Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Semi-trucks are a staple on Illinois roads, moving from city to city every day and hauling product as they travel. The movements of trucks and truck drivers are governed by strict state and federal laws with different standards than those that apply to private operates of cars. Failing to comply with trucking regulations can not only be a violation of the law but also can be negligent or recklessness, standards of conduct which can hold the truck driver liable for any injuries that result in a collision.
Truck accidents in Chicago occur too often and cause too many injuries. The victims of these crashes may deal with debilitating injuries or even may lose their lives, leaving behind family members who will never fully recover from the crash. Though nothing can undo an accident once it occurs, the victims or the surviving family members of these accidents may be entitled to seek financial relief for their loses, including medical bills, through the use of a civil claim. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago may help you understand if you have a valid claim for your damages following a truck accident.
Yesterday proved to be a fatal day on I-55 between 2:17 p.m. and 2:33 p.m. Two separate collisions involving semi-trucks led to the deaths of five people on the expressway, according to local authorities.
The first truck crash took place around 2:17 p.m. near Elmwood, just prior to a construction zone. Witnesses reported that traffic was at a stop as merging down to one lane was taking place. Reportedly, a semi-truck in the area was traveling at a high rate of speed in the left lane when it made a lane change, striking the rear of a stopped vehicle and pushing that first vehicle into two others. The truck driver, a 51-year-old man, survived the crash but four people in the other vehicles involved, including an 11-year-old girl, were killed in the crash.
The truck driver involved was arrested and has been charged with falsifying entries in his log book, a violation of federal trucking laws if he is convicted. Additional charges may be levied as the investigation into this incident continues.
Just 16 minutes after the first collision, a second crash occurred on I-55 southbound near Route 6 when one semi-truck rear-ended a second. Both drivers in that crash were injured and were transported to area hospitals but the injuries sustained by one were too severe and he died. It is not clear whether any charges are being considered in the second crash.
If you have been hurt in a truck accident in Chicago, you may be entitled to legal relief, including payment for your pain and suffering as well as time you may have missed from work. The lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. are standing by 24 hours a day to take your call and provide you with a free, no obligation case consultation regarding your accident and your legal options.
We can be reached toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and everything discussed will be kept confidential. At Abels & Annes, P.C., we never charge a fee unless we make a recovery on behalf of our clients and we fight for the best possible outcome in every case we take.
If a truck accident has left you hurt, call us now and let us help you seek the relief you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
Chicago Porch Collapse Injures 8, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published July 21, 2014.
Resource:
Girl, 11, among 5 dead in I-55 wrecks, by Rosemary Regina Sobol, Michelle Manchir and Adam Sege, Chicago Tribune, published July 22, 2014.