Accident Lawyers

Earlier today, Transport Topics Online published a news report which revealed the reauthorization of a House of Representatives bill that would allow states the option of allowing heavier trucks on the nation’s roadways. Our Chicago accident lawyers learned that the bill, which was unveiled the morning, would permit large commercial travel for vehicles that may weigh as much as 97,000 pounds despite significant opposition by numerous highway safety law enforcement and railroad groups. However, trucking carriers, as well as, shipping and manufactures show high support for longer, heavier commercial vehicles. Under current federal law, all states must allow tractor-trailers to haul 28-foot double trailers along the National Highway System. Although, if the transportation bill passes, states will be mandated to permit double, 33-feet long tractor-trailers on the national network and on access highways. The $260 billion, five-year transportation bill is highly associated with another bill in the House of Representatives that would permit the expansion of offshore oil and gas drilling, including drilling throughout Alaska, in order to pay for transportation infrastructure. Any accident attorney in Chicago will tell you that large commercial vehicles; which include semi trucks, tractor-trailers, as well as, heavy cargo vans account for a significant of traffic-related injuries and fatalities. According to SafeRoads.org , people in passenger vehicles are particularly vulnerable in the event of a collision with a large commercial vehicle given the significant weight difference between passenger vehicles and large trucks. SafeRoads.org also reveals that in two-vehicle crashes involving passenger vehicles and large commercial vehicles, 98 percent of fatalities were the occupants of the passenger vehicle. Additionally, those large trucks who weigh well over the current federally mandated 80,000 pound weight limit carry a substantial hazard and risk on our roadways.

Not only do these larger commercial vehicles take significantly longer to break, they are more prone to rollover accidents, as well as, provide considerable structural damage to bridges and roadways. According to statistics provided by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration , the number of large truck-related deaths and injuries each year carry an enormous personal and financial price tag – the cost of large truck accidents in a year exceed $19 billion. Large truck accidents can be particularly devastating and may cause severe personal injury and even premature fatality. If you have been injured in an Illinois trucking accident – or have lost a loved one at the hands of a negligent semi truck driver, please contact an Illinois accident lawyer at Levin & Perconti to see what legal rights and relief may be available to you.

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House Bill for Heavier Trucks Under Review

Children with a severe brain injury may have a much more difficult journey back to complete recovery, when compared to people who have suffered a mild injury.

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Study Indicates Children with a Severe Brain Injury May Have Poor Recovery Levels

Earlier today, a Chicago truck accident attorney at our firm read a particularly heinous report which detailed how a drug testing operator for large commercial drivers has pleaded guilty for falsifying test results. The news report, posted on LandlineMag.com , further revealed that the drug testing operator pleaded guilty earlier this month in a United States District Court for making a false statement regarding the United States Department of Transportation’s mandated drug testing for large commercial vehicle drivers. It has been released that the operator previously claimed that it provided trucking carriers with random drug testing for their commercial vehicle drivers from 2008-2009. However, our accident attorneys in Chicago learned that this way not the case. In actuality, the operator used his company’s address and violated Department of Transportation-regulated chain of custody requirements by directly receiving the drug testing reports from laboratories. Upon receiving the truck driver’s drug tests with results that tested positive for drugs, the operator falsely identified himself as a medical review officer. In turn, the operator would prepare false control and custody forms – misrepresenting the forms stating that the truck driver had tested negative. Although the report does not confirm what type of penalty the operator will receive, but given the severe nature of the infraction the penalty will undoubtedly be substantial.

Drug screening of large commercial vehicle drivers has continued to prove to play a vital role in maintaining the safety of our nation’s roadways. According to NortonMedical.com , federally regulated drug testing began in 1989 when the United States Department of Transportation began mandating drug and alcohol testing programs for its workers. In the early years of the testing program, over 18% of large commercial vehicle driers tested positive for cocaine, marijuana, or amphetamine use. Since the continued enforcement of mandatory drug and alcohol screenings, the rate of positive drug tests has decreased significantly. Any Chicago truck accident lawyer will tell you that if you have been involved in an Illinois trucking accident , the large commercial vehicle driver is required by federal law to undergo an administered drug screening, as well as, a blood alcohol test within three hours of the accident. If tested positive for drugs, the truck driver may be subjected to both criminal and civil penalties. If you have been injured or have lost a loved one at the hands of an intoxicated truck driver, please contact our accident attorneys to ensure that you are fully compensated for injuries sustained.

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Drug Testing Operator Pleads Guilty for False Truck Driver Results

CNN.com reports that a federal judge has recently placed a commercial bus company out-of-service after the company continued to operate despite violating an order from the United States Department of Transportation. The initial violations occurred on December 23 when the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration ordered the bus company to shut down after a thorough inspection revealed numerous infractions, such as failed vehicle maintenance and drug and alcohol testing discrepancies. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety then issued an additional cease-and-deist order to the company on January 5 – ordering the company to completely shut down after investigators exposed the company’s continued operation. Yet, our Chicago truck accident lawyers read that the bus company still continued to operate despite receiving both notices from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. In light of this, a United States District Court has issued a temporary restraining order against the bus company, barring the company from continued interstate bus operation.

The Department of Transportation’s secretary released a statement in reference to the restraining order he filed and revealed that this type of irresponsible behavior at the hands of bus companies will not be tolerated and safety will continue to remain the Department of Transportation’s highest priority. Over the past five years, our Chicago trucking accident attorneys learned that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has significantly increased the number of bus inspections administered each and every year. Additionally, comprehensive safety reviews has been conducted on every of the nation’s estimated 4,000 passenger bus companies. The United States Department of Transportation continues to encourage consumers to review the Department of Transportation’s pre-trip safety checklist before purchasing a bus ticket or hiring a bus company. The checklist contains information pertaining to a bus company’s safety record, safety rating, as well as, the Department of Transportation’s operating authority. Since 1992, our Chicago trucking accident attorneys have represented clients who have sustained severe injury or harm in all types of motor vehicle accidents, including those involving large commercial buses, as well as, Illinois trucking accidents . Operators of large commercial vehicles have an increased responsible to safely operate their vehicles – some of which often weigh up to 80,000 pounds – in order to prevent serious and debilitating accidents from occurring. When commercial vehicle operators act in a negligent way that causes an accident, they may be held legally liable for the damages sustained. If you or a loved one has been harmed as a result of a commercial vehicle accident, please contact our experienced accident attorneys to see what legal rights may be available to you.

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Bus Company Placed Out-of-Service for Multiple Violations

The use of 2 or more prescription drugs is linked to an enhanced risk of a fall accident Persons, who are taking 2 or more prescribed medications to treat illnesses or conditions, are much more likely to suffer a fall accident.  That information comes from new research about risk of falls that has been just been published in the journal Injury Prevention.

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Risk of Falls Increased by Use of Multiple Medications

The possible salmonella contamination is being traced to celery seeds in the product California consumers must be aware of a new product recall announced by Jones Seasoning Blends LLC, which has announced that it is recalling a series of seasoning products because of the risk of  Salmonella food poisoning .  These products were distributed in California and several other states.

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Seasoning Product Recall in California Because of Salmonella Food Poisoning Hazards

The car was left hanging from the bridge, while the truck went right through the bridge railing A San Juan mother and her 2 daughters had a close-to-miraculous escape after their car was hit by a truck and left hanging off a bridge.  The San Juan Capistrano accident occurred just outside of Santa Barbara.

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Stunning Rescue for a Family in San Juan Capistrano Accident

A Chicago truck accident lawyer at our firm read a news report earlier this week detailing new safety measures taken by the Illinois Department of Transportation to improve interstate highway travel. According to the news report, published on NewsTrib.com , the Illinois Department of Transportation plans to construct center-median cabling from Utica to the Fox River alongside Interstate 80. The project, which should be completed this coming summer, is designed to prevent tragic motor vehicle – including Illinois trucking accident s – in which these vehicles cross the grassy median and collide into oncoming traffic. An additional design aspect of the cable medians is to slowly stop out of control large commercial vehicles and passenger vehicles. The safety measure is currently in use along Interstate 80 from Marseilles to Seneca and has been proven highly effective. The Illinois Department of Transportation spokesman released a statement in light of the future implementation, stating that cable median barriers are significantly reducing cross-median crash and overall saving lives in Illinois.

Previous accident statistics provided by the Illinois Department of Transportation revealed that in 2009, over 55 motor vehicle accident occurred between the stretch of interstate from La Salle to Ottawa. In 2010, there were a reported 59 motor vehicle accidents and one documented fatality on the same stretch of highway. Our Chicago trucking accident lawyers learned that the safety project intends to complete most of the construction work during the daylight hours this summer, while majority of the construction-truck traffic and paving work will be completed during the nighttime in an effort to eliminate traffic congestion and risk. The safety measure is a part of an overall 5-year plan constructed by the Illinois Department of Transportation. Our accident lawyers in Chicago are pleased to learn about such beneficial roadway safety measures being implemented on our busy Illinois roadways. Cross median traffic accidents have proven to be a significant source of fatalities each and every year. With recent accident statistics provided by the Fatality Analysis Reporting System, there are approximately 366 fatal cross median head-on motor vehicle accident accidents each year on our nation’s roadways. Although this number seems relatively small compared to most other traffic accident statistics, cross median crashes tend to be extremely severe and life-threatening. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in an Illinois trucking accident , please contact our experienced accident attorneys to see what legal rights and representation may be available to you.

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IDOT Implements Interstate Safety Barriers

Earlier today, the Belleville News Democrat Online posted a report detailing a particularly devastating Illinois trucking accident that resulted in three individuals sustaining severe personal injury. According to the news report, the accident transpired when the 21 year-old driver of a passenger vehicle

collided into the rear end of a large semi tractor-trailer while traveling southbound on Interstate 255 near Dupo, Illinois. The passenger vehicle driver, as well as, his two passengers all required advanced medical attention for the severe injuries they sustained in the crash that caused the vehicle to become smashed beneath the large commercial vehicle. According to Illinois authorities, the driver of the semi truck informed police that he was on the right shoulder of Interstate 255 and was using the shoulder to gain speed to merge into traffic on the interstate highway when he was rear-ended by the passenger vehicle. In the passenger vehicle driver’s statement to authorities, he revealed that he was unable to remember if he was traveling in the center lane or right lane before he struck the commercial vehicle. The motor vehicle driver admitted that he looked down at the radio seconds before the tragic collision and did not recall seeing the truck before the crash. Our Illinois truck accident attorneys learned that a witness at the accident scene told police that he observed the 21 year-old driver pass his vehicle in the right lane when he witnessed the semi truck using the shoulder of the interstate to gain speed before merging with traffic. The witness revealed that the truck had merged into the right lane of the roadway for at least seven second before the passenger vehicle collided into the large commercial vehicle. Subsequently, as a result of the accident in which three individuals sustained substantial serious injuries, the driver of the motor vehicle has received a citation for failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. While our Illinois truck accident blog frequently discusses the tragic consequences that often result from semi truck collisions caused by truck driver error, many times drivers of passenger vehicles are found to be responsible for these devastating collisions involving large commercial vehicles that often weigh upwards of 80,000 pounds. Our Chicago truck accident attorneys continue to urge readers to exercise safe driving habits each and every time a motor vehicle is operated in order to help reduce and eventually eliminate the injuries and fatalities associated with motor vehicle accidents.

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Illinois Driver Ticketed for Collision Involving Semi

Accord ing to a new study, there has been a substantial

increase in the number of accidents involving pedestrians wearing headphones that have been injured while walking. As any San Diego car accident lawyer knows, distractions exist not just inside a car, but also on the street.  According to a new study, there has been a substantial increase in the number of accidents involving pedestrians wearing headphones that have been injured while walking. Read entire article

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Spike in Accidents Involving Pedestrians Wearing Headphones