People in the greater Glenview area do not need much reminding about how dangerous truck accidents can be since it was only earlier this year that a woman originally reported to have suffered serious injuries in a truck accident was pronounced dead by the Cook County medical examiner's office. In that case, a box truck heading south on East River Road made a left turn in front of a car driven by the woman, and struck her passenger vehicle heading northbound, causing it to sustain major damage. 

People need to appreciate the tremendous risks they are facing any time they are dealing with large commercial trucks on various roads throughout Cook County. Even when truck crashes seem relatively simple to explain, liability in these cases can be complex and every party will try to transfer blame to one another to minimize their own losses.

Why Truck Accidents Are Complicated Cases

Unlike your traditional car accident claim which usually involves only two drivers, a truck accident case is immediately complicated by one party being the truck driver, another party being a truck owner, another party being a loading company, and possibly several other parties sharing liability issues. The primary reason any truck accident victim will want to retain legal counsel as soon as possible is simply to have an independent investigation performed into their crash that can figure out exactly which parties are accountable.

The United States has struggled with a drug epidemic for decades. According to national statistics, almost 500,000 people died from opioid overdoses – both prescription and illicit – between 1999 to 2019. Millions of people continue to struggle with an addiction that not only impacts their personal lives but their professional lives, as well. One industry where this has been a significant problem is the trucking industry. Many truck drivers are operating their vehicles under the influence of drugs, putting everyone on the roads with them in danger.

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is the government agency that regulates the trucking industry. In an effort to combat the number of drivers who are using drugs and/or alcohol, the FMSCA created the Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, a secure online database that provides information about drug and alcohol violations for all commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learners permit (CLP) holders. The clearinghouse is accessible for truck industry employers, state departments of motor vehicles, and law enforcement agencies.

One of the critical pieces of information the database provides is data on failed drug and alcohol tests. This is one way that trucking companies can find out if a potential new employee has failed testing in the past. Since January 2020, there have been more than four million inquiries to the database.

Semi-trucks and other large commercial trucks allow goods to be shipped from one end of the country to the other and are vital to modern commerce. However, when large commercial trucks are involved in a crash, the results can be catastrophic. Large commercial truck accidents often result in severe injuries including brain and spine injuries, amputations, burns, broken bones, and internal organ damage. Truck accident victims that survive their injuries often require considerable medical care including ongoing rehabilitative treatment. The financial losses associated with a commercial truck crash can be massive, but truck accident victims and their families may be able to recover compensation through a personal injury claim.   

Legal Responsibility for Truck Accident Injuries

Countless factors can cause a large commercial truck crash. Sometimes, inadequate vehicle maintenance causes problems with the truck’s brakes, steering, or hydraulics which cause or contribute to a serious crash. Other times, the root cause of a truck accident is truck driver negligence. Truck drivers who are too fatigued to drive safely or are under the influence of drugs or alcohol can make deadly mistakes behind the wheel. Texting and driving and other forms of distracted driving are also major risk factors.

Improper loading and securement of truck freight can also lead to terrible accidents. When truck cargo is not packed on or in the truck securely, it can shift around and cause the truck to become unbalanced and hard to manage. Cargo may even fall off of the truck and onto the road. Motorists may collide with the fallen cargo or cause accidents trying to avoid colliding with the cargo.