Truck Accidents

Robert A. Clifford and Bradley M. Cosgrove, partners at Clifford Law Offices, obtained a $20 million settlement today (Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2015) after being assigned to trial on behalf of a man who was severely injured when a tractor carrying hazardous materials t-boned his vehicle. Eugene Hajer, then 47, was traveling on eastbound I-113 in his pickup truck on Jan. 3, 2009, when he made a left-hand turn onto a farm access road in order…

Robert A. Clifford and Richard F. Burke at Clifford Law Offices, obtained an $11 million settlement for driver of a car rear-ended by a semi-tractor trailer truck.

Robert A. Clifford, Senior Partner at Clifford Law Offices and monthly columnist for the Chicago Lawyer magazine, wrote his August, 2014 column entitled “Early Steps, Vital Steps: Truck Accidents Require Quick Action to Preserve Evidence.” In the article, Clifford explains the importance of quick and meaningful action on the part of a plaintiff’s attorney in accidents involving large trucks. As Clifford explains, defense attorneys can have an advantage in these types of accidents because they…

Illinois law caps the number of permissible hours a driver can be on the road at 11 hours. Francisco Espinal Quiroz, 51, of Indiana was on the road for more than 12 hours, according to media reports from authorities. He allegedly was speeding through a construction zone when he made a sudden lane change and caused a chain reaction crash involving two cars and a van, killing four people, Illinois State Police reported. Four others…

CBS-TV Investigative reporter Pam Zekman in Chicago reported on the rise in trucking accidents on the 10 o’clock news Thursday May 8th, 2014 on Channel 2. She interviewed senior partner, Robert A. Clifford for a news story as well as profiled one of the firm’s clients who was victim of a horrific trucking accident. The mother of two adult children was killed on I-80 when she was crushed between two trucks when traffic was slowing…

On January 27th, an Illinois Toll-way worker was killed and a state trooper was grievously injured in a collision involving a multi-axle vehicle. This tragic event reportedly has been linked to the fact that the operator of the truck had been on-the-job for 37 straight hours, far more than is allowed for operation of commercial vehicles according to federal limits. Of further concern, the operator of the big rig truck reportedly had multiple arrests, including…

Insurance Institute Tracks Truck Accidents Noting that one in 10 highway deaths occur in a crash involving a large truck, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety compiles extensive information on truck accidents. Check here for the latest statistics, status reports and other resources. Coalition Dedicated to Improving Car-Truck Safety The Truck Safety Coalition is dedicated to reducing the number of deaths and injuries caused by truck-related crashes, providing support to truck crash survivors and their families, and educating the…

By the numbers 3,757 Killed – In 2011, 3,757 people died in collisions with trucks, an 11.2 percent increase over 2009. There were 88,000 injuries reported during the same period. Source: Commercial Motor Vehicle Facts, March 2013, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (download) Only $750,000 – Motor carriers are only required to maintain $750,000 in insurance per crash. Yet, damages from a fatal crash can exceed $4 million, leaving injured motorists and taxpayers to pay the difference. Source: Study…

After reaching an historic low in 2009, deaths and injuries from truck accidents are on the rise. Why the turn for the worse? According to a startling report from the American Association for Justice, lax practices are forcing a growing number of unsafe trucks on the road that are often driven by overworked, underpaid and poorly trained drivers. Meanwhile, outdated insurance laws fail to provide adequate coverage for those involved in a car-truck accident. Since…