Articles Posted in Truck Accident

Semi-trucks and big rigs pose a unique threat to those who drive in the Chicago area. Though semis make up only 4.3 percent of all registered vehicles in the nation, they are involved in 10 percent of all fatal crashes. The large size and often heavy weight of a semi-truck means that a smaller car is likely to sustain substantial damage in the event the two collide, and with damage to a vehicle comes a very real possibility of injuries or even death to those involved.

With injuries comes a number of issues experienced by the majority of truck accident victims in the Chicago area including medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. These effects can harm not only the individual involved in the collision but also that individual’s family members, loved ones, friends, coworkers, and neighbors. Fortunately victims may not be forced to suffer these financial tolls if they choose to exercise the right to seek relief against an at-fault driver and/or an insurance company for the harm they suffered. Working with a personal injury attorney can help victims realize if they have a valid civil claim, and if so, whether they can obtain payment for their damages in a court of law.
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A typical semi-truck hauling a trailer is up to 20 times the size of a standard passenger car, taking up additional room and posing a significant risk to cars if a collision should occur. In Illinois, statistics prove that truck accidents pose a disproportionately large threat to anyone involved who is in a much smaller vehicle: in 2011 alone, 84 percent of the people who lost their lives in collisions with trucks were in vehicles other than the truck itself.

While truck crashes continue to happen in the Chicago area, victims will continue to be injured and may even be killed, leaving behind loved ones who will never be able to recover from that loss. When a crash happens, the laws of the state are on the side of victims and are designed to help victims financially by enabling those who are hurt to seek financial compensation against an at-fault driver, company, city, or insurance company. However, victims must take the required steps to seek this relief and must do so within a time period specified by law or all rights will be lost. For these reasons, it is wise to speak with a personal injury attorney if you are involved in a Chicago truck accident and you are injured or hurt.
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It is an unfortunate fact of driving that a motorist can only control so much of his or her safety. While driving with care and caution is extremely important, anyone can become the victim of a car accident or a truck accident in Chicago if another motorist fails to act in a similar fashion. It only takes one driver becoming distracted, failing to pay attention to the changing traffic conditions, driving too fast, or even driving while intoxicated to threaten the safety of dozens of people and, potentially, to cause a collision.

This morning, police responded to the scene of a crash in Summit that they believe was caused by a semi-truck driver who fell asleep behind the wheel. The incident occurred on I-55 in the northbound lanes near First Avenue prior to 4:00 a.m. and involved at least 10 cars in addition to the truck, according to officials.
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The commercial trucking industry is thriving with millions of vehicles on the nation’s roadways annually. With variety in their design and size, these vehicles can take on a number of different appearances so that a motorist may not spot one at first. Regardless of the type or function of a commercial truck, the vehicle may pose a threat to the safety of all drivers on a highway, expressway, freeway or local road because they tend to be heavier and more difficult to stop than other types of cars. Despite the potential of a truck accident posed when a commercial carrier is near, these vehicles continue to provide the lion’s share of transit in many national industries and their usage is expected to be in high demand for decades to come.

Simply put, it is easier for a truck to make a deliver to a specific locale than for many other forms of transportation. While freight transit by train is relatively cost effective, few distribution centers or local retailers have train tracks leading into their buildings or docks necessary to load and unload the freight. This means that much which travels by train will eventually find its way onto trucks for the final leg of its journey, again highlighting the prevalence and demand on the trucking industry.

While trucks may be needed, the accidents caused by trucks are not, and many of these collisions are serious and cause injuries to those involved. Victims who are hurt in Chicago-area truck accidents may be entitled to seek financial compensation for their injuries and their suffering if they bring their claims within the time period specified by law. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer may help clarify any issues in your case or any uncertainties you may have if a collision has affected your life or that of your loved one.

On Wednesday afternoon, shortly before 4:30 p.m., a semi-truck traveling on I-55 near Lockport Road in Plainfield was involved in a collision that left a man dead. Police have stated that the truck was driving north on I-55 when it came upon a car that had stopped, disabled on the road when the front end of the truck struck the car, causing a significant impact. The driver of the truck was hurt in the collision and was transported by ambulance to an area hospital where he is expected to recover. The driver of the stopped car, a 47-year-old man, was killed in the collision.

At this time, police are still reviewing the facts from the collision and trying to determine exactly what caused the semi-truck to collide with the car. The outcome of that investigation may drive authorities to issue citations or charges, if applicable.
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Semi-trucks often get a bad reputation when it comes to driving in the Chicago area. They are present on all of the major expressways including the Eisenhower, the Stevenson, the Kennedy, and the Bishop Ford Freeway. While drivers may view these trucks negatively because they tend to drive slower, on average, semi-truck accidents are less common per mile traveled than collisions involving personal vehicles like cars. However, when trucks are involved in crashes, the results tend to be more severe than car accidents because trucks are large, heavy, and capable of causing devastation.

In addition to collisions that may result by driver error, though, truck accidents can be caused by problems with the vehicle itself. Mechanical failures, blown tires, or an improper design of the truck may lead to a situation that cannot be handled by a driver in a manner that prevents a collision. These accidents can threaten the safety of numerous people in the area including the truck driver, others in the truck, or people in nearby cars.

The laws in Chicago are designed to protect those who get hurt in traffic accidents by allowing them to recover financially for their losses. In the event that a faulty condition leads to a collision, relief may be possible against the manufacturer or a truck, a company that performed maintenance on the vehicle, or anyone who service individual components on the truck itself. Further, drivers may have an additional claim under workers’ compensation laws that may be brought against an employer. With so many possibilities, victims cannot be fully informed of their options and rights without consulting with a knowledgeable expert like a personal injury attorney if they have been hurt.

Shortly after 12:00 a.m. on Thursday, a semi-truck traveling on I-80 near Mokena was forced to stop after an incident occurred and the truck’s brakes caught fire. The driver of the vehicle was able to exit the cab shortly before the fire spread from the brakes to the main vehicle, leaving the truck engulfed in flames.

Emergency crews and police were alerted to the incident and they responded at the scene. Crews were able to extinguish the fire and others cleared the wreckage of the crash but several lanes of eastbound I-80 had to be closed during the clean-up. Fortunately, no one was injured in this instance and I-80 was fully functional before morning rush hour began.
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Semi-trucks are ever present on Illinois roads, winding their way through Chicago and on the expressways that border the city limits. Many drivers find trucks to be annoying because they operate at lower speeds, take longer to get up to speed, and require greater distances to stop than a typical passenger vehicle. But trucks serve a vital purpose as they continue to provide some of the most cost-effective means of moving goods over a distance.

While trucks are everywhere, they are involved in fewer collisions per mile traveled than the average driver. Yet when a semi-truck accident occurs in Chicago, the results are more likely to be severe. Trucks are disproportionately responsible for fatal accidents and for accidents that result in serious or permanent injuries because they are often several times larger than other vehicles involved in a crash.

Victims of truck accidents may feel like they are the least lucky drivers in the Chicago area. Not only were they involved in a traffic collision, but they were struck or hit by a semi-truck or other large vehicle. While victims are dealing with the fallout, insurance companies often get to work to try to limit their liability or eliminate any payments that may be owed to a victim. Under the laws of Illinois, victims have the right to seek relief for their damages, including financial compensation for injuries and medical expenses. Consulting with a personal injury lawyer can make sure that you have an advocate on your side, fighting for your rights so that an insurance company cannot take advantage of you.

Shortly before 4:00 a.m. today, police in northwest Indiana were alerted to a semi-truck accident on I-94 near State Road 249. When they responded, police were able to determine that a semi-truck collided with a barrier wall while traveling in the westbound lanes. The impact from the crash caused the truck to block much of the expressway and led officials to close the interstate to westbound traffic for more than three hours while the investigated and cleared the wreckage.

At this time, it is not clear what caused the driver of the truck to lose control of the vehicle or whether the driver was injured as a result. Officials have not reported whether the driver will receive citations in the crash but they have stated that their investigation is ongoing at this time.
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If you live in Chicago, you understand that the weather can vary drastically from one day to another. Regardless of the season, the weather can turn from pleasant to threatening in a matter of hours. While poor weather may be inconvenient for pedestrians, it can be hazardous to safety as well, particularly to drivers and others in vehicles. Snow, sleet, and ice are known dangerous among those who drive in Illinois but high wind can be just as problematic.Wind can cause a vehicle of any size to list or tilt when the wind sweeps from side to side across a roadway. While small vehicles like compact cars may be able to withstand this force, vehicles with higher sides and raised centers of gravity may not fare as well. Significant winds have been known to contribute to collisions and rollover accidents, and in particular, truck accidents in the greater Chicago area.

While drivers cannot control the weather conditions that they face, they can take steps to increase safety when presented with windy weather. These steps may help motorists in any sized vehicles avoid a crash and any injuries that could result from a collision. Keep the following in mind while in windy weather:

– If possible, wait to drive: When winds are at their worst, it is not worth the risk to drive. If you can avoid it and do not have to be on the roads, consider waiting until the most serious weather passes before you drive.

– Slow down: Increased speed means that a diver is more likely to lose control of a vehicle during heavy wind gusts. Slowing down in response to threatening weather can help drivers steer and maintain their position within a lane.

– Increase your distance from other vehicles: All vehicles on the road are affected by the weather. This means that even if you are driving safely and taking every possible precaution, the motorists around you may not be and may be in danger of causing a collision. A car that tips over or weaves in and out of lanes can easily crash into other cars, so motorists should be aware of other vehicles and leave extra space when possible.
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Truck accidents take place every day in Illinois and many of those collisions occur in the greater Chicago area. While trucks tend to be involved in fewer accidents per mile traveled than other vehicles, like cars, the damages that results from truck collisions are often more severe. Injuries can affect those in a truck and those in another vehicle, whether a driver of a passenger.

The damages done by a negligent driver’s conduct do not end with a crash. As a victim seeks medical treatment or is forced to take time from work, the financial harm of a collision begins to add up, and can continue for years or even a lifetime. When faced with injuries, seeking the help of a personal injury lawyer may benefit a victim by illustrating the legal options available for relief, including a potential civil claim against an at-fault motorist.

A crash this morning left a motorist in critical condition after both an SUV and a garbage truck rolled over in the accident. Local officials responded to the scene and have reported that the two vehicles collided for reasons that are not yet clear. It appears that the SUV rolled over first and then the garbage truck rolled over after the SUV, landing on top of the SUV and trapping its driver. Emergency crews were able to remove the driver from the SUV before the driver was taken by air ambulance to a hospital in Downers Grove for treatment. It is not clear whether the driver of the garbage truck or any other individuals involved in the crash were hurt.

When investigators arrived at the scene shortly after 8:00 a.m., they closed the area to through traffic near U.S. 30 and Dugan Road. Motorists were being rerouted and encouraged to take another route if they needed to travel in the area.
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Truck accidents are disproportionately responsible for a large number of injuries and fatalities that occur on Chicago roads and across the nation. While trucks are involved in a small number of crashes when compared to the number of miles they travel, the accidents that result can and often do have devastating results. Victims of these crashes may be forced to suffer life-altering injuries or even permanent damages that may never lead to a full recovery.

While truck accidents cannot be erased once they occur, the victims of these collisions may be able to pursue legal relief through the use of a civil claim for damages. The right to seek this relief belongs to a victim and therefore cannot be limited by an at-fault motorists or that motorist’s insurance company. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer in Chicago who has experience helping truck victims may help you understand your legal options if you have been hurt, including whether you may have a claim for compensation.

A collision occurred yesterday on the Kennedy Expressway shortly after 11:00 a.m. and led to the closing of all local inbound lanes of traffic. Authorities that responded to the scene, which was near Addison Street, determined that a semi-truck and at least one other vehicle were involved in a crash that resulted in the semi rolling over, causing an immediate closure of some lanes.

Emergency medical personnel spoke with those involved in the crash and determined that one person was injured, though it is not clear whether that person was in the semi-truck or the other vehicle involved. That victim was assessed and transported to Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center for further treatment of injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

There has been no announcement yet as to what caused the collision and whether either driver involved acted negligently or recklessly prior to impact. Officials spent several hours investigating at the scene and removing debris from the crash before all inbound lanes were reopened in the early afternoon.
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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.
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