Illinois Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

Earlier today, ABCLocal.com reported a devastating six-vehicle accident on the Dan Ryan that resulted in two fatalities. A Chicago accident lawyer at our office read the article which revealed that the fatal accident transpired last night at around 11:30 p.m. near 47th Street. The initial accident transpired when a Chicago tour bus driver collided into a semi tractor-trailer, ultimately causing the commercial vehicle to jackknife. However, the semi truck was able to straighten out its trailer and subsequently fled the scene.

In an attempt to avoid the initial collision, a passenger vehicle swerved out of the way and proceeded to collided into an additional semi truck. A minivan, traveling behind the accident, ultimately collided into the second semi truck as well. Unfortunately, two of the passengers in the minivan were killed in the Illinois trucking accident. An additional passenger in the minivan required advanced medical attention for injuries sustained in the accident.

According to Illinois State Police, the van’s driver will face charges for their role in the accident in which alcohol is believed to have played a role. Four other individuals involved in the six-vehicle accident sustained non-life threatening injuries. The cause of the initial accident remains unknown, however, weather conditions may have played a role given that the roads were wet from rain and sleet. Local authorities are still conducting a search in attempt to locate the first semi truck.

Any Chicago truck accident attorney will tell you that when driver negligence plays a role in any type of motor vehicle accident, accident victims may be able to seek compensation for injuries sustained as a result. Drivers of all types of vehicles have a duty to exercise reasonable care when operating their vehicle and when that duty is violated, criminal and/or civil penalties may result. Driver negligence can include the following factors:

- Under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Speeding
- Disregard for weather or traffic conditions
- Intentional or reckless operational conduct

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an Illinois motor vehicle accident, it is important to seek legal aid as soon as possible. These types of accidents, especially Illinois truck accidents, are particularly destructive and can cause severe personal injury and untimely death. Our Chicago trucking accident lawyers ensure that our clients receive proper compensation for the ill effects of motor vehicle accidents and make certain that negligent drivers are held liable for their wrongful actions.

Earlier today, our Chicago truck accident attorneys read a report on ChicagoTribune.com detailing an early morning semi truck accident that occurred on the Dan Ryan. At around 1 a.m., inbound local lanes near 57th street had to be shut down as a result of the collision in which one truck jackknifed. Although the initial cause of the collision remains unknown, authorities state that the accident involved multiple semi tractor-trailers. Several injuries were sustained by those involved, but none were considered life-threatening. Illinois police anticipated lanes to remain closed for an extended time, but the crash scene was able to be cleaned faster than expected and all lanes are reopened.

Given the increasing number of vehicles operated on the roadways in the United States each day, driver safety must always be exercised – especially by drivers of large commercial vehicles. With semi truck drivers spending a majority of their year out on our nation’s roads, safety rules and regulations are implemented to prevent accidents resulting in injury – or even fatality. Unfortunately, unsafe semi truck driving habits plague our roadways and result in thousands of injuries and fatalities each year. In 2006, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted a study which discovered that over 4,995 people are killed each year due to a large truck crash, while over 106,000 injuries resulted in these accidents.

Drivers of large commercial vehicles are required by federal and state laws to safely operate their vehicle, as well as, exercise a reasonable level of care on our roadways. More often than not, failure to safely operate a semi truck increases the likelihood of accidents involving injury or even death. These types of accidents include those involving drunk and/or hit-and-run drivers, uninsured or underinsured motorists, in addition to, accidents occurring from semi truck collisions and rollovers. In a civil court of law, drivers who carelessly operate their vehicle may be held legally liable for negligence if they caused an accident resulting in the harm of another.

Our Illinois truck accident lawyers share comprehensive knowledge when handling any and all types of motor vehicle accidents. Victims of these types of accidents may be able to seek legal relief from the damages they have sustained as a result of another’s negligence. These damages include but are not limited to: cost of medical expenses, loss of wages, as well as, physical and emotional pain and suffering. Those who knowingly commit negligent acts should be held legally responsible for the harm inflicted. If you or someone you know has been involved in an Illinois semi truck accident, please contact our experienced Chicago accident attorneys for a free consultation to see what legal rights may be available to you.

Recently, our Chicago semi truck accident attorneys read a report on MyFoxChicago.com detailing a rush hour semi truck collision that resulted in one fatality. A semi tractor-trailer was traveling northbound on I-394 when it crossed the center median and entered the southbound lane. Upon entering the southbound lane, the semi truck collided with a SUV. The collision caused the SUV to burst into flames resulting in the death of the 49 year-old female driver. While the initial cause of the accident remains unknown, authorities state that there was no indication that alcohol or drugs played a factor in the accident. Illinois police are looking into the semi truck driver’s logs to determine if the driver may have been fatigued at the time of the collision.

Every year, semi truck accidents kill over 5,000 people and injure nearly over 150,000 – according to SafeRoads.org. When a semi truck is operated by a fatigued driver, the risk for these types of accidents substantially increases. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, more than 750 people die and 20,000 are injured each year as a direct result of fatigued commercial vehicle drivers. Although the FMCSA provides federal regulations that limit the hours of services in which semi truck drivers are permitted to operate, often times semi drivers are pressured by their trucking companies to meet deadlines and arrive quickly at their destinations. In addition, many trucking companies give their drivers financial incentives to drive as many miles as possible in order to transport more freight.

The news report does not confirm if whether the semi truck driver is currently facing any charges or if the family of the deceased woman is seeking legal action. From our experience as Chicago truck accident attorneys, it appears as though this is a wrongful death lawsuit. Wrongful death cases arise when the wrongful or negligent conduct of another causes a premature death. The family of the deceased may be able to seek damages including: medical, funeral, and burial expenses, as well as, punitive damages that punish the wrongdoer’s negligent behavior.

Since 1992, our Illinois injury attorneys have represented clients in all types of accident cases, including semi truck accident lawsuits. Truck drivers have an increased responsibility to safely operate large commercial vehicles in order to prevent accidents such as this one from occurring. When truck drivers operate in a negligent way that causes an accident, they may be held legally liable for the damages incurred. If you or a loved one has been harmed as a result of a trucking accident, please contact a Chicago accident attorney to see what legal rights may be available to you.

Our Chicago semi truck accident attorneys recently read a report on MyFoxChicago.com detailing a fatal semi truck accident that resulted in the fatality of a semi truck driver. The accident, which occurred on northbound U.S. Highway 41 at Half Day Road, involved multiple vehicles – including two semi trucks and four passenger vehicles. While the cause of the accident is currently still under investigations, local authorities state that one of the semis is reported to have rear ended the other – ultimately causing a collision into four other vehicles. The 51 year old semi truck driver that caused the initial collision was pronounced dead at the scene. The other truck driver, as well as, one of the passenger vehicle drivers was taken to the local hospital for their injuries.

Our blogs frequently discuss the increasing epidemic of fatal semi truck accidents. The United States Department of Transportation estimates that over 500,000 truck accidents occur each year. It is important that now, more than ever, drivers operate their vehicles with the utmost standard of care. Various rules and regulations created by federal and state governments establish safe truck driving techniques. These techniques are the minimum standard of care for the safe operation of a truck – according to CrashForensics.com. These standards of care are established to control the dangers associated with operating a large commercial vehicle. When these standards are violated and an accident ensues, the truck driver and their company may be liable for negligence.

Every year, our experienced Illinois truck accident attorneys handle a variety of cases involving semi truck accidents. Given the sheer size and weight of large commercial vehicles, any accident in which they are involved are particularly devastating. Victims of semi truck accidents often sustained serious harm including: broken bones, loss of limbs, as well as, injuries to the brain and spinal cord. If you or a loved one has been involved in a semi truck accident, it is important to seek experienced accident attorneys to help maximize your claim.

Our Illinois personal injury attorneys provide qualified legal representation to those who have been victims of careless and negligent driving accidents. Our attorneys ensure that our clients are properly compensated for their devastating injuries and losses. We hold truck drivers, as well as, their companies liable for their failure to safely operate large commercial vehicles. Victims of these accidents may be able to seek compensation for various damages including: loss of wages, pain and suffering, as well as, punitive damages that punish the wrongdoer’s negligent behavior. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a semi truck accident, please contact a Chicago accident attorney to help evaluate your case.

Earlier today, our Chicago truck accident attorneys read a report on ABCLocal.com detailing a semi truck accident on the Dan Ryan. The semi truck jack-knifed on the ramp near 26th Street at around noon and caused diesel fuel to leak from the truck. Traffic on the Dan Ryan came to a complete halt for over four hours as a hazardous material team cleans the roads. While the cause of the accident is unknown, the truck driver remained uninjured and the accident caused no other crashes.

Although this semi truck accident resulted in no injuries or fatalities, often times accidents involving hazardous materials can often prove deadly. A study was conducted by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in 2004 investigating crashes involving trucks carrying hazardous materials. The study found that of the 800,000 shipments of hazardous materials each year by commercial trucks, over 200 are involved in fatal crashes while 5,000 trucks are involved in non-fatal crashes. Although this number is substantially smaller than the total of trucks involved in crashes, the potential for injury and property damage in hazardous material crashes is significantly greater.

The United States Department of Transportation holds drivers of hazardous materials to strict regulations to avoid such deadly accidents. These regulations cover various regulations involving the loading and operating of hazardous materials. The state of Illinois also regulates the transportation of hazardous material. Illinois has the ability to suspend or restrict a driver from transporting hazmat materials, as well as, impose a $10,000 fine to a driver or their company if they are found in violations of federal or state regulations.

When truck drivers and their companies fail to adhere to federal and state hazardous material regulations, serious injury and death can occur. Truck drivers are held to an increased standard of care when operating these types of vehicles to ensure the safety of themselves as well as the drivers around them. If the standard of care is overlooked and an accident resulting injury or death occurs, the driver may be held liable for his or her negligence. The victim or their family may be able to file suit against the truck driver and their company for the damages incurred.

Our Illinois accident attorneys have extensive knowledge and experience when handling trucking accidents. These types of accidents are life altering and many times legal action can and should be sought. If you or your family has been affected by a truck accident, please contact a Chicago personal injury attorney to see what legal rights may be available to you.

Recently, our Chicago semi truck accident attorneys read a report on TinleyParkPatch.com detailing the aftermath of a semi truck whose contents spilled onto LaGrange Road. The semi truck driver was unaware that his cargo containing a soil mixture had spilled out onto the 17700 block of LaGrange Road until other vehicles began honking to alert the driver. Due to the rainy weather condition, the spilled soil ultimately turned the roadway into a mudslide from blocks 17200 to 17700. Upon investigation, the semi truck driver was arrest and charged with various counts.

The various charges the semi truck driver received stemmed from the investigation conducted at the scene. It was discovered that the driver had a warrant out for his arrest for failure to appear in Bensenville for driving without a license and operating an uninsured vehicle. During investigation of the semi truck, authorities charged the driver with driving an unsafe vehicle, spilling a load onto the roadways, in addition to, driving a semi truck with unsafe tires. Fortunately, no other vehicles were harmed as a result of the soil-filled roadways.

An improperly secured semi truck load can be disastrous for surrounding vehicles, as well as, roadways. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrations Driver’s Handbook, cargo being transported on highways must remain secured on or within the transporting vehicle. Cargo must remain secured so that it does not: leak, spill, fall off vehicle, and/or shift. An improperly secured load can ultimately result in devastating consequences such as: loss of life, loss of load, damage to cargo or vehicle, accidents, as well as, severe fines issued the driver and their company
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Recently, the FMCSA completed a study which reviewed the comparative risks associated with the transportation of hazardous and non-hazardous materials by semi trucks. According to the study, semi truck accidents caused by non-hazardous material (such as soil mixture) have become increasing common. Each year, the annual number of non-hazardous material accidents is estimated to be well over 125,000. Of the 125,000 non-HM accidents, 109,000 injuries and 5,000 fatalities were reported. In addition, accidents caused by cargo spills accounted for over 2,500 accidents.

Our Illinois accident attorneys recognize the immediate harm that can result from an accident caused by a semi truck and its contents. Even if a passenger vehicle practices extreme caution around a semi truck, an improperly secured semi truck load may cause severe and life-threatening damages. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as the result of an improperly secured truck load, you may be able to seek compensation for the damages incurred. Contact a Chicago truck accident attorney to see what legal rights may be available to you.

Our Chicago trucking accident lawyers just learned of a fatal accident involving a tractor trailer truck and a tour bus that occurred early this morning. Reports from CBS News indicate that at least one person, the semi-truck driver, was killed, and over thirty other people sustained injuries. The Spectator reported that the accident occurred when the semi-truck struck the back of the bus, which was pulling back onto the highway from the side of the road. Following the collision, both vehicles became engulfed in flames. It is being reported that all 46 passengers on board were able to get out, but at least thirty of them were hospitalized.

We will continue to monitor reports to learn more about the potential causes and consequences of this tour bus accident. It comes just five days after two people were killed in another crash involving a tour bus. That rollover crash, which occurred just 45 miles from today’s accident, is said to have been caused by a tire blowout in the bus.

Forbes.com cites a statistic from Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety that says that since January, 32 people have already been killed in tour bus accidents. That’s already two more than the number killed in tour bus accidents in all of 2010. With statistics like these, it is important for both passengers and tour bus operators to start thinking of ways to reduce these numbers to help ensure the safety of future passengers and others on the road. Unfortunately, despite increases in the number of these types of vehicles on the roads, the government does little to regulate them.

Currently, tour bus passengers are not required to wear seat belts, thereby increasing their risk for injury or death in the event of an accident. There is also little monitoring of tour bus drivers or the vehicles themselves. Our Chicago personal injury lawyers were shocked to learn that many tour companies do not perform background checks on drivers, and all they need is a commercial driver’s license to operate these large vehicles. Additionally, as with truck drivers, tour bus drivers run the risk of accidents caused by driver exhaustion because little is done to police driver hours.

Although what caused this accident is not clear at this point, our Chicago semi-truck accident lawyers hope that the 2011 increase in tour bus accident deaths will motivate state and federal lawmakers to consider new regulations to protect the safety of tour bus passengers and other drivers on the road. Due to the size of these vehicles, the risk for catastrophic personal injury and death increases greatly when an accident involves a tour bus. Therefore, tour bus operators and drivers must ensure that their vehicles are in safe operating condition at all times. Operators must thoroughly screen their drivers to make sure they have proper experience and an understanding of how to safely operate their vehicles. They should also take measures to limit their drivers’ hours of service to ensure that they do not drive distracted or fall asleep behind the wheel.

Every Chicago truck accident attorney at Levin & Perconti understands the dangers posed by truck operators who do not pay attention to the road. We recently read about a report on TheTrucker.com that highlights the issue of driver distraction in general. The report, Distracted Driving: What Research Shows and What States Can Do, by the Governors Highway Safety Association summarizes distracted driver research (looking at car and truck operators both) and makes recommendations as to what states can do to help reduce the incidence of distracted driving. Examples of distractions mentioned in the report include: cell phones, text messages, talking with passengers, electronic devices, impairment due to drug use, drinking, personal grooming and eating, to name a few.

The prevalence of distracted driving is scary. But when the distracted driver is operating a semi-truck or tractor trailer, the consequences can be devastating. Due to the sheer size of these vehicles, even momentary truck driver distraction can lead to fatal accidents with other motorists. These distractions can cause catastrophic personal injuries not only to people in cars and smaller vehicles, but they can also cause the truckers themselves to suffer serious or fatal injuries.

Although there are federal laws in place that ban any operator of a commercial vehicle from texting while driving, trucking companies and owners should also warn drivers who work for them to avoid dangerous practices and distractions. When a driver’s distractions cause an accident and someone else is injured or killed, victims have a right to take action to hold all wrongdoers accountable. The easiest way to avoid a trucking accident lawsuit is to always operate your vehicle with extreme care and caution to ensure your safety and the safety of others.

Since 1992, our Illinois injury attorneys have represented clients in all types of accident cases, including trucking accident lawsuits. In November, we settled a case for $6.5 million in which a trucker was distracted because he was under the influence of marijuana when he collided with our client's vehicle. Our client's wife, who was only 32, was killed, and our client and his young son sustained serious injuries. This terrible accident could have been avoided if the truck operator practiced safe driving and drove his vehicle with a clear mind.

Most states have taken steps to ban the use of cell-phones and text messaging for all drivers, but until it is widely enforced, we suspect that the number of car and trucking accidents caused by driver distractions such as phones will not decline. We ask all of our readers to avoid risky practices, such as texting while driving, to make the roads safer for everyone.

Earlier this week we reported on a new Levin & Perconti lawsuits filed on behalf of a man who was severely injured by a Chicago city worker. Stephen Dewart was one of eight people hit by the Chicago public employee who careened a city owned Streets and Sanitation truck onto a sidewalk in the Gold Coast.

As we previously explained, the reckless driver was later found to be intoxicated at the time of the accident. He had a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit and an open bottle and brandy was found in his truck.

The accident has rightly caused considerably outrage within the city as residents question how such egregious conduct could have occurred without being caught by city officials. As our Chicago truck accident attorney Steve Levin explained it was hoped that this lawsuit, “will prompt the City to create more effective drug and alcohol screening processes for employees, especially those operating large vehicles and heavy machinery.”

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the same idea has apparently been grasped by several powerful city officials. Aldermen Edward Burke and Pat O’Connor recently proposed new rules which would require all city employees to be subject to random drug and alcohol testing. The goal is that this crackdown would minimize errors in judgment by city officials that result in harm to others—like the egregious conduct in the Gold Coast accident.

Interestingly, the aldermen also believe that the new rules would limit workers compensation claims filed by city employees for injuries they sustain on the job. Cited were statistics compiled by the National Institute of Drug Abuse which found that abusers of drugs and alcohol were five times more likely to file such compensation claims. Under current rules only police officers, firefighters, and commercial drivers are subject to these random drug tests.

Continue reading "Calls For Drug Testing of All City Workers Following Gold Coast Accident" »

Yesterday two of our Chicago injury attorneys filed a lawsuit on behalf of a 27-year old victim who was severely injured when a City of Chicago worker drove his truck into a crowd of people on the corner of Rush and Cedar streets. Steven M. Levin and Susan L. Novosad officially filed the suit in the Circuit Court of Cook County for Stephen Dewart who was hit as he was participating in a photo shoot for his wife’s company.

Mr. Dewart was one of eight people struck by the Streets and Sanitation vehicle which was manned by an intoxicated city worker. The reckless driver had a blood alcohol level over the legal limit and an open brandy bottle was found in his vehicle. His intoxication led him to veer off the road on into the passersby.

The accident has had significant impacts on Mr. Dewart and his family. Steve Levin explains, “Stephen suffered several spinal fractures, a broken fibula and a broken tibia, and was hospitalized for six days.” He was required to have a surgical rod placed in his lower leg and is confined to a wheelchair. A lengthy and grueling physical therapy and rehabilitation process lay in front of him.

Beyond the physical injuries, Mr. Dewart’s future plans were temporarily derailed because of the accident. Levin reports that, “Stephen was supposed to start law school last week, but had to defer his admission for a year in order to recover from his injuries.”

Continue reading "Levin & Perconti Files Suit For Victim of City Worker Drunk Driving Accident " »

The Chicago Tribune reported this weekend on a frightening train collision that occurred at Union Station. According to report, the crash involved a Metra train and an Amtrak train. Apparently both trains were moving around 8:30 a.m. on Friday when at least two cars on the Metra train struck the engine of the Amtrak train bound for Carbondale. Twelve passengers were injured in the collision, but fortunately all of them are expected to recover. One of the women on the front of the train went into labor right after the accident. She was escorted off by emergency personnel.

The impact was not high-speed, but it still resulted in blown windows and broken glass being scattered through some of the cars. Those on the train reported that the impact was felt strongly and was very abrupt. It remains unclear exactly what errors allowed the Chicago train accident to occur. Investigators explain that they are now focusing on possible switching mistakes related to both trains. The accident occurred on the south end of the station which the location of many yard switches.

Whatever the case, it is obviously an egregious breach of protocol when two trains collide. The maintenance and operation of Union Station is the responsibility of Amtrak. The control center at the station directs train movements, including the switches. The operation occurs much like at airports, with Amtrak employees communicating with train engineers to direct them properly into and out of the station.

Continue reading "Authorities Continue to Investigate Cause of Chicago Train Collision" »

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pedestrians in many major cities are struck and killed in roadside accidents at alarming rates. Our city is no different. Chicago truck accidents involving pedestrians, semi-trailers, city vehicles and similar machines occur with a frequency that should lead all travelers to ensure that they exercise as much caution as possible.

Across the country the consequences remain severe when walkers and drivers’ fail to exercise basic standards of care. For example, the San Francisco Examiner recently discussed a possible settlement following a fatal truck accident in the area. According to reports, a 63-year old woman was walking across a crosswalk last February when a utility truck driven by a city employee barreled down upon her. The truck was speeding at the time, and the woman did not survive the collision.

Following the accident, a truck accident lawsuit was filed against the city and negligent employees who were responsible for the death. The city is now expected to offer a settlement in the case of $1.56 million. The amount is similar to other settlements following deadly car and truck accidents in the city. For example, similar crashes had led to settlements ranging from $2.4 million for a brain injury victim to $1.75 million for the family of a woman killed after being hit by a city public works truck. Overall, the city reports that about 22 pedestrians are killed yearly while 800 are injured because of car and truck accidents.

Continue reading "Family Receives $1.56 Million Settlement Following Truck Accident" »

A Chicago truck crash lawyer knows that road accidents involving larger vehicles typically are particularly destructive. Deaths are unfortunately common when control is lost of these big machines. Things are often worse when more than one large truck is involved. One of those particularly rough truck accidents struck this week in southern Illinois.

WFIE News reported on an early morning accident involved three coal trucks. Around 3 a.m. on Monday morning a dump truck filled with coal was traveling south on Route 34 in Saline County. As the driver of the truck was rounding a curve, he lost control of the filled transportation truck. The dump truck overturned and fell immobile on the opposite side of the roadway.

Unfortunately just as the truck lay stuck on the road, a second dump truck was approaching heading north. That second truck smashed into the overturned vehicle. The second truck was sent careening off the road by the impact and itself overturned. Shorty after, before any recovery could arrive for those victims, a third truck approached and hit the original overturned vehicle again.

By the time emergency crews had arrived the driver of the first vehicle was already dead. The other two drivers were brought to local hospitals where they are expected to survive.

Continue reading "Driver Killed in Southern Illinois Truck Crash" »

The Tri-State Tollway was the scene of another tragic Chicago trucking crash late Friday evening. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the truck accident story.

Around 10:30 pm on the northbound Tri-State Tollway a car crashed into the back of a large semi-truck. This initial accident was close to 159th Street near Markham. Initial reports indicate that there were not any serious injuries in this initial crash. However, as so frequently occurs, the initial accident caused a second accident.

Another car was traveling behind the vehicles that caused the first crash. That second vehicle swerved to avoid the first accident, but was unable to properly maneuver out of the way. The second car ultimately smashed into the rear passenger side of the first vehicle. The impact was intense, causing significant damage to the vehicle and those inside. A 23-year old passenger in the second car was pronounced dead at the scene, while both drivers were taken to local hospitals with serious injuries. The semi driver was not injured.

An investigation is on-going. Of course, Chicago injury lawsuits often arise out of these types of accidents. The law of negligence typically holds an individual accountable for the consequences of their misguided actions. For example, whoever acted in a way that fell below a reasonable standard of care may be liable for all of the damages (personal and physical) that occurred as a result of these different accidents. Even if they are separated in time, a court may find that one proximately caused the other.

Continue reading "Women Killed in Chicago Truck Accident" »

Distracted driving remains a deadly problem across our state. The Chicago Tribune reported on another truck accident caused by the inattention of one driver.

A 71-year old man was killed in southwestern Illinois after his vehicle was rear-ended by another car, sending it into the path of a large semi-truck. The driver who caused the initial rear-end collision was texting during the wreck. On top of that he was under the influence of marijuana and other substances.

The elderly victim was rushed to a local hospital after the accident. He died at the facility a short time later.

Following the Illinois truck crash, the family of the victim has filed an Illinois wrongful death lawsuit. They are alleging that the driver was negligent in failing to prevent the accident caused by his distraction and drug intoxication. The law allows for the surviving family members of victims such as this to bring suit against the wrong-doers to hold them accountable for their conduct.

The consequences of this distracted driving are exponential. Lives literally hang in the balance, and so the importance of eliminating these deadly behaviors cannot be overstated. All travelers should exercise extreme care both in these risky locations as well as at all times when behind of the wheel of these machines.

As State Police District Chicago Commander David Nanning has noted, “The Illinois State Police would like to remind motorists how important it is to practice safe driving habits and eliminate distractions while driving.”

Continue reading "Deadly Crash Leads to Illinois Truck Crash Lawsuit" »

A major Chicago bus accident sent nearly a dozen people to the hospital earlier this week. According to the Chicago Tribune the bus crash struck early Tuesday morning on the city’s South Side.

A string of events lead to the accident. Around 9:30 a.m. two men exited a red truck on Vincennes Avenue and began firing shots at a black vehicle down the block. Witnesses reported that the men were armed with automatic weapons like Ak-47s or Uzis. The car under fire sped away in an attempt to avoid the bullets. However, in speeding away the vehicle collided with a Chicago Transit Authority bus filled with passengers.

The bus veered off the road following the first impact, ultimately slamming into a light pole. The windshield of the bust was shattered. The bus driver’s hands were severely cut, and several other passengers were also injured by the flying glass. Two passengers were hospitalized in serious to critical condition—their specific injuries remain unclear.

Authorities are continuing to investigate to better understand what actually happened during the encounter.

Just like a truck, large buses have the capacity to cause immense damage when they are involved in road accidents. In fact, when caught in accidents public transportation vehicles often involve tremendous damages because of the amount of people aboard the machines. Of particular concern is the fact that many passengers aboard transit vehicles are not properly secured. All Chicago commuters know that sometimes one is lucky only to get a seat at all and seatbelts are always non-existent. For that reason, it is vital that all public transit drivers (and all those who drive near CTA vehicles) to exercise as much care as possible.

Continue reading "Chicago Bus Accident Injures Eleven Passengers" »

CBS News Chicago shared the details of a tragic Chicago work injury this week that occurred in suburban Melrose Park.

According to published reports, safety officials are probing the death of an employee at a recycling facility following a forklift accident. The 34-year old victim was an employee of JKS Ventures and was working on Monday morning. Details on the specific cause of the accident are undetermined. However, it appears that the man became pinned between a forklift and a semi-tractor trailer. He was rushed to a local hospital, but doctors were unable to stabilize him before he succumbed to his injuries. His death was ultimately ruled a result of compression asphyxia.

Unfortunately the death is not the first workplace loss for the company—an employee died in 2007 at the facility. The company has previously been cited for unsafe work conditions. Some of those previous citations involved forklift concerns. In total, authorities have sanctioned JKS on three separate incidents. The 2007 death involved a worker who fell 23 feet off machinery that he was greasing. That incident led to 21 citations being issued. Two more citations were issued the following year.

These workplace fatalities often result in Chicago wrongful death lawsuits. The law provides legal options to the families of those who die because of inadequate work safety conditions, dangerous truck driving, or any other negligent act. It is important for those who lose a loved one to come forward and assert their legal rights.

Continue reading "Possible Chicago Truck Accident Lawsuit Following Questionable Forklift Death" »

The weather remains one of the most potent causes of truck accidents. This weekend’s strange mix of snow, rain, and freezing conditions has posed unique hazards of which all drivers should be aware. ABC Local News is already reporting on several car and truck accidents that have plagued motorists throughout the area.

Overall, the Illinois Department of Transportation sent out more than 170 salt trucks in heavily traveled areas to improve the icy road conditions. However, there is only so much that those trucks can do to improve road safety. The responsibility for safe driving while on the road remains with the men and women behind the wheels of their cars and trucks.

According to reports, several Chicago truck accidents have occurred on roadways across the region. Slick streets in Suburban Skokie have been blamed for a collision between two vehicles there. Also, three-cars collided on Lake Shore Drive due to icy patches on that highway. The Drive was shut down between Division and North Avenue for an extended period following that crash.

Reports of the dangerous weather conditions should make all drivers take caution, especially those operating large semi-trailers and trucks. Each driver has the responsibility to account for the dangerous roadways in front of them. If you or someone you know is injured in an accident caused by another driver’s failure to take safety measures in bad weather, be sure to consider if a truck accident lawsuit is an appropriate next step.

Continue reading "Icy Roads Continue to Cause Dangerous Chicago Truck Accidents" »

The Daily Herald reported today on new developments stemming from an Illinois truck accident that occurred in March of 2010. A 26-year old woman is suing an Illinois trucking company and its driver for injuries she suffered in the accident.

The truck driver was cited by police for negligent conduct in last year’s accident. According to reports, the semi-truck was driving alongside the victim’s car in Elgin. For reasons that were initially unclear, the truck driver swerved suddenly into the lane next to him occupied by the victim. The car, carrying the female driver, a passenger, and two young children, was driven off the road and into a frontage ditch nearby. They were taken to a local hospital after suffering injuries.

The truck driver was cited for improper lane usage. However, following the wreck, the victims sought to recover civil damages from the negligent driver by filed an Illinois truck accident lawsuit to recover for their losses. The lawsuit is alleging that the driver of the truck was texting or using his cell phone during the accident. The distraction caused by the negligent phone use led to the crash.

Continue reading "Illinois Truck Accident Lawsuit Alleges Texting While Driving" »

A truck crash yesterday morning on Interstate 80 shut down the highway and sent several passengers to the hospital.

The Star Courier reported on the Illinois truck accident noting that the crash occurred shortly before 6 am on Tuesday. A box truck was traveling eastbound on the interstate when a silver Toyota car slid on the ice. The car collided with the back of the box truck. Both vehicles became disabled in the middle of the roadway after that collision.

After that first impact, a large tanker truck semi came upon the wreckage. The semi driver failed to notice the accident site in time. As a result, the tanker slammed into the disabled vehicles, causing further damage.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene. Substantial effort was needed to extricate two people from the Toyota and two from the semi. The driver of the car was sent to a local hospital where she remains in critical condition. The 13-year old car passenger and those in the semi received some injuries, but none of them were life threatening.

Continue reading "Illinois Truck Crash Temporarily Shuts Down I-80" »

The Chicago Sun-Times reported yesterday on a semi accident that struck early Monday morning.

Shortly before 3 a.m. a young driver in his early 20s was on the eastbound side of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290). His old Buick was near Chicago Park Avenue when the man lost control of the car. A semi truck was heading in the same direction of the highway nearby. When the driver lost control the car veered into the semi and became lodged underneath it. The car was dragged more than 200 feet before it broke away from the large truck.

Emergency crews were rushed to the scene of the Chicago truck accident. The driver of the car had to be extricated from smashed vehicle. Amazingly he only suffered a few cuts and scrapes.

Following the rescue the man was found to have been intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level well over the legal limit. He was subsequently cited by the police officers for driving under the influence and failure to reduce speed.

Continue reading "Drunk Driver Causes Chicago Truck Crash on Eisenhower" »

An Illinois woman was killed last week after a tragic truck accident involving a semi and an SUV.

The Daily Republican Register reported on the Illinois truck crash last Tuesday. The 69-year old victim was driving on Illinois Route 161 Extension about 1 mile west of Illinois Route 130. While the victim was driving, she came upon a semi-trailer that was attempting to back into a private driveway. The semi was blocking both lanes of traffic as it attempted the maneuver.

The female driver did not realize the truck was taking up both lanes of traffic. As a result, she drove the SUV into the side of the semi’s trailer. The impact caused intense damage. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

The truck driver who blocked both lanes of traffic was cited for Improper Backing. The trucker’s maneuvering was both illegal and fatal. As occurred in this case, failure of truckers to abide by common sense traffic laws often have deadly consequences for the innocent victims .

Continue reading "Negligent Trucker Causes Deadly Illinois Truck Crash" »

The Chicago Tribune published a story last week on the tragic death of a Chicago man following a truck crash involving a city-owned vehicle.

Early last week the 44-year old victim was walking across the street on the 2800 block of South Archer Avenue in the Bridgeport neighborhood. The sun was still out, as it was still afternoon, only 3 p.m. A city-owned truck was maneuvering nearby. The vehicle began going in reverse and moving into the path of the walking pedestrian. Neither the man nor the truck driver saw the danger developing.

The truck ultimately hit the pedestrian. Authorities quickly arrived on the scene, but the victim was pronounced dead a few hours later. An investigatory unit is still working on piecing together the details of the Chicago truck crash to determine exactly what happened.

The collision of a pedestrian with large trucks almost always has deadly consequences. That is particularly true when the large truck is traveling at high speeds or the pedestrian is unable to deflect any of the impact. Our Chicago truck accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti have helped families for decades who have suffered following these devastating road accidents.

Continue reading "Chicago Truck Crash Kills Man in Bridgeport" »

A Good Samaritan is being credited with saving a family from serious injury following a Chicago-area truck accident.

According to The Reporter Online, the accident struck last Friday shortly before 8 a.m. A woman was driving with her two small children east on 111th Street. At the same time a large delivery truck was eastbound on Natchez Avenue. At the intersection of the two roads, the negligent truck driver failed to reduce his speed, leading to a collision with the family’s car. The impact slammed the car into a nearby curb and flipped it over onto its roof.

Fortunately, a local bystander was nearby and heard the sound of the collision. Upon running toward to scene, he saw one of the children, a 5 year old boy, crying near the overturned vehicle. The mother and 14-month old child were still trapped inside. The Good Samaritan quickly rushed to help the young child, who was hanging upside down in the car seat. He squeezed half of his body through the back window and freed the child’s seat, brining him to safety.

Emergency crews soon arrived and were able to free the mother and bring both children to the hospital for emergency care. The authorities eventually ticketed the Chicago truck driver for his negligent conduct causing the accident.

Continue reading "Bystander Saves Child in Chicago Truck Crash" »

A deadly Chicago truck crash struck in the midst of this week’s blizzard, reports ABC Local News.

The truck accident occurred Wednesday, near the lake in the 2800 block of South Archer Avenue. According to reports, the victim was a 60-year old man who was walking along the lakefront in the middle of the storm. Visibility was obviously curtailed with the near white-out conditions of the blizzard. It is unclear whether the man’s vehicle was stalled and he was walking to seek warmth or for some other reason.

While the victim was walking along the lakefront, a City of Chicago Department of Transportation truck came barreling down upon him while in reverse. The truck struck the man, sending his injured body into Diversy Harbor. It was only hours later that authorities were able to pull the man’s body from the frigid, snowy, turbulent lake. He died from his injuries.

City of Chicago police officers have cited the truck driver for operating the vehicle in reverse and not exercising the required care for a pedestrian. Investigations into the accident are on-going.

Continue reading "City of Chicago Transportation Truck Kills Pedestrian" »

A 65-year old bicyclist was killed last week after a run-in with a large tanker. According to the Chicago Tribune, the deadly truck crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the eastbound lane of the 300 block of west Pershing Road—near the Wentworth Gardens neighbors.

Police arrived at the scene to find the victim on the side of the road—his demolished bicycle was nearby. Apparently the victim was hit by a truck that drove away following the impact. A semi-trailer was spotted speeding in the area right before the impact by witness. The truck involved in the crash reportedly had a red extended cab. Investigators are still looking for the driver of the trailer to learn more about the deadly truck crash.

These sorts of accidents are often caused by the carelessness of drivers. When a truck driver gets the impression that he is on an empty, open stretch of road he may have the tendency to take less care to avoid entering the road’s shoulder. Of course, that negligent attitude need only take hold for a brief second before a fatal accident occurs—like the one here.

Continue reading "Chicago Biker Killed By Hit & Run Semi-Trailer" »

A 65-year old bicyclist was killed last week after a run-in with a large tanker. According to the Chicago Tribune, the deadly truck crash occurred shortly before 6 p.m. in the eastbound lane of the 300 block of west Pershing Road—near the Wentworth Gardens neighbors.

Police arrived at the scene to find the victim on the side of the road—his demolished bicycle was nearby. Apparently the victim was hit by a truck that drove away following the impact. A semi-trailer was spotted speeding in the area right before the impact by witness. The truck involved in the crash reportedly had a red extended cab. Investigators are still looking for the driver of the trailer to learn more about the deadly truck crash.

These sorts of accidents are often caused by the carelessness of drivers. When a truck driver gets the impression that he is on an empty, open stretch of road he may have the tendency to take less care to avoid entering the road’s shoulder. Of course, that negligent attitude need only take hold for a brief second before a fatal accident occurs—like the one here.

Continue reading "Chicago Biker Killed By Hit & Run Semi-Trailer" »

My Fox Chicago reported yesterday on another Chicago causality caused by a truck crash on local roadways.

The accident occurred early Wednesday morning in West Chicago on Powis Road. About twenty minutes before 4 a.m. a pick-up truck struck the back end of a semi-trailer. Both vehicles were southbound, with the semi traveling down in front. According to investigators the pick-up truck hit the back of the trailer on the truck. That initial collision caused the pick-up to spin out of control. It ended up sliding underneath the trailer.

The pick-up driver was dead upon arrival of emergency personnel. The truck driver was not harmed. Information is still being gathered to better understand what might have caused the first impact between the two vehicles.

Continue reading "Chicago Truck Crash Kills One Local Driver" »

All truck accidents present the high likelihood of causing extreme damage because of the size of the vehicle and the weight of the metal that bears down. Obviously no other vehicle on the road is capable of causing as much destruction when not handled properly. It is for that reason that all those involved in truck travel—from the manufacturers to the operators and drivers—must ensure that all steps are taken to ensure traveler safety.

That demand is even more paramount when a truck is hauling a load that poses unique risks—such as tankers carrying gasoline or other toxic substance. Accidents involving the machines are often the absolute worst on the road. The substance is capable of intensifying whatever damage was initially caused by the crash.

A similar high-risk crash struck on the Bishop Ford last week.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times the tanker truck crash occurred last Thursday morning near the south suburb of Dalton. Shortly before 9 a.m. the large truck collided with two cars in the northbound lanes of the Bishop Ford, near the Sibley Boulevard exit. One of the vehicles received only minimal contact, but the second car was crushed.

According to emergency responders, one woman had to be cut out of the most severely damaged vehicle; amazingly, she was not seriously hurt. In another turn of luck, the larger tanker did not leak fuel.

Continue reading "Tanker Truck Crash on Bishop Ford Expressway" »

Last week we posted on a tragic trucking accident that occurred in the parking lot of the Aldi headquarters near Chicago.

The victim worked for the trucking company that delivers Aldi products to each individual store. On Friday the man was walking in the parking lot when another driver was backing up a semi-truck in preparation of moving it to a new location. While the semi was moving backward, the driver did not see the victim walking behind the truck. As a result, the truck backed over the walking man. 

On Friday the son of the victim filed a lawsuit against the driver of the truck and the leasing company which owned the vehicle according to the Geneva Patch. There will be little delay in the matter as a motion hearing has already been scheduled and will take place on Monday morning.

Continue reading "Family of Victim in Parking Lot Truck Accident Files Lawsuit" »

The Daily Chronicle reported earlier this week on emerging new details concerning a tragic trucking accident. A 53-year old Chicago area man was killed in the parking lot of the Aldi headquarters building in Batavia.

The victim worked for the trucking company that delivers Aldi products to each individual store. On Friday the man was walking in the parking lot when another driver was backing up a semi-truck in preparation of moving it to a new location. While the semi was moving backward, the driver did not see the victim walking behind the truck. As a result, the truck backed over the walking man.

Police are still investigating to determine exactly what went wrong at the Chicago-based headquarters. Clearly certain safety protocols went awry at the facility leading to the death. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is working to figure out the safety breach to determine if changes need to be made.

Continue reading "Semi-Truck Kills Man in Parking Lot" »

The Chippewa Herald reported earlier this week on a new truck crash lawsuit filed against a Chicago truck driver and the trucking company involved in the accident, Gertsen Interstate Systems, Inc.

Earlier this year, a car was being driver to a Marine base by a Marine Corp member with his wife, sister, and infant son in the car. Around 2 p.m. in the afternoon, the car was on Interstate 94 when it collided with a semi truck near mile marker 94. The crash was intense, with extreme physical damage and injury to all those involved.

The driver required surgery on one of his legs, but was eventually able to return to his base. His wife suffered a brain injury. The infant child was struck with life-threatening injuries but luckily survived. The driver’s sister also suffered damaging injuries that eventually left her paralyzed.

The lawsuit seeks compensation for the catastrophic injuries suffered by the paralyzed young girl. Those injuries include past and future medical bills, her on-going life care needs, loss of life enjoyment, psychological trauma, and permanent disability.

Continue reading "Truck Lawsuit Filed After High School Student Paralyzed" »

Lawyers and Settlements reported last week on a large jury verdict given to the victim of a tragic Chicago truck accident. The lawsuit stemmed from a 2004 crash involving a sports utility vehicle and a Chicago Department of Transportation utility truck.

Following the accident both drivers suffered injuries. As is common when a larger vehicle hits a smaller one, the SUV driver suffered the more serious injuries. He was permanently paralyzed as a result of the truck crash. The size of the bigger vehicles acts in certain cases as a barrier that provides more protection its driver while inflicting more damage on the smaller cars caught in the crosshairs.

The two vehicles collided at an intersection, with both the SUV driver and IDOT truck driver claiming that the light was green when they went into the intersection. Following the trial the jury returned a verdict finding that the IDOT truck driver was 95% at fault for the crash. The victim was ultimately awarded $23.8 million due for the losses he suffered.

Continue reading "$23.8 Million Verdict for Chicago Truck Crash" »

St. Louis Today reported on a tragic truck accident on a bridge in Missouri that ended in a fiery blaze and took the life of one car driver.

The accident occurred last Wednesday morning on the Chain of Rocks Bridge on Interstate 270. A 46-year old man’s car became disabled on the bridge early in the morning on his way to work. It was about 4:30 a.m. He placed a call to emergency dispatchers to his explain his situation and seek help. While waiting for emergency crews to arrive, the man attempted to move his disabled car out of the way of traffic so that it did not pose a threat to other motorists.

While he was moving the car, a semi-truck began traveling onto the bridge. The truck driver swerved to avoid hitting the disabled vehicle but in doing so he hit the driver who was outside of the car at the time. The semi then went out of control, hit a median, and burst into flames. The victim died at the scene, with his body burned virtually beyond recognition.

It was later discovered that emergency crews were late to arrive to the scene, because the dispatcher who took the call mistakenly sent crews to Interstate 70, instead of 270. Had they arrived before the accident, there is a good chance that the additional lights and police presence would have provided proper notice to other traffic to help avoid the accident.

Continue reading "Fatal Truck Crash on Interstate 270 Bridge" »

Today a damaging five-car truck accident was caused by a trucker’s improper driving in downstate Illinois reports the Champaign News-Gazette.

The truck driver was traveling south on Interstate 57 when he came upon slowed traffic a few miles north of the Charleston-Mattoon exit. There had been an earlier multi-vehicle accident which caused the traffic build up. Unfortunately the driver of the truck was not paying attention as he came upon the build-up. He was traveling too fast, especially for the wintery conditions. His tractor-trailer eventually slammed into two stopped vehicles, swerved across the median, fell on its side, hit a sheriff’s deputy car that was parked on the northbound shoulder, hit a fourth car that was also traveling north, and finally stopped all the way across the northbound lanes. It was a whirlwind accident that caused a stream of damage in its wake.

Fortunately, the other drivers and passengers avoided serious injury in the accident. But the truck driver himself was injured and hospitalized at a local medical facility. Police officers eventually charged the negligent trucker with several violations for the accident including speeding and improper lane usage.

Continue reading "Negligent Chicago Truck Driver Causes Five-Vehicle Collision" »

GulfLive.com reported this weekend on a comprehensive truck safety project in Mississippi that may become a model for the rest of the country.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently awarded a $3.5 million grant to the state’s Department of Transportation to implement all three elements of a new Smart Roadside System. The road safety project was developed by the Federal Highway Administration and is intended to get all trucking violators off the road before they can harm other highway users. Specifically, the project will identify unregistered and overweight trucks, carriers with low safety ratings, and those with expired credentials.

Many high-tech tools are used in the effort, including automated safety and credential verification systems, infrared cameras, and virtual weigh stations. The technology allows officials to verify trucking tags immediately, determine if fuel taxes are paid, and even to ensure that trucks brakes are working properly. All of this information is gathered seamlessly as trucks enter and leave highway exits.

Initially, officials indicate that brake issues make up a large portion, virtually 90%, of the problems they have seen with big rigs so far. But they have also identified under-inflated and overinflated tires, oil leaks, and exhaust issues. Each of these vehicles that can be removed from the road before these mechanical issues cause serious harm is a benefit to road safety.

Continue reading "First State Implements Recommended Trucking Safety Program" »

The Daily Herald reported last week on a new lawsuit that was filed following a deadly truck crash. One family and a victim have sued the truck driver and plumbing company whose truck was used in the accident that killed one person and severely injured another.

Early in the morning on October 25th, around 2am, a 22-year old victim and her friend were sideswiped by a 30-year old man driving a plumbing truck owned by a company for which he occasionally worked. Investigators still have not pieced together all of the details of the truck crash which occurred nearly a month ago.

What is undisputed is that the driver fled the scene of the accident, failing to provide any aid to the injured pair. He eventually turned himself into the police several hours after the accident. Police are still investigating allegations that the truck driver was drunk at the time of the crash. Because of the delay in apprehending him, it is unclear whether the drivers’ BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) was above .08, which is the legal limit in Illinois.

Continue reading "Tow Truck Driver Sued Following Aurora Crash" »

We have often discussed the problems associated with truck driver fatigue. Quite simply, truck drivers spend so many hours behind the wheel that it is imperative they take special precautions to ensure that they remain awake and alert at all times. Failure to take steps to properly account for tiredness is an extreme act of negligence.

Yet for all the attention paid to truck driver fatigue, crashes occur on our roads all too frequently caused by sleepy truckers. One such accident struck yesterday involving two Chicago semi drivers. Interstate 65 was shut down for several hours Wednesday morning because of the wreck reports WLFI News.

Around 8:30am around mile marker 186 a Chicago trucker was pulled onto the southbound shoulder of the highway. While stopped on the side, the truck was struck from behind by another semi, a refrigerated box truck filled with produce also driven by a Chicago driver.

Investigators of the accident following the crash discovered that the driver of the produce truck was fatigued while driving. He had actually fallen asleep, leading to his truck drifting onto the shoulder of the road, striking the immobile truck. That second driver was cited by police for his fatigued driving.

Both drivers sustained injuries in the crash, but fortunately they were not life threatening.

Continue reading "Trucker Fatigue Leads to Two-Semi Crash" »

The Standard Speaker discussed the truck crash last week involving the death of a Chicago trucker following an accident on Interstate 81. The accident occurred early in the morning, shortly before 6:00am last Tuesday. The truck driver was traveling along Interstate 81 near mile marker 103. He was heading north while hauling a refrigerated trailer carrying fruits in his 2001 Peterbuilt tractor truck.

The crash struck when the driver, for reasons yet unknown, drifted onto the right shoulder of the road, one mile south of the exit to Ravine. While on the shoulder the truck hit the guardrail and rode along it for nearly200 yards. Eventually the truck tipped onto the passenger side, continuing to skid along the guardrail while sideways before coming to a stop.

The driver was not wearing a seat belt at the time. He was thrown from the vehicle in the middle of the crash and died as a result.

Authorities are still investigating the circumstances leading up to the deadly crash. Towing crews have pulled the truck back to a local garage. Investigators are now examining the machine’s brakes and other important components to determine if their malfunction contributed to the accident.

Continue reading "Chicago Trucker Killed in Highway Crash" »

The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday on the death of two bicyclists following a deadly truck accident on Tuesday. According to authorities the two bikers were walking their bicycles in Dixon, Illinois around 4pm in Dixon, a small community in north-central Illinois.

While walking along Rock Island Road near Atkinson Road, the two victims were struck by a passing fertilizer truck. Authorities are still attempting to piece together the situation to understand how the truck ran into the two walking bicyclists. Medical personnel arriving at the crash site pronounced both victims dead upon arrival at the scene. The truck driver was not hurt in the accident.

The truck crash is a reminder of a common roadway problem—drivers taking more risks in areas typically known to be less populated. Of course many accidents occur on our busy streets and highways because the increased traffic heightens the chance of collision. However, because of that, many drivers feel that there is little to no risk of accident while traveling along less busy, seemingly empty roadways. When that happens, many drivers take their guard down, leading to careless accidents that should never occur.

For example, when a truck driver gets the impression that he is on an empty, open stretch of road without any other cars or individuals in sight, he may have the tendency to take less care to avoid traveling near the road’s shoulder. Of course, that lackadaisical attitude need only take hold for a brief second before a fatal accident occurs—like the one here.

Continue reading "Two Chicago-area Bicyclists Killed in Crash With Truck" »

UPI.com reported last week on a large truck roll-over that struck near I-90/I-94 on Tuesday. An animal-hauling truck hauling nearly 80 pigs tipped over after the driver lost control while behind the wheel. The semi ultimately fell over 25 feet on the Indiana Toll Road exit ramp below.

The crash killed 23 pigs that were traveling in the trailer and caused structural damage to the highway itself. The ramp that was damaged in the accident will be closed indefinitely. The scene following the crash was a bit chaotic as many of the surviving pigs were wandering around the roadways near other traffic. All things considered, it is fortunate that there was not more damage and injury following the trash. Too often the wreckage and resulting traffic problems following these truck crashes lead to secondary accidents just as deadly as the first.

Our Chicago truck accident attorneys work every day to help victims of all types following these trucking accidents. For over more than two decades our team of lawyers has developed true expertise in the ins and outs of the legal world as it pertains to semi accidents.

There is often much more to an accident that the specifics of where the crash happened and how it happened. In some cases there may have been physical problems with the vehicles that were not apparent on first sight or the company which operates the machine may have failed to comply with other safety measures as it relates to their drivers and their trucks. The prevalence of these and other legal issues are exactly why it is important to work with a truck crash lawyer if you have been in one of these accidents.

Our Chicago truck accident lawyers at Levin & Perconti have decades of experience representing victims of loss following deadly trucking accidents. Our attorneys are well aware of the cost of crashes involving the largest vehicles on the road. Most community members are aware of the risks of accidents involving trucks, because common sense dictates that high speeds and tons of machinery combine to create packages of destruction.

The fact that this truth is so well-known should make it obvious that all trucking companies and truck drivers take every possible precaution at all times to avoid deadly truck crashes. There is simply no excuse for violating basic traffic laws or exhibited other careless behavior when behind the wheel of a sixteen wheeler.

However, deadly truck accidents continue to strike our roadways day after day.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported on yet another one two days ago. Early in the morning, a woman was driving in suburban Crete, eastbound on Steger Road. The vehicle was attempting to make a right turn onto southbound Route 394. At the same time a semi was traveling south on 394.

There is a light at the intersection, and the woman had a green light while attempting to turn right. However, the truck driver completely blew the red light in his direction and barreled directly into the turning car. The unsuspecting female driver suffered the brunt of the force as the semi hit her vehicle near the driver’s side door. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene of the crash.

Please contact a truck accident attorney at time that you or someone you know has been involved in an accident with one of these vehicles.

The Champaign News-Gazette reported yesterday morning on a fatal truck accident that struck on Monday afternoon in central Illinois. Around 12pm two semitrailer trucks were traveling along Illinois Route 16 in opposite directions. The driver of the southwest bound truck attempted to pass a stopped car that was in front of him. While attempting to make the pass, he entered the northeast bound lane where the second truck was traveling.

The trucks collided.

In the aftermath of the crash, both large vehicles overturned and ended up in the ditches on the side of the highway. The eastbound vehicle eventually caught fire while lying in the ditch. The driver of the truck was unable to extricate himself from the vehicle before the flames engulfed his cabin.

A passenger in the southbound truck was thrown from the truck in the crash. He was wearing a seatbelt, but the force of the collision was so strong that he was still ripped from the seat. The passenger ultimately died from his wounds, while the driver was taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

Our Chicago truck accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti send sincere condolences to the victims of this tragedy and their families. Our lawyers have worked for decades to assist those affected by these fatal accidents to navigate the legal issues around the incident. Depending on the circumstances of the truck crash, there are various legal rights that may have been affected. Whatever the circumstances, it is important to discuss the situation with a truck accident lawyer to ensure that no important matters are left undone.

Chicago Breaking News reported yesterday afternoon on a single truck accident that struck on one of Chicago’s most highly used traffic arteries.

Both directions of the Bishop Ford Expressway were shut down for about two hours in the south suburbs because of a large semi truck that flipped over while trying to exit the freeway yesterday afternoon. Around 12:30 p.m. the truck was attempting to get off the roadway and enter 159th Street in South Holland. However, for reasons that are still being investigated, the large truck flipped over nearly 180 degrees.

The driver of the truck was pinned inside the cab and was only freed after extended extrication efforts by emergency personnel. He was flown to a nearby hospital where his condition has stabilized. Another passenger was also in the cab, but he was unhurt in the truck crash.

This truck accident is rare in that it involved no other vehicles and no life-threatening injuries. However, as our Chicago truck crash attorneys at Levin & Perconti are well aware, these crashes are often some of the most destructive roadway tragedies of all. We hope to continue making all local travelers aware of the multitude of risks that exists on our roadways at all times.

As occurred in this case, the steep inclines, narrowed road, sharp turns, and high drops off that characterize freeway on-off ramps pose particular high risks for large vehicles like tractor-trailers. It is especially important for all drivers to be cognizant of that risk, ensuring that they do not follow too closely to trucks that are entering or exiting the highway. It only takes a moment of confusion or distraction for one of these rigs to tip over or cause a multi-car crash.

Tampa Bay Online News reported this week on a fatal truck crash that killed the big rig’s driver.

A 60 year old truck driver was traveling along State Road 39 while following another truck that was in front of him. Shortly after midnight the driver radioed to the truck in front of him explaining that he was going to pull over because he felt ill. However, before he was able to stop, the man’s semitrailer slammed into a utility pole on the side of the road. Following the impact, the truck burst into flames. The cab of the semi was engulfed in flames by the time emergency crews arrived on the scene.

The victim’s family explained that the driver had a history of heart problems. It is possible that the man suffered a heart problem of some kind which made him lose control of the truck.

It is important for all drivers to remember not to risk getting behind the wheel where there is even the slightest chance of suffering some sort of physical problem. Our Chicago truck accident attorneys encourage all those who use local roadways to remember that any sort of impairment—from feeling tired and sick to taking medication or drinking alcohol—may have deadly consequences for you, your passengers, and all community members. Too often many of us fail to consider the risk of losing control of the car while driving. Even if the chance of that happening remains small, the possible loss is too catastrophic to consider. Remember to put all of that into perspective each time you jump into your vehicle. If you or someone you know has been the victim of another driver’s failure to consider their impairment, be sure to contact a truck accident lawyer.

Interstate 57 has been the site of several fatal vehicle accidents over the past several weeks. This weekend saw another man killed following a crash on that roadway. As reported in the News-Gazette, 28 year old Martinez Jones died Saturday following a four vehicle accident.

The major truck accident struck just south of Mattoon on I-57 when a driver lost control of her vehicle after she swerved to avoid an animal in the middle of the road. In the midst of the lost control, the driver crossed the median, entered the opposite lane and hit Jones’ car.

A large semitrailer was driving behind Jones when the initial impact occurred. The truck driver swerved in an effort to avoid the crash in front of him, but he was unable to avoid it. The semi slammed into the bumper of Jones’ car, which was the likely cause of Jones being ejected from the car. Unfortunately, another semi truck was traveling near the accident. After Jones was ejected, he landed in the middle of the road directly in the path of the second truck which was unable to stop in time to avoid hitting him.

Our Chicago truck accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti encourage all drivers to remember not to make erratic maneuvers with their vehicles that could cause loss of control. Of course, it is easy to plan on avoiding sharp vehicle movements, but it is entirely more difficult when a distraction—like a wild animal—unexpectedly appears. It is for that reason that it is important to practice other careful driving techniques like driving at proper speeds. In that way, even when distractions arise, the driver is best able to manage the situation in the least costly manner.

The Daily Herald reported on a bizarre truck accident that recently struck in the Chicago suburb of Batavia.

Around 6:30pm on Wednesday, 30-year old Christopher Dunlap drove into a Wal-Mart parking lot. The man was attending medical school on an Army scholarship after completing his military service. Dunlap was the only person in the small Hyundai when the car inexplicably drifted underneath a semitrailer was parked in the lot. The small car went completely underneath the truck, coming out the other side. The man died while en route to a nearby hospital.

No witnesses saw exactly what happened, except several heard the crash. Police are still investigating to determine whether Dunlap was shopping at the store and exactly what caused his car to slide underneath the unmanned semitrailer.

Our Chicago truck accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti send condolences to the family of the victim. Truck accidents like these seem to be works of fiction, because no clear answers can be given as to the cause or circumstances that led to it. Of course, there could have been a vehicle malfunction or perhaps a separate medical condition that afflicted the man, leading to his loss of control of the car.

This particular accident may also serve as a reminder to the fact that tragic vehicle accidents can occur at anytime and anywhere. Many of us likely let our guard down when we enter parking lots or are in zones where we are traveling particularly slowly. While it is true that high speeds obviously present more threat of harm following crashes, the risk is not entirely eliminated in other circumstances. Any time that large mechanical machines are involved—particularly large semitrailers—than there remains the potential for fatal injury. It is imperative for all drivers drive carefully and remain on alert at all times.

CBS 2 Chicago reported this weekend on a deadly truck accident the Chicago area that claimed the life of a construction worker.

The fatal vehicle incident occurred on an off-ramp to the Stevenson highway (I-55). Construction crews were working on the ramp in the area where the highway crosses Harlem Avenue in southwest suburb Forest View. The presence of the construction workers made it dangerous for large semi trucks to navigate. Because of that, signs were clearly posted at the intersection declaring that no right turns were allowed for trucks.

However, truck driver Milan Tomasevic either did not see that sign or ignored its message when he approached the area this weekend. Tomasevic was driving a semi from Chicago’s G&S Expedited Freight when he made the right turn. He ultimately cut the turn too sharp. The truck driver did not leave enough room and caught a construction worker, 33 year old Aurelio Rosales, in between the trailer and the metal barricade dividing highway lanes. Aurelio was only four minutes from the end of his shift when he found himself crushed by the careless truck driver.

Aurelio was rushed to a local hospital, but was reported dead shortly after arrival.

No word yet on whether the truck driver will face more severe criminal charges from his negligence. Illinois law allows for jail time of up to 14 years and a fine of $10,000 for anyone who kills a construction worker in a construction zone.

Our Chicago truck accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti understand the deadly consequences often felt when large vehicles disobey clear traffic orders. The risks of driving are high enough, even when drivers maintain appropriate care. However, when clear warnings signs are ignored, the risk of injury increases exponentially. It is therefore imperative to hold all extremely negligent truck drivers accountable for their errors. It is only then that we can work to ensure future victims are spared.

The Daily Herald is reporting on a Chicago-area truck crash that occurred yesterday in Bartlett.

Early yesterday morning, around 6:15 a.m., several vehicles were stopped in the town on east Lake Street near Oak Avenue. As several cars were idling at the intersection waiting for traffic to pick up, a large dump truck was coming upon the intersection. For reasons still unknown, the driver of the truck, Donald Shaffer, was unable to stop in time. As a result he ended up rear-ending a Jeep that was stopped in front of him. The initial impact then caused the Jeep to hit the car in front of it. Also, after the first impact, the driver of the dump truck lost control and veered left, into the lanes of oncoming traffic. Once that happened, the dump truck hit a Chevy pickup truck which itself hit another SUV. All told, five vehicles including the dump truck were involved in the early morning crash.

Eight people were injured in the collision—two were treated and released, but the other six remain in the hospital. One of the injured drivers had to be extricated from the car because his vehicle was completely destroyed in the crash. Fortunately, all those involved are expected to survive the accident.

Our Chicago truck accident attorneys at Levin & Perconti wish to remind all drivers to remain alert to the presence of large vehicle that share the road with other cars. Some accidents, like the one that struck in Bartlett yesterday, cannot be avoided by other cars. When you are stopped at a light or stop sign, there is simply nothing that can be done to prevent another negligent driver from failing to stop in time behind you. Besides wearing a safety belt and having other safety measures in place, those types of accidents are unpreventable on the part of the careful driver. However, the legal system does provide remedies for the victims of these types of crashes involving a negligent driver. If you or someone you know may have been involved an accident where a truck driver failed to drive carefully, please contact a truck crash attorney today.

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.

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!

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!

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.

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.

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 trucking accident that occurred on March 7th injured 13 people. The south side Chicago trucking accident occurred near Loomis Street and Cermak Road when a semi-trailer truck and a CTA bus crashed into each other. According to Chicago Breaking News, twelve people on the bus suffered personal injuries as well as the truck driver. Luckily, only one of the injuries was severe enough to be considered critical. At this point there is no word on what caused the accident and if either driver will be facing any kind of charges. To read more about this South Side trucking accident, please click on the link.

Many accidents occur each years involving Chicago Transit Authority busses and trains. If you or a loved one were involved in a Chicago accident where you were a passenger on a bus or train and feel that you may be entitled to damages for injuries, please contact a Chicago accident attorney to discuss your options. Many times the accident may be caused by a negligent driver on either the bus or train, or in a car that crashed into one of these, and the passengers involved may be entitled to compensation.

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 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.

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 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.

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 rule in which truck drivers are allowed to drive up to 11 hours straight is being reconsidered, in response to the outcry by safety advocates who worry that this extended length of driving time may be the cause of many trucking accidents. The rule is relatively recent and added an hour of driving time to what was previously the maximum, as well as cut down on the minimum rest time at the end of each week. According to Google, the Transportation Department has agreed to try and develop a rule that maximizes safety. For more information on where the current rule stands and what the proposed changed for the rule to try and minimize trucking accidents, click here.

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.

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.

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.

An Illinois woman is facing drunk driving charges after she rear-ended an Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) truck early this morning. According to the Chicago Sun Times, the IDOT truck was stopped on I-57 with its lights on to help a stranded motorist when the drunk driver hit the back of the truck. The driver was temporarily pinned inside her car but was rescued and taken to a local hospital for treatment of her broken bones. The IDOT driver an the stranded motorist that the driver was helping were not injured in the Chicago truck accident. For more information on this Cook County truck accident, 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 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.

Six ambulances responded to a truck crash early in the morning in the 3600 block of West Fullerton Avenue in Chicago, Illinois. Several people had to be extracted from their automobiles. Two people were pronounced dead at the scene after the truck accident. Two others were taken to the hospital with serious personal injuries. The accident occurred when a car collided with a private garbage truck. One of the victim’s father had recently died in an automobile accident. To read more about the truck accident in Chicago, please click the link.

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 59-year-old male pedestrian was killed after being struck by a semi-trailer truck in Chicago Illinois. The man was crossing the street at West Chicago and North Ashland when he was struck by the 18-wheeled semi-truck. No citations have been issued against the driver in the truck accident. The police major accident investigation unit is still investigating the truck accident. To read more about the automobile accident, please click the link.

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 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.

An Illinois man pled guilty to three counts of aggravated driving under the influence and has been sentenced to 45 months in the Illinois Department of Corrections, of which he will have to serve at least 85 percent of that time. The truck accident occurred last fall when the victim was a passenger in her family’s pick-up truck which was travelling down I-90 and was crushed when it was struck by a semi. The truck driver had failed to brake and tested positive for marijuana in amounts that are shown to severely impair his judgment at the time of the accident. Chicago truck accident lawyers Levin & Perconti represent the family of the victim in the civil case against the driver. For more information on this fatal truck accident, click here.

A truck driver was arrested after fleeing from a crash that he allegedly caused on the morning of July 26th in Chicago. This truck accident injured three people, which were taken to local hospitals and at this point none of them seem to have life-threatening injuries. When the police apprehended the truck driver, he was charged with driving under the influence of drugs, possession of a controlled substance and leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A car collided with a semi-truck earlier this morning in Chicago, injuring six people including three children. The car involved in the crash did not merge properly as it entered the highway and was struck by another car, which was then struck by the truck. The truck accident blocked lanes for a short while but all of the lanes have since reopened. No one that was injured seems to have suffered life-threatening personal injuries. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

A Chicago truck accident occurred when a semi-truck rolled over on July 17th on I-90. The semi collided with a minivan and then rolled over into a ditch. All people involved in the truck accident were okay and only suffered minor personal injuries. As of a couple hours after the crash, all lanes of traffic had reopened. For more information on this semi accident in Chicago, click here.

A truck accident that involved a truck and two cars injured six people on the Dan Ryan Expressway on the afternoon of July 10th. Four of the people injured in the Chicago truck accident were listed in serious to critical condition, one in fair to serious and one in good condition. Four other people involved in the truck accident refused medical attention at the scene. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

A car rear-ended a semi-truck carrying 9,000 pounds of Chinese food, causing the food to spill out and block the southbound lanes of the Tri-State Tollway early in the morning of July 7th. The Chicago Tribune reports that two of the four lanes had to be closed temporarily for about 4 miles behind the truck accident. No one was injured as a result of the truck accident. For more information on this Chicago truck accident, click here.

Earlier today, on I-80 in the Chicago area a tractor-trailer accident occurred involving four semi trucks, leaving one of the drivers dead. The driver that was killed was driving the semi that started the chain reaction truck crash. All lanes remained closed and were still closed as on 10:20 this evening and are believed to be closed for awhile longer because of the extent of the clean-up required from all the truck contents that were spilled following the truck accident. The name of the victim has not been released, and will not be until the family of the victim has been notified. One other person was injured in the truck accident and was taken to a local hospital and his condition is unknown. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

Early this morning near Chicago, a semitrailer tipped over on the ramp that goes from the southbound I-294 to the eastbound I-290. At this point there is no news as to the cause of the truck accident but the police were still investigating. No other vehicles were involved in the truck accident, and the truck driver only suffered very minor personal injuries. The truck had been carrying beer products and the beer leaked out onto the road. This one-vehicle accident did not cause severe delays in traffic. For more information on this truck accident, click here.

On June 8th, a semi truck jackknifed blocking the northbound lanes of the Kennedy Expressway for several hours. This Chicago truck accident left no one seriously injured. The cause of the truck accident is not known but is likely to be due in part to the slippery road conditions resulting from the heavy rain. For more information on this Chicago car accident, 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.

Over 200,000 accidents occur each year involving a truck and at least one passenger car. The best way to avoid truck accidents is to always leave as much space as possible between a truck and your car and never try to squeeze in next to the truck. Trucks have more blind spots than passenger cars and it is good to be aware of these in order to avoid serious accidents. If you have to drive near a truck try to make sure you are in a spot that the driver can view your car. When driving a passenger car behind a truck on an incline it is best to make sure that you leave extra space in case the truck rolls back slightly when its starts to move. If a truck is passing you, make sure to drive slowly because the spray from the truck can often reduce visibility. If you are attempting to pass a truck remember that they are much longer than a regular vehicle so allow extra time to be able to pass. Also make sure to never drive too closely behind a truck because it can be very difficult to stop in time if they stop short. For more helpful tips in avoiding a truck 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.

A car and tractor-trailer were involved in a Champaign truck accident when the driver of the semi-truck did not realize that the car in front of it was braking, not allowing the driver even time to stop once he realized that the car was slowing down. The truck swerved out of the way of the car, but the trailer part of the truck struck the vehicle. Several other cars behind the tractor-trailer tried to stop in time to avoid the truck accident but several vehicles hit each other while attempting to stop. No one was seriously injured in the accident. For more information on this 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.

A ten-year-old girl is being treated at the University of Chicago Medical Center after suffering serious injuries in a truck accident near Chicago. The girl was riding with her mother who lost control of the vehicle, causing it to hit a barrier. The vehicle then spun across traffic and became lodged under a tractor trailer truck. The truck drug the vehicle for a short time before colliding with another semi-truck. The girl was pinned in the car and suffered a broken femur and other internal injuries. The mother was taken a local hospital with minor injuries. Read more about this truck accident near Chicago.

Chicago Breaking News reports that a truck accident in McHenry County closed all eastbound lanes of the Jane Adams Tollway in McHenry County Illinois on May 8. The accident occurred near Huntley, IL. The semi-truck fell onto its side and blocked lanes on the highway. The article did not say what caused the accident or whether any other vehicles were involved in the truck accident. Follow the link to read more about this Illinois truck accident.

A 70-year-old man was killed in a Chicago truck accident in the early morning hours of May 8. According the Chicago Breaking News, two cars and one semi-truck were involved. A driver in a Ford Taurus lost control of his car and hit a retaining wall near 79th Street on Chicago’s South Side. The truck driver was able to slow down to avoid a collision but a minivan failed to come to a stop and slammed into the back of the semi, killing the van driver. The driver of the Taurus and the semi-truck did not suffer any personal injuries. The report did not reveal what caused the driver of the Taurus to initially lose control of his car. To read more about this Chicago truck accident.