Orland Park Speeding Truck Accident Lawyers

Attorneys Serving Truck Crash Victims Injured by Speeding in Orland Park, IL

Throughout the United States, around 4,000 people are killed and 100,000 more are injured each year due to commercial motor vehicle crashes. A significant percentage of crashes involving large trucks are at least partially caused by truck drivers who operate their vehicles at unsafe speeds. When truck drivers violate speed limits or travel too fast for road conditions, they put others at risk. Negligent truck drivers and their employers may be held responsible for the injuries victims have suffered in collisions.

Due to their massive size and weight, the devastation caused by speeding semi-trucks can be significant. An 18-wheeler that collides with another vehicle can inflict a great deal of damage, and a driver or their passengers can suffer catastrophic injuries. The damage caused and the injuries inflicted are likely to be even worse when a truck is traveling at a high speed. Truck drivers who violate speed limits, fail to slow down in rainy or snowy weather, or travel too fast in heavy traffic may be responsible for causing devastating accidents and serious injuries. At Schwartz Injury Law, our lawyers understand the legal issues involved in these cases, and we will fight to secure compensation that will reduce the financial burdens that victims may face in the aftermath of a truck accident caused by speeding.

The Dangers of Speeding by Truck Drivers

When operating commercial vehicles, drivers are required to act safely. Because of the risks posed by large commercial trucks, careful driving is crucial, and drivers need to make sure to follow traffic laws, including the posted speed limits. In many locations, commercial vehicles have lower speed limits, but drivers may be tempted to violate these limits in order to get to their destinations more quickly and minimize the time taken to transport goods. When they exceed speed limits, truck drivers will be more likely to lose control and cause accidents. Higher speeds will also lead to more damage to other vehicles in collisions.

In addition to speeding, truck drivers may put others at risk when they do not maintain a safe following distance behind other vehicles. A passenger car or truck traveling at 65 mph will take around 300 feet to come to a full stop. A loaded semi-truck weighing 80,000 pounds may need more than 500 feet to stop when traveling at 65 mph. When a driver does not maintain enough distance, they may not have enough space to avoid crashing into another vehicle from behind.

Even when truck drivers obey the speed limits, they may have trouble avoiding a crash due to heavy traffic or the lag that is common when using air brakes on a tractor-trailer truck. Excessive speed can increase the risks of an accident significantly, especially when it is combined with other dangerous behaviors like aggressive driving, distracted driving, or driver fatigue.

To determine the role that speeding may have played in a truck accident, a full investigation will often need to be performed. At Schwartz Injury Law, our lawyers can review data from a truck's "black box" to determine whether a driver may have been speeding. We can also obtain video footage from traffic cameras or security cameras or take statements from witnesses, gathering as much information as possible about what happened and taking steps to illustrate how excessive speed contributed to the injuries sustained by a victim.

Liability in Trucking Accidents

While a truck driver may be responsible for causing an accident through speeding, other parties may also be held liable for negligence that contributed to a truck accident. Trucking companies are required to perform the proper background checks and provide the necessary training to ensure that their drivers have the skills needed to operate commercial vehicles safely. A company that was negligent in hiring or training drivers may be held responsible for accidents that occur as a result.

Trucking companies may also be liable due to negligent supervision of truck drivers. If they did not take the proper steps to ensure that drivers operate their vehicles safely, including addressing any concerns about previous speeding tickets or traffic violations, they may be responsible for failing to prevent additional speeding violations. In some cases, trucking companies may even encourage their drivers to speed or engage in other unsafe behaviors so that trips can be completed in as little time as possible.

Other Parties may also share liability for a truck accident. If freight loaders did not load or secure items on a truck correctly, this may have contributed to a loss of control when a driver was speeding. Mechanics who did not perform repairs or other types of service on a truck may be responsible for issues such as brake failures that made speeding even more dangerous. When investigating a truck wreck, our attorneys will review all of the factors that may have contributed to the accident to ensure that the liable parties can be held responsible for a victim's damages.

Contact Our Orland Park, Illinois Truck Accident Attorneys for Speeding

Our lawyers know trucking industry regulations and procedures, and we will work to demonstrate that speeding or other forms of negligence were responsible for a truck accident that caused you to suffer injuries. Contact our Orland Park commercial truck accident attorneys at 708-888-2160 for a free consultation.