Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

The FMCSA is proposing a new regulation that would make it mandatory for interstate truck and bus companies to equip all their vehicles with electronic onboard recorders so that their drivers’ hours of service are monitored. As we’ve reported in past blogs, the hours-of-service rule is designed to restrict how many hours in a row truckers can drive and how much rest time and time off they must take in between shifts so that they don’t become too exhausted or tired that driving safely becomes a challenge. Unfortunately, there are still some truck drivers who attempt to get the most mileage possible out of their work days even if it means driving when they are drowsy or distracted or while breaking the hours-of-service regulations.

It is important that commercial truck drivers not drive on the road for too long so that they remain alert and wide awake. Our Chicago truck accident law firm has represented many people whose lives have changed in an instant because a trucker dozed off for a few seconds or was so tired that he or she didn’t step on the brakes in time to avoid striking a pedestrian or colliding with another vehicle.

If you were injured in a Chicago truck crash, an experienced injury attorney can help you figure out whether the other driver violated any FMCSA rules. Even if the trucker was in compliance with federal regulations, if he/she was drowsy driving, distracted driving, or engaging in any other type of negligent driving, you could be entitled to Chicago injury recovery from the truck driver and his or her employer.

Trucking companies know how to fight liability claims, which is why it is a good idea to have someone on your side that knows how to fight for you.

U.S. Proposes EOBRs for All Interstate Trucks, Transport Topics, January 31, 2011

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Proposes Changes to Hours-of-Service Regulations, Chicago Truck Accident Lawyers Blog, January 11, 2011

Related Web Resource:
FMCSA

Jessica L. Topala, a 22-year-old Algonguin woman, was injured yesterday when her vehicle was struck in an Illinois semi-truck crash. The impact of the collision sent her car into a utility pole.

Crystal Lake Police believe the tractor-trailer accident happened when a Mack truck driven by Efrain B. Garcia hit Topala’s Mustangs She then lost control of the car. Topala was left incapacitated but conscious and she was taken to the hospital. Her injuries are not considered non-life threatening.

The day before, in another Illinois truck crash involving two tractor-trailer units, two other women did not survive. Betty Smith, 43, and Cynthia Riggs, 42, died from injuries that they sustained when the vehicle they were was rear-ended as it was attempting to turn left by one of the trucks that did not slow down. The impact of the crash forced the Pontiac into the westbound lane where it was hit on the passenger side by another tractor-trailer. The impact from that collision caused the women’s car to hit the first truck’s trailer.

The two women were thrown from the Pontiac and pronounced dead at the Illinois truck crash site.

Illinois Truck Accident Lawsuit
Even if you or someone you love was seriously injured in a Chicago tractor-trailer crash that was caused by the trucker’s negligence, this does not mean that you will easily be able to obtain personal injury or wrongful death recovery. This is why it is so important that you work with a Chicago semi-truck accident law firm that has the experience to successfully pursue your claim or lawsuit. There is a lot involved in proving liability in a large truck accident.

Truck driver charged after double fatal, CarmiTimes, January 27, 2011

Algonquin Woman Injured in Crystal Lake Accident, Algonquin Patch, January 27, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Center for National Bus and Truck Statistics

Continue reading " Illinois Tractor-Trailer Accidents Sends Woman to the Hospital After Her Vehicle Hits a Utility Pole " »

A person was killed early yesterday in a West Chicago truck crash. According to police, the victim’s vehicle rear-ended the semi-truck’s trailer at Powis Road close to Harvester Road. The Illinois State Police and the DuPage County Accident Reconstruction Task Force are trying to determine what happened.

Also this week, police are searching for a semi-truck in connection with a Chicago hit-and run traffic crash that claimed the life of bicyclist. The rider, 65-year-old Robert Felice, was found lying on West Pershing Road. The large truck is described as having a red cab and a camper. Felice was pronounced dead at University of Illinois Medical Center.

It is important that you start exploring your legal options for Illinois personal injury or wrongful death as soon as possible. Obtaining your injury recovery can allow you to hold the negligent party liable and give you the resources you need to cover damages and costs incurred from your Illinois large truck accident. Proving liability in any kind of collision can be challenging—it can be especially tough when you are dealing with a trucking company that has a team in place, as well as the resources, to combat lawsuits against it. Truck log books and maintenance records will need to be examined. It is also important to determine whether hours-of-service rules or other Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration regulations and any state regulations have been violated.

Recently, the family of Raymond VanPelt filed their Illinois semi-tractor crash over the Aurora man’s wrongful death. Van Pelt, 53, died at the corporate headquarters parking lot in what police think may have been a backover accident involving a semi-tractor trying to back-up to a semi-trailer. The truck driver did not see VanPelt.

The Illinois tractor-trailer crash lawsuit accuses the truck driver of negligent driving, including failing to slow down his speed, not keeping a proper lookout, and neglecting to give audible warning. The plaintiffs, who are also suing the truck company that employed the trucker, are also claiming that the large truck’s brakes were inadequate.

Fatal Vehicular Accident in West Chicago, Trib Local, January 19, 2011

Bicyclist killed in South Side hit-and-run crash identified, Chicago Sun-TImes, January 20, 2011

Related Web Resource:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently revealed its proposed rulemaking to the hours-of-service regulations. The proposal lowers the on-duty time to 13 hours while extending the workday to 14 hours and allowing for a one-hour off duty break in between.

The 34-hour restart, which lets drivers resume their 60- to 70- hour shifts after taking 34 consecutive hours off, remains the same except for two restrictions: The restart could only occur once over a seven-day period and would include two overnight rest periods. Other provisions involve the option of twice a week allowing a driver’s shift to last 16 hours to allow for the loading and unloading of cargo and letting drivers count time spent in their parked trucks toward off-duty time.

The FMCSA is now inviting comments on its proposal, which includes the lowering of a trucker’s daily drive time from 11 hours to 10 hours. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood emphasized the government’s commitment to an hours-of-service rule that only allows for truck drivers who are alert, rested, and able to focus on their job.

Drowsy driving is considered one of the most common causes of large truck crashes. The long, odd hours on nondescript freeways contribute to causing a driver to become sleepy or unable to concentrate while behind the steering wheel. Meantime, the American Trucking Associations is speaking out against the FMCSA’s proposal. The ATA says that the proposal places “unnecessary restrictions” on professional truckers, while “substantially reducing” productivity. ATA President and CEO Bill Graves says the proposed changes would be very costly for the trucking industry and the economy. The FMCSA has until July 26, 2011 to publish its final HOS rule.

Chicago Truck Accidents
Chicago truck crashes that occur because the driver was tired, sleepy, or distracted could have likely been prevented. Following the federal government’s safety rules is one way to keep these types of Illinois truck collisions, which often lead to such catastrophic consequences, from happening. Contact our Chicago truck collision law firm today.

FMCSA Issues Proposed Rule on Hours-of-Service Requirements for Commercial Truck Drivers, FMCA, December 23, 2010

FMCSA unveils proposed HOS regs, Landlinemag, December 23, 2010
Truckers slam FMCSA driver hours proposal, DC Velocity, December 28, 2010

Hours-of-Service (HOS) Proposed Rulemaking (December 2010), FMCSA

Truck Accidents, Justia

Drowsy Driving & Fatigue