Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

One year after a 19-year-old Southern Illinois University student was fatally struck in a Cook County truck accident by a vehicle transporting equipment for the VHI reality TV show “Rock of Love,” a judge has approved the wrongful death settlement reached between the family of Kevetta Davis and VH-1 Music, Viacom, 51 Minds Entertainment, and truck driver Dennis Hernandez.

The Cook County truck collision occurred on September 26, 2008 on Highway 57. Hernandez, who had fallen asleep while driving, had crossed the road and crashed into the car that Davis was a passenger in. Also killed in the tragic motor vehicle crash near West Frankfort was Davis’s friend, 19-year-old Yasmin Jackson from Belleville.

Losing Someone You Love in an Illinois Truck Accident
Coping with the death of a loved one is never easy. Trying to fight for compensation from the liable party is likely not where you want to be focusing your attention during this difficult time in your life.

However, there may be evidence that needs to be examined and witness accounts that need to be gathered as soon as possible. This is one good reason why you should speak with experienced Chicago truck crash lawyer who can handle the Illinois wrongful death claims process for you and, if necessary, pursue you compensation in court. Depending on the circumstances surrounding your Cook County truck collision, there may even be multiple parties who should be held liable for the loss of your family member.

Related Web Resources:
Production suspended on Rock of Love 3 after crew member falls asleep, kills two while driving, Reality Blurred, September 30, 2008

$6.5 million settlement in death of college student struck by truck from VH1 series, Chicago Tribune, October 2, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Truck Accidents Overview, Justia

Rock of Love, VH-1

Continue reading " $6.5 Million Cook County Truck Accident Settlement for Wrongful Death of Southern Illinois University Student Fatally Struck by “Rock of Love” Truck " »

A teen driver died today following a deadly truck accident involving three motor vehicles. The 18-year-old had just driven a 2005 Pontiac into an intersection Interstate when the vehicle was struck by an International semi-truck and trailer that was transporting sugar beets. The teenager’s car crashed into a third vehicle.

The driver of the third vehicle and the truck driver were transported to a hospital for treatment. The teenager, however, died at the crash site.

Today’s tragic semi-truck crash is not the only large truck accident to result in injuries in the last several days. On September 21, four EMS workers got hurt when the emergency vehicle they were riding was involved in a traffic crash with a semi-truck.

The ambulance’s lights were reportedly flashing as its driver made a U-turn. It was at this point that the the semi-truck crashed into the ambulance. The emergency workers were transported to a local hospital for treatment of mild to moderate injuries.

On Friday night, a 47-year-old female driver sustained critical injuries after the 1997 Jeep she was driving was involved in a semi-truck crash. The two passengers riding in the vehicle with Barbara Sell, 17-year-old Larohonda Holland, 17, and Lakesha Holland, sustained injuries that fortunately did not appear to be life-threatening.

In the wake of a serious truck crash, you or your injured loved one may panic and attempt to immediately resolve your truck accident case with a trucking company. In certain instances, representatives for a trucking company or an insurer might try to get you sign away your right to sue in exchange for a lump sum amount. It is a good idea that you speak to a Chicago truck accident lawyer before you agree to settle.

Elk River woman in hospital after semi accident

4 medical workers hurt as ambulance, rig crash, The Buffalo News, September 23, 2009

Beet truck accident kills 18-year-old near Wahpeton, Grand Forks Herald September 29, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Truck Accidents Overview, Justia

A Chicago truck accident in the South Loop area yesterday morning left one woman in serious condition. The truck crash victim, who is in her 30’s, was driving on West Roosevelt Road when a truck hit her car.

The impact from the truck collision sent the woman’s auto some 15 feet into the air before it struck a metal utility pole and flipped over. The truck accident victim was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Yesterday’s Chicago truck crash was not the only Illinois truck collision to result in serious injury.

On September 16, a 10-year-old boy from Mundelein sustained serious injuries when a landscaping truck struck him on Illinois Route 60/83 in Lake County. The boy was going to school early in the morning when the truck hit him him as he was crossing the street.

Lake County police say the boy appeared to have run onto the road in an attempt to cross two lanes of traffic. No charges have been filed against the landscaper who was driving the truck. Investigators, however, are still looking into the cause of the Lake County truck accident.

The child pedestrian broke his pelvis, sustained a serious skull fracture, and suffered other severe breaks.

In another Illinois truck accident, this one on September 2, a Logan Square auto accident involving a garbage truck and a car killed two people and injured two others.

Motor vehicle crashes of any kind can result in catastrophic injuries for those involved. The the larger the sizes of the vehicles involved, the greater the chances that a person will sustain serious injuries . Pedestrians, motorcyclists, and passenger car occupants are usually at a disadvantage anytime they are involved in an accident with an 18-wheeler, a tractor-trailer, a garbage truck, or another kind of large truck.

Woman injured in crash involving car and truck in South Loop, Chicago Breaking News, September 24, 2009

Mundelein boy, 10, seriously injured after being hit by truck, MudeleinReview, September 24, 2009

Garbage truck crash kills 2, ABC Local, September 2, 2009

Continue reading " Chicago Truck Accident in South Loop Leaves Woman in Critical Condition " »

In St. Clair County, Lawrence Butler is seeking a $100,000 maximum judgment and other relief over injuries he sustained during an Illinois tractor-trailer accident on July 10, 2006 on Interstate 55 close to Lincoln. He is suing JB Hunt Transport, Inc. and the trucker, identified in the Illinois truck accident lawsuit as John Doe.

According to the plaintiff, Doe unexpectedly drove onto his lane. As a result, Butler says he was forced to run off the road. He sustained neck, back, and shoulder injuries, experienced physical pain, emotional trauma, anxiety, extreme soreness, and mental distress. Butler says that in addition to incurring medical bills he also lost wages because of the time off he had to take from work.

Butler is accusing John Doe of failing to stay in his lane, not keeping a proper lookout, neglecting to signal before changing lanes, driving too fast, and not reducing his speed so that a truck accident wouldn’t result.

Swerving unexpectedly into another lane can lead to serious injury accidents. The driver already in the lane may not have time to slow down or brake, or the vehicle entering the lane may collide into another auto, causing injury or death.

It is the responsibility of all motorists to pay attention, adjust their driving to the present traffic and road conditions, signal to indicate when they are changing lanes, and drive in a responsible manner so that the lives of others aren’t at placed at risk. Tractor-trailer drivers must especially exercise great care. The size of their vehicle can cause serious damage during any kind of Illinois truck crash.

Semi ran man off interstate, suit says, The Record, September 23, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Truck Accidents, Justia

Large Truck Causation Study, NHTSA

In Lake County, a 10-year-old boy sustained critical injuries on Wednesday when he was struck by a landscaping truck. The Lake County truck accident occurred on Illinois Route 60/83.

Police say the boy, who is from Mundelein, was crossing a street on his way to school when he was injured while trying to go through two lanes of traffic. He sustained breaks in different parts of his body. His pelvis was broken and he has a serious skull fracture.

No charges have been filed against the Waukegan landscaper. The accident is still under investigation.

In another catastrophic Illinois truck collision that also took place on Wednesday, this one in DuPage County, 19-year-old Romeoville resident James Kaylor died when he lost control of his vehicle. His auto then crossed the center line before striking an oncoming truck in a head-on crash.

Kaylor was pronounced dead at the DuPage County truck crash site,

Proving liability in any kind of Illinois traffic accident can be tough. There will likely be a lot of evidence to sift through, witnesses to interview, and vehicle documents and driver records to go over. There may be more than one party responsible for the truck accident. In some instances, the party liable for an Illinois truck crash may not have even been at the scene of the accident when it happened. For example, if a defective auto part was what caused a vehicle to swerve onto the middle of the road and into oncoming traffic or faulty maintenance caused a vehicle’s brakes to fail, the parties liable for the traffic crash might include a truck/vehicle manufacturer or a maintenance repair shop.

This is why you need to contact an experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer about your case.

Romeoville teen killed in car-truck accident in Woodridge, The Daily Herald, September 9, 2009

Mundelein boy critical after being hit by truck, Mundelein Review, September 17, 2009

Related Web Resource:
Truck accident, Justia

The estate of David A. Jack is suing KDXpress LLC, truck driver Brian DeAngelis, and Diamond Rental Inc. for Jack’s Illinois tractor-trailer death. He died in November 2008 at the truck accident site.

Per the Madison County, Illinois wrongful death lawsuit, DeAngelis neglected to keep a proper lookout, did not reduce speed to avoid becoming involved in a truck accident, and was traveling at an unsafe speed considering the road conditions when his 2007 International Harvester tractor-trailer rear-ended the 2007 Chevrolet Impala that Jack was driving on I-57.

As a result of the deadly Illinois truck accident, Jack’s vehicle was pushed across the median into the path of two other vehicles, which resulted in another Illinois auto accident.

His estate is seeking over $50,000 from each defendant. Jack’s estate says the truck driver was acting as an employee of KDXpress when the Madison County, Illinois truck crash happened. Diamond Rental owned the large truck that DeAngelis was operating.

According to analysis put forward in 2008 by DriveCam Inc., rear-end collisions are one of the most common claims received by the majority of fleet operations. The analysis of seven million collisions showed that vehicles keeping a less than two second following distance are at higher risk of becoming involved in rear-end crashes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration even noted, based on its “Rear-end Large Truck Crashes” study, that truck-struck and truck-striking crashes make up 18% of all large truck accidents that occur every year.

DriveCam reported that many rear-end accidents involve the lead vehicle changing its speed or an interruption in the flow of traffic. The farthest right lane also appeared to be the lane where rear-end crashes were most likely to occur.

Suit filed in Wood River man's death, The Telegraph, September 14, 2009

Analysis highlights rear-end crash causes, Fleet Owner, August 18, 2008

Related Web Resources:
FMCSA

DriveCam

In Cook County, Illinois, a jury has awarded Andrzej Chraca $24 million for injuries he sustained during a Schaumburg truck accident. The verdict is the highest amount that the county has awarded to a paraplegic.

Chraca was catastrophically injured after his sport utility vehicle was involved in a Cook County auto crash with an Illinois Department of Transportation truck on April 14, 2004. The deadly Illinois truck collision occurred close to the South Frontage Road of the Elgin O’Hare Expressway.

Chraca, 38, became a paraplegic. He cannot walk without use of a cane, leg braces, or a walker. He has not been able to work since the catastrophic Schaumburg truck crash. The IDOT truck driver, Steve Miles, also sustained serious injuries during the Illinois motor vehicle crash.

Police could not figure out who was at fault in causing the collision. The two drivers filed Cook County personal injury lawsuits against each other. This week, a jury ruled in favor of Chraca.

Miles and the IDOT are accountable for the jury award.

While there are Cook County truck accident cases where the parties involved are able to agree on a settlement without having to go to court, some Illinois truck collision claims will have to become lawsuits that can only be resolved with the help of a jury in civil court.

This is why it is so important that the Chicago truck crash lawyer you retain has the experience to secure the best outcome possible for your case. In many catastrophic Cook County truck crashes, victims are left with life-altering injuries that may require a lifetime of medical care. For many people, they cannot afford these expenses without help.

County awards $24M to man hurt in Schaumburg crash, Chicago Sun-Times, September 9, 2009

Related Web Resources:
National Spinal Cord Injury Association

Illinois Department of Transportation

Continue reading " Jury Awards Cook County Truck Accident Victim $24 Million " »

A woman who says she sustained serious personal injuries from an Illinois truck crash is suing Beelman Truck Company. Her truck crash lawsuit claims loss of enjoyment of life, pain and suffering, and medical expenses.

The truck collision occurred on Illinois Highway 203—also called Edwardsville Road—at the 20th Street Intersection on the morning of October 20. In her truck crash lawsuit, Amber Ware says truck driver Shaun D. Reid struck her vehicle while trying to turn left.

Ware is blaming the trucking company for Reid’s driving and his failure to stay in control of the truck, failure to stay within the road’s boundaries, driving too fast for the conditions, failing to maintain a reasonable speed, and driving even though he allegedly did not get enough rest. The plaintiff says the defendant should have realized that Reid was not qualified or fit to operate a semi-tractor. She is also accusing the truck company of not properly investigating Reid’s employment record.

Truck Accidents
Driving a semi-truck, a tractor-trailer, a dump truck, or any other truck requires training and experience. Trucking companies must make sure that their truck drivers are properly licensed, do not have any health issues that could impair their driving, and are competent drivers who are trained and know how to safely drive a large truck.

Many large truck operators are transporting tens of thousands of pounds in cargo and/or hazardous substances. They cannot afford to become involved in a Chicago truck crash with another vehicle or a pedestrian. It is people walking on the street or riding their bicycles, motorcycle riders, or the occupants of the other vehicles that generally get the brunt of impact when they are involved in a collision with a large truck.

Woman struck by truck sues, The Record, September 4, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Illinois Commercial Driver's License Study Guide (PDF)

Continue reading " Woman Sues Trucking Company for Illinois Truck Accident Injuries " »

A man who was left permanently disabled in a deadly truck accident that claimed the lives of three people and injured 14 others on July 15, 2008 has been awarded $18 million. The judge issued the award to 53-year-old Mark Tiburzi and his wife against Holmes Transport Inc. and trucker Jeffrey D. Knight.

According to prosecutors, the deadly truck accident happened while Knight was reaching for his cell phone. The 49-year-old truck driver is charged with involuntary manslaughter related to the tragic highway collision. He is also accused of violating truck driver regulations by driving his tractor-trailer beyond the maximum number of hours allowed during any 8-day period.

Tiburzi's car was T-boned by the large truck. His Toyota Camry remained stuck in the front of the truck, while the larger vehicle crashed into the other autos involved in the tractor-trailer crash.

Tiburzi, a former district sales manager for a shoe company, sustained a severe traumatic brain injury, and he can no longer talk or walk. He lives in a nursing home. The judge awarded him $13.8 million and Tiburzi's wife $4.2 million.

At least two other truck accident lawsuits have been filed against the trucking company and Knight over the deadly pileup. The catastrophic truck crash occurred on Highway 40 close to Interstate 270.

Previously, our Chicago truck accident law firm reported on how texting while driving a large truck increases a trucker's crash risk by 23 times. We also want to note that any activity that causes a truck driver to take his or her eyes off the road increases the chances of a large truck accident occurring.

It makes absolutely no sense to cause serious injury or death to another because a motorist had to make a phone call, check an email, send a text message to someone, post an update on Facebook, or send out a Twitter notice. Distracted driving can be grounds for a Chicago truck crash lawsuit if someone gets hurt or dies.

Judge awards $18 million to man hurt in St. Louis County pileup, and wife, SLT Today, August 25, 2009

Federal judge awards $18M to man who suffered brain injury in crash, All Business, August 20, 2009

Related Web Resources:

Two people are dead and another two are in critical condition following a deadly Illinois motor vehicle collision involving a car and a garbage truck. The Chicago truck accident occurred in Logan Square close to the intersection of West Fullerton and North Central Park at around 3 am.

The two people that died from the wreck are 30-year-old Michael B. Tate and 27-year-old Marc Duncan. Both men are from Chicago.

While the majority of garbage truck accidents usually involve pedestrians, there are incidents that occur involving other vehicles.

Common causes of Chicago garbage truck accidents:

• Failure to yield
• Negligent driving
• Truck driver error
• Poor visibility
• Mechanical failure
• Defective garbage truck part
• Failing debris

Because of the nature of their jobs, garbage truck drivers are often required to stop and start the vehicle multiple times. This makes it even more necessary for garbage truck drivers to check their mirrors, make sure that there are no pedestrians, bicycles, or vehicles are in their blind spots. They also must be pay close attention to oncoming traffic.

Proving liability in a Chicago truck accident is always a challenge, which is why you must speak with a Chicago truck crash law firm to explore your legal options.

Garbage truck crashes occur more often than we would like to think that they do.

Garbage truck crash kills 2, ABC Local, September 2, 2009

2 dead, 2 seriously hurt in NW Side crash, WGN, September 2, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Private garbage trucks most likely to kill, Transalt.org, May 30, 2002

Trucking Accidents, Nolo

Continue reading " Chicago Garbage Truck Accident Kills Two People and Critically Injures Two Others " »