Accidents involving large trucks, such as semi-trucks or other large vehicles, tend to be extremely serious. Think about it -- when a huge, 40,000-pound truck collides with an average-sized, 4,000-pound vehicle, there is bound to be much more damage to the smaller vehicle. Truck accidents also tend to be deadly for passengers in smaller vehicles. According to the latest data available from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were over 4,700 people killed in truck accidents in 2017. Of those people, nearly 75 percent were occupants of the other motor vehicle involved in the accidents. One of the most commonly cited reasons for truck accidents is driver fatigue, which is highly regulated by the FMCSA.

Hours of Service Regulations

Driving for long periods of time can make anyone tired. When all you do is drive for a living, you can become fatigued quickly, which is why rules were put into place by the FMCSA to prevent drowsy driving by truck drivers. Hours of service regulations are laws that all truck drivers must follow in order to limit the amount of time they spend on the road. If a truck is carrying cargo, a driver:

• Is only permitted to work for up to 11 hours in a row
• Is only permitted to drive for 11 consecutive hours immediately after at least 10 straight hours off duty
• Is only allowed to drive a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) if not more than eight hours have passed since they last had a break of at least 30 minutes
• Is not permitted to drive a CMV after they have been on duty for 60 hours in a seven-day time span or 70 hours on duty in an eight-day time span. They may begin working again after 34 straight hours of being off duty.

Proving Violations

Hours of service rules were put into place for a very good reason -- to lessen the chance of truck accidents occurring because of fatigue or drowsiness. If a person has been in a truck accident, there is a very good chance that they are experiencing serious injuries. Getting compensated for your injuries can be achieved if you are able to prove that the driver was, in fact, violating the hours of service rules at the time of the accident. Your attorney will be able to gather information and compile evidence as to whether or not the rules were violated by examining:

One of the hardest things we will all have to do at some point in this life is to grieve the death of a loved one. When their death is untimely and preventable, it can be even more heartbreaking for family members. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), more than 37,000 people were killed in traffic accidents in 2017. Losing a loved one in a car accident can be hard to deal with, especially if the other party was at fault and they were able to walk away from the accident. Fortunately, the state of Illinois allows family members to claim compensation in their loved ones’ name in what is known as a wrongful death claim.

What Is Wrongful Death?

Wrongful death lawsuits are wide-reaching; they can cover a variety of intentional or unintentional actions taken by individuals, a group of people or even companies as a whole. Specifically, the Wrongful Death Act states that wrongful death can be caused by “wrongful act, neglect or default.” Wrongful death acts are also typically acts that would have entitled the deceased to file a personal injury claim if death had not ensued.

Requirements for Filing a Wrongful Death Lawsuit

To file a wrongful death lawsuit, the deceased person’s personal representative must do so. Usually, this person is the deceased’s spouse or a close family member, which can also include the deceased’s children or adoptive parents. This person can also be a person who has been appointed by the court to manage the deceased person’s estate. The statute of limitations is two years for wrongful death lawsuits, but that is extended to five years if the death was due to violent intentional conduct.

If you own a motorcycle, you know how fun and exhilarating riding one can be. Unfortunately, riding a motorcycle can also be very dangerous. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to be fatally injured in a traffic crash than the occupants of a passenger vehicle. This is due to the inherent vulnerability of motorcycles. Passenger vehicles are made of metal which surrounds the driver and occupants on all sides; motorcyclists are simply just on top of a smaller and much lighter vehicle. Even when motorcycle accidents are not fatal, motorcycles often suffer harsh injuries that can affect you for the rest of your life in some cases.

Motorcycle Accident Injuries

The type of injuries that result from a motorcycle accident depends on a few different factors. Obviously, the nature and type of accident will play a role in determining the severity of the injuries. Also, what the motorcyclist was wearing at the time of the accident can also affect the severity of the injuries. Typically, a person who is wearing proper motorcycling gear such as a helmet, long pants, and a jacket usually suffer less than those who do not wear protective gear. Here are a few of the most common motorcycle accident injuries:

• Road Rash: Perhaps the most common injury, road rash is seen in both minor and major motorcycle accidents. Road rash refers to the skin abrasions on the body where the skin has been scraped off when it comes in contact with the road. Road rash can come in degrees, with third-degree road rash being the most severe.
• Burns: When parts of the body come into contact with hot motorcycle parts, it can result in burns. Some burns can be more serious than others and can lead to serious scarring or disfiguration.
• Soft Tissue Injuries: Soft tissue injuries can include sprains and strains to the muscles, tendons and/or ligaments in the body. Also included in this category, whiplash can be a result of motorcycle accidents.
• Bone Fractures: Bone fractures can be rather common in a motorcycle accident. These breaks or fractures occur when the body part comes into contact with the motorcycle, the ground or another hard object.
• Head Trauma: Perhaps one of the more serious types of injuries, head injuries are often the cause of death for many motorcyclists. Head injuries often involve an injury to the brain such as concussions or other traumatic brain injuries.

Our Park Ridge, IL Motorcycle Accident Injury Attorneys Can Help

Motorcycle accidents can be very serious and often involve some sort of injury, if not death. If you have been involved in a motorcycle accident, you need help from a skilled Des Plaines, IL motorcycle accident injury lawyer. At the Quinn Law Group, LLC, we understand how important it is that you are fairly compensated for your injuries. Our skilled attorney has years of experience helping clients hold the responsible parties accountable for their actions and gain the compensation they deserve. Call our office today at 847-232-7180 to schedule a free consultation.

If you have ever traveled along any of the thousands of miles of highway in the United States, you have almost certainly shared the road with a semi-truck or big rig at some point. According to the latest data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, there were more than 1.5 million for-hire and private trucking companies in the country with more than 36 million trucks being used for business purposes. Truck accidents are unfortunately not uncommon; the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) reported nearly 5,000 fatal truck crashes and around 116,000 crashes causing injury in 2017. While truck drivers are almost always responsible for a portion of the blame in accidents, trucking companies can also be held responsible in some cases. Here are a few ways trucking companies might be responsible for truck accidents:

Not Maintaining or Servicing the Truck

Commercial motor vehicles (CMV’s) are large and have a lot of different parts than other vehicles. The primary purpose of a CMV is business, meaning these vehicles travel thousands of miles every month and require much more service and maintenance than other vehicles. Federal trucking regulations state that every motor carrier is required to perform routine maintenance and inspection of their CMV’s to ensure all parts are in working order. If a CMV gets into an accident and it is found that the truck was partially to blame, the trucking company can be held liable for the accident.

Hiring Drivers Who Lack Qualifications/Experience

Because of the enormous size and weight of CMV’s, truck drivers are held to a higher standard of training and experience before they are permitted to operate a CMV. All drivers employed to drive CMV’s are required to have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) with the proper endorsements to be legally permitted to drive. It is the job of the trucking company to ensure their drivers have the proper training, experience, licensing and endorsements to drive a CMV. If they are lacking in any of those areas, the trucking company may be liable for the accident.

One of the most common types of car crashes in the United States is rear-end collisions. Rear-end collisions may not seem very dangerous, but they can cause extensive damage to your vehicle and injuries ranging from whiplash to broken bones and even death in some situations. In most cases, it is fairly easy to determine who is at fault in a rear-end collision. In other cases, assigning responsibility for the accident is not so easy. If you are in any type of car accident, it is important to seek legal advice as soon as possible.

Determining Fault

Securing legal representation is crucial after a rear-end collision. It can get very expensive very quickly for needed repairs on your vehicle and medical bills and/or lost wages from your injuries. You and your attorney will discuss what happened during the accident and determine if the other person is liable for the damages you have sustained. Basically, there are three different options when it comes to assigning fault in a rear-end collision:

Rear driver is at fault: In a majority of rear-end collisions, the driver in the back is the responsible party. Many times, rear-end collisions occur because the rear driver is not paying attention to the road. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of rear-end collisions.