Sleepy Truck Driver Causes I-74 Accident

 Posted on February 04, 2015 in Personal Injury

A tractor-trailer jack-knifed in the early morning hours on Wednesday, January 21, 2015. The truck driver dozed off at the wheel and caused an accident in the eastbound lanes of I-74 west of Tilton. The Freightliner veered off into the right shoulder of the interstate and when the driver overcorrected in the opposite direction, the truck jack-knifed and fell on its side, blocking both lanes.

Illinois Truck Accidents

In its 2012 Traffic Safety Data Report, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 333,000 large trucks (i.e. tractor trailers or semis) were involved in accidents in the 2012. Nearly 4,000 people were killed and 104,000 were harmed in accidents involving large trucks. Most of the victims in these fatal car accidents were the drivers of the other vehicles. And of the almost 4,000 people killed in these accidents, 73 percent were in other vehicles—only 18 percent were in the large trucks. The number of fatalities and overall accidents involving large trucks increased from the previous year.

As reported by the Illinois Department of Transportation, in 2011, large trucks caused 17,275 crashes in Illinois. This is only 6.1 percent of the total crashes in the state. However, large truck crashes cause a disproportionate amount of fatalities. In 2011, large trucks caused 117 of the 918 fatal crashes in the state.

There are several factors that lead to accidents caused by large trucks. These include speeding, loss of vehicle control, falling asleep while driving, following too closely, and unsafe backing up are some of the reasons. Typically, accidents involving tractor trailers cause multiple-vehicle car crashes in the same lane. Eighty-one percent of fatal crashes involving semis involve multiple vehicles. The U.S. Department of Transportation found that large trucks were more than three times more likely than other vehicles to be struck in the rear in two-vehicle fatal crashes.

Injuries Caused from Accidents

As the statistics show, accidents involving tractor-trailers are more likely to result in catastrophic injury, fatality, or devastating property damage. If you or a loved one was in involved in an accident with a large truck or semi, you may be entitled to damages that could cover the following:

• Medical bills;
• Pain and suffering;
• Property damage;
• Insurance payments;
• Loss of wages;
• Rehabilitation;
• Wrongful death; and
• Emotional loss.

Truck drivers operate at breakneck speeds and often on little sleep, as they are required to make tight schedules. In winter weather, operating a tractor-trailer is even more challenging and accidents are more likely to occur. The likelihood that such an accident will be fatal is higher as state and federal data illustrates. Before you speak to a claims adjuster, reach out to an experienced truck accident lawyer who can walk you through the process and get you the recovery you deserve.

Contact Our Experienced Accident Attorneys

If you are in a truck accident, please contact one of our experienced DuPage County truck accident attorneys. Our attorneys are prepared to help you recover due compensation. Reach out to Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices today to schedule a consultation.