Tips To Remember When Involved In A Traffic Accident

We are in the heart of summer vacation and there a lot of motorists out on the road. Numbers are indicating that the country is inching closer to pre-pandemic levels of travel.

A car accident or a truck accident can be a very stressful moment for many people. It’s improtant to keep your cool and think rationally if you have been involvedin a car crash. Below is a comprehensive list of things you should and should not do if you are involved in a traffic accident.

• Do get names, addresses, license plate and phone numbers of those drivers involved. This includes any witnesses.
• Do call the police immediately or have someone at the scene call for you;
• Do take photographs of scene and your injuries;
• Do take care of your injuries-concentrate on getting better (i.e. go to the emergency room or set an appointment with your primary care physician);
• Do keep records of your medical treatment and time missed from work;       

• Do make sure to purchase adequate full coverage auto insurance, including uninsured motorist coverage in case you are struck by an uninsured driver or the victim of a hit and run;
• Do not talk or give a statement to the other driver’s insurance company;
• Don’t attempt to negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company before your medical treatment is completed;
• Don’t wait months from the date of injury before hiring an attorney, as your right to file claim or lawsuit may be barred; and
• Don’t wait days or weeks from the time you are injured to seek medical attention. Your health comes first and also insurance companies are wary of paying for medical bills if treatment is postponed.

This is not an exhaustive list, but they are simple steps you can take in order to protect your rights as an accident victim. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, at 312-614-1076 for a free legal consultation.

The Do’s and Dont’s When When Involved In A Traffic Accident

It’s wintertime and the roads in Chicago and around the state of Illinois can be treacherous this time of year. A car accident or a truck accident can be a very stressful moment for many people. It’s improtant to keep your cool and think rationally if you have the unfortune of being involved in a car crash. Below is a comprehensive list of things you should and should not do should you be involved in a traffic accident.

• Do get names, addresses, license plate and phone numbers of those drivers involved. This includes any witnesses.
• Do call the police immediately or have someone at the scene call for you;
• Do take photographs of scene and your injuries;
• Do take care of your injuries-concentrate on getting better (i.e. go to the emergency room or set an appointment with your primary care physician);
• Do keep records of your medical treatment and time missed from work;       

• Do make sure to purchase adequate full coverage auto insurance, including uninsured motorist coverage in case you are struck by an uninsured driver or the victim of a hit and run;
• Do not talk or give a statement to the other driver’s insurance company;
• Don’t attempt to negotiate with the other driver’s insurance company before your medical treatment is completed;
• Don’t wait months from the date of injury before hiring an attorney, as your right to file claim or lawsuit may be barred; and
• Don’t wait days or weeks from the time you are injured to seek medical attention. Your health comes first and also insurance companies are wary of paying for medical bills if treatment is postponed.

This is not an exhaustive list, but they are simple steps you can take in order to protect your rights as accident victim. Should you or a loved become seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, at 312-614-1076 for a free legal consultation.

Truck Drivers Hold “Slow Roll” Protest Trough Chicago Area

If you were driving on or near Chicago’s expressways earlier this month, you may have seen dozens of semi-trucks all driving slowly in one lane. According to media reports, this was an organized “slow roll” protest in an effort to improve their driving conditions.

The protest was to gain attention and push for more flexible working hours, relaxed rules on electronic logging devices, more training for new semitrailer drivers and more truck parking and amenities along expressways. Another sticking point is better training programs they say are lacking, creating dangerous conditions for everyone out on the road. 

The truck drivers left south suburban Monee at 10 a.m. and got on I-57 and drove north to downtown Chicago and then to O’Hare before heading back south on the Tri-State Tollway. The drivers were going single file in the right lane at the minimum posted speed.

Illinois State Police had warned the group called, ‘Black Smoke Matters” that slow-moving trucks could cause traffic back-ups or crashes. Police said truckers who participate could be held liable for any accidents. Illinois State Police monitored the traffic backups to keep traffic moving and drivers safe and said no car crashes or other issues occurred.  No traffic accidents were reported as a result of this protest.

I understand and support the ideas behind this protest to a point. I think trucking companies do need to provide better training for newer drivers and better continuing education and training for long time drivers. Their complaint regarding the electronic logging of their hours, on the other hand, is absolutely necessary. A major cause of truck accidents can be traced back to a drivers logging too many consecutive hours without sleep. The burden of logging hours and taking breaks and/or days off is a requirement that must be followed. I will be following this closely to see if the federal government becomes involved or if states like Illinois enact statutes that require companies provide better training for their new drivers.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron J. Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Illinois Governor Quinn Vetos Bill That Would Raise Truck Driver Speed Limit

The Chicago Tribune reported this week that Illinois Governor Quinn used his veto powers to overrule a bill that would raise the speed limits for semitrailer trucks from 55 mph to 60 mph on interstates in Chicago and the surrounding area. The bill, which was sponsored by Sen. Jim Oberweis, passed the House 114-0 and the Senate 58-0.  Oberweis said the bill was designed to reduce the differential between cars going 70 mph and trucks limited to 55 mph.

“It would make the roads safer,” said Oberweis, who is challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin this fall. “There would be only a 10 mph differential rather than 15.”

Quinn’s responded by stating that this was all about driver safety:  “no amount of fines, penalties or jail time can ever replace the lives of those whom we have lost to fatal accidents on our interstate highways,” Quinn said.

Citing the recent traffic deaths tied to big trucks traveling at high speeds, Quinn said, “The convenience of increased speeds for truckers on roadways does not outweigh the safety risks to children, families and our dedicated public servants.”

Quinn cited a July 21 truck crash on Interstate 55 near Arsenal Road in the southwest suburbs. An Indiana trucker, Francisco Espinal Quiroz, 51, of Leesburg, Ind., allegedly was speeding in a work zone when his truck slammed into three vehicles, killing 5 people. He has been charged with falsifying duty logbooks used to verify that a driver is not spending too many hours on the road without rest.

I think the Governor was correct in his decision here. Obviously the Chicagoland area is one of the most congested areas with traffic and trucks make up a big percentage of that congestion. Semitrailer trucks, if not driven properly or at a safe speed, can be prone to traffic accidents. Further, the results of a truck accident can prove much more deadly than regular vehicles based on the size of a semitrailer. I do not believe Governor Quinn was overstepping his boundaries as Governor in this situation.

If or someone you love has been injured in a Chicago truck accident or Chicago car accident, then call Chicago personal injury lawyer, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.

Tracy Morgan Files Lawsuit Against Wal-Mart & Truck Driver

Famous actor and comedian, Tracy Morgan, has filed a lawsuit in Federal Court in New Jersey regarding the deadly truck accident that killed another passenger in Mr. Morgan’s limousine and seriously injured two others. The limousine was travelling to New York from a show in Delaware when they slowed down for construction on Interstate 95 near Cranbury Township, N.J., and were hit by the truck just before 1 a.m. The vehicle collision forced the limousine into six other vehicles.

The lawsuit alleges negligent and reckless behavior by Wal-Mart and their employee and the complaint specifically states, ““Wal-Mart knew or should have known that it was unreasonable for Mr. Roper to commute more than 700 miles from his home in Jonesboro, Georgia to work at a Wal-Mart facility in Smyrna, Delaware, especially immediately before he was to commence a long shift operating a truck that weighed approximately 30–40 tons.” The lawsuit also alleges that the truck driver fell asleep at the wheel at the time of the accident. 

If it is determined that Wal-Mart and it’s employee were negligent and caused this accident, they will be responsible for Mr. Morgan’s and the other injured passengers’ medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. Something that is unclear at this point is whether the Mr. Morgan’s attorneys will be seeking punitive damages against the defendants. Punitive damages are awarded above the normal economic (bills and lost wages) and non-economic damages (pain and suffering) as a form of punishment of willful and wanton behavior by a defendant. For example, Mr. Morgan can allege that Wal-Mart consciously disregarded the safety of others by allowing their driver to continue to drive without sleep even though they knew this created an extreme danger to fellow motorists and violated state and federal trucking statutes. This will be an interesting case to follow as it involves a famous plaintiff and defendant but unfortunately truck accidents happen like this to everyday people around the country.

If you or someone you love has been seriously injured in a Chicago car crash or Chicago truck accident, then call Chicago personal injury attorney, Aaron Bryant, for a free legal consultation at 312-614-1076.