Illinois Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

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

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

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

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

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.

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

A 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.

Recently, many have wondered if the structure in which trucking drivers are paid encourages them to drive beyond the amount of hours that is safe and could actually be responsible for more trucking accidents. The way truck drivers are paid is by mile as opposed to by how long they are working, which leads drivers to often times drive more miles and longer hours than what may be safe for them to be driving. Additionally, drivers are not paid for the as many as 30-40 hours per week that it takes to load and unload their trucks. According to The Rolla Daily News, many people within trucking organizations and truck drivers feel that a change in the structure of paying trucking drivers would not only be more fair to the drivers but would also increase overall safety within the entire trucking industry. However, on the opposite side of the debate from the people that feel that truckers should be paid for the hours they work, many say that if truckers are not paid for miles driven it could encourage drivers to lose the incentive to get a lot of miles in and instead cause them to relax possibly too much on the job. So while there are two sides to this issue, it is pretty apparent that something likely needs to be done to increase safety among trucking drivers. There are new hour limits being put into place to try to encourage safe driving, but since these restrictions are pretty new it is still hard to tell how successful they will be in increasing safety and reducing truck crashes. If you would like to read more about the issues facing truck drivers and the way in which they are paid, please click on this link.

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

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

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

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

On March 29th a trucking accident left one trucker dead and two others with severe personal injuries. The fatal trucking accident occurred on I-65 in the wake of another trucking crash that had slowed down traffic tremendously. While traffic was slowed one truck was rear-ended by another truck which was then struck by a third truck, which was then hit by a fourth truck. According to JC Online, this chain reaction crash left the driver of the fourth truck stuck in the cab of the truck and he had to be extricated by emergency workers. Unfortunately, the fourth truck driver’s injuries were so severe that he died of the injuries while at the hospital. The drivers of the second and third truck were hospitalized from their injuries, but the driver of the first truck was left unharmed. No one was injured in the earlier crash that slowed the traffic down leading to the four-truck crash. To read more about this fatal trucking crash, please click on this link.

It is very important to be alert and cautious at all times when driving. Traffic accidents often occur when traffic suddenly slows down due to an accident or a construction zone. While a sudden change in traffic can be startling and hard to prepare for, if you are always being alert and driving at the appropriate speed there should be enough time for you to react and avoid a car accident. To help prepare yourself for this type of situation make sure that whenever you are driving you are watching the cars around you The Illinois Department of Transportation website offers useful tips for driving in construction zones as well as general defensive driving tips, such as if you see cars up ahead seeming to be slowing down or you see brake lights ahead, start slowing your car down so you don’t have to slam on the brakes when it could be too late. Taking these small steps could be what keep a chain reaction crash from occurring.

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

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

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

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

A recent study shows that many motor carrier companies, that in total represent over 200,000 trucks in the United States, are currently violating safety laws in their operation which can lead to truck accidents. Some of the violations that have been found on trucks that are currently in operation are things such as defective brakes, bad tires, exceedingly heavy load and drivers with inadequate training or even dependency problems. All of the these violations are likely to be the cause of many truck accidents and are easily preventable. For more information on how these violations can be fixed and hopefully truck accidents can decrease, 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.

Over the past several years, the United States has seen a shortage in skilled truck drivers. At Levin & Perconti, we have handled a number of truck accident cases where long hours and overworked drivers were often to blame. However, the economic recession plaguing the nation has created a surplus, rather than a shortage, in truck drivers. This surplus is attributed to the closure of many trucking companies and also due to a decrease in the amount of goods being shipped by trucks. According to a recent article, in the last three months of 2008, the amount shipped decreased by over six percent. Because of this, companies are laying-off truckers and lowering costs. To read the full account of how the recession is affecting the trucking industry, follow the link.

After a truck accident where negligence is suspected on the part of the truck driver or the trucking company, it is important to contact an attorney as soon as possible. If the victim of a truck crash wishes to pursue a personal injury lawsuit, lawyers can obtain data from a truck’s Electronic Control Module (ECM) or “black box”. These devices can provide important information regarding the truck’s operation that could prove useful in a lawsuit when they reveal problems such a truck driver fatigue or negligence by the trucking company. Most ECMs record data for 30 days but after that begin to write over old data, making it necessary to act quickly in the aftermath or a trucking accident. Read more about ECMs and trucking accidents.

A recent article highlighted the risk facing truck drivers that trucking jobs appear to carry added risks of lung cancer. That risk for truck drivers grows incrementally each year that workers remain in jobs as drivers and other roles that involve regular explosure to diesel fumes and other pollutants.

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Trucking company workers who have been regularly exposed to diesel exhaust from vehicles have a higher rate of lung cancer according to a national study. Short-haul drivers had higher rates than long-haul drivers.

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