Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, truck drivers who text message while driving increase their collision risk by 23 times. The institute’s findings are based on two studies involving seven large trucking fleets and 200 truck drivers who drove 55 long-haul trucks. One study took place in 2004. The second study occurred in 2007.

There were 197 near truck collisions (crashes that the truck driver managed to just narrowly avoid) and 21 truck crashes caused by a number of factors, including texting. Some 3,000 other near truck crashes that weren’t as difficult for truckers to avoid also occurred, as did approximately 1,200 unintended lane deviations.

Researchers compared what happened in dangerous situations to some 20,000 segments of videotape that were shot by each truck using five small cameras. The cameras confirmed that in 31 near crashes, the trucker was texting. There were also random incidents of videotape that showed truckers were texting but that software did not see these situations as dangerous.

Meantime, reaching for or using an electronic device or dialing a cell phone increased the chances of a driver becoming involved in a motor vehicle crash by six times. Findings indicate that just before a near crash or a traffic collision, passenger vehicle drivers and truckers had spent almost five seconds looking at their devices. If a motor vehicle is moving at 55 mph, this is enough time for a car or truck to travel the length of a football field.

The institute says that listening or talking to a cell phone lets drivers keep their eyes on the road, which means that using a cell phone for conversations doesn’t pose as much of a safety risk as texting does. The institute is recommending that all drivers be prohibited from texting while operating a truck, car, or bus, and all teen drivers who just have gotten their licenses should be banned from using cell phones while driving. It also notes that it is clear that keeping one’s eyes on the road improves safety on the road.

According to the study, using a headset when using a cell phone isn’t necessarily safer than using a hand-held phone because the driver will still likely have to answer the phone and dial, which can require the motorist to take both eyes off the road. Voice activated systems might be less dangerous if they are designed in such a way that a motorist won’t have to take his or eyes off the road to operate them.

Our Chicago truck accident law firm wants to know if you were injured in an Illinois motor vehicle crash because the truck driver was texting, talking on the cell phone, or involved in another form of distracted driving.

In Study, Texting Lifts Crash Risk by Large Margin, NY Times, July 27, 2009

Va. Tech Institute: Texting while driving much more dangerous than talking on cell phones, Chicago Tribune, July 28, 2009

Related Web Resource:
Read more about the findings (PDF)

Continue reading " Truckers Who Text While Driving Increase Truck Accident Risk by 23 Times " »

Plaintiff Jason Boone is suing truck driver Jose Sellas and Seven Road Logistics for personal injury. In his Illinois truck accident lawsuit, Boone says his shoulder, neck, and back were hurt when flying debris hit him. Boone is seeking over $100,000 plus costs.

According to his Illinois truck accident complaint, Boone says he was driving behind the large truck driven by Sellas on August 1, 2007 when the items that the truck driver was transporting hit the overpass. This caused debris to fall onto Interstate 64 that the plaintiff was unable to avoid hitting.

Boone claims his physical injuries are a result of this truck accident, which have also led him to experience mental trauma, pain, and the impaired function of his body parts. He says his ability to do his job has been significantly affected and he has medical bills because of his injuries.

The plaintiff is suing Seven Road Logistics because Sellas was working for the company when the Illinois truck crash happened. Boone is accusing Sellas of neglecting to keep a proper lookout, driving too fast, neglecting to pay attention to signs warning about the bridge’s height, and failing to plan a truck route that factored in the tractor-trailer’s height.

Falling Debris from Trucks
It is the responsibility of the truck driver to make sure that anything loaded onto the truck is fully secured so that cargo or other debris doesn’t fall onto the road. Cargo that falls from trucks can strike other motorists and cause multi-vehicle crashes as other drivers attempt to avoid getting hit by these fallen items. Truckers must also make sure that their trucks and cargo do not hit overpasses or tunnels that might also cause debris or more concrete objects to fall onto the road or onto passing motor vehicles.

Debris from tractor-trailer causes driver's injuries, suit claims, The Record, July 23, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Cargo Securement Rules, FMCSA

A portion of the Bishop Ford Freeway that was shutdown after a chemical tanker truck spilled acid onto the freeway pavement was reopened after cleanup was completed at the site of the hazardous leak.

The tanker truck broke down on the freeway early Wednesday morning. The large truck, which was transporting 45,000 lbs. of coal tar, began leaking about 5 lbs. of coal tar each minute. The substance spilled onto the roadway.

The Illinois Department of Transportation had to shut down the outbound expressway at around 6:45am. Meantime, fire crews that initially reported a hazardous materials response had to upgrade their call, reporting a Level 2.

Illinois State Police Lt. Luis Gutierrez says the corrosive is more dangerous to humans if they make physical contact with the substance than if the tar is inhaled. Technicians spent several hours pumping the liquid into an empty tanker.

The state of Illinois will conduct an investigation into the spill and will examine the tanker’s maintenance records and service records.

Our Chicago truck crash law firm represents truck accident victims that were injured in Illinois motor vehicle crashes involving large trucks or because they were exposed to hazardous materials that a large truck was supposed to be safely transporting.

Early this morning, lanes on the Bishop Ford Expressway were once again temporarily shut down after a collision between a semi-tractor trailer truck and a car. The Illinios truck accident occurred close to the scene of yesterday’s chemical truck leak when, according to police, a Buick LeSabre failed to merge correctly as it attempted to enter the expressway. The vehicle was rear ended by a car before being struck by the truck’s trailer. Six people, including three young children, were injured.

Bishop Ford lanes reopen after chemical spill, Southtown Star, July 22, 2009

Expressway Was Shut Down At 130th Street, CBS2Chicago.com, July 22, 2009

Six injured as car-truck crash slows Bishop Ford, Chicago Breaking News, July 23, 2009

Related Web Resource:
Illinois Department of Transportation

Continue reading " Bishop Ford Reopened After Hazardous Leak From Chemical Tanker Truck is Cleaned Up " »

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there were 4,229 US truck-related deaths in 2008—the lowest total since the federal government started keeping track of truck accident fatalities and a definite decline from the 4,822 large truck crash deaths in 2007. Truck driver deaths and truck passenger fatalities dropped by 16% last year to 677 deaths.

One reason for the decrease in trucker fatalities is that the number of miles traveled by large truck drivers last year dropped 2.7% to 2.92 trillion miles. While any decline in the number of large truck deaths is positive progress, there is still more that truckers, trucking company, and the trucking industry can do to decrease the number of large truck-related injuries and fatalities that happen.

Road Safe America, which is committed to making roads safer, suggests that professional truck drivers undergo training and safety requirements similar to the training and requirements that airline pilots must complete and abide by.

According to Road Safe America:
• There are 10 million commercial truck drivers, compared to 590,000 airline pilots.
• There are 8 million commercial trucks and 220,000 airline aircrafts.
• While pilots have an age limit of 65, there is no age limit for commercial truck drivers.
• Pilots must undergo a physical every six months.
• Commercial truck drivers must undergo a physical every two years.
• Pilots fly a maximum of 30 hours a week, compared to commercial truckers who are allowed to drive their trucks for more than double that amount of time over a one-week period.
• In the last 3 years, less than 100 airline pilots have died, compared to the more than 15,000 trucker deaths and 300,000 to 400,000 truck drivers that were injured during the same time period.

Truck drivers are responsible for safely transporting tens of thousands of pounds of truck cargo to different destinations in Illinois and the rest of the United Sates. A Chicago, Illinois truck crash can lead to catastrophic consequences for those involved, so it is important that truckers have the experienced, skills, and are physically fit enough to safely do their jobs.

Truck Fatalities Fall 12%, Transport Topics Online, July 22, 2009

Truck Driver v. Airline Pilot Comparison, Road Safe America

Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Continue reading " NHTSA Says Number of US Truck Crashes Dropped 12% in 2008 " »

18 people were injured on Monday when a semi-truck rear-ended a charter bus. The large truck-bus collision caused the bus to skid out of control and overturn. It then caught on fire.

The bus was transporting 20 Manhattan Job Corps students. 15 students, the bus driver, and one infant were taken to local hospitals. One of the bus accident victims was reportedly in serious condition.

Getting hit by a large truck places the occupants of the other vehicle at serious risk of personal injuries. If you are riding in charter bus, which often don’t come with seat belts, you could easily get thrown from your seat during a collision with a tractor-trailer. It is not uncommon to sustain a traumatic brain injury, a serious head injury, or a spinal cord injury in this kind of scenario. The best way to make sure that you receive all of the Illinois personal injury compensation that you are owed is to contact an experienced Chicago truck accident law firm.

Just last month, 9 people died when a tractor-trailer drove into a line of cars stopped at a turnpike. Dead bodies, fluids, and debris were scattered on the road. Emergency crew workers were at the track crash site for hours sifting through the wreckage in search of more truck crash victims. One car was under the semi-truck. Some victims had to wait several hours before rescuers could free them.

One child and eight adults died from this multi-vehicle truck collision. At least four other people sustained injuries.

According to investigators, semi-truck driver Donald Creed, 76, may not have tried to stop his truck to prevent the deadly chain-reaction accident from happening. The speed limit on the road where the accident occurred is 75 mph.

18 Manhattan student Job Corps bus rollover injures 18, Justice News Flash, July 15, 2009

Roller over crash injures 18, 27 News, July 13, 2009

9 killed in Okla. turnpike traffic wreck, AP, June 27, 2009

Related Web Resource:
Trucking Accidents: Common Causes & Liability, Nolo

Continue reading " Semi-Truck – Bus Accident Injures 18 People " »

The family of a woman that was crushed in a tractor-trailer accident has agreed to settle their wrongful death lawsuit for $16 million. Rhonda Henson died on September 11, 2008, when oil field equipment fell of a tractor-trailer, crushing her motor vehicle.

Police say that the truck driver, Daniel Armstrong, failed to regulate his speed. They also say the truck’s load was not secured correctly. Investigation by the plaintiff revealed that the 21-year-old trucker was not legally qualified to operate the truck and that some of his truck driver qualification documents were falsified, fabricated, or backdated by trucking company employees after the tragic accident.

Pioneer Drilling Co., the wrongful death defendant in the case, settled with the plaintiffs before the jury issued a verdict. Pioneer Drilling Services, Ltd., owned and operated the 18-wheeler truck that involved in the deadly truck load accident with Henson’s motor vehicle.The defendants in the truck accident case were Henson’s parents, husband, and children.

Improper Truck Loads
Improper truck loads are a common cause of 18-wheeler truck crashes. A load becomes hazardous to other motorists and pedestrians when it is not properly secured, overweight, or not properly balanced. An improperly balanced load can make it harder for a truck driver to steer, slow down, or stop the truck.

Truckers must make sure that the loads that their trucks are carrying are secured properly. In the event that thousands of pounds of heavy cargo drops onto the road or falls onto another vehicle, serious injury accidents can happen.

Complex issues can be involved with Chicago truck accidents that were caused by improper loads.

Conflicting testimony leads to $16 million settlement, Cleburne Times-Review, July 10, 2009

Related Web Resources:
http://www.malmanlaw.com/lawyer-attorney-1214761.html

Continue reading " Family Settles Truck Accident Lawsuit for $16 Million " »

Six people were injured on the Dan Ryan Expressway today in a multi-vehicle Chicago traffic crash involving a tow truck and two cars on the South Side. The accident occurred around 4:30 pm. Five ambulance were sent to the crash site. Four of the Chicago motor vehicle victims, including one person who was pinned inside a motor vehicle, were reportedly serious to critical condition.

Unfortunately, this Chicago truck crash was not the only large truck crash that happened in the US today. Early this morning, two people got hurt when a semi-truck overturned.

Trucker Randy Long was exiting off a freeway when his truck hit a guardrail and a concrete barrier on a bridge. His semi-truck flipped over.

Long, 47, was taken to a hospital for his injuries. He was also arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Debra Oster, who was sleeping in the bed area of the large truck when the truck accident happened, also sustained injuries. She wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

In another US motor vehicle crash involving a large truck, three people were taken to the hospital after a semi-truck and two sedans were involved in a mulit-vehicle crash late this morning.

Large Truck Accidents
If you or someone you love was seriously injured in a Chicago large truck accident it is important that you do not talk to the insurer of the large truck company before speaking with our Chicago truck crash law firm first. You will want to make sure that all past, current, and future injury expenses are taken into consideration when determining how much recovery you should ask for from all negligent parties.

Chicago truck crash claims lead to the best outcomes for the victims when you’ve got someone on your side that knows how to properly investigate the evidence, assess your injuries, and pursue the maximum recovery that you are owed.

Six injured in crash on outbound Dan Ryan, Chicago Sun-Times, July 10, 2009

Crash closes U.S. 31 outside of Alanson, News-Review, July 10, 2009

Semitrailer Slams Into Bridge; Two Injured, KFYR.com, July 10, 2009

Related Web Resources:
RoadSafeAmerica.org

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Continue reading " Chicago Tow Truck Accident Involving Two Cars Injures Six " »

A tragic, Bloomington, Illinois truck accident has left a 10-year-old bicyclist dead. Travell Arrington died of serious head injuries after he was struck on Tuesday by a semi-trailer truck.

The tragic McLean County truck accident happened as the truck was turning into a truck stop. According to one witness, Arrington and another bicyclist were trying to beat the semi. Following the tragic accident, the trucker stepped on the brakes, jumped out of the large truck, and collapsed.

Preliminary autopsy results show that boy died from severe head injuries from being crushed by a tire. Bloomington police say the semi-truck struck the boy head-on. The truck driver, Elmwood Park resident Sergey Ivasyuk, says he never saw the boys.

Accident reconstructionists and police are working together to determine the cause of the Illinois truck accident.

While there were less truck-related deaths in 2008 (4,229 large truck fatalities) compared to 2007 (4,822 truck deaths), too many people continue to die in accidents involving large trucks. While some of these truck accidents are not the fault of the truck driver or the trucking company, there is still more that the trucking industry and its employees can do to prevent truck accidents from happening and causing injury or death.

Steps truck drivers can take to prevent truck accidents:

• Don’t drive when you are tired
• Make sure that you are in good shape
• Make sure that you don’t suffer from sleep apnea
• Check your blind spots
• Stay a safe distance behind other vehicles
• Properly maintain your truck
• Reduce your speed when driving in work zones
• Inspect your large truck before every trip
• Make sure your cargo is properly secured
• Practice defensive driving
• Get plenty of rest before you drive

Coroner: Boy died from severe head injuries, Pantagraph.com, July 8, 2009

Truck-Involved Traffic Fatalities Declined 12 Percent in 2008, PR Newswire, July 6, 2009

Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Truck Safety, Public Citizen

Continue reading " Bloomington, Illinois Truck Accident: 10-Year-old Illinois Bicyclist Dies After Being Struck by Semi-Truck " »

In her 20-count Illinois multi-vehicle crash lawsuit, Jessica Baker is suing 12 defendants for personal injury. She is seeking over $500,000 in damages. She is now a quadriplegic because of injures she sustained during the February 4, 2008 traffic crash.

According to her Illinois personal injury complaint, Baker, then 19, was driving her 2001 Saturn on Interstate 270 behind a tractor-trailer when the large truck’s driver, Nicholae Valeanu, failed to step on the brakes in a timely manner before striking a Chevrolet Impala, driven by Bradley K. Bronnbauer. Bronnbauer then hit a Ford Escort, driven by Carl L. Kleinschmidt, which rear-ended a trailer belonging to Air Products and Chemicals.

Baker crashed into the tractor-trailer driven by Valeanu. The trailer is owned by Stoughton. The plaintiff contends that because the trailer did not have a properly installed rear impact guard (the fasteners were corroded and the bolts to hold the guard weren’t as thick as they could be), the guard broke off during the crash, which caused Baker’s car to go under the trailer.

The roof of Baker’s vehicle became compressed, causing Baker to break her cervical spine and lacerate her head. Her Illinois truck crash lawsuit claims that Baker is now paralyzed as a result.

Defendants in the truck accident lawsuit include Valeanu, Bronnbauer, Kleinschmidt, Air Products and Chemicals, STI Holdings, truck driver Kevin M Ryan, Motor City Express, James Group International, James Group Midwest, James Group International II, and Challenger Motor Freight.

STI Holdings made the truck that Valeanu was driving. The other companies—except for Air Products and Chemicals—are the companies associated with trucker Valeanu and the particular truck job that he was involved in.

As you can see, there may be multiple parties involved in your Chicago truck accident that can be held liable for Illinois personal injury or wrongful death. This is not the kind of case you want to deal with alone. Catastrophic large truck crashes usually result in devastating and costly injuries for truck accident victims. It is important that all liable parties pay you all the recovery that you are owed.

Woman paralyzed after getting stuck underneath tractor trailer sues, MadisonRecord.com, June 29, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Truck Accident Laws, Justia

Sharing the Road—Large Trucks and Road Safety, CDC