Truck drivers spend their workday behind the wheel. Like all workers, drivers are prone to fatigue, particularly at the end of a shift. Illness and medication use can also contribute to truck accidents in Lake County, IL. Understanding how tired truck drivers cause accidents often determines who may be responsible for the resulting injuries or deaths.
Under Illinois law, trucking companies are often liable for crashes resulting from driver fatigue. To learn more, contact our Lake County truck accident lawyers at Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation to get started on building a case against the trucking company and its driver, call us at (847) 513-9582.
How Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Tired Truck Driver Causes an Accident in Lake County, Illinois
Our law firm has successfully recovered over $125 million in financial compensation for accident victims in Lake County, Illinois. Our attorneys have 68 years of combined legal experience negotiating settlements and advocating in court for injured people.
Our Lake County personal injury lawyers assist with the following services when you suffer injuries due to someone else’s careless or aggressive driving:
- Explaining your legal options based on the cause of your crash
- Building a case by gathering evidence of the trucking company’s actions
- Handling communications with insurance companies
- Consulting with experts and accident reconstructionists to strengthen your claim
- Filing an insurance claim and negotiating with insurers to resolve it
- Pursuing a lawsuit when the other parties refuse to settle your case fairly
Trucking companies have the resources to fight claims, even when they are clearly liable. Contact us to schedule a free consultation with a Lake County truck accident attorney to learn how we stand up to trucking companies for fair compensation.
Inattention
Drivers who are asleep cannot see other vehicles or maneuver to avoid them. However, nodding off while driving is not the only problem. A tired driver often cannot focus on the road or potential hazards ahead.
For example, a drowsy truck driver might not notice a pedestrian entering the road at an intersection, particularly since the hood often blocks the driver’s view directly below the cab. When they creep forward to turn right, they may cause a pedestrian accident without even realizing the person is there.
Fatigue can also lead to a phenomenon called highway hypnosis. This issue occurs when drivers zone out while driving. Although they might be able to keep their vehicle in their lane and maintain a safe speed, they are not prepared for the unexpected. If a driver ahead of them slams on their brakes, they might not react quickly enough to avoid a crash.
Lane Drift
A drowsy driver might drift out of their lane, causing a sideswipe crash. Worse yet, they might start to drift and overcorrect when they notice. They might turn so abruptly that the truck tips over, causing multiple vehicles to be involved.
Loss of Control
A fatigued driver might lose control of their vehicle. They might swerve on the road, speed up, or slow down unpredictably. During these episodes, they might hit other vehicles around them.
Who Might Be Liable for Fatigue-Related Truck Crashes?
The liability for truck accidents often falls on the trucking company under two theories. If the driver was an employee, their employer is responsible. Employers are often accountable for employee negligence that occurs during the course and scope of the employment.
However, if the driver was an independent contractor, the trucking company may still be liable for its own actions that contributed to the drowsy driving accident. Specifically, trucking companies are liable for acts that expose others to unreasonable risks of injury or death.
For example, federal regulations set hours of service for truck drivers to ensure they take breaks and limit their hours on the road. If a trucking company scheduled a driver so that they had to violate the rules to meet their deadline, it may be liable for the resulting crashes.
Similarly, a trucking company might be liable for allowing a driver to take a load despite knowing that the driver was sick and taking medication that causes drowsiness.
Contact Our Lake County Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Truck accidents in Lake County often result from overwork, inattention, and fatigue. When these collisions occur, you may be left facing overwhelming medical bills, time missed from work, and emotional distress. While this is difficult to navigate, you don’t have to go through it alone. A skilled legal team can help you throughout the process.
Contact Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation with an experienced Lake County truck accident attorney and learn about your right to seek injury compensation under Illinois law.
