She was reportedly walking down a street when she fell under the large vehicle that then pinned her, causing both her legs to become severed. Steckel was airlifted to a hospital where doctors placed her in a medically induced coma. She did not sustain internal injuries.

One witness says that he saw the elderly woman standing next to the truck in a driveway. The man says he looked away for one second and when he looked back she had disappeared. He saw that her body was under the truck near the dual tires on the passenger side, and he and another man ran forward to stop the truck driver.

Pedestrians are nearly always at a disadvantage when they are involved in a traffic accident with a motor vehicle—especially a large truck. Most garbage truck crashes are accidents involving pedestrians. According to pedestrian safety advocate group Right of Way, garbage truck accidents involving pedestrians result in 24 deaths/100 million miles traveled—that’s 8 deaths annually.

Common causes of garbage truck-pedestrian accidents:

• Poor visibility for the garbage truck driver
• Garbage trucks are always on the move, stopping and going
• Failure by the garbage truck driver to to check all mirrors and blind spots before backing up
• Driver inattention
• Pedestrian errors

Garbage trucks are extremely heavy vehicles and serious injuries can result when a pedestrian or pedalcyclist is struck or run over by such a large, heavy vehicle.

Easton woman loses legs in garbage truck accident, The Morning Call, February 5, 2010

Easton pedestrian struck by trash hauler loses legs, but son says she's 'feisty', Lehighvalleylive.com, February 5, 2010

Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Truck Accidents, Justia

According to research from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, motorists who text message have their eyes off the road for about 4.5 out of every 6 seconds. That’s plenty of time for a large truck crash or bus accident to happen. Truck drivers are up to 23 times more likely to crash a semi-truck, 18-wheeler truck, tractor-trailer, or any other kind of large truck when they are texting.

While Illinois is one of 19 US states that ban texting while driving for all motorists, that doesn’t mean that people are actually obeying the law. Unfortunately, many motor vehicle drivers continue to check, text, send, and receive messages when they are on the road, which can lead to Chicago motor vehicle crashes.

Distracted driving of any kind can kill people. Texting and talking on a cell phone have proved particularly dangerous. Many people simply cannot comprehend that what they are doing can destroy lives.

It’s bad enough to get involved in a bus accident or large truck crash with a driver who is paying attention. To get involved in a motor vehicle crash with a vehicle weighing thousands of pounds operated by a driver who isn’t paying attention to the road or doesn’t have both hands on the steering wheel because he/she is too busy sending a text message can lead to devastating consequences.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces Federal Ban on Texting for Commercial Truck Drivers, US Department of Transportation, January 26, 2010

Officials With Trucking and Bus Industries Support New Texting Ban, Fox News, January 26, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Cellphone laws, IIHS, January 2010

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

According to the truck accident complaint, Branch was driving through a narrow alley or driveway between two buildings where the visibility was limited. As he turned out of the drive, he hit Siemion, who ended up under the dump truck and street-level plow blade. The large truck dragged him almost 30 feet.

Branch told authorities he did not know that he had hit the bicyclist until he heard a strange noise and saw the bicycle and body in his rear-view mirror. Siemion’s ribs and pelvis were broken and one of his ears was torn off. Yet he was conscious and spoke with a woman who tried to comfort him following the deadly bicycle accident.

He died from a number of injuries. However, police did not file criminal charges against Branch because they said that based on their investigation, they could not determine who was responsible for the deadly truck crash.

The dump truck accident lawsuit contends that the truck driver should have known that the road was one frequently used by drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists and that he could have driven down another road where visibility was better. The complaint cited 21 work-related driving accidents that Branch was involved in over the past 15 years.

The Secretary of State’s Office says the dump truck driver has a clean driving record at this time.

Dump Truck Accidents
Chicago, Illinois dump truck accidents can result in serious injuries. In many dump truck crashes, the truck may have a hard time staying upright. It is also harder for dump truck drivers to see everyone around them or maneuver their vehicles to avoid a truck crash.

Fatal crash lawsuit cites 21 driving incidents against City of Grand Rapids driver, Mlive.com, January 30, 2010

Dead Bicyclist's Family Sues City Of Grand Rapids & Dump Truck Driver, Fox 17 Online, January 30, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Truck Safety Coalition

Fatality Analysis Reporting System

According to witnesses, the 2007 Freightliner and the 2010 Chevrolet passenger van were both going north on Interstate 65 when the van attempted to drive onto the shoulder. The blue truck, which one person says appears to have been weaving, hit the van from the rear, which caused the smaller vehicle to drive off the road, where it turned over.

Two of the van’s passengers, Sujal D. Patel and Vijay R. Patel, both 20, were pronounced dead at the truck crash site. 16 other van passengers were transported to area hospitals for treatment of their injuries. Several of the truck crash victims are children. While some of the van passengers sustained minor scratches, other passengers sustained serious injuries. The tractor-trailer driver was transported to a local hospital for treatment of his minor injuries.

Following the deadly tractor-trailer crash, the portion of Interstate 65 where the accident happened was shut down for five hours. An investigation is being conducted to determine what caused the deadly semi-truck crash.

Large Truck Accidents
If you were involved in Chicago tractor-trailer accident that you believe was the other party’s fault, you should contact a Cook County truck accident attorney immediately. There may be multiple parties that you should sue for Chicago, Illinois personal injury or wrongful death. This is not the type of injury case that you should handle without legal help.

Two dead in interstate accident, WTHR, January 25, 2010

Truck strikes van carrying Chicago-area family, killing 2, Chicago Breaking News, January 24, 2010

Related Web Resource:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

The deadly large truck crash happened at around 4am on I-65 close to US 231 when their pickup truck was smashed between two semi-trailers as traffic slowed. Stover, who was unable to stop in time, rear-ended the Workmans' pickup truck with his semi-truck, pushing it into the other large truck. Stover's semi-trailer was transporting 65,000 pounds of cargo, while the truck in front of the Workman's vehicle contained a load of coil rod weighing about 50,000 pounds. Following the collision, pickup truck caught fire.

The Lake County coroner said each family member died from blunt force trauma. They also sustained serious burn injuries on their bodies. The Workmans were going on a trip to see Brian’s mother and visit Disney World when the catastrophic truck accident happened.

Semi-Truck Accident Lawsuits
Losing someone you love—let alone multiple family members—in a traffic crash is tragic and ruins the lives of the victims and surviving relatives. It is all the more devastating to know that your loved ones would still be alive today if it weren't for another party’s negligent or careless actions—even if there was no malice intended.

Truck drivers are aware that the size and weight of their vehicles can place smaller vehicles at a disadvantage during a a truck collision. This is one of the many reasons why truckers must drive carefully and pay attention to the road and traffic around them.

Because so many truck crashes occur every year, trucking companies are prepared to deal with liability claims. You do not want to try pursuing Illinois wrongful death compensation from a negligent trucking company without legal help.

Mother, brother sue trucker, company, say driver was negligent, NWITimes.com, January 23, 2010

Fiery Crash Kills Mom, Dad, 3 Kids on Interstate, NBC Chicago, June 26, 2009

Related Web Resources:
The Dangers of Large Trucks, Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety

Truck Accidents, Justia

The fatal tractor-trailer collision happened on Interstate Highway 70 when the large truck formed a jackknife, crossing over the median to meet oncoming traffic. Killed in the truck crash were bus passengers Kenny Fry, Alonson Ruffin, Traci Williams, and Lonnie Acton. Six other bus passengers were injured. Wieckowski, a Chicago resident, was treated at a hospital for minor injuries.

Jackknife Truck Crashes
Truck driver inattention, distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, texting while driving, talking on the cell phone, and truck part malfunctions can force the trucker to suddenly step on the brakes, causing the vehicle to jackknife into a V formation, block the road, and strike approaching vehicles. This type of truck collision can prove catastrophic for other motorists, who may find it impossible to avoid colliding with this massive vehicle that has suddenly come swinging at them. Jackknife truck collisions can involve multiple vehicles, causing pileups and resulting in numerous fatalities and injuries.

Speeding, the factor cited in this particular truck crash, always increases the chances of a motor vehicle crash occurring. This is why it is so important for large truck drivers to pay attention and abide by the speed limit. It is usually the other motorists and pedestrians that suffer because a trucker did not follow traffic laws or was negligent in other ways.

4 dead when Chicago trucker jackknifes, hits van in Ohio, WGNTV.com, January 8, 2010

Truck speed cited in crash with special needs bus, Washington Post, January 22, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Trucking Accidents Caused by Driver Error, Nolo

Callendar claims her 1998 Oldsmobile Achieva was sideswiped by the large truck that Bussett was driving. The two vehicles were going in the same direction in Granite City when the truck collision happened.

As a result of her Illinois truck injuries, Callendar says she sustained permanent and temporary injuries, which have prevented her from fulfilling her usual responsibilities. She also incurred medical costs. She is accusing Bussett of failing to drive in a single lane, failing to brake, failing to exercise proper control, failing to keep a proper lookout, and driving too fast.

Side Impact Collisions
This usually involves a vehicle striking the side of another auto. This can prove fatal, as most vehicle safety features are concentrated in the vehicles’ front and rear sides. Bodily injury and spinal cord injuries are not uncommon during side impact accidents.

Illinois Truck Accident Cases
Most trucking companies are equipped to successfully fend off injury claims and limit their liability. You don’t want to take on a trucking company without speaking with an experienced Chicago truck crash law firm first. You may be able to sue a trucking company and a negligent truck driver for personal injury or, if you have lost a loved on in a trucking crash, you may have grounds for filing an Illinois wrongful death complaint.

Steps that you can take when you or your loved one has been injured in a truck crash:
• Document as much as you can about the collision
• Gather contact information of those involved in the crash
• Write down names and contact information of accident witnesses
• Call a Chicago, Illinois truck accident lawyer
• DON’T talk to the trucking company or its insurer
• DON’T settle your injury claim without consulting with your attorney.

Mack truck driver sideswipes Achieva, suit claims, The Record, January 7, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Side impact crash testing/ratings criteria, IIHS.org

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

According to the plaintiffs, Jason had moved into the left lane and was attempting to pass the tractor when Kassing illegally drove in front of his motorcycle. The couple's Illinois truck accident lawsuit accuses Kassing of failing to exert proper control, maintain a proper lookout, brake, signal when turning left, activate his vehicle’s blinkers, and recognize the autos in the left lane that were legally trying to pass his tractor.

Jason says he injured his body, elbow, foot, knee, and leg in the Illinois tractor crash. Kimberly claims she injured her body, foot, wrist, leg, and head. The Brewers are seeking over $200,000 in damages for medical expenses and the loss of the ability to fulfill their regular responsibilities. They also are claiming damage for losing each other’s companionship, services, consortium, and society as a result of the tractor-motorcycle accident.

Illinois Tractor-Motorcycle Crashes
Motorcyclists are always the ones at a disadvantage during a collision with any vehicle—especially if the motor vehicle is a tractor, an 18-wheeler truck, a semi-truck, a tractor-trailer, or another large truck. Unlike the occupants of trucks, tractors, vans, buses, SUV’s, and passenger cars, motorcycle riders don’t have the body of a vehicle around them as protection during a traffic crash. Their bodies are also more likely to get slammed against the other vehicle or thrown off their bikes and onto the ground or into oncoming traffic. Injuries during a motorcycle-truck crash can include spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, internal injuries, broken bones, organ damage, and death.

Motorcylist claims tractor driver pulled out during attempted pass, The Record, January 7, 2010

Motorcycle Accident Overview, Justia

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

Morano compares what happened to an “explosion,” with “blood and glass everywhere.” He says that as he stopped his vehicle, other motorists rushed from their cars with rags to help stop the bleeding from his wounds. According to the Chicago Tribune, the truck driver kept on driving.

Doctors were concerned that the violent impact may have given Morano a traumatic brain injury, but tests results fortunately show otherwise. However, his nose, which was broken and smashed in a number of places, had to be reconstructed. He also shattered the orbital, which is under his left eye socket, and glass bits tore his iris and cut his eyelid. He may have permanent vision damage. Morano had to have stitches on his face.

His wife Debbie says other people she has talked to have experienced ice flying off motor vehicles. She doesn’t see why a commercial truck can’t be de-iced.

Currently, there is no law mandating that people remove the ice from their autos. However, snow on top of vehicles has proven to be dangerous on more than one occasion. In 2005, a woman died after a 9-foot ice piece came off an 18-wheeler truck, striking another truck’s windshield. The impact of the crash caused the second truck driver to lose control of the vehicle, which then collided into the woman’s auto.

Ice shatters man's face while driving in Aurora, Chicago Sun-Times, January 7, 2010

Aurora driver seriously hurt in ice accident, Chicago Tribune, January 7, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Driving in Snow and Ice, The Weather Channel

According to the civil complaint, Berna’s large truck struck James’s motorcycle at the intersection of Illinois State Route 127 and Interstate 64 on November 23, 2006. James died from his motorcycle injuries.

The wrongful death complaint is seeking damages for the children’s loss of their father’s services, society, and support, as well as compensation for personal and pecuniary losses. The siblings’ guardian blames the truck driver for failing to yield the right-of-way, failing to control the vehicle, and failing to keep a proper lookout.

Losing a Parent in an Illinois Wrongful Death Accident
No child should ever have to lose a parent in a tragic accident. The emotional loss, the loss of companionship, loss of support, and the loss of an important guide and loved one can cause serious emotional injury to a child’s well-being, sense of safety, and identity.

A parent's death can also lead to loss of financial support and benefits for the child. While filing a wrongful death claim won’t bring a child's mother or father back, it can help provide financial support for the child's care, education, and upbringing, as well as help pay for the deceased parent's funeral and burial costs and related medical expenses. Illinois wrongful death compensation also allows holds the liable party accountable for negligence.

Minors cannot file their own Chicago truck crash lawsuits. However, a parent or guardian can file the complaint on their behalf.

Trucking company and driver named in wrongful death complaint, The Record, January 5, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Wrongful Death, Nolo

The Large Truck Causation Study

The truck driver plaintiff got hurt in September 2005 after his delivery truck broke down. He drove his vehicle off US Route 50 and parked it past the entrance of a business.

The truck driver was working in his vehicle and waiting for help when a flatbed truck drove off the business’s premise, striking the worker’s truck. The worker fell from his truck’s console and his head struck the windshield.

The work accident exacerbated the truck driver’s Chiari Malformations, a pre-existing neurological condition, and he started experiencing facial numbness, serious headaches, swallowing problems, vision problems, ringing in the ears, speech problems, and confusion. He developed post-traumatic lumbar disc disease and sustained herniated discs.

The trucker eventually had to undergo emergency surgery for his brain anomaly. The procedure proved unsuccessful and he had three more surgeries.

According to the plaintiff’s injury attorney, the defendant attempted to blame the truck driver for parking his truck close to the business entrance, neglecting to inform the defendant about the truck breakdown, and neglecting to set up a reflective triangle.

LawyersandSettlements.com says that the injured truck driver, whose initial workers’ compensation claim over his work injuries was denied, will now also receive workers’ compensation benefits.

Truck drivers can get injured on the job. Not only are they likely entitled to Illinois workers’ compensation benefits, but they may be able to obtain Chicago personal injury recovery from liable third parties.

Virginia trucker with brain defects settles crash suit for $2.5M, All Business, December 21, 2009

Truck Driver with Brain Injuries Earns Workers Comp, Lawyers and Settlements, January 4, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Chiari Malformations, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Workers' Compensation, Justia

According to her Illinois tractor-trailer complaint, Cari and Tessa were stopped in the middle of traffic on Interstate 270 when truck driver Valeanu hit the auto next to them. That vehicle then hit Cari’s car, which went on to rear-end another 18-wheeler truck.

Cari is accusing the defendants of negligence, including allowing the large truck to be driven without a proper lookout and at a rate of speed that was excessive. She also is accusing the trucker of not yielding to the autos ahead of him and failing to slow down so he wouldn’t cause a truck crash.

Illinois Truck Accident Cases
Mental and emotional trauma, along with serious physical injuries, can impair a truck crash victim for years if not for life—especially when there is more than one large truck involved in the collision.

Determining Illinois personal injury liability can be tough unless you have legal representation. Truck records and evidence must be examined and key witnesses must be interviewed. Accident reconstructionists and medical experts must be retained to prove your case and the extent of injuries. There may be grounds for suing multiple parties even if some of them were not directly involved in the actual truck crash.

Tractor trailer caused multi-vehicle accident, suit claims, The Record, December 29, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Transportation Research Forum

Federal Highway Administration

Wheatley, a 48-year-old business editor for the Baltimore Sun, died instantly when the delivery truck hit his auto. His 9-year-old daughter Sarah sustained serious head injuries.

Following the tragic delivery truck accident, UPS placed Callahan on suspension. He was fired last month following a company probe that found him at fault for causing what the company is calling an “avoidable” traffic crash.

Delivery Truck Accidents
Delivery trucks are often large-sized, heavy vehicles that can cause serious injury or death in the event of a truck collision. These trucks usually run on tight schedules that the truckers are required to meet. Many delivery truck drivers, especially those that work for next day delivery services such as Federal Express, UPS, and DHL, cannot afford to miss their delivery deadlines.

Common causes of delivery truck crashes involving negligent truck drivers:

• Failure to obey traffic laws
• Careless driving
• Failure to yield the right of way
• Neglecting to activate the truck’s parking brake before getting out of the truck
• Backing up the truck to stop in front of a specific address while failing to make sure there are no pedestrians, bicyclists, or other motor vehicles behind the delivery truck

Ex-UPS driver charged in crash that killed Sun editor, Washington Post, December 22, 2009

Tim Wheatley, Baltimore Sun Business Editor, Killed In Crash, Huffington Post, October 5, 2009

Related Web Resources:
Large trucks, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

Truck Accidents Overview, Justia

Flores was driving his 18-wheeler truck on I-10 when he struck the Yamaha motorcycle that Kendrick was riding. The 23-year-old motorcyclist was thrown off his bike. Meantime, his motorcycle crashed into a Chevrolet Tahoe, which crashed through a fence, rolling over a number of times before landing on a road. Jessie and Louise Charles died from their injuries. A third passenger, 25-year-old Jessica Bruwer, was transported to a hospital for her extensive injuries. The Tahoe’s driver, 33-year-old LaRhonda Wilkins, sustained shoulder injury and must still undergo physical therapy. Two other passengers, ages 12 and 3, were also in the SUV when the catastrophic truck crash happened.

Flores allegedly told police the next day that he failed to slow at a construction zone and had been driving at 75mph (the speed limit for that portion of I-10 is 65 mph). He testified in court, however, that he was slowing down as he approached the work area. He says he lost sight of both the motorcycle and the SUV.

Investigators did not find truck skid marks on the road, which means that if Flores stepped on the brakes he did not do so hard enough to leave marks.

Illinois Truck Crash Lawsuit
If you were killed in a Cook County truck accident or a truck collision involving a tractor-trailer, an 18-wheeler, a big rig truck, a semi-truck, or another large truck in DuPage County, Will County, or Lake County, please contact Chicago, Illinois truck accident lawyer Steve Malman to schedule your free case evaluation.

California trucker found guilty in fatal 2008 I-10 crash, Las Cruces Sun-News, December 18, 2009

San Diego man charged in Oct. 28 triple fatal on I-10 jailed in Luna County, ABQ Journal

Related Web Resources:
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Fatality Analysis Reporting System

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety

As many as 13 autos were involved in this deadly truck crash on Highway 40 that also claimed the life of another woman and sent at least four people to the hospital. The plaintiffs say that the tractor-trailers shouldn’t have been on the road during the dust storm, which severely hampered visibility. They also contend that Midway Transportation trucker Randy Thomas Starks shouldn’t have been driving at 55mph in those weather conditions when he crashed into the Ramirez auto and did not appear to have attempted to stop. The Ramirez brothers are claiming that the J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc. truck driver whose vehicle was stopped in front of the Ramirez car should have put up warning devices to indicate that the large truck he was operating wasn’t moving.

Although truck drivers have no control over the weather and the driving conditions that can result, it is their responsibility to adapt their driving to these factors so that they don’t cause a deadly large truck collision. Commercial truck drivers know how much more careful they need to be when driving in rain, fog, heavy winds, dust storms, rain, or snow, or when there is ice or water on the roads.

The truck crash plaintiffs are also suing the state of California, its highway patrol, and its transportation department for failing to properly warn motorists about the hazards presented by the weather conditions.

Lake Elsinore family files lawsuit after fatal crash, The Press-Enterprise, December 18, 2009

Canyon Lake family dies in desert crash, The Friday Flyer, November 14, 2008

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Truck Safety Coalition