Personal Injury Law

Illinois Motor Vehicle Crash Involving Tractor-Trailer and Bus Carrying Chicago Students Injures at Least 36 People

At least 36 people sought medical attention at local hospitals for injuries they sustained in an Illinois bus-truck accident on Interstate 39 on Wednesday night. Peoria Charter Coach President Bill Winkler says the motor vehicle crash occurred when the tractor-trailer jackknifed in front of the bus, causing the vehicles to collide.

The charter bus was carrying a group of Chicago high school students and their chaperone. 10 ambulances reportedly arrived at the crash scene. 13 students were treated at St. Margaret's Hospital in Spring Valley. 23 other students were treated at Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru.

Tractor-Trailer Accidents
Colliding with a tractor-trailer can lead to serious injuries. Tractor-trailers are large vehicles that often carry heavy loads or transport huge quantities of hazardous substances. In 2007, 413,000 large trucks were involved in US motor vehicle crashes, resulting in 4,808 deaths and at least 100,000 injuries. 4,006 of those killed were not even riding in the trucks when these truck crashes happened.

One reason that the other parties involved in large truck crashes are more prone to serious injuries than truck occupants is that trucks are so heavy (large trucks have a gross vehicle weight rating above 10,000 pounds) and massive in size that pedestrians, pedalcyclists, and the occupants of other vehicles involved are at a disadvantage in terms of physical protection. Even passengers of large buses, where seatbelts are not a requirement, risk serious injury during a large truck collision.

The impact of a large bus colliding with a large truck or any other vehicle may throw bus passengers from their seats or cause a rollover crash that can result in serious injuries, such as spinal cord injuries and traumatic brain injuries, for bus occupants.

Minor injuries after bus, truck collide in Ill., AP, December 4, 2008

Dunlap students aboard bus that crashed on I-39, December 3, 2008

Related Web Resource:

2007 Truck Safety Fact Sheet, NHTSA

Full post as published by Chicago Injury Attorney Blog on December 05, 2008 (boomark / email).