The Chicago Sun Times reported this week that a Cook County watchdog group, led by Cook County Inspector General Patrick Blanchard, found that the County was has been hiding multiple flaws in trucks so that they will pass inspection. Many of the practices used by the County highway department include: installing new tires on snow truck during inspections and then having them removed; not supplying each truck with a fire extinguisher; and vehicles used for repairing potholes not having an up-to-date vehicle inspection sticker.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to the Sun Times that the person overseeing these issues was not living up to his duties and is no longer in the position. Rupert Graham, the highway superintendent appointed to the job under former board president Todd Stroger, stepped down in August of this year.
It is not clear whether any of the hidden faults in the County’s fleet of trucks caused any vehicle accidents. At least it was not mentioned in the report or in the Sun Times article. It is also not clear as to what steps the County will be taking to make sure all of their vehicles up to code and in safe working condition. My opinion is that Board President Preckwinkle has been accountable on a lot of issues since taking office and that she will start taking the appropriate steps to make sure vehicles are better equipped and pass inspection.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago car accident or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney Aaron Bryant for a free consultation at 312-588-3384 or go to the firm website at www.blgchicago.com. style=”background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); line-height: 18px; text-align: -webkit-auto; ” face=”Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif” size=”2″ color=”#3d3c3c”>