Personal Injury Law

Four Injured When Two Big Rigs and One Car Crash on Illinois Expressway

By Jeffrey Lowe

Illinois drivers on the Dan Ryan Expressway must have seen quite a mess after a recent crash involving two semi trucks and a car. A full-size semi truck was unable to slow down enough for traffic ahead of it, and rear-ended a flatbed semi in front of it. The collision pushed the flatbed tractor-trailer into a passenger car in front of it. One of the tractor-trailers caught fire. A woman and three men were hurt and taken to hospitals. Two were in serious to critical condition and two in good to fair condition. The good news is that none of the injuries were considered life-threatening and no one was burned by the truck fire. As a southern Illinois semi truck crash attorney, I have seen many cases where crash victims were not so lucky. In 2006, accidents involving large trucks killed 157 people in Illinois.

The full size semi truck's driver was cited for following too closely. It is especially disheartening to me, as a St. Louis tractor-trailer accident lawyer, to learn that this truck driver was driving so carelessly given the hefty responsibility that comes with operating a vehicle that can do massive damage. As I noted last week, crashes involving semi trucks that hit cars usually hurt the occupants of the car far more than the truck driver. All drivers should know that a safe following distance is necessary on the road, but truck drivers should be even more aware. It takes more time and distance to stop such a heavy and unwieldy vehicle. This is why truck drivers are required to undergo training and acquire special licenses to drive their vehicles. The greater danger posed by large trucks is also why there are more regulations that apply to them than to car drivers.

Even though their injuries are not life-threatening, the people who were hurt in this accident may have a long recovery from their injuries. They may lose income temporarily or even permanently if their injuries leave them unable to work. Even if they are able to work, they may still be financially hurt by the accident because of the high cost of medical care. Crash victims who have health insurance still have to come up with the money for co-pays, which can add up quickly over the course of numerous appointments and procedures. Those who do not have health insurance may face staggering medical costs. Since the police have already cited the truck driver for following too closely, I suspect that with the help of a Missouri big rig crash lawyer, the victims of this accident could hold that driver legally responsible for the accident and therefore for their injuries. In this way, the victims could recover costs for their medical treatments and procedures, lost wages, repair or replacement of their damaged vehicles, and compensation for pain and suffering. It's only fair that those responsible for hurting others make it right. It?s also the law in both Illinois and Missouri.

Full post as published by Trucking Accident Attorney Blog on March 25, 2010 (boomark / email).