The estate administrator of a 49-year-old man who died in a tractor-trailer crash on I-80 in Illinois is suing a tractor-trailer driver and his company.

The wrongful death lawsuit was filed in Cook County, Illinois on Oct. 24 and seeks damages against the 46-year-old truck driver and his company West Side Transport for the truck accident that led to the death of the man, who was from LaGrange, Illinois. A 50-year-old man also died in the crash that is not part of this legal action.

According to court documents, on Sept. 26, one of the deceased drivers drove a truck tractor to replace a broken down truck tractor that was parked on the I-80 shoulder legally between Larkin and Houbolt roads at 6 am. The man was outside the truck assisting with the disabled vehicle when a tractor-trailer being driven by the defendant veered off the road onto the right shoulder.

That truck slammed into the rear of the disabled big rig and hit the man helping with the disabled truck. The other deceased party was driving the disabled tractor trailer. He was killed in the crash, as well.

The plaintiff’s attorneys claim negligence on the part of the truck driver who left the road and his employer West Side Transport. Court documents allege that the truck driver was driving his truck on the shoulder, at an unreasonable speed, failed to avoid a collision, failed to maintain a proper lookout, failed to take evasive action, and not operating a vehicle in a safe condition.

Our View

Our Virginia and North Carolina truck accident attorneys are saddened at this truck accident that killed two people. We do not know from this media report what caused the truck to leave the roadway and cause this accident. But as truck accident attorneys in Virginia, we see many cases of distracted truck driving that lead to serious personal injury and death.

It is very common, first of all, for truckers to fall asleep behind the wheel. Many truckers drive beyond what they are legally allowed to do under federal law. Truckers often fall asleep while driving in the early morning because they are not getting enough sleep.

It also is common for truckers to be distracted behind the wheel with cell phones. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration restricts truck drivers from using a cell phone when they are driving unless it is a hands-free device.

There are no winners in these tragic truck crashes, but the grieving families can feel a sense of closure with a successful wrongful death lawsuit, which can provide needed financial help as the families move on without their primary breadwinners.