Illinois Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently released a report which revealed that traffic-related fatalities for the first half of 2011 have decreased overall by 1 percent. According to a news article published earlier today by DetriotNews.com, the slight decrease has been attributed to the notion that many Americans are driving considerably less than in previous years. However, although Americans are driving less, the rate of deaths per mile traveled has seen a slight increase. A Chicago truck accident attorney at our firm learned that the fatality rate for the first half of 2011 was 1.04 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, up from the 1.03 fatalities per 100 million miles traveled during the first six months of 2010.

Within the last month, the Department of Transportation has published its final traffic numbers for 2010. The statistics reveal that the number of individuals killed on our nation’s roadways fell 2.9 percent to 32,885 in 2010. These numbers are the lowest number of traffic-related deaths since 1949. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration projects that traffic-related fatalities from January through June 2011 fell 0.9 percent to 15,060 – down from the 15,196 fatalities that were documented for the first half of 2010. The Secretary of the Department of Transportation believes that this decrease is due to safe driving practices that have been established for all drivers, including buckling up and refraining from operating while intoxicated.

Every Chicago accident lawyer at Levin & Perconti is pleased to learn that the number of traffic-related fatalities has seen an overall decrease in the recent years. Despite reports from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration which reveal that the number of individuals injured in traffic accidents increased by 26,000 to 2.25 million in 2010, in addition to, an 11,000 increase to the number of pedestrians injured in traffic accidents, the overall decrease in fatalities is encouraging news. Often times, the most effective way to avoid a motor vehicle accident, including an Illinois trucking accident, is to remain attentive and adhere to traffic laws. Injuries sustained in motor vehicle collisions can be minimized or even eliminated when drivers exercise extreme caution during vehicle operation, especially during these difficult winter months.

If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, it is important to act quickly. Please contact our experienced Chicago accident lawyers for a free consultation to determine what legal rights may be available to you.

The Lake County News-Sun.com reported an accident in Buffalo Grove that left a Hawthorn Woods man in serious condition. The accident, which occurred south of Kirchoff Road on Route 53, took place early Tuesday evening. An automobile driven by a 23 year old woman struck a tractor trailer in the center lane of highway and preceded to collide with a pickup truck that was parked near the road’s median. The driver of the pickup truck was outside of his vehicle changing a flat tire at the time of the accident, and was subsequently pinned between the road’s median and his truck. The pickup truck driver was hospitalized in serious condition. Further investigation concluded that the driver of the automobile was texting while driving when she lost control of her vehicle and collided with the both the semi and pickup trucks. The woman received various citations including: improper lane change, driving on the shoulder of the road, in addition to, texting while driving.

Our blogs frequently discuss the various Illinois driving laws and how they apply to our readers. A recent piece of Illinois legislation was passed banning texting while driving. The law, which came into full effect January 1st 2010, prohibits the use of a cell phone or any other electronic communication device while operating any vehicle. In addition to the texting ban, the law also requires law enforcement officials to keep a record of all motor vehicle accidents where cell phone use was involved. This requirement was created to compile statistics of cell phone related accidents by 2012.

It is easy to see why stricter laws were enacted by legislators to address frequent reports of Illinois accidents caused by distracted driving. Our lawyers strongly support any and all laws to ban driver distractions such as cell phone use. However, the state allows individual localities to make the final decision on whether or not to ban cell phone use for all drivers. According to the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles, Chicago is the only major city in Illinois where it is illegal to use a cellular device while operating a vehicle. For the rest of the state of Illinois, driving while using a cell phone is illegal for drivers under the age of 19, drivers of school buses, as well as, when driving through a school or construction zone.

While accidents like this involving semi trucks frequently occur as a result of the semi driver’s negligence, truck drivers are not always at fault – such as this case. Our Chicago accident attorneys strongly encourage drivers of all vehicles to adhere to Illinois driving safety laws. Failure to follow these laws could result in a strict fine – or even worse, a fatal accident.

Having represented hundreds of victims of negligence, our attorneys know first-hand the devastating effects that accidents have on victims and entire families. Many times, seriously injured victims are faced with large medical bills, lost income, long recoveries, and even life-long disability. Due to this, victims of life-altering accidents should seek legal relief to receive compensation if their accident was caused by the negligence of others. Contact a Chicago injury attorney to find out what legal rights may be available to you.

Recently, our Illinois accident attorneys read on CBSlocal.com a report detailing an unfortunate Illinois accident. The accident occurred in near Madison County on I-55. Reports state that a minivan containing several teens was driving on the interstate when they sideswiped another vehicle and rear ended another. Three of the passengers in the minivan were ejected from the vehicle due to their failure to wear safety belts. The teenagers were taken to a nearby hospital for serious but not life threatening injuries. The driver of the minivan received several citations including: failure to secure a child restraint, failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident, in addition to, improper lane change.

Given the numerous citations received from the driver of the minivan, it is reassuring to see that Illinois seat belt law “Click It or Ticket” is in full effect. As mentioned in previous blogs, the “Click It or Ticket” program was created to encourage drivers to always use their seat belts. If a driver fails to use a seat belt they may be subject to a modest fine. According to BuckleUpIllinois.com, the objective of “Click It or Ticket” was not to issue tickets, but rather promote the use of a seat belt on a daily basis to avoid injuries or even fatalities. Given that motor vehicle crashes are the number one cause of death in individuals ages 4-34, Illinois developed this new law to encourage healthy practices of its residents, as well as, save their lives.

In addition to Illinois’s “Click It or Ticket,” there are also other various mandated seat belt laws for Illinois citizens. For example, a child under the age of 8 years old is required to be seated in a properly equipped child restraint system. A violation of this rule could result in a $75 dollar fine. If an Illinois resident recommits this offense, it could result in a $200 fine. On the other hand, the state of Illinois does provide exemptions mandated seat belt laws. These exemptions include: if the driver is operating the vehicle in reverse, if the motor vehicle’s model was made before 1965, as well as, possession of a doctor’s note that states a person is unable to wear a safety belt for medical or physical reasons.

Our Chicago accident attorneys strongly recommend the regular use of seat belts. Too many lives have been lost as a result of the failure to use seat belts. With the increasing rate of vehicle accidents, proper precaution should always be used to prevent serious injury or even fatality – not to mention, failure to wear a seat belt is against the law. Legality aside, this simple device could one day save the life of you or your loved one.

Our Chicago semi-truck accident attorneys recently read a report on WFIN.com about a devastating car-semi accident which sent two individuals to the hospital. It was reported earlier this morning that the collision occurred at the intersection of Ohio 65 and State Route 12 when the automobile driver failed to yield at the intersection, ultimately causing a collision with the oncoming semi-truck. The semi-truck overturned upon impact, causing its cargo of corn to be expelled onto the highway – subsequently shutting down the road for over four hours. Both victims were hospitalized and are currently listed in fair condition.

Unfortunately, these sort of automobile-semi truck collisions occur almost every day in the United States. Highways have proven to be a dangerous breeding ground for accidents as a result of careless driving. Most frequently these accidents are a result of the negligence of a semi-truck driver, but in this case, this was the result of an automobile. Safe driving should always be a priority for all drivers – no matter which type of vehicle they are operating. Nationwide, a notable car insurance agency, provides helpful tips for avoiding car accidents. The agency recommends that all drivers: avoid using their cell phones during while driving, avoid driving while tired, and always use caution when changing lanes and/or entering an intersection.

Most accidents occur as a result of cutting in front of other vehicles, failure to use turn signals, or even changing lanes too rapidly. Automobile drivers should always consider the fact that semi-truck drivers are unable to brake as quickly as cars can. With that considered, if an automobile cuts off a semi truck driver, it takes the semi twice as long to brake – consequently almost always causing an accident. According to the Illinois Crash Data Report (2005-2009), there were over 9,300 reported accidents that resulted from a collision with a tractor-trailer in 2009 alone. Of those 9,300 accidents, 1,600 resulted in injuries and 62 proved fatal.

Our Illinois accident attorneys continue to encourage safe driving practices for all drivers. Injuries and fatalities can be easily avoided when drivers respect each other and share the road. Regrettably, many times there are unforeseeable, as well as, unpredictable accidents that occur. Accident victims who incur serious harm as a result of an automobile collision may be able to seek legal relief for damages incurred.

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 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 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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Holiday weekends can easily be a time in which many more car and trucking accidents than usual may occur. According to The Chicagoist, one of the main reasons for this is the huge increase in traffic, especially during this holiday weekend because it is the first three day weekend of the summer and many people are taking road trips out of the city. In Chicago this weekend, there is added congestion because the President is in town and a great deal of construction is going on since the weather is warming up. It is important for all drivers to remember that there will likely be an increase in traffic and plan accordingly, and to be extra cautious and alert to avoid any accidents on your holiday weekend.

In addition, a recent study shows that Chicago is home to three of the top ten worst bottlenecks, including the actual top two worst. A bottleneck is an area of highway where the lanes get smaller and this inevitably causes a huge amount of traffic congestion and back up. This leads to a great deal of truck congestion in the Chicago area and can lend itself to a higher amount of trucking crashes. The number one worst bottleneck in the country is the junction between the Eisenhower Expressway and the Dan Ryan Expressway in downtown Chicago. To read more about the bottleneck problems and other congestions problems that can lead to higher number of car and trucking accidents, please click here.

These congestion issues can make Chicago driving more prone to accidents even at times other than holiday weekends. Chicago accident attorneys ask you to please make sure to always allow yourself plenty of time to get to your destination and never to rush or drive unsafely to try to get somewhere on time.

Recently, federal laws have gone into effect limiting the number of hours that truck drivers can be on the road consecutively. The goal of these new laws is to try to make the trucking industry safer for the drivers and other people on the road, by reducing the amount of overtired and fatigued drivers and hopefully reducing the overall number of trucking accidents that occur every year. These new regulations place certain restrictions on the number of hours a truck driver can drive at a time, and depend on the type of vehicle, on how many consecutive hours and days the driver has worked, and require a certain number of hours to be taken in the sleeper berth. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, these new regulations were determined after in-depth studies and analysis to help ensure that the new laws would improve trucking safety as much as possible. To read more about these hours of service federal laws to help reduce the number of trucking crashes, please click on this link.

The American Transportation Research Institute was recently hired to conduct a study to see how effective these new hours of service trucking rules were and if they were actually resulting in a reduction in trucking crashes. The recent study used data from 2003 and 2004 to see if any significant changes were present compared to the recent accident statistics. The study looked at both the overall number of accidents, as well as in what hour of driving the accidents occurred. The study indicated that the overall collision rate had decreased close to twelve percent and that preventable accident rate had decreased over thirty percent. This study seems to show that the new hours of service rules are making strides in making the trucking industry safer and that these new federal laws are successful in what they are aiming to do.

A Chicago trucking accident that occurred earlier this morning resulted in the personal injuries of two people. This Chicago accident occurred on the Eisenhower Expressway, in the east bound lanes of the I-290, and while it is not currently known what caused the accident, it is known that four cars and a truck were all involved in this accident. According to The Chicago Sun Times, of the two people that suffered injuries, one is in serious but stable condition and the other person is listed in good condition. To read more about this Chicago trucking accident, please click on this link.

Chicago accident attorneys want to remind all drivers, of both cars and trucks, of the importance of always being alert and aware to your surroundings when driving. Always try to keep the distractions to a minimum and always allow plenty of distance between your car and other cars when driving, in order to allow yourself reaction time in the event of a sudden slow down in traffic. This tip is especially important when traveling on highways, because the faster the speed that you are traveling the longer it will take you to slow your vehicle down in the event that you need to slow down suddenly. Staying aware of what is going on around you while driving and always injuring that you have adequate space from the cars around you is a great way to help avoid car and trucking accidents. Taking a few simple steps every time you get behind the wheel can make all the difference in staying out of car accidents, so please stay alert and aware at all times!

The truck involved in a tragic trucking accident that occurred in March of this year and resulted in the death of the driver and of 10 other people was found to have had no electronic recorder on board at the time the tragic trucking accident occurred. According to The Courier Journal, the reason this is significant is because these recorders are a way of determining how long a driver was on the road, letting investigators know if a violation occurred. This driver kept a handwritten log which was unfortunately destroyed in the fatal accident. To read more about this tragic trucking accident, please click on this link. Electronic recorders are not required but there is a big push for them to help regulate and control truck and driver safety, because they create a better way to ensure that drivers do not go over the required amount of hours that the law sets out as safe. According to Trucking Info, a new requirement was just recently enacted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Commission which will require that trucking companies who have been found to be in violation of the hour requirement at least ten percent of the time will be required to install electronic monitoring systems. Chicago accident attorneys remind trucking companies that this law will not go into effect until June 1, 2012 allowing the nearly 5,700 trucking companies that are affected to comply with this new law. The goal behind this new law is to increase safety by making it much more difficult for trucking companies that may lie about or be unclear about their driver’s hours to do this. An electronic recording system, as opposed to a handwritten system is much more precise and does not leave room for driver or trucking companies to change their actual hours.

A fatal truck crash occurred near Chicago earlier this week and tragically killed a 21 year old married man who had a young daughter. At this point the cause of the accident is still under investigation, however it appears that the car that crashed into the back of a tractor-trailer never tried to stop. Both cars were moving at the time of the accident but the passenger car was moving at a much faster speed when the accident occurred. According to My Fox Chicago, the accident occurred when the passenger car drove into the back of the truck which resulted in the death of the driver instantly. While it is unknown why the driver never stepped on the brakes, it is believed that he was distracted from something at the time of the crash. The evidence shows that he was not on his cell phone at the time of the crash, because it was found in his pocket following the accident. It is a possibility but still unknown if there may have been a medical condition or issue that caused the driver to be unable to stop the car to avoid the fatal accident. To read more about this fatal trucking accident, please click on this link.

Illinois accident attorneys want to remind drivers the importance of staying focused while driving and to make sure to keep the distractions away and always keep your attention on the road. This can be done by making sure never to use your cell phone to search for numbers, send texts, read texts or do anything else that will take your attention off the road.

A truck crash where a truck driver slid out of his lane and crashed into 22 cars that were waiting at the Chicago Skyway Toll Plaza was found to be the result of the driver falling asleep at the wheel. According to My Fox Chicago, toxicology tests revealed that the driver tested positive for having cocaine in his system at the time the trucking accident occurred. To read more about this trucking accident, please click on this link.

After reading this report, we felt it was necessary to address the issue of substance abuse among truck drivers. A recent study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration suggests that some truck drivers depend on drugs to help them stay awake and cope with the stress of the long trips on their own. Many trucking companies are beginning to take steps to combat this problem by requiring drivers to submit to drug-testing before getting behind the wheel.

Unfortunately, not all trucking companies have drug-testing currently in place. The company that employed the driver involved in the previously mentioned crash is one of the 120 Illinois trucking companies that have been found to fail to conduct these required drug tests. In addition to the 120 that fail to comply with mandatory drug testing for truck drivers, 55 other trucking companies failed to test new drivers before sending them out onto the road. A study which looked at 120,000 large trucking crashed between 2001-2003, identified about 3,000 crashes caused by truckers using illegal drugs and about 1,000 caused by truckers who had been drinking when the trucking accident occurred. Our Chicago accident attorneys hope that more companies in Illinois and throughout the country will take steps to implement mandatory drug-testing for drivers. These tests will help to protect the lives of truckers and passenger-vehicle drivers alike.

An Illinois teen was killed in a trucking accident that occurred on Illinois Route 48 on May 6. The Taylorville girl was driving when she went off the road, crossed the center line and crashed into a semi-truck that was traveling the other direction. According to The Herald Review, the Illinois accident occurred early in the morning and a third car was involved as well. The only person that suffered any personal injuries was the young teen who unfortunately had too severe of injuries to recover and died as a result of the accident. If you would like to read more about this tragic Sangamon County trucking accident, please click on this hyperlink.

While it is unknown at this point exactly what caused the teenage driver to lose control of her vehicle, teenage drivers often tend to be more involved in car accidents than older and more experienced drivers. One main reason for teenagers being involved in more accidents is that they are younger and less experienced than older drivers and often lack the ability to judge situations on the road in order to avoid accidents. Additionally, younger drivers tend to be more likely to allow distractions to get the best of them while on the road. This can include talking to friends while driving, listening to and changing the radio, texting while behind the wheel, talking on the phone while driving, as well as other distractions that can take the young drivers focus away from where it needs to be, on the road at all times. The combination of the lack of experience and the many possible distractions that teenage drivers face are the leading causes of the higher rate of teenage accidents.

A trucking accident that occurred in March of this year in which eleven people were killed has been connected with the truck driver using his cell phone. The truck driver that was one of the people killed in the trucking accident was driving over the speed limit and did not have his truck in control and crossed the median and struck a van going in the opposite direction. According to Google, the report created during the accident investigation says that the truck driver was using his cell phone at the time of the accident and that this distraction is partially what caused the fatal accident. The report does not specify if the driver was using the phone at the exact moment of the crash but it is known that he was at least using it right before he crossed the median. To read more about this fatal trucking accident, please click on this hyperlink.

Cell phone usage has proven to be a very dangerous distraction to drivers and it is important to be aware of just how distracting phones can be while on the road. Many states have made it illegal to talk on the phone while driving unless you are using some type of hands-free system and recently many states are also making it illegal to send or read text messages while driving. The city of Chicago currently has banned talking on cell phones while driving as well as texting while driving. This is an important step to take in cutting down on the number of unnecessary traffic accidents caused by distracted drivers.

A trucking accident lawsuit has been filed by a truck driver following an accident that he was involved in. The plaintiff claims that the trucking company negligently allowed a truck to be driven that had a defective wheel, because the wheel detached from the back of the tractor-trailer he was driving and then hit the front of the truck. The Illinois accident occurred on Illinois Route 127 in Bond County back in 2008. The driver and his wife filed the lawsuit seeking damages for medical bills as well as pain and suffering damages. The lawsuit is against the trucking company for failing to properly inspect the truck before allowing it to be used by their employees. According to The St. Clair Record, the trucking crash lawsuit seeks over $600,000 in monetary damages.

Trucking companies are often held liable when their truckers get into car accidents. Even if the truck itself has defective parts, the trucking company that employs a driver that gets into an accident may face a lawsuit for failing to properly inspect and perform the proper safety tests on the trucks they have for their drivers to use. Trucking companies need to not only insure that their drivers receive proper safety training and follow certain safety precautions, but also need to insure that the trucks they are using are safe and okay to be driven under the conditions that these trucks are often forced to undergo. To read more about this Bond Country trucking accident lawsuit and the trucking accident itself, please click on this link.

An Illinois trucking accident occurred on May 3rd when a semi-truck crashed on the highway. The trucking accident occurred on I-55 near Springfield, Illinois and the Illinois State Police were required to close down all but one southbound lanes while the truck’s load was cleaned up from the road. Luckily, the truck was not carrying hazardous materials so the accident spill was not as dangerous as it could have be been. According to The Pantagraph, the accident did not leave anyone with any serious personal injuries and no one had to be taken to the hospital following the Springfield area trucking accident.

Trucking accidents are often more disruptive that other types of car accidents because of the load that the truck is carrying. When trucking are carrying hazardous materials and get into a trucking accident it can be extremely dangerous if those materials spill. In situations where hazardous or other dangerous materials are spilled, the hazardous materials (Haz-Mat) team will be called in to clean up the spill immediately because of the danger that is created when hazardous materials are unintentionally released. Even when dangerous materials are not spilled in a trucking accident any spill can hold up the traffic. In this accident the spill has of aluminum coils, and while these were not dangerous they blocked the highway and required the highway to be almost entirely closed while the spill was cleaned up. To read more about this Illinois trucking accident and the road closure caused by this accident, please click on this hyperlink.

Given all the construction that is done during the warmer summer months, it is important for drivers to be aware of all the workers present and to obey all posted signs that are intended to keep the workers and the drivers as safe as possible. According to Trucker News, there are certain tips for truckers and trucking companies to keep workers safe as well as save the company time, money, and help to avoid trucking accidents. One trucking company loss prevention director says that for their company they teach this safety in initial training, in refresher courses, and have signs and newsletters and other reminder handouts to help keep the truckers aware of the importance of construction zone safety and how to best insure this safety.

One big safety issue for truckers is to make sure to keep the speed at the construction zone speed limit. These limits are posted and are lower than the usual speed limit in the area and our intended to keep the area safer for workers. Speed is the biggest safety issue for truckers in construction zones and if truckers would obey the construction speed limits many accidents could be avoided. Additionally, truckers need to lookout for signage, workers and equipment. Being in a truck it can be hard to see all of this, so drivers need to make it a point to be constantly looking around and watching out for construction equipment. Another tip for drivers is to plan driving times to stay out of known construction areas during the prime time they are being worked on. This can be done by choosing to drive through that area during off peak hours. Following these simple tips can safe lives and avoid fatal accidents. Please click on this link for more information on how truckers can avoid construction accidents.

While the trucking industry has been working hard at improving safety standards and reducing trucking accidents, many in the industry admit that there is still a lot that can be done to further increase trucking safety. According to ETrucker’s website, the American Trucking Association further states that the most important things to remember and keep in mind when working on trucking safety programs is to deal with the risk of trucking accidents and with the causation of trucking crashes. While any safety precautions are clearly better than nothing, the trucking association considers dealing with risk and causation as the only real ways that the trucking industry will be able to continue getting safer. In terms of risk, the new federal rules that establish a limit of how much time truck drivers can be on the road are aimed to help with this problem, as well as the suggestion by the trucking association that the maximum speed limit be reduced to 65 miles per hour. In terms of changes affecting the causation problem, the trucking association recommends holding individual drivers accountable for accidents they are involved in. Right now, individual drivers are not always held individually accountable for accidents and often times the trucking company alone is held liable. The idea behind the causation safety initiative is that by holding drivers accountable, there will be more incentive for drivers to be safer and that will increase the overall safety of the trucking industry. To read more about the American Trucking Association’s recommendations for reducing trucking accidents, please click on this hyperlink.

The driver of a truck that struck and killed a small child and injured four others and then fled the scene has been charged with five felonies in connection with this tragic hit-and-run accident that occurred in Cartage, Illinois in December. The hit-and-run prison sentence has not yet been determined but the driver responsible can face up to 15 years in prison in connection with the hit-and-run felony. The accident occurred when the defendant was driving a pickup truck with a trailer towed behind it and the trailer broke of the truck and crossed the center line striking an oncoming vehicle. According to The Whig, the driver turned his truck around and passed the accident and drove away after causing the terrible accident. To read more about this Illinois trucking accident, please click on this link.

In Illinois, it is a serious offense to leave the scene of an accident. According to Illinois driving laws, any driver involved in a car or truck accident where people are injured or property is damaged is required to stop at the scene, exchange information and provide help if needed. If a person in Illinois fails to stop after damaging property it is considered a misdemeanor hit-and-run (Class 4 felony carrying up to $25,000 in fines and up to 3 years in prison) and if a person is injured and a negligent driver leaves the scene, they can be charged with a felony hit-and-run (Class 2 felony carrying up to $25,000 in fines and up to 7 years in prison). If a person is killed during the hit-and-run, the charge is a Class 1 felony carrying up to a $25,000 in fines and up to 15 years in prison. While it may be scary to be in a car accident and leaving is scene of an accident is never the right choice. Always make sure if you are involved in an accident that you stay and make sure that everyone is okay and that information is exchanged.

On April 14th two North Aurora teens were killed in a fatal accident involving their passenger car and a garbage truck. According to the Chicago Tribune, the trucking accident occurred on Illinois Highway 47 in the early afternoon near Waubonsee Community College. According to the truck driver the accident happened when he was driving on IL 47 and the passenger car turned into a driveway in front of his truck. Aside from the two teenagers that were killed in the crash, a man was also injured. It is unknown if this was the truck driver or another person that was in the passenger car. To read more about this tragic accident, please click on the link.

Unfortunately teenage drivers are the age group with the highest fatal crash rates as well as the highest traffic violation rates. Several of the factors that are believed to contribute to the high number of teenage accidents is that teenagers are the most likely to take risks, to have a low risk perception, to have poor hazard detection, to lack driving skill and to be distracted while driving. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles website, in 2008 there were 164 fatalities in the state of Illinois that were either teenage drivers, passengers of teenage drivers, or people that were killed as a result of a teenage driver. One way to helpfully lower these statistics is to impose stricter driving rules and driving education for teenage drivers and with that hopefully there will be less of these tragic teenage trucking accident.

An Illinois woman has filed a trucking accident lawsuit in connection with an accident that the complaint alleges left her sick, sore, disordered and disabled. The trucking accident occurred when the plaintiff claims she was driving on I-55 and a tractor that was traveling on the same highway struck her car. The lawsuit claims that the Defendant caused the accident by failing to keep a proper lookout, that he failed to stop to avoid a collision, and that he failed to keep his vehicle under proper control. According to the St. Clair Record, the plaintiff is seeking over $150,000 in damages. If you would like to read more about this trucking lawsuit, please click on this link.

Often times plaintiffs involved in a trucking accident will sue the trucking company as well as the driver. In this case it is known that the defendant was working for a trucking company, but is unknown whether the plaintiff will name the trucking company as an additional defendant in the lawsuit. Being that trucking companies may face liability for their drivers, it is important for companies to make sure that not only safety programs are offered and required for all drivers but that drivers are actually driving safely on the roads and not causing trucking crashes. If you or a loved one have been involved in a trucking accident and feel that the driver and/or the trucking company were at fault for the damages incurred, please contact an Illinois accident attorney today so you can discuss what options are available to you.

A Southern Illinois man was killed in a trucking accident on the morning of April 12th. The victim was an elderly man, 95 years old, and the accident occurred when he failed to yield at a stop sign causing his car to be struck by a tractor-trailer. The truck flipped on its side but the trucking driver only suffered minor personal injuries and is expected to recover fully according to WSIL TV. The elderly man was killed as a result of the injuries he sustained from the accident. The area of Route 148 where the fatal accident occurred was shut down for most of the day to clean up the gasoline spill from the tanker truck. To read more about this Williamson County trucking accident, please click on the link.

Many accidents, like the one above, are caused by elderly drivers whose reaction times may make it difficult for them to drive. If you are a elderly driver or have an elderly family member that is still driving, it is important to look for warning signs that may mean that you should not still be behind the wheel and be aware of safety tips for elderly drivers. Some of the things to look out for and be aware of how they can affect your driving are visual decline, hearing loss, limited mobility and increased reaction time, overall drowsiness, dementia and affects that medication may have on driving ability. All of these changes that often come with age can affect driving and it is very important to remember to respect these changes and make sure you are safe to drive. Certain tips are offered by Help Guide’s website to help elderly drivers make sure they are safe while driving and they include making sure that the car is right for you and that you are comfortable driving it, driving slowly and on familiar routes and maintaining distance from other cars, avoiding distractions that might take away from your concentration, and avoiding uncomfortable driving situations such as new areas, crowded streets, and weather problems. To read more about elderly drivers and tips to help avoid car accidents, please click on this hyperlink.

A trucking crash that occurred several weeks ago was caused by road rage and left two men facing attempted murder charges. The incident involved a dump truck and a passenger car and got so dangerous that the passenger car driver ended up firing shots into the truck. While the exact details are unclear, at this point multiple witnesses of this rush hour road rage incident report that the truck driver began intentionally hitting the car and pushing it into the guardrail on the side of the highway. According to The Washington Post, the incident occurred over the course of 20 minutes with the rage in the drivers rising and shots eventually being fired. While luckily no one was hurt, both drivers are being charged with attempted murder. The driver of the passenger car is also being charged with reckless use of a firearm, shooting a missile into an occupied vehicle, and child endangerment because the driver’s two year old daughter was in his car while he participated in this horrific incident. To read more about this road rage trucking accident, please click on the link.

Aggressive driving or “road rage” is a very dangerous condition that can greatly endanger both the driver and others on the road. Aggressive driving occurs when a driver gets so upset at something that occurs while they are driving that they take out their rage on other drivers and act irrationally on the road. According to AAA’s Foundation for Traffic Safety, over 1,500 people are injured in car accidents that are caused by aggressive driving each year. It is important to remember how dangerous it can be to let your anger get the best of you. If another driver is provoking you, ignore them and do not retaliate. Remember that giving in to road rage cannot only hurt you, but other people on the road as well.

The Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA 2010) is a new federal truck safety program that will be introduced nationally this summer. The new program aims to use trucking safety data in a more productive way that will hopefully improve safety regulations in trucking companies throughout the country. This new change has been in the works for several years, with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration creating a system that will make safety regulations more streamlined and effective, hopefully reducing the number of trucking accidents. The way that safety regulations for truckers currently works, and the reason this new system is needed, is that compliance reviews which are the main component to truck safety systems are being done in a way that allow only less than two percent of all trucking carriers to be tested each year. Given this small percentage of carriers that can be checked each year, and the importance of maintaining safety standards among trucking companies on a federal level, a new system and more effective way of regulating trucking companies was definitely necessary.

According to Trucking Info.com, this new program has been tested in several states prior to the introduction of the program this summer. The reason for this early testing is to understand how the program will actually work and how effective it can be. So far the test states have reported that the truck drivers involved in the test programs have been getting prepared and are using the new program as a way to increase driver safety awareness. No test state has said that there has been any negative feedback so far and those involved feel that this program is definitely a positive thing and will hopefully reduce truck crashes nationally. To read more about this new trucking safety program, please click on this hyperlink.

The recent federal proposal to make it illegal for truckers to text message while driving has stirred up a lot of issues and opinions on both sides of the argument. On one side people in opposition to the possible ban argue that truckers save time and money on long cross country trips by being able to communicate quickly with dispatchers. According to New York Times Blogs, many trucks are equipped with onboard touch screen computers which function very similarly to text messaging on a cell phone and which have cost the trucking industry a great deal of money to install and put into use. Advocates of the potential ban acknowledge the slight positive, but feel the overall danger and risk of trucking accidents caused by texting while driving is so great that this ban is exactly what is needed to increase safety on the roads. At this stage both sides of the argument are being heard and further research is being conducted to determine if this ban should go into effect. To read more about the pros of banning texting for truckers in order to avoid trucking accidents and the cons of drivers not being able to use the onboard computers, please click on the link.

Illinois has recently enacted a statewide ban on text messaging while driving. Many states have taken the texting problem on and found a solution on their own, instead of waiting to hear if the federal government places a ban on the action. Driver distraction is a huge problem and many car and trucking crashes each year are caused by this avoidable issue, and often times it is found to be the result of texting while driving. Illinois chose to ban all texting while driving, including truckers. The Illinois legislature decided that any benefits to being able to text while driving, even for truckers, was greatly outweighed by the danger that was caused and that the practice must be banned in the state completely. To read more about how Illinois chose to combat traffic accidents caused by distracted drivers, please click on this link.

Given the danger of truckers driving too many hours without enough rest, and the number of semi-truck accidents that occur each year and could easily be avoided, the federal legislature is introducing a law that will require trucking companies that have had issues with time limits to have tracking devices in their trucks. Many horrific accidents have occurred when truck drivers are overly tired and fatigued and cannot focus on the road leading to an accident. Several weeks ago, a particularly awful trucking accident occurred in which a truck crossed the center line of the highway and crashed into a van heading in the opposite direction, killing eleven people. To read more about this horrible trucking accident, please click on this link. While losing control or falling asleep at the wheel is dangerous in any situation, it can be exceptionally dangerous when it involves a tractor-trailer truck.
This new law will only affect trucking companies and truck drivers that have previously been found to not comply with the limit on number of work hours, and in turn will only affect about 1-2% of all trucking companies. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website, lays out the hour limit for drivers for all different situations. The trucking company involved in the tragic accident a couple weeks ago was one of the companies that have received a deficient rating when undergoing a safety check, and this new law would be aimed at targeting companies of this sort. The law will not go into effect until mid-2012 in order to allow time for the electronic monitoring system to be fully developed and tested. To read more about this new monitoring system enacted to try to prevent fataltruck crashes, please click on the link.

A tragic trucking accident that occurred on March 26th resulted in the death of eleven people. The accident occurred when a truck crossed over the highway median and crashed directly into a church van that was filled with a group of people on their way to a wedding. According to Boston.com, among the victims were the truck driver, and ten passengers in the church van. Two child passengers of the church van survived the terrible accident. To read more about this car crash, please click on the link.

The trucking company that owned the truck that was involved in this accident had repeatedly failed safety checks and had received poor safety rating from federal regulators of trucking companies. According to Google, a spokesman for the National Transportation Safety Board has stated that they will be investigating the trucking company as part of the accident investigation, looking at their safety culture, training, accident history, and how they handle driver fatigue. This accident serves as an unfortunate reminder of the importance of trucking safety and the reason trucking companies need to always be on top of safety for their trucks and drivers. To read more about the unsafe trucking company that caused the trucking crash, please click on the link.

Luckily, two children that were involved in this horrible accident did survive the crash. The evidence shows that that the children were riding in safety seats, which are required by law for all children under a certain age. This tragedy goes to show the importance of following these child safety laws and making sure that anytime small children are riding in a car, that the car is properly equipped with safety seats for the young children. While it is unknown at this time if the adults in the accident were wearing their seat belts, the safety precautions taken for the children were likely what saved their lives.

Videotape has been released showing the trucking accident in which an Amtrak train crashed into a fire truck. This accident occurred while the train was traveling to Chicago on March 1st and a fire truck was stopped on the train tracks. According to NBC’s website, the fire truck and a police car were in the area because they were responding to another trucking accident that had occurred in the area. The videotape shows that that a warning siren went off before the crash occurred and that the police car was moved just in time to avoid the accident. While luckily no one suffered any serious personal injuries as a result of this accident, an investigation is underway as to why the firefighters parked the truck on the train tracks instead of somewhere else in the close area.

It is important for safety and emergency vehicles to be careful and aware when dealing with other drivers in the same way that any passenger vehicle driver would. Emergency vehicles should make sure they are stopped in a spot that is not directly in the way of other vehicles that will not be able to avoid an accident. Emergency vehicles can obstruct traffic when they need to park somewhere to get to an emergency but should always try to stop in the safest spot that they can, given the situation. In this case, little information is known as to why the firefighters chose to stop on the tracks directly rather than somewhere else nearby, but it is likely that less destruction would have occurred had they parked the fire truck off the tracks. To read more about this trucking crash and the ongoing investigation, please click on the link.

A Chicago trucking accident that occurred in the morning of March 23rd left four people with personal injuries. According to The Chicago Sun Times, the accident occurred on the Dan Ryan Expressway near the South Side of Chicago when a semi truck rear-ended a car and then another semi struck the back of the first semi. Luckily, even though this accident caused a fire, none of the people injured suffered any burns. Four people to taken to local hospitals following the truck crash, but all are expected to fully recover.

In this truck crash both semi drivers were at fault, the first for rear-ending a car that was stopped because traffic had slowed and the second for following too closely. It is important for all drivers to pay attention to the road whenever they are behind the wheel, so if the traffic patterns change they have an appropriate amount of time to react, hopefully avoiding accidents. In this case both semi drivers were likely not paying close enough attention and were unable to react quickly enough to avoid hitting another vehicle. To read more about this Chicago trucking accident, please click on this link.

An Illinois trucking accident left a 6 year old boy dead and his father seriously injured. The accident occurred in Pilsen on March 19th when the young boy and his father were crossing the street on their way home from the boy’s school. According to The Chicago Sun Times, the area where they were hit had no traffic lights or stop signs and they were struck by a semi truck as they were crossing the street. Both victims were taken to Stroger Hospital following the truck crash, but unfortunately the little boy’s injuries were too severe and he died. The truck driver has been ticked with hitting a pedestrian. To read more about this tragic pedestrian accident, click here.

It is important for drivers of any type of vehicle to make sure to always yield to pedestrians, who always have the right of way. Even if there are not traffic signals or stop signs, drivers must always yield to pedestrians. According to the National Highway Traffic Association, in 2005 close to 5000 pedestrians were killed in motor vehicle accidents in the United States and pedestrian deaths are more common in urban areas. Given the high number of pedestrian deaths that occur each year, we must remember to always stay alert and watch out for pedestrians!

A trucking accident that occurred on March 17th in Joliet left three Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) workers injured. The accident occurred when the victims were in their truck on the shoulder of the I-80 in Joliet and were struck by a passenger vehicle. According to WBBM, the driver of the car has been cited with several violations, but at this time it is unknown if texting or cell phone use was a factor in the crash. All three of the victims were hospitalized because of their personal injuries but are expected to recover fully. To read more about this IDOT trucking accident, please click on this link.

It is important for all drivers to obey the rules of the road when driving and more specifically the rules that apply to driving in construction zones when appropriate. According to the Illinois Department of Safety website, in Illinois, a driver can still get a ticket for failing to obey the posted laws in a construction zone even when no workers are present. The restrictions place lowered speed limits in construction zones not only to protect the workers but also if the event that there is equipment or other things that would be dangerous if the normal speed limit was allowed. The fines for a first offense in a construction zone is at the minimum $375 and a minimum of $1000 for the second offense. If the second offense is within two years of the first offense, a mandatory suspension of the driver’s license is required. These construction zone laws in Illinois are taken very seriously and are in place for the protection of both workers and the drivers and should be taken very seriously and obeyed at all times by drivers.

An Illinois man has received a settlement amount of over $10 million in connection with a trucking accident lawsuit. The trucking accident occurred a couple of years ago in Southern Illinois and the victim filed a lawsuit after his car was sideswiped by a truck after the truck driver ran a stop sign. According to The Chicago Sun Times, the victim suffered many ongoing medical problems that have and will continue to create problems for him. The accident caused the man to have herniated discs in both his back and neck and have caused him to need multiple surgeries on his spine.

Victims of accidents are often entitled to compensation that goes beyond the cost of medical bills, and often includes money for lost wages and other compensation to try to best make the victim as whole as possible again in every aspect of their life. This victim suffered spinal injuries which may have left him unable to work and with other severe and permanent medical issues that may leave him in constant pain and require constant attention. Given the amount of this settlement and what drivers can be found liable for when they are found to have acted negligently on the road, it is crucial to always remember how important it is to follow traffic signals and paying attention while driving. To read more about this trucking accident settlement, click on this link.

A recent study has shown that traffic deaths are at an all time low. According to Trucking Info, the reason for the decline is believed to be mostly attributed to certain factors such as safer roads, safer vehicles and an overall drop in the number of drivers. Additionally, certain campaigns have increased driver awareness and overall more cautious driving, such as campaigns that remind of the importance of not drinking and driving and of always wearing a seat belt when driving or riding in a car. To read more about this trucking accident study, click on the link.

While the decrease is clearly a step in the right direction, it is only the a step. These numbers are still high and need to drop further. The fight for driver safety will continue until people stop dying in traffic accidents. In addition to drivers taking it upon themselves to be safer and more aware on the road, the safety measures must be taken in other ways as well. When it comes to trucking accidents, to make sure they are less likely, the trucking companies have to take the initiative to encourage truck safety and driver safety and help insure that their trucks and drivers are safely on the road. Hopefully, if everyone can take it upon themselves, and trucking companies can take the steps to make safety a priority, the number of fatalities in car and trucking crashes will continue to decrease.

A Chicago trucking accident occurred early on the morning of March 5th in which a semi-truck and a passenger car crashed. There is video footage of this accident which show the car being stuck between the semi-truck and the barrier of the Bishop Ford Expressway. One of the people involved in the accident had to be extricated from the car, however luckily according to Chicago Breaking News, the personal injuries were minor. To read more about this Illinois truck crash, please click on the link.

If certain precautions are taken, often times trucking accidents that could be fatal or at least result in personal injuries, can be much less severe. Truckers should always make sure that they are following the speed limits, not driving when they are fatigued, always remaining alert and paying attention to other drivers on the road and always wearing their seat belt. Additionally, drivers of passenger cars need to follow these same precautions as well as remaining a safe distance from trucks. If you are in a passenger car and involved in a trucking accident please remain calm and stay focused on the road and wait for emergency personnel.

A national trucking company has recently announced that in 2009 they saw a large reduction in their trucking accident rates, with about a 13 percent decrease in accidents from the 2008 rates. The trucking company also reports that over the past five years their safety records have gotten better with each year, with 2009 showing the safest numbers yet. In addition to the decrease in accidents over the past several years, the trucking company has received more than 70 safety awards in the last year. These number are a great improvement to the trucking world and show the commitment to safety that some companies are choosing to make and what a remarkable difference that choice can make. To read more about these trucking crash statistics, click on the link.

The Chicago trucking accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti are pleased to see this reduction in trucking accidents and the care that some companies are putting into their safety efforts. We hope that other companies will choose to follow this lead and make their safety standards higher, causing their trucking accident numbers to decrease as well. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration website offers several ways in which trucking accidents can be avoided, such as assuring that drivers drive no faster than the posted speed, that drivers never drive while they are under the influence of drugs or alcohol, that drivers are always well-rested when driving and that drivers always where their seat belts when driving to protect themselves in the case of a trucking accident. If other trucking companies can take these precautions into their training and find ways to ensure that drivers follow these simple precautions, the number of trucking crashes should continue to decrease.

A recent article by Business Insurance magazine has roused attention surrounding the issue of sleep apnea among truckers. The article cites a study by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that revealed that the percentage of commercial truck drivers with sleep apnea is very high. The study showed that about a quarter of commercial truck drivers suffer from some type of sleep apnea, however many people do not know that they have this sleep disorder. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention sleep apnea is a sleep disorder in which a person’s airway is constricted while sleeping, which causes constant waking up during the night and interrupted sleep. The symptoms sound like snoring or gasping in one’s sleep. Sleep apnea is most common in people with a body mass index of over 30 and a neck circumference of higher than 17 inches and have other health issues related to weight, and is seen mostly in obese individuals. To read more about sleep apnea and trucking accidents, click on the hyperlink.

The reason that this high percentage of sleep apnea in truck drivers can be so dangerous is that a common effect of sleep apnea is daytime drowsiness, due to interrupted sleep during the night. Studies have shown that drivers suffering from sleep apnea are 2.5 times more likely to be involved in a car accident than drivers that are not suffering from this condition. Given the high number of truck drivers that are believed to have sleep apnea, this is clearly a problem with truck drivers, in that they need to be alert and aware when driving so as to avoid trucking accidents. Many trucking companies are not aware of the prevalence of sleep apnea among their drivers and therefore are not taking any actions to try to reduce sleep apnea among drivers.

According to USA Today, one way in which the trucking companies may try to curb this problem is by suggesting that truck drivers undergo a sleep study once they hit a certain weight. The goal here is to try to detect sleep apnea in drivers and get them treatment for the condition before allowing them back on the road. Treatment options range from surgery to certain types of devices that can clear the breathing passage while the person is sleeping. This is a problem that needs to be addressed in order to hopefully try to limit the number of truck crashes.

A trucking accident lawsuit has been settled in connection with a 2007 trucking accident that resulted in the death of a couple. The trucking accident occurred when a truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and struck an Illinois woman’s vehicle, causing a chain reaction in which the couple was killed along with the Illinois driver. The case required the jury to decide what damages couple's sons should receive, because the trucking company conceded liability early on in the wrongful death lawsuit. The jury awarded $4 million to the couple's sons. To read more about this trucking accident settlement, please click on the hyperlink.

According to Trans Scan, almost half of long-distance truck drivers interviewed admitted to nodding off at the wheel at some point in their career and about twenty percent of all truck-drivers interviewed reported either an accident or near accident due to nodding off at the wheel. Given these high statistics and the extreme danger caused by fatigued truck drivers, it is important for trucking companies to enforce maximum driving hours and have safeguards in place to help keep tired drivers off the road. In addition to the horrible accidents that can result from tired drivers, trucking companies have added incentive to keep their drivers alert because the companies can be held liable for accidents that are caused by their drivers.

A trucking accident lawsuit has been filed in connection with a December accident when a truck driver veered over the center line of the highway striking a passenger car head on. The family of the victim has filed a wrongful death lawsuit in connection with the accident against the trucking company, because it is believed that the company knew of the medical condition that caused the truck driver to black out at the time of the truck crash and kill the victim. According to Justice News Flash, the lawsuit alleges that since the company was aware of the driver’s medical conditions and had previous reports of his driving record, they should have respected these issues and should not have allowed him on the road alone. To read more about this trucking accident lawsuit, click on this link.

Wrongful death lawsuits may be filed against a person or corporation that can be held liable for the death of someone. Each state’s wrongful death claims are controlled by statute, laying out the requirements for filing a suit, but they are usually filed by a close relative of the victim. This is the appropriate recourse when a company is responsible for someone's death. In this case, the trucking company is being charged with wrongful death because they were aware of the driver’s condition that caused the fatal crash. To contact a Chicago wrongful accident attorney, please click on the hyperlink.

A trucking accident that occurred on the Dan Ryan Expressway on February 20th left an Illinois adult and two children seriously injured. The accident occurred when the van they were traveling in blew a tire and crashed into a semi-truck. The man and two of the children were not wearing seat belts at the time of the accident and were ejected from the vehicle, and are all listed in critical condition at local hospitals. According to The Chicago Sun Times, two other adults and one other child were involved in the crash, but luckily they were wearing their seat belts and therefore were not ejected from the car. If you would like to read more about this Chicago trucking accident, please click on the link.

Drivers and their passengers should always wear their seat belts whenever they are traveling in a car. Wearing seat belts have been found to be the best way to reduce injuries in car accidents. As this accident shows, accidents can occur even when you are paying attention to the road and driving cautiously, in the event of a tire blowing out or some other car malfunction. Because these types of accidents are possible, and because even though you may feel that you are a safe driver but you can never know about the other drivers on the road with you, it is crucial to always wear your seat belt. For seat belt safety statistics, please click on the link.

A Chicago trucking accident occurred on February 16th at the intersection of Ogden and Sacramento when a car tried to speed through traffic that was stopped for an approaching fire truck. According to WGN, the speeding car crashed into the fire truck, injuring three people that were in the fire truck. The firefighters had to stop and help the victims at the scene of the accident. To read more about this fire truck accident, please click on this link.

Illinois law requires that all drivers pull to the right side of the road if an emergency vehicle is approaching. This applies to both emergency vehicles that are behind or in front of the driver. In addition to this being the law, it is very important to always yield to emergency vehicles because they are trying to get somewhere quickly and if cars do not yield, an accident is likely.

The family of a man who was killed in a trucking accident has been awarded a $3.6 million settlement for their wrongful death lawsuit. According to About Lawsuits, the fatal trucking accident occurred in June of 2005, when the driver was crushed to death after a cradle of propane cylinders fell on top of him. The court found that the trucking company was negligent in allowing four layers of propane cylinders, when only three layers were safe. Another driver for the company testified that the company allowed for this dangerous load because they wanted to get the cylinders loaded into the truck as quickly as possible, and that the driver that was killed had no idea that these safety precautions were ignored. To read more about this tragic accident and the settlement, please click here. According to The Times Reporter, the trucking company is planning on appealing the verdict citing Motor Carrier Safety Regulations as their reason for fighting the case, specifically that the safety issue in question is supposed to be under the truck driver’s watch and is the driver’s responsibility. To read more about the trucking company fighting this claim, please click here.

It is important to remember that trucking companies can often be found liable for trucking accidents. It is important that companies take all appropriate safety precautions to keep their drivers and trucks safe for the road and to keep the number of trucking accidents to a minimum.

An Illinois man was killed when he was involved in a fatal trucking accident on February 10th, in which 50 vehicles were involved. According to WPXI, the trucking accident involved 30 tractor-trailer trucks and 20 cars and is believed to have been caused by the dangerous weather conditions in the area at the time of the accident, and started when one truck jack-knifed causing a domino effect on all the vehicles behind the truck. At this point it is known that at least 18 people were injured, but no more is known on the extent of the injuries. To read more about this multi-vehicle crash, please click on this link.

It is extremely important to remember that winter weather conditions can make the roads a much more dangerous place to travel. Even slight weather can greatly effect the conditions of the road and drivers ability to control their vehicle. Please always be aware of the road and extra cautious when driving in icy, snowy or even rainy conditions, and always drive a slower speed if necessary and leave plenty of room between you and other vehicles.

A trucking accident lawsuit has been filed by the family of a trucker who was killed this past October when the coal truck he was driving crashed. The trucking accident occurred when the truck went off the road, into a ditch, hit a tree and then rolled over. According to The Oak Ridger, the trucking accident lawsuit names the coal company as the Defendant, after investigations revealed that the independent contract driver that hired the trucker had not provided initial mine training and that the engine brake accelerator on the truck has not functioning properly at the time of the crash. The wrongful death lawsuit seeks $17 million dollars in damages. To read more about this tragic accident, please click on this link.

This type of trucking accident is completely preventable, and it is the responsibility of trucking companies to make sure that their trucks are completely safe and up to speed and that their drivers are prepared for the road. Trucking companies can be held responsible for their vehicles and drivers if it can be found, like in this case, that the trucking company was acting negligently in fulfilling the duties they owe to the driver. It is important for all employers, including trucking companies, to be able to ensure a safe and reliable environment for their drivers to work in.

The family of the victim of a trucking accident has settled their wrongful death lawsuit. The trucking accident occurred almost two years ago when a dump truck crossed the center line of the highway it was traveling on and crashed into a school bus, killing one teenager and injuring 10 other children. The lawsuit alleged that the dump truck driving was driving too fast on a curve, which caused the tragic trucking accident. According to the KY Post, the state lowered the speed limit by ten miles per hour following this accident as well as another fatal accident that occurred less than one month later. To read more about this trucking accident, click on this link.

Recently, a increase in the speed limit for truckers has been put into effect, with the intention that allowing trucks to travel at the same speed as other vehicles would be safer overall for all of the drivers. This law has been very controversial because while the uniform speed could have benefits, allowing large trucks to be traveling at a faster rate of speed could easily be very dangerous as well. While the law is new, it just went into effect at the beginning on this year, it is difficult to determine what the actual result will be. To read more about this new law and the different views on its enactment, please click on this link.

A trucking accident in Effingham occurred when a train crashed into the side of a garbage truck on February 8th. According to WJBD Radio, a Dietrich man was driving a garbage truck and attempted to cross train tracks, but did not have enough time to safely cross the tracks and the garbage truck was struck by a train. The driver of the truck was thrown from the truck and suffered severe personal injuries but luckily was conscious and alert when emergency vehicles arrived. To read more about this trucking accident, click on this link.

In this accident there were no gates at the crossing to alert drivers when a train was coming. When there are no gates at the crossing it is important to take extra care and be extra cautious before crossing a train track in order to avoid an accident. Please click on this link for some safety tip and information about train tracks.

Each year many crashes occur and lead to many deaths and many dangerous road spills. According to a compiled list of trucking crash statistics, in 2008, over 4000 fatal large semi-truck accidents were reported resulting in even more deaths than accidents. Close to 130,000 non-fatal accidents were reported in 2008. In that same year over 2,500 collisions involved Hazmat spills. To read more trucking accident , statistics please click on this link.

Given the high number of trucking accidents it is crucial to take steps to try to reduce these accidents and the dangers associated with them. Fatalities are so high in these types of accidents because of how big the trucks are compared to cars that the accidents often involve. The road spills can be very dangerous to people in the surrounding areas as well very difficult to clean up, often causing the road where the trucking crash occurred to be shut down for great lengths of time. Given the dangers that arise from these accidents, it is very important for truck drivers to be very cautious and for other drivers to also be alert when driving around large trucks. Hopefully, the recent bann of text messaging for truck drivers while operating their vehicles will reduce the number of injuries and deaths that occur on our roadways.

An Illinois woman was killed in a terrible trucking accident in Champaign County that occurred on February 5th. The trucking accident occurred when the pick up truck in which the victim was riding crossed the median of I-74 and crashed head on into a semi-truck that was traveling in the opposite direction. The semi-truck then crashed into another passenger vehicle. According to PJ Star, the only person that died in the accident was the passenger of the pick up truck that originally struck the semi-truck. To read more about this terrible accident, please click on this hyperlink.

The winter months can cause dangerous driving conditions, so it is important to always make sure to be extra cautious when driving when it may be either snowy or icy. It is always best to drive slower when the roads are icy because it can be very hard to maintain control if your vehicle hits a patch of ice.

A trucking accident occurred a couple of weeks ago in which four people were fatally injured. The fatal trucking accident occurred when a tractor-trailer was driving too fast given the current weather conditions, slid across the highway and crashed into a bus. According to The Washington Post, the bus driver and 3 of the bus passengers, which were residents of a special needs home, were killed and six more passengers were injured in this terrible accident. At this point it is unknown whether criminal charges will be filed or if the family of any of the victims will be filing wrongful death suits. To read more about this accident, please click on this link.

It is very important for drivers of both trucks and passenger cars to always remember to drive at a speed appropriate for the weather. When the weather is snowy and icy, drivers may need to drive much slower than the posted speed limit and want to make sure that they drive at a speed in which they can always maintain control of their vehicle. The added danger with ice and snow is that not only can it be more difficult to see what is around you but the road itself may become icy and dangerous to drive on. If the weather seems to be too unsafe for driving, or if you feel uncomfortable driving in the conditions, please do not drive until the weather clears up and if you need to drive be extremely cautious. Cautious driving can greatly reduce the number of car and trucking accidents and hopefully safe lives.

There are many types of violations that Illinois drivers receive after being involved in a car or a trucking accident. If drivers familiarize themselves with Illinois traffic laws, hopefully the number of Illinois accidents would be reduced. Most drivers are aware of certain violations such as driving under the influence, driving with a suspended or revoked license, and leaving the scene of an accident (hit-and-run).

However, there are many actions that drivers may not realize are in violation of Illinois law, but that can also cause car or trucking accidents or lead to citations. Examples of these types of less commonly known laws are things such as driving without insurance or registration, driving without a seat belt on, and driving with certain types of vehicle modifications found to be unsafe. In order to become familiar with all Illinois driving laws and what every Illinois driver should know before driving, please click on this link.

Aside from these driving laws, there are certain truck-specific laws as well. All Illinois truck drivers are responsible for following these laws, ranging from safe vehicle operations to the transport of hazardous materials, and are subject to citation if these rules are not followed. For a complete set of Illinois trucking laws, please click on the link.

If you have been injured in a car or trucking accident in Illinois, our trucking accident attorneys may be able to help you seek compensation. Follow this link to contact an Illinois accident attorney.

A tractor trailer accident on January 23rd resulted in the death of two Chicago area residents. The truck accident occurred when a semi struck a van carrying the family, after the truck was reportedly weaving on the highway. The trucking accident resulted in the death of the two family members as well as personal injuries to sixteen other people involved in the fatal accident. According to The Chicago Tribune, samples were taken from both drivers to test to see if they were under the influence at the time of the trucking accident. If you would like more information on this trucking accident, please click here.

A trucking accident that occurred on January 19th on the I-290 seriously injured one man. The trucking accident occurred when one car was stopped on the highway and a tow truck struck the car, and then a third car was involved in the car accident. According to Chicago Sun Times, traffic was stopped after the crash and one of the people involved in the trucking accident had to be unpinned and taken to a local hospital in a helicopter. To read more about this Illinois trucking accident, please click on this link.

A Randolph County trucking accident on Route 13 that occurred when the driver of a vehicle attempted to pass a semi truck and crashed into a ditch, flipping the vehicle. The driver was not fatally injured, but one of the passengers was thrown from the car and died as a result of her personal injuries. The other three passengers were injured but are all expected to recover fully. According to WSIL TV, at this time the accident is still under investigation and the charges are pending. If you would like more information on this trucking accident, please click on this link.

A fatal trucking accident occurred on January 20th when a Red Cross truck and a semi-truck crashed on Illinois Route 3. According to The Southern, the victim was a passenger in the Red Cross truck which caused the trucking accident when the truck crossed the center lane and crashed into the semi that was traveling in the opposite direction. The Red Cross driver has been cited with improper lane usage. If you would like more information on this fatal accident, please click on this link.

A South Pekin woman was killed in an Illinois Route 29 trucking accident on January 20th. According to The PJ Star, the trucking accident was likely due to ice that had just formed on the road causing a pickup truck to skid into a semi-truck. The driver of the pickup truck was killed as a result of the trucking accident. Several other car accidents in the area were also believed to have been due to the icy weather. To read more about this trucking accident, please click on this link.

The families of the victims of a fatal trucking accident have filed a trucking accident lawsuit against the driver of the truck. The trucking accident occurred in 2008 when the victim’s car struck the trailer of a truck that was stopped across several lanes of traffic while waiting for a traffic light. Both of the people in the front seat of the passenger car were killed and the backseat passenger suffered serious personal injuries. According to The Aspen Times, the trucking accident lawsuit is against the trucking company alleging failure to adequately prepare the rig safely. To read more about this trucking accident lawsuit, click on this link.

A trucking accident that occurred on the morning of January 16th on Illinois Highway 53 in Rolling Meadows, resulted in the truck’s load of milk being spilled. According to Chicago Breaking News, the trucking accident occurred when a vehicle tried to cut over into another lane and a different vehicle was forced to swerve and then hit the milk truck. The driver of the original car has been charged with improper lane usage, but is unharmed. The other two drivers involved in the truck accident were taken to local hospitals, however their condition is non life-threatening. To read more about this Illinois accident, click here.

A trucking accident lawsuit filed by one the people injured in a trucking accident in which a five people died, which occurred back in 2005, has been settled and will not be going to trial. According to Chippewa.com, many other people were injured when the semi-truck struck a motor coach that the Plaintiff was a passenger on. To read more about this truck accident settlement, click on the link.

A trucking accident that occurred on January 15th resulted in the death of two sisters that were involved in the terrible crash. According to ETruth.com, the truck driver was an Illinois resident, and the crash occurred when the truck driver struck a car in which the two sisters were traveling. At this point no citations have been issued in connection with the fatal accident, and to read more about this tragic trucking accident please click on this link.

A trucking accident that occurred earlier this month resulted in the serious injury of an Illinois man. According to Alamogordo Daily News, the trucking accident happened when a tractor-trailer in which the victim was driving veered off of the road and hit a pole, causing the truck to roll onto its side. The victim was able to crawl out of the truck following the trucking accident and is now in a local hospital for treatment of the severe personal injuries incurred in the accident. To read more about this Illinois victim, please click on the hyperlink.

A trucking accident earlier this morning occurred when a semi-truck crashed into a car on the Bishop Ford Freeway on the South Side of Chicago. According to The Chicago Sun Times, at least one person involved in the trucking accident was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center and is listed in critical condition. Not much more is known about what caused the Illinois trucking accident at this time, but to read more please click on this hyperlink.

A Salem trucking accident early this morning left one Illinois woman injured. The trucking accident occurred when the victim was attempting to turn left and a semi-truck driver apparently failed to stop at a red light and crashed into the victim’s car. According to WJBD Radio, the victim had to be extricated from her vehicle but has since been treated and released from a local hospital. To read more about this trucking accident, please click on the link.

A truck accident in Wabash County resulted in the death of two people. The truck accident which occurred on January 10th occurred when a car crossed the center lane on Illinois Route 1 and crashed into a head-on into a pickup truck. The drivers of both of the vehicles involved in the truck accident were pronounced dead at the scene. According to The Courier Press, both of the victims were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the truck accident and the crash is still under investigation. To read more about this fatal truck accident, please click on this hyperlink.

A trucking accident that occurred on December 29th resulted in the injury of two people. The Joliet trucking accident was caused by a sports utility vehicle hitting a semi-truck on I-80. According to Suburban Chicago News, the SUV driver failed to stop in time and ended up underneath the semi-truck requiring the driver of the SUV to be extricated from the vehicle. The two people that were seriously personally injured in the trucking accident were the driver of the SUV and the passenger of the SUV. The driver will be cited with failure to reduce speed and possibly may face a DUI charge. If you would like more information on this Illinois trucking accident, please click on this link.

An Aurora trucking accident that occurred on January 4th left an Illinois man with serious facial injuries. The accident occurred when the man was driving down Butterfield Road and a semitrailer in front of him passed under an underpass and knocked ice into the windshield of his car. According to The Chicago Tribune, the man was able to stop the car, move the ice and get out of the vehicle. The victim underwent surgery at Provena Mercy Medical Center, and is expected to recover from his personal injuries completely. Many people are concerned that there needs to be more awareness of this dangerous area of Butterfield Road because other trucking accidents of this type have occurred in this exact same location. To read more about this Illinois accident, click on this link.

A strange trucking accident that occurred in Aurora and resulted in the near death of a driver occurred when a semi-trailer drove under an overpass and ice that was on the overpass got caught on the truck and detached and struck a car driving behind the semi-truck. According to The Daily Herald, while this odd trucking accident seems like a very strange occurrence, several other people have reported similar accidents of this type on this same stretch of highway on Butterfield Road. The most recent of these trucking accidents occurred on January 4th when an Aurora man suffered multiple personal injuries and the ice crushed his windshield sending glass everywhere. To read more about this odd trucking accident problem, please click on this link.

A trucking accident lawsuit was filed in connection with a trucking accident that occurred in 2006 in which a truck struck a motorcyclist, killing the motorcycle driver. According to The St. Clair Record, the guardian of the victim’s two young children have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the trucking company and the driver of the truck that caused the fatal accident. According to the complaint, the St. Clair County trucking accident occurred on Illinois State Route 127 when the truck was exiting a ramp and struck the motorcyclist, and claims that the driver failed to keep a proper lookout for other vehicles, did not keep his truck under control and failed to yield the right of way. The trucking accident lawsuit seeks over $100,000 in damages. To read more about this recently filed Illinois lawsuit, please click on the hyperlink.

A Clark County trucking accident that occurred on January 5th left one Illinois man dead. The trucking accident occurred when the victim was under the influence of alcohol and then drove the wrong way on I-70, and then got into an accident with three other vehicles including two semi-trucks. According to Terre Haute News, the accident occurred near Marshall and three other people, aside from the initial driver, were taken to a local hospital for treatment of their personal injuries which did not appear to be life-threatening. To read more about this fatal trucking accident, please click on the link.

A trucking accident in Champaign caused one lane of Interstate 57 to be closed for several hours on January 4th. The trucking accident occurred when the load of pigs that the driver was carrying shifted in the truck and caused the truck to trip over. The truck then slid into the road blocking both of the southbound lanes. The truck driver was not injured and the veterinary teaching hospital and several students from the University of Illinois program were called in to assist in helping the pigs. According to The News-Gazette, the rescue was rather difficult due to the freezing temperatures and the truck driver was cited for failing to reduce speed in order to avoid an accident. To read more about this Champaign truck accident, click on the link.

A Lake Forest trucking accident on December 26th left two people dead. The trucking accident occurred on Route 60 and involved a semi-truck and a pickup. According to Justice News Flash, the accident occurred when the driver of the pickup lost control of his vehicle due to dangerous road conditions and spun into oncoming traffic, where a semi-truck crashed into the pickup, which caused the two people in the pickup to be fatally injured. If you would like to read more about this fatal Illinois trucking accident, please click on this hyperlink.

An accident that occurred on December 29th that injured a couple and their young children on the Dan Ryan Expressway is believed to have been caused by a semi-truck that then immediately fled the scene. This Chicago trucking accident occurred near 59th Street when, as authorities now believe, a semi-truck caused a pick-up truck to lose control of the car and hit a wall. According to Chicago Sun Times, while the semi-truck is not believed to have made actual contact with the pick-up truck the semi still may have caused the pickup to crash. The truck fled the scene and there were no witnesses to the trucking accident. The three passengers in the pickup were taken to Stroger Hospital of Cook County and University of Chicago’s Comer Children’s Hospital, and all conditions are currently unknown. To read more about this Chicago accident, please click on this link.

An Illinois trucking accident occurred on December 27th, causing three people to suffer from personal injuries. The Illinois accident occurred when the driver of a van tried to pass a tractor trailer semi and the van lost control and hit the back of the truck. The driver of the van was ticketed for failing to reduce his speed to avoid an accident and the truck driver was ticketed for driving with a suspended license. According to the Quincy Herald Whig, all four of the people involved in the trucking accident were wearing seat belts at the time of the crash. To read more about this Scott County trucking accident, click on this hyperlink.

Certain laws will go into effect on January 1st that will affect trucking drivers in Illinois. A law banning texting while driving was approved and will go into effect at the start of the new year. Additionally, trucking drivers can be cited for not talking on hands-free devices if they are in a school or construction zone, and other fines have been raised for citations that occur in school zones. An Illinois law is also going into effect raising the speed limit for truckers from 55 to 65 miles per hour because many believe that if the entire flow of traffic is going at the same speed there will be less trucking accidents. Several fees, such as registration and license plates, will also go up at the beginning of the new year. To read more about these new laws going into effect affecting Illinois truck drivers, please click on this link.

A trucking accident that occurred on December 17th in Alton is under investigation as to who was at fault for the accident. The accident, which left an Illinois teenager dead, is said to have been caused by the teenage driver according to police reports but an eyewitness says that the accident was caused by the truck driver. According to The Telegraph, the trucking accident that occurred on Illinois Route 140 occurred when the teenage driver was driving through an intersection and the truck turned in front of the car, and the issue is whether the teenage driver had a green light at the time of the accident. To learn more about this fatal accident, please click on the hyperlink.

A trucking accident lawsuit has been filed by the mother of the victim of a trucking accident that occurred earlier this year. According to the trucking accident lawsuit, the accident occurred when a truck smashed into the car the victim was riding as a passenger in while the car was waiting at a stop light. The lawsuit names both the truck driver and the trucking company as defendants in the lawsuit. According to Sunday Gazette Mail, the complaint alleges that the truck driver was drunk at the time of the trucking accident. The truck driver is currently in custody awaiting trial on drunk driving charges. Please click on the hyperlink in order to read more about this trucking accident lawsuit.

A truck accident that occurred on December 12th and left one woman dead is under investigation to see if the driver of the tractor-trailer that caused the trucking accident was using his laptop at the time that the accident occurred. According to Buffalo News, the state troopers found a laptop in the cab of the truck involved in the accident and tests are being run to see if the laptop was running when the accident happened. The trucking accident occurred when the truck struck the victim’s car causing the driver to die. The victim’s car was on the side of the road because the driver had just been in an accident with a deer and police were wondering why the truck was unable to stop in time to miss the car. To read more about this trucking accident, click here.

According to Effingham Daily News, the recent adjustment in speed limit for truck drivers has some people unsure. The new law is scheduled to go into effect on January 1st and will raise the trucking speed limit to 65 miles per hour. Advocates of the higher speed limit say that this will allow truckers to go along with the flow of traffic more safely and that there is no evidence that the increased speed will lead to more or more severe trucking accidents. However, opponents of the bill argue that higher speeds will inevitably make it harder for trucks to stop and will make them hit things harder when crashing. For more information on this trucking bill, click here.

A trucking accident that occurred on December 17th in Gurnee left Route 41 closed for several hours. The trucking accident occurred when a semi-tractor trailer got into an accident in which the tractor part of the truck got stuck in a ditch. According to Suburban Chicago News, the accident did not involve hazardous materials so the Fire department was not needed following the trucking accident. To read more about this Illinois trucking accident, please click on this hyperlink.

A trucking accident lawsuit has been filed in connection with a Kane County accident that occurred that spring in Sugar Grove Township. According to The Daily Herald, a Marengo man was killed after a pickup truck crashed into oncoming traffic and slammed into the victim’s van. The wrongful death suit is against the County because the driver that caused the truck accident had been pulled over just minutes before the accident for erratic driving but then was allowed back on the road. The truck accident lawsuit seeks more than $50,000 in damages and is scheduled for early next year. To read more about this Kane County wrongful death suit, click here.

A Mettawa trucking accident injured a Lake Bluff woman who is now in stable condition at a local hospital. The accident occurred on December 3rd on Illinois Route 60 when the driver of the car failed to yield while turning in front of a semi. According to WBBM 780, the trucking accident caused the semi to careen off the roadway, but luckily the truck driver did not suffer any injuries. The accident is still under investigation. If you would like more information on the Illinois trucking accident, click here.

A new Illinois law will raise the speed limit for truckers from 55 to 65 starting at the beginning of the new year. The bill has been in the air for years and just now was passed. According to WSIL TV, many truckers are excited about the increase in speed limit because of the time it takes to cross the state at the lower speed limit. Proponents of the new law claim that the higher speed limit should actually make truck driving safer and lead to fewer trucking accidents because the trucks can now drive more at the speed of other traffic. To read more about this new Illinois trucking law, please click on the hyperlink.

A trucking accident on December 3rd left a Lake County Road closed down for about two hours. The trucking accident occurred when a semi was traveling west on Illinois Highway 60 and a car collided with the semi. The semi swerved about 30 feet off the road, knocking over a traffic light pole. According to Chicago Breaking News, the driver of the car was taken to Condell Medical Center in Libertyville and at this point the extent of her personal injuries is unknown. The truck driver was also taken to the same hospital, although not for treatment of any injuries but for drug and alcohol testing. At this point no charges have been filed but the trucking accident still remains under investigation. If you would like to read more about this Lake County trucking accident, please click here.

A Vernon Hills trucking accident left a woman injured. The trucking accident occurred on December 2nd at the intersection of IL Route 60 and St. Mary’s Road and seems to have occurred when the woman’s car was trying to turn left in front of the truck and the truck then struck the car. According to Pioneer Local, the woman was taken to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for treatment of her personal injuries and the driver of the truck did not suffer any injuries in the accident. To learn more about this trucking accident, please click on the link.

A young mother was killed in a trucking accident on November 30th on her way back from a Thanksgiving holiday in Illinois. The trucking accident is believed to have occurred when the young woman fell asleep at the wheel and a semi tried to avoid her but she hit the last set of his wheels and she was killed instantly. According to WNDU.com, the victim’s two children who were in the back seat were fine after the trucking accident and their lives are being credited to the child safety belts. The woman is also survived by her husband who could not go along on the family trip because of work. To read more about this horrible accident, please click on the link.

A trucking accident on November 30th left a bridge closed for several hours after hydrochloric acid was spilled all over the roadway. The trucking accident occurred when a tractor-trailer hit a barrier and turned over, spilling its load of about 400 gallons of hydrochloric acid. According to KansasCity.com, not only were road closures required but the area has to be evacuated because of the danger of the hazardous materials that had been spilled. The truck driver, two police officers and a construction worker were taken to a local hospital after they inhaled fumes but none of the injuries were life-threatening. At this point in the investigation, speed is believed to have been a contributing factor to the trucking accident. Click here to read more about the trucking accident.

A Belleville personal injury attorney wants a new hearing and monetary damages from an insurance company that the attorney feels bribed a witness in connection with a trucking accident in 2006. According to The Chicago Tribune, the trial has since ended, but the attorney claims that the witness that claims to have seen the driver swerving prior to the accident from her apartment could not have actually seen this because her lease started six months after the trucking accident occurred. If you are interested in more about this possibly fraudulent verdict, click on this link.

Police have released the name of a person killed in a fatal trucking accident that occurred on November 20th. The trucking accident occurred when a tractor-trailer was stopped in connection with another crash and a pickup truck struck the stopped truck. According to RGJ.com, another vehicle then crashed into the pickup truck from behind. The passenger in the pickup truck was fatally inured, and the trucking driver was a Chicago resident and had to be extricated from his vehicle and taken to a local hospital. For more information on this fatal trucking accident, click here.

A trucking driver has been cited for spilling 65 gallons of gasoline onto the Stevenson Expressway on November 27th. The trucking accident occurred near Pulaski Road and the Expressway was shut down in both directions for several hours so crews could clean up the spill. According to Chicago Sun Times, the spill was caused by a trucking accident in which the truck carrying the gasoline collided with a passenger car. The reason that the spill was so dangerous and lanes had to be shut down until all the gasoline was cleaned up was because gasoline is extremely flammable. The truck driver was issued citations for improper overtaking on the right and for disobeying a traffic control device. For more information on this Illinois trucking accident, please click on the hyperlink.

A father and daughter Plaintiff were awarded $6 million in connection with a truck accident that occurred in 2006 in Joliet. The father and daughter were riding a motorcycle when the driver of a pickup truck tried to turn left at a stop sign and struck the motorcycle. The two victims filed a personal injury lawsuit in connection with the truck accident and just recently were awarded damages by the Will County court. For further information on this truck accident lawsuit, please click here.

An eight-vehicle Monee trucking accident that occurred on November 20th killed a Harvey man and hurt two others. The truck driver that caused the trucking accident has been cited with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident and improper lane usage. The trucking accident occurred while cars were stopped on Monee Manhattan Road from previous accidents and when the truck was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting the cars. According to The Chicago Sun Times, the victim that was killed was pronounced dead at the scene of the truck accident. For more information on this trucking accident, click here.

A Rockford trucking accident that occurred on November 20th slowed traffic at the 20 Bypass and I-90 and traffic had to drive slowly along the should to pass. According to WREX, the trucking accident occurred when a semi-truck flipped over and blocked both lanes for about 45 minutes. The trucking accident occurred near Kishwaukee River and luckily no injuries were reported. For additional information on this trucking accident, click here.

A Fulton County trucking accident injured the driver when a deer that was in the air after being hit by another vehicle flew into the truck driver’s windshield. The accident occurred on November 19th on Route 24 and after the deer crashed through the truck driver’s window the semi went off the road and crashed into a guardrail and then into a ditch. Luckily, the truck driver was wearing his seat belt. According to PJ Star, the truck driver was hospitalized with serious personal injuries. Please click here to read more about this Liverpool trucking accident.

A truck accident wrongful death lawsuit resulted in a $5.1 million judgment for the victim’s family. The truck accident occurred in 2006 when a tractor-trailer ran a stop sign and stuck the vehicle the victim was riding in. The victim was killed in the trucking accident, and her husband was injured but has since recovered. The truck accident attorney for the trucker claims that the signage was bad and the rumble strips needed replacing. The jury found that the trucking accident was the driver was 60 percent to blame and the trucking company was 40 percent to blame. By clicking on the link, learn more about this trucking lawsuit settlement.

A four vehicle collision in the Naperville area earlier this afternoon occurred when a driver that was impaired by diabetes caused a three-car collision and then veered into traffic, hitting a semitrailer truck. The truck then struck an electric pole, causing a the power in the are to go out temporarily. According to Chicago Breaking News, Naperville-Plainfield Road was closed in both directions following the trucking accident. For additional information about this Illinois trucking accident, please click on the link.

A trucking accident in Christian County that occurred on November 11th resulted in no injuries. According to My State Line, a truck driver claims to have not seen a train coming as we waited on the track for traffic to clear the road ahead, and it was too late to get off the track once he realized and the train drove through the trailer of the truck. Luckily, while there was a mess following the trucking accident no one was injured as a result of the accident. There were apparently no lights or arms at the intersection to warn of possible oncoming trains. For more information on this Taylorville trucking accident, click on this link.

A trucking accident that occurred near Farina on November 9th, involved two semi-trucks. The trucking accident occurred when one semi ran off I-57 and hit a parked semi. According to The Sand Mountain Reporter, both of the truck drivers suffered serious personal injuries and were taken to local hospitals. For more information on this Illinois trucking accident, click here.

A motorcycle struck a semi on I-74 on November 9th in Carlock and resulted in the death of the motorcycle driver. The victim was a Lexington man and the accident occurred when the driver apparently lost control of his motorcycle and hit the driver’s side of the truck. According to The PJ Star, the motorcyclist was not wearing a helmet at the time of the trucking accident. The accident is still under investigation. For more information on this Illinois trucking Accident, click here.

A verdict was been reached in connection with a trucking accident lawsuit in which the victim of a trucking accident, that suffered from severe brain damage, sued the trucking company and the driver of the truck that was involved in the 2006 trucking accident. The lawsuit found for the victim and rewarded the couple more than $18 million dollars. For more information on this trucking accident lawsuit from KRDO, click here.

An Illinois man was killed after crashing into a semi-truck in an accident that occurred on November 4th on the I-90/I-94. According to WKBT, the details of the trucking accident, such as the speed at which the driver of the car was traveling, are not known at this time. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene of the trucking accident and the eastbound lanes were closed for hours following the accident. For more information on this Illinois victim and car accident, click here.

A trucking accident trial is underway in connection with an accident that occurred in March of 2006 in which a woman was killed and her husband was seriously personally injured after their car was struck by a truck. According to News-Journal Online, the lawsuit is against the County and alleges that the County failed to warn the motorists of the “unreasonably dangerous” intersection. The cop testifying at trial, that observed the scene following the accident, says that there were no signs that the truck driver attempted to stop at the stop sign at the intersection. The truck driver claims that he did not see the stop sign until it was too late for him to come to a complete stop. The Plaintiff ‘s car accident attorney claims that the lack of rumble strip is another error on the county’s part, but the attorney for the County says that this was not relevant and that the truck accident was the driver’s vault. For more information on this trucking accident lawsuit, click here.

A truck accident that occurred on November 1st in Sugar Grove, Illinois, left the driver of the pickup truck in critical condition. According to the Kaneland Chronicle, this Illinois truck accident is still a mystery to police because the victim was driving alone and is not currently able to provide a statement for the police, and no witnesses were available to say what happened to cause the accident. All that is known is that the drier was thrown from his truck after it flipped over. For more information on this Illinois truck accident, click here.

A high school student was killed in a trucking accident on October 29th that occurred on IL Route 9 near Hoopeston. The victim was the passenger in his friend and basketball teammate’s pickup truck on their way to morning practice when the driver lost control of the truck which entered the path of on oncoming semi-truck. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the crime and the driver and friend was issued a citation for improper lane usage. According to The Commercial-News, fellow students and teammates at Hoopeston Area High School were mourning the loss of a friend and said that he had a lot of friends. For more information on this tragic Illinois trucking accident, click here.

An Illinois truck driver and trucking company have been sued in connection with a trucking accident that occurred early last year, by a man who was rear-ended by the truck driver on Interstate 270. According to the complaint, the victim was stopped because of weather and traffic and the truck driver failed to stop in time and struck the back of the victim’s car, causing the victim to then rear-end other vehicles. According to The St. Clair Record, the trucking accident lawsuit seeks more than $300,000 in damages. For more information on this Illinois trucking accident lawsuit, click here.

The family of a victim of a log trucking accident that occurred in 2008 wants to make sure that this type of accident does not happen to other people and have filed a lawsuit demanding stronger rules and more signage to prevent further trucking accidents. The victim’s accident was one of three in the same intersection in 2008 on Highway 30. According to KATU 2, the current rule requires that trucks have a rear pilot car for loads that are a certain length, but as the suit alleges, many shorter loads are also dangerous and this rule needs to be amended to prevent further fatal trucking accidents in this area.

A trucking accident in Coal Valley occurred today when an SUV and dump truck collided and the truck burst into flames. According to WQAD News 8, the accident occurred on IL 6 earlier this evening and the driver of the dump truck was able to get out of the truck in time and did not suffer serious personal injuries from the truck fire. The driver of the passenger car had to be cut from his vehicle and is currently in the hospital. The Illinois State Police are still investigating this Coal Valley trucking accident.

A trucking accident involving three semis occurred on the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago on October 23rd. The accident occurred early in the morning near Addison Street and the lanes near the accident were closed at least temporarily. According to the Chicago Sun Times, it is not yet known if anyone suffered any personal injuries in thisr Cook County trucking accident.

A Carlyle man was killed in a one-vehicle accident that occurred on I-64 in Washington County on October 23rd. The truck accident was caused by the front tire on the dump truck blowing out and then the truck crashed into the median and rolled over. According to The Belleville News-Democrat, the driver was not wearing his seat belt at the time of the crash and was ejected from the vehicle. The driver was taken to a local hospital but quickly died as a result of the severe personal injuries sustained in the truck accident.

Friends and family of the victim of a fatal bike/truck accident gathered at the cite of the crash to remember her. The bike accident occurred in the Lakeview area of Chicago when the victim was riding her bike and tried to pass in between a truck and a bus and fell of her bike and was then run over by the bus. According to The Daily Herald, no citations have been issued at this point in connection with the fatal truck accident.

Driver in fatal hit-and-run truck accident has surrendered and has since been released and no charges have been filed. The victim was a Chicago resident that was living in Baltimore and was a student at John Hopkins. According to The Chicago Tribune, the truck accident occurred on October 16th and the victim died the following day as a result of the personal injuries that she sustained in the fatal truck accident.

A motorcyclist was killed in a trucking accident on the Dan Ryan Expressway in downtown Chicago on October 21st. According to The Chicago Sun Times, the accident involved a semi-truck, passenger car and a motorcycle and at this point it is unknown whether anyone other than the motorcyclist was personally injured. The southbound lanes were closed several hours and police are still investigating the fatal Cook County trucking accident.

A fatal truck accident occurred in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette early on the morning of October 18th. The driver was from Portage Park and was ejected from his pickup truck on the Edens Expressway, dying from personal injuries sustained in the accident. According to CBS 2 Chicago, the driver veered into the right lane, hit the right shoulder and rolled over and the driver was ejected because he was not wearing his seatbelt. At this point the Wilmette truck accident is believed to have been caused by the driver’s excessive speeding.

A police officer from Macon County is back at work after a trucking accident that occurred ten months ago and left him seriously injured, including being immobilized for three months. The accident occurred last November 10th when the officer was traveling northbound on Illinois 48 when a semi-truck turned left onto the street in front of him and the officer did not see a second truck ,following the first truck closely, turn into his path. According to the Herald Review, the officer tried to avoid the truck accident but crashed causing a utility pole to snap. The steering column would have crushed his chest if he had not been wearing a bullet proof vest and he had to be extricated from the car. Although the personal injuries were severe, the officer persevered through his recovery and had returned to his job even though doctors told him he might not be able to do the same type of work again. For more information on this trucking accident, click here.

A trucking accident occurred this past weekend, on October 10th, in which a garbage-hauling truck failed to slow down with traffic and hit a pickup truck on I-65. According to the Post-Tribune, no one was injured and the truck accident occurred when the garbage truck driver temporarily fell asleep at the wheel. At this point it is unknown whether the garbage truck drive was issued any citations. For more information on this I-65 trucking accident, click here.

A LaPorte County truck accident occurred on October 11th, in which a woman and her three children were seriously injured. According to the South Bend Tribune, the Westville truck accident occurred when the car the woman and children were in was stopped to turn left into a pumpkin patch and a pickup truck struck the car. The driver of the truck told police that he took his eyes off the road for a minute and this is what caused the accident. No one in the accident suffered life-threatening injuries and are expected to recover fully. For more information on this pickup truck accident, click here.

A trucking accident occurred in Towanda on October 8th when two police cars and two semitrailer trucks got into a crash. The cop cars were on a traffic stop and ended up sandwiched between the two trucks on I-55. According to The Pantagraph, the trucking accident is still under investigation and no information on whether citations have been issued at this point is known. Luckily, no one was seriously personally injured in the trucking accident, but the cars and trucks suffered serious damage. For more information on this trucking accident, click here.

An Illinois man was killed in a trucking accident in which a semi-tractor trailer hit two cars that were slowed down because of lane closures on I-43 in the Town of Belgium on October 8th. According to the Ozaukee Press, the driver of one of the passenger cars struck was killed instantly and his wife, a passenger in his car, was taken to a local hospital for treatment of her personal injures. The two people in the other passenger car that was struck by the truck were also taken a local hospital for treatment of their severe personal injuries. The driver of the semi that struck the cars said that he was distracted at the time of the trucking accident and failed to see that the cars were slowed down in front of him. The truck driver was not seriously injured and an investigation is ongoing to see if charges are warranted. For more information on this fatal trucking accident, click here.

A Chicago man was killed on September 22nd after his car crossed the median on I-94 and crashed into a truck that was carrying cars, that was travelling in the opposite direction. The truck accident occurred near New Buffalo in Berrien County and the truck driver was not injured in the accident. According to WSJM, heavy rain may have been a cause of the accident. For more information on this fatal truck accident, click here.

A settlement has been reached in connection with a 2007 truck accident in which a teenage woman from Lawrence Park Township was left permanently disabled with a moderate brain injury. According to Go Erie, the truck accident occurred when a minivan collided with a tractor-trailer in Harborcreek Township at Nagle Road and Iroquois Avenue. The victim was a passenger in the van at the time of the truck accident and was not wearing a seatbelt. The settlement involved both driver’s insurance companies agreeing to pay a total of $450,000 with neither party admitting any wrongdoing. For more information on this truck accident settlement, click here.

A settlement has been reached with VH1 and the family of a West Side college student in connection with a fatal truck accident that occurred downstate last year. The truck accident was between a “Rock of Love with Brett Michaels” truck and a passenger car in which two college students were driving. The truck driver fell asleep at the wheel and struck the car killing both students. According to the Chicago Tribune, the family of one of the victims sued VH1, the parent company behind the show, and earlier this week the Judge approved a settlement agreement for $6.5 million. For more information on this fatal truck accident, click here.

A Morton truck accident that occurred last week and injured 12 people, 4 of which were children, is believed to have been alcohol-related. According to the Pekin Times, the truck driver that caused the truck accident was driving very fast and passing cars while in a no-passing zone. The driver also had his driver’s license suspended for a previous DUI and following the truck accident his blood alcohol content was more than 3 times the legal limit in Illinois. The driver has been cited with a DUI, reckless driving and driving on a suspended license and at this point criminal charges have not yet been filed. For more information on this drunk driving accident, click here.

A Bloomington man was sentenced to 13 years in prison in connection with an August 2008 truck accident in which he was drunk and caused the crash in which two men were killed. The truck he was driving hit a tree and the two Chicago-area passengers in the truck with him were killed as a result of the crash. According to the Pantagraph, this was not the first alcohol-related incident that the driver has been involved in, he was also arrested in 2004 for driving under the influence. For more information on this DUI car accident verdict, click here.

An Illinois woman was seriously injured when the car she was driving was struck by a truck in the South Loop of Chicago on September 24th. According to Chicago Breaking News, the impact of this Chicago car accident caused the victim’s car to fly about 15 feet in the air and then hit a metal pole and flip over. The victim is currently in Northwestern Memorial Hospital where she is being treated for her serious personal injuries. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

A former Peoria woman was killed on September 17th when a tire blew out on her pick-up truck and her vehicle was then struck by a semi-truck. According to the PJ Star, this Logan County truck accident occurred on the I-55 when the tire blew, the pick-up hit a barrier and then crossed into oncoming traffic where the other truck then hit the pick-up. For more information on this Logan County truck accident, click here.

A young man received major personal injuries after a truck accident that occurred on September 14th. The truck accident occurred when the victim experienced a tire problem and lost control of his car, went over the median and struck a semi-truck. The truck driver did not receive any serious personal injuries. This was the second truck accident that occurred on the same highway, I-57, that day. All lanes of traffic had just reopened when this second truck accident occurred. At this point no citations have been issued and the truck accident is still under investigation. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A formerly convicted felon was given a job as a truck driver, but immediately after starting was ticketed twice for driving for too many hours in a row, then immediately received another citation for running of the road and then one for lack of rest. Following the pressure he was receiving from the truck company, the driver ran a red light and got into a truck accident while he was trying to get his delivery done as quickly as possible. The driver now faces a truck accident lawsuit, brought by the daughter of the driver of the vehicle involved in the truck accident, for gross negligence. The truck accident lawsuit also names the truck company, stating that they rushed the driver onto the roads without adequate preparation as well as not assuring that he could actually comprehend the street signs due to a language barrier. The truck accident attorney for the Plaintiff states that the driver himself is not as big of a problem as the huge negligent mistakes that the trucking company is making in letting unprepared drivers make these trips. For more information on this truck accident lawsuit, click here.

A teen was killed in a truck accident in which he was thrown from the bed of a pickup truck after it was struck by another vehicle. Four teens were in the truck, however only the one teen was killed from his personal injuries resulting from the crash. The driver of the other car was previously charged with driving while impaired and careless and reckless driving. For more information on this tragic truck accident, click here.

A Romeoville young man was killed earlier today when his car was struck by a semi-truck. The truck accident occurred in the early morning hours and the victim was pronounced dead shortly after the crash occurred. At this point the Illinois police are still investigating the cause of the truck accident. For more information on this Will County truck accident, click here.

A Granite City man has received a 28 year sentence for pleading guilty to aggravated drunk driving in connection with a February truck accident that killed an Illinois couple and their unborn child. The truck accident occurred when the man crashed into the victim’s car going approximately 91 miles per hour while he was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit for the State of Illinois. The Defendant had five prior arrests for driving under the influence of alcohol. For more information of this fatal truck accident settlement, click here.

A motorist was killed in a car crash just north of the Chicago northwest suburb of Carpentersville. A van was heading south on Illinois Highway 31 entering a curve in the roadway. The van then entered the northbound lanes of traffic and struck a pickup truck. The truck tried to swerve to avoid colliding with the van, which struck the side of the truck and continued southbound on Illinois 31. The van then hit another pickup truck, this time the truck crash involved the trailer. The van’s driver was pronounced dead. If you have been involved in a truck accident, find an Illinois lawyer. To read more about the truck accident, please click the link.

A recent truck accident settlement resulted in the Plaintiff receiving over $1 million dollars for her personal injuries. The truck accident lawsuit was over an accident that occurred in 2006 when a gas tanker ran a red light, colliding with Plaintiff’s vehicle. Due to damage caps for non-economic damages the pain and suffering compensation that the jury awarded the victim will be reduced somewhat. Before trial, the truck company offered to settle for only $25,000.00 and the Plaintiff declined to accept that offer. For more information on this truck accident settlement, click here.

A Johnson County truck accident left the driver with minor personal injuries. The truck accident occurred after the driver fell asleep at the wheel, crossed the median and oncoming lanes and finally ended up crashing into an embankment. Another small truck was clipped during the truck accident, but the driver was not injured. For more information on this Johnson County truck accident, click here.

A Collinsville woman was killed in a truck accident on August 26th. A tractor-trailer struck a car which triggered a multi-vehicle accident which resulted in a fire. The driver of the original car that was hit is in critical condition but the passenger of the car was killed in the truck accident. Four other people involved in the crash were also hospitalized. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A Chicago truck accident that occurred on August 27th on the Dan Ryan Expressway left all northbound lanes of traffic closed for several hours. The reason for the closure was so the Illinois State Police and Illinois Department of Transportation could clean up the diesel fuel that spilled from the truck following the truck accident. Luckily, no injuries resulted and rain is believed to have contributed to the truck accident. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

A lawsuit over a truck accident that occurred last summer has been settled for over $18 million. The truck accident involved a truck driver who got distracted by his phone and then caused an accident that killed three and permanently injured another. The lawsuit was filed by the permanently injured victim and his wife after he was left unable to talk or walk as a result of the truck accident. The driver was originally cited for driving longer than the maximum hours allowed in eight days. For more information on this truck accident lawsuit settlement, click here.

Two people were killed in a truck accident on I-65 after their car blew a tire and hit a semi-truck. The truck accident occurred on August 29th and the police are still trying to figure out exactly what occurred, but it appears that the car blew a tire and then crossed the median and hit the truck. The truck then burst into flames. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

An Illinois woman was killed on August 28th when the motorcycle she was a passenger on crashed into a tractor-trailer. The motorcycle driver was hospitalized following the crash but is expected to be fine. The truck accident is believed to have been caused by a trash can that was in the road that the motorcycle driver had to swerve to avoid, causing the bike to hit the truck. For more information on this fatal motorcycle accident, click here.

A Chicago truck accident on the Dan Ryan Expressway earlier this morning shut down the northbound local lanes, after a truck jack-knifed and spilled fuel on the roadway. The truck accident occurred when the truck driver lost control on the rain covered highway and then crashed. The reason that the lanes had to be closed following the truck accident was because of the diesel fuel spill and the danger that created. The lanes have since been reopened to all traffic. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

A raised speed limit for trucks in Illinois is leading to questions as to what will result from this change. The goal is to create a smoother traffic flow, but many wonder if it will just end up leading to more truck accidents. The new law allows trucks to drive at the same speed limit as the cars. Many truck drivers already drive at these higher speeds, which leads to truck accidents with the trucks that obey the lower speed limit. The goal is that the uniform speed limit will help the traffic flow and keep the passing of vehicles down. For more information on this truck issue, click here.

A recent report shows that Illinois roads are most dangerous and accident prone late at night when the roads are virtually empty. The report points out that due to a combination of drinking and driving and failure to use seatbelts, these late night empty roads can prove to be much more dangerous than crowded rush hour streets. In order to try and help combat this problem, Illinois and local police are planning to step up traffic enforcement during these later hours. For more information on this car and truck accident study, click here.

An Illinois truck accident occurred this past weekend when a tractor-trailer collided with a car on I-95. The truck driver is in intensive care, and the four people that were in the car involved in the truck accident are in less serious condition. The truck accident occurred when the car was attempting to change lanes and hit the truck, causing the truck accident. The investigation is still being conducted and the police are asking for any witnesses of this 1-95 accident to please contact the local police. For more information on this Westbrook truck accident, click here.

An Illinois man was struck and killed by a semi-truck on the Northwest side of Chicago on August 22nd. The truck accident occurred when the pedestrian was crossing the street and was struck by a tractor-trailer. At this point no citations have been issued in connection with the truck accident. The truck accident is still under investigation. For more information on this Chicago pedestrian accident, click here.

A Chicago firefighter stopped an SUV with three children inside that had taken off after being slammed into by a truck on August 15th. The reason that the SUV took off following the truck accident was because the crash jammed the driver’s foot against the pedal. The Chicago firefighter jumped out of his fire truck and ran after the SUV, eventually catching up and then was able to pull the emergency brake which slowed the car down. The driver was listed in critical condition following the truck accident and the three kids are listed in serious condition, but luckily they were all wearing their seatbelts which probably saved their lives. The driver of the truck has been cited for failure to stop at a red light. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A Chicago motorcyclist was killed following a truck accident on August 15th on U.S. 6. The victim did not die instantly following the truck crash, but was reported to have died as a result of his personal injuries several hours later. The fatal accident occurred when the motorcycle driver tried to go around a stopped vehicle but accidentally struck the truck in the rear, throwing the victim from his motorcycle. For more information on this fatal truck accident, click here.

A south side truck accident occurred on August 15th when a car crashed into a fire truck that was on its way to a fire. Seven people were injured, five of which were firefighters. The two people that were in the passenger car were critically injured and were taken to Northwestern Memorial for treatment of their personal injuries. Of the five firefighters that were injured, one was in critical condition and the other four were listed in stable condition. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

A teenage girl was seriously injured and flown to a local hospital with life threatening injuries after the van that she was a passenger in was t-boned by a tractor-trailer. In the truck accident, the teenage girl that was seriously was sitting behind the driver of the car and one other passenger was injured as well. The other passenger that was injured suffered only minor personal injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The truck accident seems to have occurred after the driver of the van proceeded into the intersection after stopping at a stop sign, but into the path of the truck. At this point the accident is still under investigation and no citations have been issued. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A fatal truck accident occurred on June 10th that resulted in the death of a toddler due to multiple blunt force trauma. The fatal accident occurred when a car that was stopped waiting to make a right turn and a pick up truck did not notice it in time and then swerved around the car and into the lane that was going in the opposite direction striking a sports utility vehicle head on. The toddler that was fatally injured was a passenger in the truck. No one else was seriously injured but several passengers were taken to the hospital for treatment of their minor personal injuries. No citations have been issued at this time and the truck accident is still under investigation. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

Early this morning the driver of a passenger car, that was driving behind a semi, lost control of the vehicle because of wet pavement and hit a guardrail and was then knocked back into the road. The truck accident occurred when the car went back into traffic it collided with the truck and got stuck underneath the semitractor-trailer. This truck accident left no serious injuries but the two people in the passenger car were taken to local hospitals to treat their personal injuries. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A Chicago area man was charged in a tractor-trailer accident when the cargo in the truck that he was driving struck an overpass and the cargo was knocked off and landed on a sport utility vehicle, killing the driver. This fatal accident occurred because the truck driver exceeded the height limit that was set for the overpass. The truck driver says that he did not know how high the container was or how fast he was going when the fatal accident occurred. The victim’s family has filed a lawsuit against the truck driver. For more information on this fatal truck accident, click here.

On June 6th a tandem semitrailer in Southern Illinois overturned on I-57 and stopped traffic for nearly three hours. This Illinois truck accident occurred when the semi-trailer made contact with a small passenger car causing the truck to overturn and completely block traffic. The truck driver received only minor personal injuries and was taken to a local hospital for treatment. The driver and passenger of the car were not injured at all. For more information on this truck accident in Illinois, click here.

An elderly woman was killed in the northwest suburbs of Chicago when she was crossing the street and was hit by a truck that was driving down the street. This fatal accident left the pedestrian dead but no one else was seriously injured. The crash is still under investigation and both the north and southbound lanes of Elmhurst Road were closed for several hours following the fatal truck crash to allow for further investigation. For more information on this truck accident near Chicago, click here.

On the evening of June 4th in Joliet, a truck accident occurred when a semi-truck rear ended a car causing that car to hit another car. This accident caused minor personal injuries for six of the people that were involved and they were taken to a local hospital to treat their injuries. The interstate closed briefly after the truck accident but has since reopened. For more information of this truck accident, click here.

A truck accident occurred early on the morning of June 2nd when the driver of a passenger car fell asleep at the wall striking the side of a semi-truck. The semi then hit a concrete barrier wall and then overturned onto the roof of the car. Luckily, this tractor-trailer accident did not result in any serious personal injuries. Both the driver of the car and of the truck suffered minor personal injuries and were taken to local hospitals for treatment. The driver of the passenger car was charged with failure to drive in a single lane. For more information on this tractor-trailer accident, click here.

A young man was killed when he was the passenger in a car that swerved off the road into a tractor-trailer. The passenger was killed in this truck accident, but the driver of the car suffered only non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital. There is no word as to the cause of the truck accident and the local police are still investigating. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

An Illinois truck accident occurred when a gravel truck was driving along and then rolled over into a field. There is no word yet as to what the cause of the truck accident was. The driver of the truck suffered a minor cut to the hand but was not seriously injured. For more information of this Champaign County truck accident, click here.

The passenger of a car involved in a tractor-trailer accident was killed when the car he was riding in hit a parked truck. The car veered out of the lane it was in, hitting the truck. The driver went to a local residence after the truck accident to ask the residents to call police and the fire department to the scene. The driver was not seriously injured but was taken to a local hospital after the accident. The driver of the car was charged with driving under the influence and speeding when the truck accident occurred. For more information of this truck accident, click here.

A Chicago resident was killed in a truck accident when the motor scooter he was driving crashed into a truck that was turning into a truck yard. The scooter hit the back of the truck that was stopped waiting to turn into the truck yard. The scooter slid under the truck and the driver was unresponsive when medical personnel arrived. The driver was pronounced dead later in the day. The truck driver suffered no personal injuries. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

On May 22nd, a Chicago tractor-trailer accident caused a 90-minute delay in traffic. The truck’s brakes caught fire and the fire spread to the truck itself, and the truck accident had to be treated as a hazardous situation because the truck contained diesel fuel and it was leaking. Luckily, no one was injured. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

A truck accident occurred when a car heading north on Illinois 76 in Belvidere was struck by a tractor-trailer while the car was trying to turn left. The driver of the car was killed immediately and the driver of the truck was taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

The Chicago driver of a truck is being charged after speeding and causing a multiple car accident. The truck sideswiped one vehicle, while traveling down Skokie Boulevard, and then continued on and then rear ended another vehicle, causing the car to become airborne and fly over a third car. The speeding truck flipped over and landed on its roof. The truck accident resulted in two of the people involved, including the driver of the truck, to be hurt and need to go to the hospital. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

The driver of a passenger van was driving down the highway and switched lanes and then was immediately hit by a tractor-trailer. The tractor-trailer landed on top of the van and both vehicles caught on fire. The driver and passenger of the passenger van were killed when their van caught fire, but the truck driver suffered only minor injuries as a result of the truck accident. All three people involved were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A pedestrian was killed earlier today in a tractor-trailer accident. The pedestrian had car trouble, pulled over and exited his car and then the truck accident occurred. The driver of the truck did not notice the pedestrian standing next to his car and struck him from behind, instantly killing him. The truck driver suffered no injuries. For more information on the tractor-trailer accident, click here.

Three victims who sustained serious personal injuries in an Illinois truck accident in December have filed a complaint against the truck driver and company that owns the truck. The lawsuit alleges that the truck driver negligently struck the vehicle that the victims were riding in. The complaint further alleges that the truck driver was driving too fast and did not maintain a proper lookout. The victims are suing for pain & suffering, medical costs, loss of income and property damage, all a result of the truck accident. Read more about this Illinois truck accident.

A couple from St. Charles, IL was involved in a serious truck accident while driving out-of-state. The husband died in the crash and his wife was hospitalized with injuries. The accident involved four vehicles- two semi-trucks, a car and a van. Along with the St. Charles couple, a woman from Milan, IL was also killed in the truck accident. The accident happened when one of the trucks slammed into the other three vehicles as they all approached a construction area. Follow the link provide to learn more about this tragic trucking accident.

The family of a 19-year-old man killed in a truck accident in August 2008 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the truck’s driver and owner. The complaint alleges that the accident occurred after the truck driver illegally made a U-turn in an emergency crossover. The truck drove out of the crossover at dangerously slow speeds, causing the victim to crash into the back of the truck. The victim was killed in the accident. After the accident, the driver was fined for using the crossover illegally. Read more about this truck accident.

A truck driver has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for a tractor trailer accident that killed three people last July. According to the Chicago Tribune, the driver is being held in a St. Louis prison on $250,000 bond. The fatal truck accident occurred when the truck driver collided with several vehicles, eventually coming to a stop with one car stuck under his truck. A driver from Caseyville, IL and two Amish people were among the victims of the horrific crash. Read more about the truck accident by following the link.

A 57-year-old man and a toddler were both injured in an accident on April 14 when their Jeep SUV collided with a truck. According to police reports, the driver was traveling southbound when his vehicle crossed the center line and hit the tractor-trailer head on. Emergency workers extricated the man from the SUV and took him to a local hospital. The toddler was removed from the vehicle by his mother and also taken to a hospital with minor injuries. The truck driver suffered no serious injuries in the accident. The report did not elaborate on what may have caused the driver to drift into the path of the truck. Click on the link to read the full story of this truck accident.

An accident involving a box truck and two cars resulted in one death and several injuries. The accident happened at an intersection, when two cars were waiting at a stop light. The box truck driver did not notice that the vehicles were stopped and rear ended one of the cars. This collision sent the car crashing into the car in front of it, causing it to burst into flames. The driver of the middle car was killed and two people in the front car were hospitalized. The road was closed for five hours after the truck accident. Read the full account of the accident by following the link.

An accident in southern Illinois on April 9 left one man dead. The accident occurred when the deceased driver hydroplaned and lost control of his vehicle. His car ran into the median and then swerved back into traffic in front of a tractor trailer truck. The truck slammed into the car, killing the driver. The truck driver was not injured in the accident. According to a report in the Belleville News Democrat, traffic on the highway was backed up for over two miles and it took three hours for normal traffic to resume. Read more about this Illinois truck accident by clicking through the link.

Attorneys representing a family whose son was killed in a truck accident in St. Clair County, IL filed a lawsuit on behalf of the family. The lawsuit names the truck driver and Enterprise Leasing Company, the company who rented the truck to the driver, as defendants. According to the lawsuit, the truck driver rented the truck from Enterprise Leasing Company and was traveling west bound on a bridge when he illegally tried to pass a tractor trailer. He came into the eastbound lanes of the bridge and collided with the victim’s vehicle. The Madison St. Clair Record reports that the lawsuit alleges the truck driver was driving at a high rate of speed in a no passing zone. They are suing Enterprise for not determining if the driver was fit to drive the truck according to traffic laws before they rented him the vehicle. Follow the link to read the entire report on this tragic St. Clair County truck accident.

Two people from Arcola, IL were taken to the hospital after being involved in an accident near Mansfield. The accident occurred as their Ford Taurus attempted to pass a semi-truck in the westbound lanes of the highway. The truck veered into the left lane, forcing the victim’s car off of the road, where it hit an embankment, flipped and slid into the eastbound lanes. The victims had to be cut out of their car and were taken to a local hospital. Neither was seriously injured and both were released. According to an article in the Danville News Gazette, the truck driver was cited for “improper lane usage.” Read more about the truck accident.

A jury in Will County, IL recently awarded the victims of a trucking accident more than $23 million. The victims of the accident brought the lawsuit against the driver of a truck hauling potatoes and the trucking company.

The accident, which occurred in Joliet, IL, was caused when the defendant driver’s tractor trailer collided with the first victim’s car as it slowed for an unrelated accident. This caused a chain-reaction crash involving two more tractor trailer trucks and three cares. The truck accident left two people dead and five others injured. According to the report, the truck driver was cited for false entries in her log book and driving with a suspended driver’s license.

Read about the truck accident verdict.

Two accidents involving five vehicles- two tractor trailers, two cars and an SUV- occurred within minutes of each other. The truck accidents led to multiple personal injuries and four people were taken to the hospital. The first accident occurred when a car and tractor trailer collided. This resulted in a back-up of cars and trucks and another accident occurred shortly after involving three more vehicles.

The driver of the car in the first accident was suspected of driving under the influence and was arrested. He, along with several other people, suffered injuries and were taken to local hospitals. Several lanes of the highway were blocked following the truck accidents.

To read about the events surrounding the truck accidents, follow the link.

The driver of a minivan and his passenger both suffered injuries in an accident involving a tractor trailer truck. According to local police, the truck was attempting to pull out of a private drive and became stuck in the driveway. The trailer portion of the truck was sticking out onto the road when the 83-yr-old minivan driver ran into the truck. Both the driver and his 75-yr-old passenger sustained personal injuries and were each taken to local hospitals. The condition of the truck driver was not listed. Read coverage of this truck accident.

An elderly man was killed instantly when he drove his car under a tractor trailer on February 22. The driver of the tractor-trailer was pulling out of a parking lot when the accident occurred. The older man did not see the truck pulling onto the road and drove his Buick Century underneath the trailer of the truck. Upon arriving at the scene of the truck accident, police pronounced the 88-year-old man dead. Click on the link to read about this tractor trailer accident.

A 58-year-old man was killed when his Ford F-150 ran a red light and was broadsided by a tractor trailer truck. After the initial collision, both vehicles collided with two other passenger vehicles. The driver of the pick-up sustained serious injuries in the collision and later died as he was being transported from the scene of the accident. The tractor trailer operator, along with the drivers of the other two vehicles did not suffer serious injuries. Police officers reported that the deceased was not wearing a seat belt when the truck accident occurred. Read more about this fatal accident.

Early this morning, all outbound lanes were closed on the Kennedy expressway in Chicago after a vehicle struck a semi truck and then rolled over. Two people received personal injuries in the truck accident. Lanes on the expressway have since been reopened.

For the full article.

The outbound lanes of the Stevenson Expressway were moving slowly after a rollover automobile accident shut the time. The truck crash occurred in the evening on the Chicago expressway. Three people were in a red pickup truck that hit a concrete barrier and flipped. All three people were responsive, but they were pinned inside the truck and firefighters had to extricate them. They were all taken to the hospital with personal injuries and are in serious condition. To read more about truck accidents, click here.

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed in Kane County, Illinois by Levin & Perconti’s John J. Perconti. The lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a woman who was killed last fall in a serious trucking accident. The 32-year-old woman, along with her husband and 3-year-old son, were struck by a truck, causing their car to crash into the Illinois Department of Transportation dump truck in front of them. The woman’s husband and son were both seriously injured in the car crash. Allegedly, half of the brakes on the semitrailer that crashed into the family were not properly functioning and the truck driver had marijuana in his system. The personal injury lawsuit has been filed, but although the death was ruled a homicide, criminal charges have yet to be made.

For the Daily Herald article, click here.
For the Northwest Herald article, click here.

Recently, two deaths have been caused by truck accidents at monster truck shows. A 41-year-old man was killed after being crushed when one of the trucks crashed into him. Apparently, the man was struck after stepping in front of a truck. Eight days earlier, a 6-year-old boy died when flying debris at a separate monster truck show hit him. Both families have yet to file wrongful death lawsuits. Read more about these truck accidents here.

At least five personal injury lawsuits have been filed as the six month anniversary of a tragic truck accident and ten car pile-up near the Illinois-Missouri border approaches. The truck driver who caused the automobile accidents was reportedly distracted by a cell phone when he ran into a line of 10 vehicles injuring 15 motorists and causing the wrongful death of three other victims on July 15. The family of Charles Cason, 55, of Caseyville, Illinois has filed a civil personal injury lawsuit in response to Cason’s death immediately after the truck accident. At least four other victims have filed lawsuits against the truck driver and the truck company. For the full story, click here.

A Chicago train line faced delays after a deadly train accident occurred near Gary, Indiana. The accident resulted in a car accident fatality where the driver of a car was alleged to have run into the train. There is no word yet on if a personal injury lawsuit will be filed by train passengers or if defective railroad gates are to blame. The car train accident has left the automobile driver dead but there were no injured train passengers. To read more about this story click here.

CNN posted a video today of a truck crashing into a car during a high-speed chase. The truck accident scene is quite frightening.

A New Lenox couple and a Joliet man were killed this morning in an automobile accident in a southwest suburb of Chicago. The automobile accident was a head-on collision between two pickup trucks on an icy patch of road. Police are still trying to determine the cause of the truck accident.

For the full article.

Multiple people were sent to the hospital today after personal injuries received in an automobile accident involving a CTA bus in Chicago. The Chicago bus accident occurred around 1:00 pm today. The bus was struck by a vehicle as the bus was crossing the intersection. After the initial collision, a bicycle accident occurred as the bus hit a cyclist. The personal injuries received resulted in conditions labeled from good to serious-to-critical.

For the full article.

Icy roads are prone to create truck accidents and car accidents. As Chicago, Illinois faces heavy snowfalls drivers need to be extra careful to follow the speed limits and take extra precautions. Regardless of how careful a driver can be snow and ice can cause multiple car crashes on toll roads. A recent truck accident caused a death toll of four dead accident victims and other car accident injuries on an Indiana toll road. Two of the four dead individuals were Marines. As winter conditions worsen drivers are cautioned to drive slowly and to stay away from large trucks and semitrailers who may easily spin out of control and cause injuries or death. To read the full story on this recent car and truck accident click here.

Worshipers at St. Gertrude’s Catholic Church in Chicago mourned two longtime parishioners always looking to volunteer after they were killed when their car crashed into a semi-truck. The truck accident also personally injured two other parishioners, ages 70 and 75. Police said that their car most likely hit an icy patch in southern DeKalb, Illinois, lost control and drove onto oncoming traffic in the truck accident. The truck’s driver tried to avoid hitting the car but since the roads were snow-covered and icy he could not avoid the automobile accident. The two women are currently in serious and critical condition with personal injuries at the hospital. The two others were pronounced dead at the scene. At this time, no wrongful death lawsuits have been filed. To read the full story, click here.

Two children, aged 2 and 5, were killed and two more severely injured in a Texas truck accident caused in part by a distracted truck driver. The truck driver lost control while reaching for a cigarette, causing the 18-wheeler loaded with frozen chickens to flip. Moments later, a car carrying six passengers crashed into the overturned truck. A two-year-old and a five-year-old died at the scene and a one-year-old and fourteen-year-old were airlifted to an Austin, Texas hospital with serious injuries.

For the full story, click here.

This video shows the results of recent safety testing on small pickup trucks and provides some insight into how these vehicles would perform in an automobile accident or truck accident. Notably, pickup trucks have a tough image, but the tests show that most small trucks have an increased risk of internal injuries, spinal injuries, and head injuries from an accident. In fact, not all manufacturers include a full range of airbags and these manufacturers avoid providing all safety features as standard equipment, possibly making their products more dangerous.

The husband and daughter of a woman killed in a truck accident have received a $1.5 million dollar settlement that will be held in investments for the daughter until she reaches age 18. In a bizarre twist of events, her mother was killed while helping the victim of a hit and run automobile accident that had just happened. The woman comforted the hit and run victim on the roadside as a truck came across the road and hit her. The family filed a truck accident lawsuit for the woman’s wrongful death by truck accident. The settlement will provide for the daughter’s future expenses.

Read more here.

A jury awarded $15 Million in a truck accident case to a teenager who was hit by a truck in a car accident at age 14. The jury found that the correct compensation for the teenager included $3.57 million for future medical expenses, $1.07 million for future lost earnings, and $10 million for past and future pain and suffering. The trucking company’s parent company accepted full responsibility for the incident.

See the story here.

A Southern Illinois University senior was killed recently when his car was hit from behind by a semi truck in a semi truck accident. The student’s car was stopped behind another truck in a construction zone when the driver of the semi failed to stop, slamming into the back of his car and killing him. The driver of the semi truck was ticketed for failing to reduce speed and admitted that he did not see the car because he was adjusting the radio. There is no word yet if a wrongful death lawsuit will be filed in this case.

See the news story here.

Levin & Perconti filed a personal injury lawsuit in Chicago for their client’s personal injuries in an automobile accident. The injured woman was driving towards an exit ramp on an expressway when an Illinois State Toll Highway Authority vehicle failed to exercise due care and caused an automobile accident. The woman sustained personal injures as a result of the accident. Levin & Perconti filed the car accident lawsuit in Chicago, Cook County.

According to the Chicago Police Department, the truck driver whose semi truck crashed into the CTA Red Line station on Cermak last week possessed prescription drugs that were not prescribed to him. While in custody, the driver refused a urine test, a method police often use to detect controlled substances, and behaved oddly, leading some to suspect that he may have been under the influence of drugs when the truck crashed. Currently, Chicago lawyers have filed personal injury lawsuits in Chicago against the driver and have named the trucking company, Whiteline Express, in the truck accident lawsuit. Chicago Police plan to interview other semi truck drivers to determine if it is common for semi truck drivers to use controlled substances at work.

Please read more here.

The investigation into the horrific semi truck accident at the CTA’s Cermak red line stop last week continues. Currently, the Chicago Police Department is investigating the truck crash to determine if any foul pay was afoot, if the driver’s fatigue or substance use may have caused the crash, or if mechanical error caused the truck to crash. As of today, the Chicago Police Department has only given the driver a negligent driving ticket; this may mean that negligent driving caused a truck accident.

Read more here.

A semi truck accident occurred on Friday, April 25 at the Cermak/Chinatown CTA Red Line station. According to witnesses, the semi truck appeared out of control as it hit first the CTA bus stop and then the Cermak station staircase. 2 pedestrians were killed by the runaway semi truck in today's truck accident. Multiple other pedestrians were injured and the CTA public transit accident disrupted train service. Witnesses reported that one victim was pinned under the back wheels of the truck and likely sustained serious body injuries from the truck accident. This is the second public transit accident in Chicago in two weeks, following a recent Blue Line train evacuation.

Read the full story here.

The US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics has some interesting information on fatal automobile crashes that may challenge some perceptions about driving conditions and the risk for fatal automobile accidents and fatal truck accidents. Saturday is the most dangerous day, followed closely by Sunday. Nighttime and adverse conditions are not as problematic as many think: nearly half of all fatal automobile accidents happened during daylight and almost 90% happened on a clear day without any rain or snow. In fact, fatal accidents during snowy conditions barely account for 2% of all fatal accidents.

See the chart here.

Light truck accidents, which include pickup truck accidents, SUV accidents, truck-based station wagon accidents, and utility truck accidents, occurred more than 4 million times per year recently according to the US Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Large truck accidents, which includes tractor-trailer accidents and semi accidents only numbered over 400,000. This means that light truck accidents are 100 times more common than large truck accidents. Of fatal truck accidents, light truck accidents accounted for 12,975 of 13,778 total fatal truck accidents in 2005.

See the BTS table here.

More than 800,000 owners of Ford Explorer SUVs won a products liability class action lawsuit against the manufacturer. The owners sued Ford Motors because their trucks lost valued because of the perceived risk of truck rollover accidents. Some Ford trucks rolled over during accidents or normal driving leading to serious injury, lifetime paralysis, and wrongful death. One victim who was paralyzed permanently when her truck rolled over received an $82 million verdict in a suit against the truck manufacturer.

For more information, click here.

A state Supreme Court has upheld a $13.3 million jury verdict awarded in a wrongful death lawsuit for the widower of a woman killed in a fiery truck crash. The woman was driving a Ford Motor Company Mercury Marquis when a truck slammed into the back of her car, causing the car’s towing hitch to rupture the faulty gas tank. Notably, Ford previously refused to produce crash test results during the truck accident lawsuit.

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The family of a US Soldier filed and won a wrongful death lawsuit against a Kuwait-based contractor after one of the company's vehicles collided with the soldier's Humvee in a truck accident. The soldier was killed while in Iraq and his family was awarded $5 million in the verdict. The lawsuit claimed that the company was negligent for its failure to provide safe passage on the road where the soldier was struck and killed. The US District Court Judge found that a US court did have jurisdiction over the foreign contractor and could legally find it negligent. This suit theoretically opens the door to more foreign contractor lawsuits.

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Truck accidents are one of the most deadly and dangerous types of automobile accidents because the two motor vehicles can vary greatly in size and power. Some accidents can be caused by weather or an outside force, but too many result from the negligence of the driver. In recent years, truck traffic has increased, as have complaints of excessive speed by truck drivers. A family of five was recently killed by a truck driver in an accident. The family's car was stopped at an intersection when a truck pummeled into car killing the occupants almost instantly. The truck driver is being charged with five counts of dangerous driving causing death. The driver refused to provide a breath sample at the scene, but police reports indicate that excessive speed and alcohol were contributors. A wrongful death lawsuit against the truck driver has yet to be filed.

The family of a man killed in a bus accident involving a collision with a pickup truck is suing the driver of the bus, along with the operator and owner. The personal injury attorney filed a lawsuit alleging that the three defendants were negligent. The incident was blamed on driver fatigue; the bus veered off the road, colliding with the truck. Several other passengers were injured. The family is also asking that the bus company be shut down based on its failure to properly assess drivers' qualifications and history.

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The Illinois wrongful death lawsuit brought by the family of a 15-year-old in Southern Illinois has resulted in a $10 million ruling in Saline County Circuit Court. The teen was killed in an automobile accident after the car he was in was struck by a farm truck. The defendants admitted negligence; the truck failed to stop at an intersection, striking the victim's car and ejecting him and another passenger from the vehicle. The injuries sustained by the teen resulted in his death. Such a high award is uncommon in Southern Illinois, but in this case the court found that the survivors of the teen had incurred a significant loss of society and that the wrongful death warranted the compensation of $10 million.

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A Cook County jury recently awarded $20.2 million in an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit to the families of three dead teens after it was found that the driver of a truck was mostly at fault for causing the automobile accident that lead to the wrongful deaths. The accident occurred five years ago over July 4th weekend in Indiana, when the teens were driving through an intersection on their way to see fireworks. Although initial media reports indicated that the teen driver was at fault, attorneys for the teen showed at trial that no alcohol or drugs were in any of the teens’ systems and that the driver did not even tap the brakes until 3 seconds after the truck and the car collided. The truck driver also had a history of falsifying driving records and had exceeded the number of hours he could drive for that week.

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In yesterday's Minneapolis bridge collapse 50 vehicles are said to be trapped, 4 people are confirmed dead, 20-30 people are still missing and 79 people were injured. Officials said that they expected the death toll to rise. Six years ago, the Minnesota Department of Transportation found minor problems with the bridge and a study suggested that if one of two support planes cracked the bridge could collapse. However, this was found to be unlikely and replacement of the bridge unnecessary. Two years ago, however, the US Department of Transportation said that the bridge was structurally deficient and received a rating of 4 on a scale of 1 to 10, meaning that there is "advanced section loss, deterioration."

The National Transportation Safety Board is sending investigators to the site of the collapse but a spokesperson remarked that the focus has to be on emergency response. While they will be performing a full forensic analysis to see what caused the collapse, the NTSB emphasized that right now, it is more important to rescue every person possible.

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