A few items had fallen out of the pickup truck’s bed and the driver had stopped the vehicle to collect them. While other motorists were able to drive around the GMC, the tractor-trailer struck the smaller truck.

The female motor vehicle crash victim was pronounced dead at the truck accident site. The man was airlifted to a local hospital.

In other recent tractor-trailer accident news, four people were hurt on July 19 when a semi-truck and a pickup truck collided on a highway. The large truck was transporting hazardous materials, and sulfuric acid spilled onto the road.

The four truck accident victims were flown to a hospital. Hazmat crews arrived to help clean up the spill. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the semi-truck accident.

On June 22, a 17-year-old boy, who is being called “Miracle Man”, survived getting hit by a Frelightline semi-trailer while he was on his bicycle. The semi-truck crash happened as trucker Corey Fowler was pulling out of a Home Depot parking lot. Devon says he “got sucked up” under the large vehicle but remained conscious as the truck dragged him sixty feet.

He sustained road rashes and broke five bones. As the truck was pulling him over the asphalt, skin was getting scraped off his back, arms, face and legs. Devon says that his right foot was seared from the engine’s heat because his pant leg got caught in the semi-trailer’s axle.

Miracle boy: Teen hit, dragged by semi-truck talks about surviving, Naples News, July 26, 2010

Woman dies in I-79 wreck: Tractor-trailer hits stopped GMC pickup, InsuranceNewsNet, July 24, 210

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Fatality Analysis Reporting System, NHTSA

Our Chicago truck accident lawyers know how important it is to start gathering and preserving evidence immediately after a serious collision. Not only do we work with accident reconstruction experts who know how to determine exactly what happened, but we have the experience and dedication to do the job our clients hire us to do right. We even have a doctor on staff that can evaluate your injuries, treatment costs, and any future care that you will likely require.

Chicago, Illinois truck accidents are complex cases to pursue and the injuries resulting from them can be quite serious and expensive. Unfortunately, catastrophic truck crashes happen on a regular basis.

Just this Tuesday, Olympic rowing champion James Cracknell bruised his brain and sustained a gash to the back of his head when he was injured during a truck accident. Cracknell was thrown off his bicycle. Fortunately, he was using a crash helmet.

Whether the negligent party is the truck driver, another motorist, a trucking company, the entity responsible for maintaining a road and keeping it free of road defects or debris, or the manufacturer of a defective vehicle or auto part, it is important that you are represented by a Chicago truck accident law firm that will fight for your right to financial recovery while protecting your legal rights.

Iroquois County: Trucks collide on I-57; 3rd accident in 10 days, Daily Journal, July 23, 2010

Olympian James Cracknell in hospital with 'fractured skull' after truck knocks him off bike, MailOnline, July 22, 2010

Related Web Resources:
FMCSA

Skull fracture, MedlinePlus

Telephone company employee John Burston accidentally killed the horse when he struck it with the truck he was driving. However, rather than use the safety equipment (reflective triangles, traffic cones, and flares) that were in the vehicle to warn other motorists about the horse, Burston left the truck accident site.

Although there were two defendants in this personal injury trial, United Telephone Co. of the Northwest, which is a Sprint company, and the person who was supposed to be taking care of the horse before it ran off and got run over, the jury decided to hold only the phone company liable.

Whiplash
Whiplash can be extremely painful and debilitating and is one of the more common kinds of motor vehicle crash injuries. Signs of whiplash include pain, swelling, muscle spasms, difficulty moving, and pain radiating from the affected area to other parts of the body. Although whiplash is normally associated with the neck, other parts of the body may be affected.

It is important that you receive prompt and proper medical care for your whiplash. Some whiplash injuries are more serious than others and can affect the victim’s ability to live and enjoy a normal life or maintain a career or business.

Woman whose car hit dead horse gets $2.7 million from driver who killed it, SeattleTimes, July 7, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Whiplash, eMedicineHealth

United Telephone Co. of the Northwest, Federal Communications Commission

Vehicles were stopped close to a construction zone when one of the tractor-trailers crashed into the line of traffic, resulting in multiple vehicles colliding. Two other commercial trucks were also unable to stop in time. Killed in the Illinois semi-truck accident were trucker Randy Reynolds, who allegedly failed to stop, and truck driver Carl James Jones Junior.

Also involved in the catastrophic Illinois semi-truck accident were two pickup trucks and a Jeep. One victim was flown to a hospital while two others were transported to a Benton hospital. A fire had broken out at the Illinois truck accident site, caused in part by fuel and the fact that one of the semi-trailers was carrying a cargo of vehicle batteries.

With so many parties involved in any kind of multi-vehicle collision, it can be a challenge to determine who should be held liable unless you have experienced legal help. Trucking companies often will fight to disprove liability, which can be especially confusing for everyone else involved—especially when there are multiple commercial firms determined to minimize any blame.

Two killed in fiery wreck on I-57, Pantagraph.com, July 16, 2010

2 truckers die in seven-vehicle crash on I-57 in Illinois, The Associated Press/The Trucker, July 16, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Truck Accidents Web Resources, Justia

Pritts was riding in the Camry driven by St. Joseph resident Mark Sjuts, when the Illinois truck crash happened. Sjuts, 52, and his son Chason Coty Sjuts, 23, were pronounced dead at the crash site. Pitts and Chason were dating.

Per Illinois State Police, the deadly Illinois semi-tractor accident happened when the Camry went off the road, drove through the median, and crashed with the semi-tractor trailer. The car ended up pushed back between the semi-truck and the median.

Police are trying to determine the cause of the truck accident. The Vermilion County Coroner’s Office says that the Camry may have hydroplaned because rain had left water on the road.

Chicago, Illinois Semi-Tractor Accidents
Chicago semi tractor trailer accidents can happen for many reasons. Truck driver error, driver negligence on the part of the person driving the other vehicle involved, defective auto parts, faulty maintenance, truck overload, poorly designed roads, road debris, and poor weather conditions, are just some reasons why truck accidents happened.

You may be able to pursue Chicago truck accident recovery from the parties responsible for causing your injuries or the wrongful death of your loved on. Truck accidents can lead to devastating injuries and ruined lives.

Third person dies from injuries in I-74 crash in Vermilion County, The News-Gazette, July 14, 2010

Fatal crash survivor dies, Commercial-News, July 14, 2010

Related Web Resources:
The Truck Safety Coalition

Truck Safety, Public Citizen

The driver of the PG & E utility truck that collided with the vehicle that Bernstein and Conway were in was John Mayfield, who is diabetic. Mayfield did not test his blood sugar and blacked out while in the driver’s seat. He has pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter for his role in the truck collision. Prosecutors said the truck crash could have been avoided if only Mayfield had tested his blood sugar level before driving the PG & E truck. The truck driver says the insulin injector was faulty.

Although the state’s privacy act prevents an employer from looking at a worker’s health records, Lisa claimed that the utility company should have known that Mayfield was hospitalized on two occasions because he didn’t properly manage his diabetes and that off the job, he had been involved in two other car accidents.

Per the terms of the wrongful death agreement, PG & E is agreeing that the resolution should be recorded as a judgment, rather than a confidential settlement. This will allow any future victims to look up the case when negotiating their personal injury settlements.

It was just last week that Verizon Communications was ordered to pay the family of another truck accident victim $7 million because employee Mark William Selander, who is also a diabetic, suffered a hypoglycemic attack while driving on the morning of September 2, 2009. Jose Raul Reyes Vega died from injuries he sustained during the truck crash.

Chicago, Illinois Truck Accidents
Even if your Chicago truck crash occurred because the truck driver suffered a medical emergency, you may still have grounds for a Chicago truck accident lawsuit. Diabetic attacks, heart attacks, seizures, fainting spells, and sleep apnea have been known to be the cause of tragic truck collisions.

PG&E to pay bereaved mother $5 million in wrongful death lawsuit, MercuryNews, July 6, 2010

Verizon to pay $7M in wrong-way driving suit, The Daily Sound, July 2, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Driving Q&A for People with Diabetes, DLife

Truck Accidents

The impact of the rear-end crash caused Diaz’s vehicle to rollover, throwing Aragon from the vehicle. Diaz and Aragon were both airlifted to the hospital.

Wise, 33, had placed reflective triangles on the interstate after his truck broke down. His truck was parked on the Interstate for nearly eight hours before the tragic traffic crash happened. He told police his son, niece, and nephew were in the truck cab and that he had put cones on the road to block the right-hand westbound lane because “trucks kept passing too close to him and that a motorist hit one of those (cones).” He says that he had waited all day for a tow truck to arrive. According to one State Patrol trooper, this was the first-time the officer had seen a lane closure in such a high-speed area, “let alone a downhill curve,” where motorists were given such a short time to react. Wise is also facing charges of obstructing a highway and reckless endangerment.

Chicago, Illinois Truck Accidents
Tractor-trailer drivers can be held responsible in both criminal and civil courts if their negligence, carelessness, or recklessness contributed to causing an Illinois 18-wheeler truck collision where personal injuries or wrongful deaths were involved. In Cook County, Will County, Lake County, and DuPage County, Illinois, contact our Chicago, Illinois truck accident law firm.

Cops say traffic cones he placed contributed to interstate wreck, GJSentinel, July 1, 2010

Trucker faces charges in fatal I-70 crash, Denver Post, June 30, 2010

Related Web Resource:
Improving Highway Safety, FMCSA

State Highway Patrol say that at least 15 people were injured when a tractor-trailer failed to stop in a highway work zone and rear-ended one of nine vehicles that were stopped to cause a chain reaction, multi-vehicle crash. The truck then burst into flames at the side of the road. Semi-truck driver John S. Fahrni was transported to the hospital for treatment of non-incapacitating injuries.

In another tractor-trailer collision, 12 people were injured when a tour bus transporting a gospel group called The Bowling Family rear-ended the semi-truck. One of the bus passengers was ejected from the front passenger seat. He suffered serious injuries.

In yet another semi-truck crash, a 65-year-old grandmother was killed when the car she was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. Police say that the victim, Donna Gibbs, pulled out into the path of the truck as she attempted to make a left turn. The truck then hit a Jeep. The three children riding with Gibbs, two of them are age 7 and the other is age 6, sustained serious injuries. One of the girls has a brain bleed. The Jeep driver sustained minor injuries, and the trucker was not hurt.

Crash kills grandmother, injures 2 kids, WIVBTV, July 2, 2010

Truck bursts into flames during 10-car pile-up in southern Huron County work zone, Norwalk Reflector, June 25, 2010

People from Kentucky Hurt in North Carolina Tour Bus Accident, Lex18.com, July 2, 2010

Related Web Resource:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

Police say that the tractor-trailer accident happened when the semi-truck, which had stopped on the shoulder of the highway, reentered the road without failing to yield to the approaching van. The van struck the truck’s left rear side before coming to also rest on the shoulder.

Tractor-trailer crashes injured and kill thousands every year, which is why it is so important that truckers drive carefully and abide by safety laws. It is usually the truck crash victims left with catastrophic injuries in the wake of an 18-wheeler truck accident. That said, motorists of other vehicles must also exercise the proper care when driving so that they don’t cause a truck collision.

David and Pierson are not the only ones to recently sustain injuries during a semi-truck crash. Yesterday morning, several people were injured when a driver’s education car and a semi-truck collided as the truck attempted to pass the car. The auto struck the tractor-trailer’s passenger side, spinning around, before the semi and trailer drove over the car’s trunk.

Truck driver John Fine and driver Zachary Denner, 16, two other students, ages 15 and 14, and the driver’s education teacher were taken to the hospital for treatment of what appear to be minor injuries. The authorities are investigating the tractor-trailer accident.

2 Ojai teens injured in crash with tractor-trailer rig, VC Star, June 29, 2010

Troopers investigate driver's ed car-semi crash, WCF Courier, July 1, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Preventing Trucking Accidents and Semi-Truck Accidents, Road Safe America

American Transportation Research Institute

The dump truck accident happened on August 23, 2007. According to the other inmate crewmembers, Jennings and at least two other inmates were trying to cross the freeway ramp when a tractor-trailer and a dump truck approached and tried to go through the exit at the same time. While the tractor-trailer was able to get through, the dump truck went off the ramp and struck Jennings.

The dump truck driver, Wayne H. Goss Sr., said he “leaned on" his horn when he saw the three inmates. While two of them stayed in the grassy area next to the ramp, Goss says that Jennings ran across the ramp and directly in front of the dump truck. Jennings’ legs were crushed and he was knocked unconscious. A fellow inmate was able to revive him but he was later pronounced dead at a medical trauma center. He reportedly experienced severe pain prior to his passing.

Under state law, many civil jury awards have a $680,000 non-economic damages cap. However, the family’s truck accident lawyer says that his clients are likely to receive close to $1.4 million of the $2.025 million verdict because the jury found both the trucker and the state liable. Jenning, who was serving two years in prison for a drug distribution conviction, was scheduled to get out of jail in 2009.

Jury awards $2 million in highway death of Md. inmate, Baltimore Sun, June 24, 2010

Inmate on Work Crew Killed on I-495 in Pr. George's, Washington Post, August 24, 2007

Related Web Resources:
FARS Encyclopedia, NHTSA

Large Trucks, IIHS

At the time, the interstate was just one lane. Illinois State Police say that the semi-truck struck four other vehicles that had slowed because of the construction zone. The large truck then hit another semi, which caused the latter to overturn and hit a construction vehicle. According to KFVS, three vehicles that could not stop in time then struck each other.

Among the injury victims were semi-truck Jose Bruno, who police are calling the offending motorist, Angel Triana, who was co-driving along with Bruno, Susan and Robert Laley-Mahomet, and Priscilla and Guillermo Lopez-Elmhurst. Four of them were transported to a Herrin hospital while the other two were flown to a hospital in Evansville. Bruno received a citation for failure to reduce speed.

Four other people involved in the Illinois truck accident were treated at the crash site before being released. They are Michael Roper, Toni and Kellon Baccus-Eddyville, and Kathy Lacy-Herin.

Construction Zone Driving
It is so important that motorists obey construction zone laws and directives. Construction zones are there to protect not just the people that are working there, but also the motorists, who comprise a majority of the construction zone deaths that happen every year. Of the 31 work zone deaths that occurred on Illinois roads in 2008, 2 of them were construction workers. In 2007, only 2 of the 27 construction zone fatalities were workers. In 2006, only one of the 29 Illinois construction zone deaths was a construction worker. According to Illinois State police, driver inattentiveness and speeding were the most common reasons why these fatalities occurred.

Drivers must slow down in a construction zone and adapt to the traffic conditions to avoid hurting others motorists, as well as the workers, who are placing themselves at risk by working in the road construction area.

Six people hurt in crash on Interstate 57, KFVS 12, June 13, 2010

Construction zone warning: Slow down, pay attention, Quad City TImes, May 12, 2009

Related Web Resources:

FMCSA

Road Safe America

Killed in the Illinois tractor-trailer crash was William B. Waite Jr., a tow truck company owner who, along with Henninger, was assisting a disabled tractor-trailer. Henninger worked for Waite at the time. His family has sued Boehm and Double D Express for his wrongful death. That Illinois semi-truck accident lawsuit is still pending.

Police say that Boehm has told them that he was switching radio channels when the Illinois truck accident happened. He has been found guilty of failure to yield to an emergency vehicle and improper lane change.

Distracted Driving
Fiddling with the car radio, scrolling through an iPod in search of the right song, surfing the Internet on a PDA, watching movies on a laptop, reading a newspaper, text messaging, and talking on a cell phones are activities that should not be done while someone is operating any vehicle—but especially a large truck. Distracted driving takes the motorist’s eyes and concentration off the road. In many cases, at least one of the driver’s hands ends up off the steering wheel, which can make it challenging for the driver to maintain/regain control of his/her vehicle during a Chicago truck accident.

Man succeeds in $3 million suit against Double D, truck driver, News Tribune, June 16, 2010

Settlement in fatal crash suit, My Web Times, June 15, 2010

Tow driver killed on I-80 roadside, PJStar, June 24, 2008

Related Web Resources:
Fatality Analysis Reporting System

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Distracted Driving, NSC

According to her Illinois truck accident lawsuit, on March 18 the truck that Ashley was driving for Markare Services struck Bohstedt’s motor vehicle on I-55. Ashley was changing lanes at the time.

Bohstedt says that as a result of the Illinois tractor-trailer crash, she sustained permanent and severe injuries to her cervical spine and shoulders. She also contends that she suffered great mental anguish and pain, incurred medical expenses, and lost a great deal of income because she has been unable to pursue her usual occupation.

Bohstedt is accusing the truck driver of driving too fast, failing to keep the semi-truck under control, neglecting to keep a proper lookout, not keeping enough distance between his truck and the other vehicles, neglecting to keep his tractor-trailer in the correct lane, failing to yield the right-of-way, failing to lower his speed to avoid a truck crash, and driving his truck without regard for others’ safety.

Back injuries, shoulder injuries, spinal cord injuries, and neck injuries can be extremely painful and debilitating. They can require costly medical care, including surgeries, physical therapy, and rehabilitation. Depending on the seriousness of the injury, the victim’s quality of life can be seriously impacted.

If you were injured in a semi-truck crash that was caused by the truck driver, it is important that you not deal with trucking company's insurer on your own. Many insurance companies will try to get you to settle your Illinois semi-truck case and this can often cause you to agree to a smaller sum of money than you would have obtained if only you’d sued for Chicago truck accident compensation.

Woman claims truck driver caused I-55 accident, The Record, June 15, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Illinois Department of Transportation

Truck Driver Regulations, FMCSA

According to CNN.com, several factors will feed into this need for additional drivers, including the need to replace truckers approaching retirement age, industry growth, and tougher safety regulations to weed out the bad drivers and replace drivers who were laid-off when the economy fell. Since 2008, the industry has lost nearly 150,000 driving jobs. While during the recession trucking companies had a wider pool of applicants to choose from, that surplus of candidates has gotten smaller since the economy started to get better.

Preventing Chicago, Illinois Truck Accidents
Driving a commercial truck is unlike driving a regular motor vehicle and it is important that a truck driver be properly trained, abide by the federal and state safety regulations, doesn’t suffer from undiagnosed and/or untreated sleeping disorders, has a safe driving record, is a good driver, and is capable of safely driving a large truck that is loaded with thousands of pounds heavy cargo. Trucker inexperience is a common cause of catastrophic Chicago truck crashes, which are a tragedy not just for the victims, but also for the truck driver who never intended to be reckless or careless but lacked the experience and training to avoid causing a traffic crash.

Wanted: 400,000 truck drivers, CNN Money, June 9, 2010

Related Web Resources:
Council of Supply Chain Management Professional

Rules and Regulations, FMCSA

The deadly semi-truck crash occurred on the morning of May 24 on Interstate 35 in Lakeville. Killed in the multi-vehicle collision were the drivers of the two cars that were crushed between the two large trucks. 24-year-old Kari Rasmussen was airlifted to a hospital where she later died, while 50-year-old Pamela Brinkhaus was pronounced dead at the truck accident site. The collision also let loose a cloud of bees that had escaped from beehives and emergency workers had to use fire hoses to fight them off. Firefighters were stung in the process.

Jason Styrbicky, who is accused of causing the semi-truck crash, was not wearing contact lenses or glasses when police officers arrived at the accident site. They also weren’t in his food service truck. The 36-year-old trucker reportedly told investigators that he was in the process of grabbing his beverage when the deadly truck collision happened and he wasn’t looking at the road.

Truckers must be able to see the road properly and they cannot afford to be distracted. With their heavy cargo and the huge vehicle that they are driving, a truck driver who cannot visually assess distances or is looking at anywhere but the traffic around him/her can cause catastrophic crashes that can lead to injuries or deaths.

Police: trucker in fatal bee crash likely not wearing glasses, The Associated Press/The Trucker.com, June 10, 2010

Rescuers battle bees at deadly I-35 pileup: One truck carried millions of bees, and firefighters fought them with hoses to reach the victims. The State Patrol has identified both car drivers killed in the crash, DailyMe, May 25, 2010

Related Web Resource:
Rules and Regulations, FMCSA