Rollover Accident

Snow Tires: Helpful or Harmful?

Published on: December 4, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

As many are aware, Chicago has been known for its long and trying winters, with months of brisk winds and horizontal sleet that seem to last forever. Who doesn’t recall the “Snowmageddon” of 2011, and all of the cars stuck and stranded in their evening commute on Lake Shore Drive? Even though Illinois may not be as far north as our neighboring states, winter tires are often a consideration for those who do a lot of driving in the greater Chicago area during these winter months.

Many people, understandably, may question winter tires’ worth. Are they worth the extra cost? Are they worth the hassle of changing your vehicle’s tires for the season? Do they really help you be that much safer, or are winter hazards simply unavoidable? Weighing the opinions and testimony of northerly and at-home neighbors may help.

Having the right tires could prevent fatal rollover crashes. Areas that are more consistently snowy and slippery on the roads have done more research on snow and winter tires. For instance, after a fatal rollover accident, the coroner’s report concluded that the Jeep had the wrong tires, which contributed to the driver’s death. Losing control on a slippery curve caused the vehicle to hit a concrete barrier, flip over it, and roll into the nearby lake upside-down.

Rollover Crashes Often Result in Fatalities

Published on: December 3, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

A “rollover” is a type of vehicle accident in which the vehicle tips over onto its side or roof. Because of the severe impact crash of these accidents, rollovers often result in death or serious injury. Rollover accidents can occur from colliding with another vehicle, curb, median, etc., or from speed, friction with the ground, and loss of steering control. Rollovers cause the vehicle to become unstable, then causing the vehicle to turn over.

In the evening of Sunday, November 24th, a rollover crash in Stephenson County left one person dead and another injured, according to NBC 13. According to the Stephenson County Sheriff’s Department, the accident occurred on Galena Rd., west of Pin Hook Rd. The car in the accident hit a culvert, causing it to go air born and land on the driver’s side. Such a serious rollover crash resulted in the driver being pronounced dead at the scene and the passenger being airlifted to the hospital.

Similarly, according to the Chicago Tribune, another rollover crash on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago left one dead and two injured on the early morning of November 29th. Occurring near West Lawrence Avenue, a Mercedes Benz lost control and struck a center median, causing the car to roll over. After the crash, police then had to block off traffic at West Wilson Avenue.

Chicago Truck Driver Tips Semi On I-94 Entrance Ramp

Published on: November 15, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

Two weeks ago a semi truck tipped over on Interstate 94 near Calhoun County and blocked traffic for miles, according to a report from CBS Local. The accident took place at 12:36pm at the entrance ramp to westbound I-94 when police say the truck driver was entering the highway too fast. The truck reportedly crossed the driving lane and tipped onto its side in the passing lane under an interstate bridge.

Police say the semi truck driver, a 48-year old man of Chicago, had 40,000 pounds of goods in the trailer of his truck. Heavy wreckers lifted the semi back onto its wheels and then it was towed away, allowing authorities to reopen all roads by later that afternoon. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital with minor head injuries and was ticketed for careless driving.

The report continues to state that a nearly identical accident occurred just a week before when another truck, entering from the same ramp, flipped onto its side and slid into the left lane of westbound I-94. Our truck accident attorneys note that while many accidents occur on Illinois interstates and highways each year, it is becoming more and more common to learn of these accidents taking place on freeway entrance and exit ramps in comparison to other segments of the highway.

16 Injured In Chain Reaction Collision On I-94 Near Great America

Published on: July 16, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

An accident outside of Gurnee near Six Flags Great America injured sixteen people last Friday morning, according to Chicagotribune.com. Families and children traveling to the state theme park were stunned to see the six-vehicle crash and six ambulances that had responded to the scene. A truck accident attorney at our firm learned that the accident took place on I-94 at mile marker 9.5 near Grand Avenue, just north of Washington Street.

The accident was allegedly the result of a chain reaction collision involving three SUV’s, two passenger vehicles, and one semi truck that was hauling a trailer. Preliminary investigations of the accident determined that five vehicles were stopped in traffic in the far two right lanes of the interstate. The semi-truck was driving behind them and was unable to reduce speed. He then struck the rear of one of the vehicles, causing it to push into the others in front of it.

Gurnee Fire Department Chief reported that paramedics responded to the scene immediately and transported sixteen victims to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville. Of those victims, three were in critical condition and two were airlifted from the medical center via Flight for Life to another hospital in Park Ridge. The thirteen remaining patients, who included both adults and children, ranged from fair to serious condition. Illinois State Police say that all of the patients were wearing their seat belts at the time of the collision.

Driver Trapped Inside Tractor After Overturning On Illinois Exit Ramp

Published on: July 5, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

Timesherald.com reports that a tractor-trailer overturned on an Illinois expressway exit ramp last week, trapping the driver inside of the tractor. A truck accident lawyer at our firm read that the late-morning accident caused the driver to remain trapped until early afternoon as emergency rescue crews and authorities responded to the scene. Traffic was also stopped on the ramp for a significant amount of time. After over two hours, the male driver was finally freed from the wreck and was flown by a medical helicopter to a nearby hospital for treatment of unknown injuries. State police opened the exit ramp to traffic after the accident scene was cleared.

In comparison to other segments of the highway, a large number of Illinois accidents commonly occur on freeway entrance and exit ramps. This is often due to congestion taking place on the ramps, trucks traveling near or directly next to passenger vehicles or motorcycles, and motorists traveling over the speed limit at the same time as the ramp curves. The Illinois Department of Transportation states that additional common factors contributing to these accidents are poor weather, driving under the influence, and traveling at night.

In order to reduce the number of accidents on highway ramps, it is crucial to drive attentively, responsibly, and most importantly, defensively at all times. When entering a highway ramp, speed limit signs often changes to about 35mph; despite this, many drivers continue traveling at their current speed of up to 50 mph on the ramp. Be sure to slow down and look out for upcoming curves or turns on the ramp. If there are other vehicles on the ramp, allow a proper amount of distance in between yourself and these vehicles in order to prevent collisions.

Tanker Truck Rollover Accident on Interstate 80

Published on: May 22, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

Interstate 80 was shut down near Atkinson last Thursday when a semi-truck tanker crashed and rolled over onto the side of the road. Whbf.com released details about the accident, stating that it occurred around 6am on the westbound lanes of the interstate at mile marker 29. Witnesses report the truck driver was traveling westbound in the left lane when he crossed into the right lane, continued through the right shoulder, and rolled the vehicle into a ditch just seconds later.

After emergency crews responded to the scene, the truck driver was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Police say the tanker leaked fluid as a result of the crash. Hazardous Material teams arrived to clean up the small chemical spill, later stating there was no immediate health risk due to the spill. Traffic was diverted around the accident in both directions onto US 6, which caused major delays throughout the morning. The report states the truck driver has been charged with improper lane usage.

Our Illinois truck accident lawyers know that according to the National Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), rollover accidents are the deadliest of all motor-vehicle types of accidents. Rollovers reportedly occur in only about 13% of heavy-truck fatal crash involvements, but they account for 50% of truck-occupant fatalities. Tanker trucks are most susceptible to rollovers because the weight distribution of bulk loads can shift suddenly during sharp turns or movements, causing a vehicle imbalance.

Authorities Report 1 Dead and 19 Injured After Driver Loses Control of Overcrowded Van

Published on: April 18, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

Our Illinois truck accident lawyers recently learned of an accident that occurred when an overcrowded van experienced tire problems and rolled over several times, killing the driver and injuring nineteen other people involved. Washingtonpost.com released that the crash took place at about 7:10pm on Saturday in a small Florida community about sixty miles southeast of Orlando. Highway Patrol officials reported that the rubber from at least one tire separated from the van’s wheel, causing it to roll over towards a center median of the road.

Investigators say the van was holding about fifteen people when it overturned, in addition to numerous pieces of luggage from the passengers. A forty-six year old woman was ejected from the van and was pronounced dead at the scene. Three people in the van had to be airlifted to nearby hospitals with moderate injuries. Many children were also injured, although the report does not specify if the children were passengers in the van or not.

Authorities say that in total, nineteen people were injured as a result of the accident. Troopers are currently trying to determine how many times the van rolled, as well as how many people were wearing seatbelts. A highway patrol spokeswoman describes it as “very fortunate” that only one person was ejected considering the large number of people inside.

Illinois Truck Driver Cited For Accident Caused by Illegal U-Turn

Published on: February 18, 2013 | Levin & Perconti

An Illinois personal injury lawyer at our firm recently read a report detailing a rollover accident that occurred due to a driver making an illegal U-turn. RRstar.com released that the accident occurred at 7:30pm last Thursday on U.S 20, about a half-mile west of South Alpine Road. Illinois State Police say a pick-up truck was westbound in the left lane and suddenly slowed down to travel in reverse, attempting to make an illegal U-turn on the raised grassy median. A vehicle traveling behind it swerved off the roadway to avoid a collision, and though no serious injuries were reported, he had to be extricated from the vehicle after it rolled over. The report states that the truck driver immediately fled the scene but was later caught by police. He was cited for numerous offenses including proper backing and leaving the scene of a personal injury crash.

Our law firm believes there were two primary factors present that caused the above accident, the first being the motorist’s decision to travel in reverse on a busy roadway. Reversing a vehicle is a very dangerous maneuver, as it is sometimes difficult to see other motorists surrounding the vehicle. There are certain situations where it is simply unsafe to reverse, including highways, roadways with traffic, or areas with cyclists or pedestrians. Though reversing was necessary for the motorist to make the U-turn, it was not the appropriate place to do so and thus, the accident took place.

This leads to the second problem in the above report, making an illegal U-turn. A U-turn is considered illegal if a driver is either on a one-way street, crosses a curb, crosses double white lines or a median in the center of the road, or completes a U-turn if road markings or signs indicate “No U-turns.” It is important to remember that a driver’s decision to attempt an illegal U-turn affects all other motorists on the roadway; even carefully performing an illegal U-turn can cause serious injury to approaching vehicles. Thus, it is important that if a driver needs to complete a U-turn, they do so safely on a roadway where it is legal.

Lawsuit Filed After Bus Accident Causes Critical Injuries

Published on: February 29, 2012 | Levin & Perconti

Earlier this week, our Chicago accident attorneys read a report posted on GoSanAngelo.com detailing a lawsuit that has been filed on behalf of a couple who sustained severe injuries in a bus accident that transpired late last year. According to the article, the accident in question transpired on November 4 when a commercial bus struck a concrete culvert during travel and subsequently overturned. Upon collision, twelve of the commercial bus’s occupants were ejected – resulting in numerous injuries and fatalities.

Additionally, the bus sustained major damage that included the bus’s fiber rooftop being ripped apart from the frame. Our accident attorneys in Chicago learned that a final crash report revealed that the driver was not under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident. However, the commercial bus driver did disclose to local authorities that he may have fallen asleep at the wheel shortly before the accident.

The bus accident lawsuit names the several companies as defendants in the case, namely those who were involved in the design, manufacturing and marketing of the commercial bus involved in the accident. The lawsuit asserts that the companies failed to perform full-scale rollover testing of the bus and was not crash worthy.

Chicago Truck Driver Ticketed in Semi Truck Rollover

Published on: December 8, 2011 | Levin & Perconti

Yesterday, Illinois Interstate 57 closed down for several hours after a destructive Illinois trucking accident. According to a news report posted on Daily-Journal.com, the accident occurred when a semi tractor-trailer hauling an 8,000 pound cargo of furniture rolled over near Bradley. The 36 year-old Chicago semi truck driver told Illinois police that the rollover resulted when he swerved his commercial vehicle in order to avoid a deer. An investigation into the accident revealed that the semi truck driver was driving too fast and lost control of his vehicle. The semi truck driver sustained mild injures that required additional medical attention. He has been cited for improper lane usage and a false log book.

Under regulations established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, trucking carriers shall require all their employed commercial vehicle drivers to record his/her duty status for each 24 hour operational period. In order to comply with hours of service regulations, drivers are required to maintain a log book which tracks when the driver is off-duty, in the vehicle’s sleeper berth, driving, or on-duty and not driving. Additionally, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration requires that truckers frequently update their logbooks and note any changes. In the event that the truck driver comes in contact with a law enforcement official, they are required to present their logbook on demand.

As you can see, truck drivers are held to strict regulations when it comes to hours of service and maintaining an up to date log book. Any Chicago truck accident lawyer will tell you that when a large commercial vehicle driver violates hours of service regulations or falsifies their logbook, the driver may be subject to severe and harsh penalty. These penalties range from drivers being placed out of service, fines issued by state and local enforcement, civil penalties issues by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ranging from $1,000 – $11,000 per violation, or even federal criminal penalties brought against the trucker and their carrier.