is particularly true when a trucking company negligently allows an accident to occur which involves a dangerous spill of its cargo. Northcentral PA News recently discussed one such case. Over a year ago, a hazardous waste truck was involved in an accident on Interstate 80. The truck was traveling on the highway when the truck failed and the transportation device broke in half. As a result, 4,200 gallons of ammonium bifluoride spilled onto the highway. The roadway was closed for 12 hours following the accident as 11 tons of soda ash needed to be applied to clean the highway.

Following a truck crash lawsuit filed on behalf of the public, the negligent company, Eldredge, Inc., entered into a consent order with the court to pay a civil penalty and pay the costs of the clean-up.

Continue reading " Chicago Truck Crash Lawsuits Helps Return Money to Public Coffers " »