Poor record for trucking company involved in truck accident

 Posted on December 00,0000 in Truck Accidents

Large commercial trucks, like semis, are often considered more dangerous on the road because of their sheer size and mass. But in addition to size, trucks can be dangerous because of who is behind the wheel as well. Truck drivers often push the limits when it comes to length of trips and sleep requirements.

Lack of sleep may have been a possible factor in a recent truck accident in Illinois. The accident occurred on a cold Monday night and left on person dead and another critically injured.

According to authorities, there was a stranded semi on I-88 near the western suburbs of Chicago. An Illinois Tollway worker stopped to help the stranded truck. An Illinois State Trooper also stopped to help. The trooper had his flashing lights turned on but it was not enough of a warning.

The second semi crashed into the trooper's car and the stranded semi. The impact caused the vehicles to catch fire. The state trooper was able to get away from the fire but he did suffer extensive injuries. Unfortunately, the toll worker did not survive.

The 46-year-old driver of the second semi was charged in the accident. He faces felony charges for driving beyond his approved hours and driving while fatigued. Authorities believe that the driver only slept for three-and-a-half hours over the course of a nearly 38-hour shift. A witness says that another semi had moved over from the lane closet to the shoulder but that the second truck did not move and just crashed straight into the vehicles on the shoulder.

It's always hard to hear stories like this that are completely preventable, especially when there are fatalities The deceased victim in this case had a wife and two children. Families who lose a loved one in such an incident can seek recovery of related costs, as well as the emotional cost.

The trucking company involved in this crash did not have the best safety record and it has been involved in another fatal accident. Trucking companies can also be held liable for accidents, in addition to the driver's liability, if the victim is able to demonstrate that the company acted negligently in causing the accident.

Source: ABC 7, "Renato Velasquez charged in fatal I-88 crash & Tollway worker Vincent Petrella killed, state trooper Douglas Balder hurt," Jeff Whitten, Jan. 21, 2014