Articles Posted in Illinois Victim

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Trucks and trains are among the largest and most powerful vehicles on the roadways. They are extremely large in height and weight and travel at high speeds. While all drivers already have a legal duty to be safe drivers, it is arguable that it is even more important for drivers of these large means of transportation to be especially safe and vigilant, for when they are negligent, extremely serious accidents often occur which result in significant personal injuries.

Even though these vehicle may be large and have the potential to be dangerous, does not mean that they have to be. When operated responsibly, these vehicles are great for business operations or for people to travel long distances. Furthermore, our state has gates and lights at railroad crossings for a reason: to signal that a train is approaching in that very instant and to not cross the track. Signs, lights, and gates are there for our protection and to give us notice. If we follow these warnings and signs and do not act in a negligent manner at crossings, there is no reason that collisions should have to occur. Many of these incidents are entirely avoidable.
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While we often write about the City of Chicago itself as being a major hub for the trucking industry, we need to remember that Chicagoland, including the surrounding suburbs, consists of a large area around the city. This means that while many trucks are making stops in the city itself, they are frequently traveling on roads and highways outside of the City, including downstate and the suburbs.

Reported in an article by the Chicago Tribune, a trucking accident in the Bolingbrook-Plainfield suburban area on I-55 killed a middle-aged man. The victim’s vehicle was disabled at the time and had stalled in the right northbound lane, according to both the state police and the Plainfield Fire Protection District Deputy. A Melrose Park man was driving the semi-truck and hit the victim’s vehicle while trying to get off the road. The impact of the collision sent the disabled vehicle from the right hand lane into the median wall. The semi-truck was originally on top of the vehicle, but the semi driver was able to reverse the truck off of it before fire crews arrived to the scene. The victim was trapped in the car and required heavy extrication by emergency responders. Additionally, the collision caused the semi-truck to jackknife, blocking all lanes of northbound I-55.

Another article reporting on the same accident, also by the Chicago Tribune, states that the accident occurred near Lockport Road. The driver of the disable vehicle was pronounced dead on the scene in the early evening. The driver of the semi-truck was rushed to a local hospital.
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Many Chicagoans rely on public transportation to commute both within the city and the surrounding Chicagoland area. Instead of owning or relying on a car, public transportation offers riders the ability to travel for an affordable price. Even if a vehicle is available, many people find that transportation like buses and trains offers convenience and affordability, especially when needing to travel a farther distance away from the city of Chicago.

However, these common carriers owe a legal duty of care to their paying customer passengers. This includes not only having a safe and properly functioning mode of transportation but also driving safely and keeping the passengers free from harm. Abiding by this legal duty is important. While minor mistakes may seem like no big deal before they occur, when someone acts negligently while the lives of others are in their hands, accidents are likely to occur and often do happen. Even moments of negligent behavior can have a serious effect on the safety and well-being of passengers. Where a company or one of its drivers fails in any of these regards (i.e. safe vehicle, safe driving, etc.) and passengers suffer injury as a result, the company and/or its employee can be held responsible through a personal injury lawsuit.

A recent article by the Chicago Sun-Times is a prime example of driver negligence can endanger passengers. A Megabus, heading south out of Chicago, crashed on the highway and injured 19 people. The bus crashed into three other vehicles, one of which was a semi-truck. After rear-ending a semi in the early morning, the bus caused a chain-reaction crash in the southbound lanes of Interstate 65. Police relayed that for unknown reasons the bus driver failed to stop before the front of the bus collided with the rear of a semi-tractor trailer that was stopped in the left lane. This set off a chain-reaction; after hitting the semi, the semi then hit a SUV, followed by the SUV being pushed into a small passenger vehicle.
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Negligence can have a permanent impact on the lives of victims and their loved ones. When we do not follow the rules of safety, whether on the road or at work, what actions may not seem like a big deal could actually create a very hazardous situation putting others’ lives at risk. Safety precautions and rules exist for a reason – to keep people, premises, worksites, etc. accident-free. When these rules are not followed, a dangerous situation is unnecessarily created and can easily cause serious personal injuries or death.

According to a recent article by ABC 7 Chicago, a gravel truck toppled over onto a car, killing a pregnant woman inside. OSHA is investigating what caused the truck to fall on top of the car, which was parked in the woman’s driveway. The victim was in the process of moving her car from her driveway at the request of the truck driver when the gravel truck flipped onto her vehicle, killing her. OSHA is gathering evidence and is concerned whether safety protocols were followed.

Often, when we think of truck accidents, we think of the accidents occurring on roads or interstates caused by distracted driving, fatigued drivers, rear-end collisions, and rollovers. While it is true that many accidents do happen on roads as collisions between other trucks and motor vehicles, this article is an example that accidents can and do occur when vehicles are stationary as well. While a rarer occurrence – and even rarer when safety precautions are followed – an accident can occur when a construction vehicle is in the process of moving and carrying loads. A truck accident, whether stationary or on the road, can result in serious personal injuries, including permanent disabling injuries or broken bones, and death from the impact or being crushed.
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It is always saddening to learn about local lives lost in car and trucking accidents caused by negligence. It is especially tragic when the victim was very young and had a lot of potential and life yet to live. That is why our attorneys believe it is so important to remind community members that when they are behind the wheel of a vehicle, they have a responsibility toward others. Their actions as a driver can take the lives of their passengers and others on the road if they do not practice safe driving.

According to a recent article by the Chicago Tribune, a Brighton Park woman died after the friend that was driving her crashed into the side of a semi-truck. The accident occurred in the city’s Lower West Side community in the early morning in the 3100 block of South Damen Avenue where the road passes over the Stevenson Expressway. The car hit the passenger side of the trailer of a semi-truck that was making a left turn to enter northbound Damen. The driver of the car also suffered serious injuries. The accident is still under investigation by the police department’s Major Accident Investigation Unit.

When we share the roadways with large vehicles like trucks and tractor-trailers, it is especially important to exercise caution. There is no room for negligence around large trucks. Because of the extreme size, both in height and weight, of these vehicles, a collision is extremely dangerous and often results in serious personal injuries and fatalities. Common serious and permanent injuries can include broken bones, nerve damage, or loss of limbs. Injuries like these are life-changing and may even take away one’s ability to work or go about their daily lives the same way.
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Even though winter weather conditions may finally be coming to a close soon, this does not mean that truck accidents are on the decline. Although winter weather is often a factor in increased risk for collisions, these dangerous accidents can and do happen in any type of weather or time of day. When drivers of trucks or motor vehicles are negligent or distracted, accidents are very likely to happen. With just increased attention and diligence to safety and the laws of the road, lives could be saved and injuries could be prevented.

According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, an 89-year-old man was killed, and his 87-year-old wife seriously injured in a crash with a semi-truck in Aurora. The accident occurred at the intersection of Eola Road and Diehl Road. The accident occurred in the afternoon. The man was driving west on Diehl and went through a red light at the intersection at Eola. The car and the semi-truck, that was driving north on Eola with a green light, then collided. The car was pushed across the roadway and the truck then went into another vehicle that was on Eola and attempting to turn onto Diehl.

It is very unfortunate and saddening that a preventable accident took the life of this elderly man and took him away from his beloved elderly wife. Interestingly, this is mere steps from the site of the notorious semi-truck accident that took the life of a tollway worker and seriously injured an Illinois State Trooper in winter of 2014 . Being a major suburban road and also right off of a large Chicagoland interstate, this is a high traffic area for commuters and trucks traveling their routes. Such high traffic areas require additional caution on top of what should be our already safe driving practices. It only takes a moment of inattentiveness to safety or road signs to cause an accident. In busy and high-speed areas like this intersection off of the I-88 interstate where there are many drivers, accidents can easily occur.
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Often, when we think of truck accidents, we envision the giant semi-trucks, tankers, and tractor-trailers. These truck accidents are extremely dangerous due to these vehicles’ large size and weight. However, truck accidents can involve all types of trucks, both commercial and not-commercial. Even when a truck is not as big as a tractor trailer or semi, they still tend to be heavy vehicles, and are often much larger than other motor vehicles on the road . Whether pickup trucks or commercial vehicles, truck accidents can result in serious personal injuries. This was the case recently when a U.S. mail truck as involved in a rollover accident in Plainfield.

According to ABC Chicago, two people were seriously injured in a mail truck rollover crash in the Chicago suburb of Plainfield. The accident occurred at Route 126 and County Line Road. According to the Plainfield Fire Department, the postal worker was driving eastbound on Route 126 and lost control of the mail truck. The truck then flipped over into oncoming traffic and was struck by a motor vehicle. The postal worker had to be airlifted to a hospital in serious condition, and the man in the other vehicle also had to be taken to a hospital for medical attention for serious personal injuries.
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Curled up inside on the couch, sipping hot cocoa and watching the snow fall outside your window may be really relaxing, but the snow can invoke feelings far from relaxation when you’re dealing with it on the roads and highways. While snow may be pretty and picturesque when we are safe and inside, it is a completely different story when it is making your commute and travels hazardous. Frequently, snow is a cause of truck and motor vehicle accidents. By highlighting winter weather-related accidents in our blogs, we hope to bring awareness to our readers about the dangers winter weather conditions can pose on the roads.

A report by MyFox11 relayed that a woman died as the result of a truck crash on Highway 141 near Jossart Road. A pickup truck was hauling a snowmobile trailer northbound when the driver of the truck swerved to avoid a dark object in the roadway. The victim was then struck by the trailer. The driver died at the scene of the accident from head and internal injuries. Snow was also falling and covering the roadway at the time of the accident. The Marinette County Sheriff’s Office is continuing to investigate this crash.

There are many steps we can take as drivers to protect ourselves and others when on snowy and icy roads. Weather Underground provides tips for both car maintenance and driving safety to ensure that you are most prepared for your snowy drive. It is important to make sure that your vehicle is safe to drive in winter weather. For example, you should be sure to check your anti-freeze and thermostat to avoid freezing. Make sure your windshield wiper blades are operable and that you have de-icing washing fluid. Also, check on your oil and power steering fluids. Be sure to properly lubricate door locks that may be prone to freezing. Remember to keep at least half of a tank of gas in your vehicle during the winter season too, because this prevents freezing.
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With the holiday season just wrapping up, our postal and delivery workers have been especially busy. A significant amount of packages are delivered this time of year, and these workers may be working much longer hours than normal or working much more frequently. Since a major facet of the postal services, both government and private, is to make deliveries to residences, these workers are on the road in great frequency during the holiday season. However, even though this season may be more stressful for these employees and require more work, this does not mean that the drivers should be more lax in their driving. Just like all drivers on the road, it is the legal duty of these individuals to practice safe driving when they get behind the wheel of a vehicle.

According to a recent report by CBS, a United Parcel Service driver hit a pedestrian in Evanston. The pedestrian was walking across Ashland Avenue in the early evening and was struck by the UPS truck that had just turned onto the street. According to Evanston police, the pedestrian had to be extricated from beneath the truck. The individual was then transported to Evanston-NorthShore University Hospital with life-threatening injuries. The accident is still under investigation.
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It seems that a truck accident involving injuries occurs almost every week in Illinois. Unfortunately, the most devastating accidents often take the life of the victims in the collision or result in very serious injury. This was the case earlier this week when aa young person died in an accident with a tractor trailer.

The Morris Daily Herald, reported that the 19-year-old man died when he swerved off of I-55 in the Channahon Township after his vehicle was cut off by a semitrailer, according to the Illinois State Police. He was driving in his pickup truck in the left lane when the semi switched lanes and cut him off. The victim then swerved to avoid hitting the semi and his vehicle rolled over several times in the median ditch and then came to a rest in the southbound lanes near the Route 6 interchange. In the process of the rollover, the victim was ejected from his vehicle. The driver of the semi continued on his way and did not stop during this incident. He has still not been identified. Unfortunately, the victim was also not wearing his seatbelt.

Although a semi-truck driver’s reckless actions and failure to be vigilant for others on the road resulted in the victim needed to make an emergency swerve to avoid collision, it is also important to discuss how seat belts can protect us during these emergency situations. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a leading cause of death for those aged 1 – 54 in the United States. More than 2.2 million drivers and passengers were treated in emergency rooms from motor vehicle accidents in 2012 alone. Seat belt use is the most effective way to prevent death and reduce injury in a crash, and actually reduces serious injuries and deaths by half, but millions of people do not wear their seat belts. Teens and young adults wear their seat belts much less often than others. Of the crash victims aged 13 – 20 in 2012, 55% of them were not wearing seat belts. Those ages 13 – 34 are less likely to wear seat belts than those 35 and older too. Furthermore, those in rural areas, such as Channahon, are less 10% less likely to wear seat belts than those in urban and suburban areas.
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