Articles Posted in Truck Accident

Truck accidents cause devastation across the nation every year. The large size, weight, and design of a semi-truck means that smaller passenger cars rarely fair well when a collision occurs and the drivers and passengers of these vehicles may be injured as a result.

Truck accidents can be complicated to understand if you have been involved in one. In addition to the standard rules of the road that apply to all vehicles, commercial truckers have additional regulations that must be complied with for the driver and the vehicle to be legally allowed to travel. Federal laws and many state laws may come into effect, leaving a victim in the difficult position of trying to sort through the complex interplay of different laws when trying to determine if legal relief is possible.

Victims of semi-truck collisions may choose to speak with a personal injury lawyer who specializes these incidents to gain a better understanding of their own legal rights and options if a crash has occurred. In the truly tragic case where a victim loses his or her life, the right to seek a financial recovery for the damages incurred may belong to that victim’s surviving family members, even though no amount of compensation can ever properly compensate a family for this loss.

Media outlets have confirmed that actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, known for roles on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, is suing Wal-Mart, the owner of a semi-truck that allegedly caused a collision with Morgan’s limo bus in early June. The crash left several individuals, including Morgan, with serious and critical injuries; one passenger in the limo bus was killed in the accident.

Morgan seeks to recover for the damages he incurred as a result of the crash and is using a personal injury suit in federal court to seek that relief. In it, Morgan reportedly alleges that the driver of the semi-truck was working for Wal-Mart, that he had been awake for over 24 hours straight at the time of impact, and that the driver had commuted more than 700 miles before beginning his shift that day.

In addition to the pending claim brought by Morgan, federal authorities have levied criminal charges against the driver including one count of vehicular homicide and multiple counts of assault by automobile. The driver has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
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When a car and a semi truck collide in an accident, there is almost always significant damage done to the car. Often, the truck sustains damage as well but usually not as much as the car. That is because a passenger car is smaller, lighter, and lower to the ground than a semi, increasing the chances of damage to the car when a crash does occur.

But damage to a vehicle is not the only loss that results from a semi truck collision in Chicago. These crashes can cause injuries or even death to those involved and can leave victims to pick up the pieces once the dust settles. In addition to medical and surgical bills that result, a victim may lose wages while missing time from work and might suffer from significant pain while recovering from injuries. When that happens, the victim may be entitled to financial relief for his or her losses. Speaking with a lawyer who handles semi truck accident cases on behalf of those hurt in collisions may help you understand the legal implications of your case and whether you have a valid claim.

An early morning collision occurred in Bensenville this morning and left a driver in critical condition. Police in the area were called to respond to the scene of a crash between a car and a semi truck on Thorndale Avenue around 4:30 a.m. today. Upon arrival, police determined that one person was inside the car and that the driver was in critical condition following a rear-end crash. Medical personnel transported the driver to an area hospital for treatment but the driver’s current condition is not known.

The driver of the semi truck was not injured in the crash and was at the scene when police arrived. At this time, the investigation is still ongoing and police are trying to determine what led to the driver of the car striking the semi truck. It is not known whether anyone involved acted in a negligent manner or whether tickets will be issued in this case.
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Semi truck traffic varies in the Chicago area depending on the time of day and day of the week, much like other types of traffic. But there is more consistency among semis than there are among passenger cars in terms of the constant nature of their presence. Whether it is during the day, rush hour, or the overnight commute, semis are often present on the expressways leading to and from the city, taking goods from one point to another and making sure that product reaches its intended destination.

When compared with other drivers, semi truck operators tend to be involved in fewer accidents per mile traveled. Experts believe that a combination of factors including greater training, reduced speed, and greater focus on the roads lead to this low number of crashes. But semi truck accidents still occur every day in the nation and often lead to serious injuries or even death. That is because even though these collisions may be less frequent, the forces involved in a crash and the resulting damage is often devastating due to the large, heavy size of the truck.

The victims of a semi truck collision may be entitled to relief for their damages, including any medical expenses they are forced to incur. Under Chicago laws, the victims of any car accident who become injured due to the negligence or recklessness of another may be entitled to bring a civil claim for their losses and may be entitled to financial compensation as a result. Speaking with a personal injury lawyer who has experience representing the victims of truck accidents may help you understand your legal options following a collision.

The Illinois State Police Department received notice of a crash on I-290 early this morning involving a semi truck and at least one other car. When they responded, police determined that around 2:30 a.m., a semi truck traveling in the inbound lanes of I-290 near Harlem Avenue lost control and rolled over, blocking all inbound lanes and temporarily halting traffic in the area. The semi truck, which was reportedly hauling beer at the time, made contact with at least one other car during the incident. Neither the driver of the truck nor the driver of the car purportedly were injured but a passenger in the car was hurt and needed medical attention. That passenger’s current condition remains unknown but the passenger is believed to have sustained only minor injuries as a result of the crash.
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Driving while tired can be just as dangerous as driving under the influence of alcohol yet drowsy driving gets relatively little attention, with many drivers every day choosing to drive tired even though they may never consider driving drunk. With similar risks, including a greater chance of causing a collision, drowsy or tired driving is a hazard to all of those on the road.

This can be particularly true in the case of those who drive long distances for a living, like taxi drivers, long distance commuters, and truck drivers. Though laws may exist to limit the time any professional driver spends behind the wheel, every year there are truck accidents that result from a driver being too tired but still unwilling to take a break.

Lawyers who represent victims of these Chicago-area crashes understand that the large size of a semi truck means that it is even more dangerous than a passenger car when a driver loses control, including inattentiveness caused by drowsy driving. These accidents can be severe and, unfortunately, often turn fatal.

It now appears that an accident in March was caused by a truck driver that fell asleep behind the wheel of his rig, leading to a collision with a police trooper’s vehicle and costing that officer his life. This week, officials announced that the truck driver was being charged in the incident for falsifying documents and driving in violation of regulatory laws that limit a truck driver’s time behind the wheel.

The accident occurred on I-294 near Willow Road, the location where an Illinois State Police Trooper was pulled over and stopped on the shoulder of the road. As the semi approached, officials believe the truck’s driver fell asleep, causing the truck to continue on its own and veer off the road surface and onto the shoulder where the trooper’s vehicle was stationed. The resulting collision between the two vehicles caused a significant fire, injuring both drivers and leading to the death of the officer. The truck driver recovered from his injuries and now is facing allegations that he was driving while fatigued, drove more hours than legally allowed in a 14 hour period, and falsifying his hour log that recorded his driving activities. As truck driver conduct is governed by applicable state and federal laws, these violations are crimes that could lead to a prison sentence of up to three years.
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Unfortunately auto accidents occur every day in Illinois and are suffered by thousands of residents every year. Many of these accidents are minor and only result in a dent or other damage to a vehicle without causing injuries to any of the drivers. A smaller portion of accidents result in serious injuries or even death, though, forever changing the lives of all those involved in the crash as well as their family members and friends.

Among auto accidents, those involving semi trucks can be some of the most severe because of the large size of the truck compared to the relatively small size of a passenger car. After these crashes, victims may seek help from a Chicago area truck accident lawyer to learn about what rights, if any, they have and whether they are entitled to a financial recovery for their damages.

Usually accident victims of any type can bring a civil claim for their damages against a responsible driver, truck owner, or operator so that they can be compensated for their injuries. This may include payment for medical bills, wages that were not earned because of injury, or even extra transportation costs while a car was not driveable. The facts of each accident can make a big difference in determining what losses are recoverable.

Some Chicago-area residents may now realize this after a collision with a semi on the Dan Ryan left them injured on Saturday morning. According to police, two cars were involved in a collision on the inbound Dan Ryan near 87th Street and the drivers were working out the details when a semi truck approached the scene. The semi reportedly crashed into the two stopped vehicles that had been involved in the earlier crash, causing a second impact that left both drivers of the first crash and the semi truck driver injured. All three were taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn for examination and treatment though all were expected to survive.

Accidents involving multiple vehicles and multiple impacts can be challenging for victims with multiple insurance companies often denying valid claims or pointing the finger of blame at another driver. These accident victims should realize that they can level the playing field by retaining an injury lawyer of their choice to fight for their rights and to make sure their interests are protected.
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A semi truck driver involved in a rollover accident on Monday has died as a result of his injuries, according to the Illinois State Police Department.

The victim was driving westbound on I-80 near Minooka, Illinois, southwest of Joliet, around 9:30 a.m. For unknown reasons, the truck left the westbound lanes of traffic and entered the eastbound lanes where police believe the truck came into contact with at least one car and possibly another semi. The semi truck rolled over and came to a rest on its side, blocking one lane of eastbound traffic and forcing police to shut down both lanes while emergency crews tended to the scene.

The driver of the truck survived the collision and was flown to Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove where he received emergency treatment. Unfortunately the man’s injuries were severe and he died some time later while still at the hospital and as a result of the accident. Police are investigating the accident and attempting to learn why the semi truck left the westbound lanes of the highway.

Truck accidents can be caused by any number of factors and often result in injuries. When compared to a passenger car, a semi truck is much larger and heavier which means that it has more mass carrying it forward. With addition weight comes different collision factors than with a smaller car, including the facts that a semi truck needs a longer distance to stop and is less evasive than a car.

Semi trucks tend to travel more miles every year than a passenger car because semi trucks are used for commercial purposes. This means that of the miles driven on Illinois roads, semi trucks account for a large portion of the transit but they also account for a small portion of crashes. This means that though semis are a common occurrence on roads, they are less likely to be involved in an accident than a car. However, when a semi is involved in an accident, the crash is much more likely to result in injuries or death than a crash without a truck.

When a semi truck accident turns fatal in Illinois, approximately 84 percent of those killed are passengers in other cars, not those in the semi, according to 2011 data gathered by the Illinois Department of Transportation. This high risk of death to others is one of the reasons that semi truck drivers must be specially licensed to drive a rig and usually must undergo additional training before driving commercially.
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Authorities believe that a semi truck driver may be at fault for starting a deadly crash on Thursday night. Officials believe that an SUV was stopped in a construction zone on I-65 near Roselawn, Indiana and was waiting for traffic to move. A second semi truck approached the SUV from behind but may not have stopped in time, striking the rear of the SUV.

The SUV was pushed forward and into the back of the semi truck in front of it, trapping the SUV and its occupants between the two large commercial trucks. The SUV caught fire and was nearly destroyed, forcing authorities to remove the vehicle from between the trucks to determine how many occupants were injured or killed. So far, police have determined that seven people were killed in the crash, including four children.

The victims include a three-year-old child, two five-year-old children, a seven-year-old child, and adults aged 27, 35, and 49. An adult and two children killed were residents of Atlanta, Georgia while the remaining victims are believed to have been residents of Merrillville, Indiana. The crash shut down I-65 for several hours as authorities worked to clear the wreckage and tend to the survivors. Both truck drivers reported minor injuries in the accident but were expected to survive.

Though authorities are still investigating, the early reports of this crash make it appear that the victims who lost their lives did nothing wrong, making the tragic nature of this crash even worse. Though it is easy to speed or to take your attention from the road, accidents like this continue to prove that losing your focus on driving even for a moment may result in a crash.

Any accident can result in serious injury or death but accidents with a semi truck are more likely to turn tragic. Semis have an average weight several times greater than a passenger vehicle, making them much harder to stop in a short distance. Additionally, semis sit higher off the road than a typical car, meaning that in the event of an accident, it is possible for a car to be pushed underneath a semi, causing more extensive damage to the vehicle and putting its passengers at greater risk for harm.
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It appears that a semi truck driver began a collision on I-55 on Wednesday evening that involved six vehicles and the death of the driver. Traffic began to slow on the highway near North River Road as the result of construction that was taking place. Illinois State Police have reported that a semi truck failed to slow or stop in time to avoid a collision with the car in front of it while traveling through the construction zone, and as a result, set off a deadly crash.

The force of the initial impact was significant and both the semi and the passenger vehicle were pushed forward, involving other drivers in the crash. By the time the vehicles came to a stop, three semis and three passenger cars were involved in the accident.

The collision occurred in the northbound lanes of I-55 and shut down the highway to all northbound traffic for several hours while police investigated. The driver of the first car that was hit, a female resident of Roselle, was killed in the accident. Several others were injured and taken to area hospitals but at this time, it is not clear how many were injured and what the current condition of each victim is.

State Police have not stated whether the initial truck driver will be charged in the crash, including whether the driver failed to yield as required by law or was driving in a manner that was unreasonable due to the construction zone and traffic conditions.

Statistically, semi trucks account for a large percentage of all miles traveled in Illinois but a smaller percentage of accidents. This means that though trucks drive more than an average car, they are less likely to be involved in a crash. Many truck drivers are cautious and careful when behind the wheel but not all of them are. Still, even a cautious driver can end up in an accident if the driver gets distracted or pays attention to something other than the road, even for a second.

When a semi truck is involved in an accident, the consequences can be dire. The relative size and weight of a truck hauling a trailer when compared to a standard passenger car means that the truck will have a lot more force behind it and will often incur much less damage than a car. A car, on the other hand, is lower to the ground and can be demolished in an accident with a truck, placing the driver of the car and any passengers in great danger of injury.
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A study recently conducted by Australian researchers claims that tractor-trailer and other long-haul truck drivers who consume caffeinated beverages are much less likely to be involved in a crash than drivers who refrain from ingesting the stimulant. As part of the study, researchers reportedly analyzed recent crash data obtained from 530 truck drivers and compared the information with facts collected on 517 big rig drivers who were not involved in a collision within the previous year. The study authors then interviewed each driver to learn more about their lifestyle and driving habits and adjusted the data to account for factors such as age, driver experience, and sleeping habits.

According to results published in the journal BMJ, 43 percent of truck drivers used caffeinated beverages to stay awake on the road. Additionally, those who ingested caffeine were reportedly as much as 63 percent less likely to be involved in a wreck than other semi drivers. Despite the study results, lead author Lisa N. Sharwood cautioned that consuming caffeinated drinks does not guarantee road safety. She said the beverages are useful as part of an overall driving strategy, but should be viewed in conjunction with a truck driver’s overall health and fatigue levels.

Data from the Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) states that about 10 percent of the nearly 34,000 Americans killed in a traffic crash in 2009 died in a wreck that involved a commercial truck. Only about 15 percent of those killed were driving or riding as a passenger in the truck. In addition, approximately 74,000 people across the country were hurt in a collision with a big rig or other large truck during the same year. According to the FMCSA, about seven percent of tractor-trailer and other commercial truck drivers were speeding at the time of a fatal collision. Meanwhile, an estimated six percent reportedly failed to maintain their lane or were distracted and about three percent had alcohol in their system when a deadly accident occurred.
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Northbrook residents like myself were shocked this morning to hear about a deadly collision that occurred last night between a semi truck and an Illinois State Trooper on I-294 at Willow Road that left the state trooper dead.

I happen to live within a mile of this accident location, and our hearts go out to the victim and his family.

Officials have reported that the collision occurred just after 11:00 p.m. and that the trooper was on duty at the time. His patrol vehicle was so mangled that firefighters reportedly had to cut apart the vehicle to remove the trooper’s body.

Witnesses state that the trooper was stopped on the shoulder of I-294 near Willow Road when a semi rear-ended him at a very high speed. The Chicago Tribune reports both vehicles burst into flames after impact, leaving the driver of the semi with a burn on his hand but apparently sustaining no life-threatening injuries.

This is the second time in five months that an Illinois State Trooper has been killed by a semi while on duty, raising the question of just how dangerous its is to be a law enforcement officer in Illinois.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, there are currently over 900,000 law enforcement officers serving throughout the country – the highest number ever actively serving. An increase in the number of officers might suggest an increase in public safety, but unfortunately a large number of officers does not appear to increase the safety of the officers themselves. These officers are injured and killed at alarming rates, both here in Illinois and in other states. Nationally, more than 58,000 law enforcement officers are assaulted each year and more than 16,000 of those assaults result in injuries.

When thinking about officer safety, people often consider officers hurt while apprehending suspected criminals. It is easy to forget that traffic accidents cause a large number of injuries and deaths among officers until an incident like that in Northbrook last night reminds us.

Scott’s Law, commonly known as the “Move Over” law, was enacted after a lieutenant firefighter, Scott Gillen, was hit and killed by an intoxicated driver while responding to a previous crash. Scott’s Law requires all drivers in Illinois to slow down, proceed with caution, and yield the right-of-way by making a lane change if possible whenever an emergency vehicle is stopped with its lights flashing. At this time it is not clear whether the trooper had his lights flashing but it is clear that the trooper was stopped on the left shoulder of the highway and that the truck driver did not yield the left lane to the officer.
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