Being in an accident with a truck can be a chaotic and traumatic event, but gathering the right information at the scene is crucial.

Whether you’re a driver, passenger, or witness, knowing what details to collect can help protect your legal rights and strengthen any insurance claims. Big rig accidents often involve multiple parties, including trucking companies, insurers, and legal firms, making it crucial to document everything accurately.

The only parties legally required to report an accident in Illinois are police officers. Illinois statute 625 ILCS 5/11-408 states that an officer must report the crash within 10 days of conducting an investigation into the collision. However, there are specific laws in place regarding how tow trucks can respond to accidents, and what information they are legally required to provide before hooking up the damaged car and towing it away.

Illinois has a long history of questionable activity taken by tow truck drivers. According to the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), Chicago is the second most affected major city when it comes to towing abuses. Some of the noted issues plaguing the city and state include towing fees in excess of $3,000, tow trucks using police scanners to race to the scenes of accidents, thousands of dollars in fees to release cars from storage yards, and more. While fraudulent and rogue tow truck companies are still a major issue in the state, there used to be fewer protections available for affected motorists.

It’s safe to say we’ve become addicted to our cell phones. Americans spend an average of 5.4 hours per day on their phones. That is according to the results of a study published by the University of Rochester. If you add up all the calls you make each day to friends and family, it might be an hour.

Yes, semis are very closely regulated. This is necessary because 18-wheelers are significantly larger than the average passenger vehicle and have the capacity to inflict so much harm on the motoring public. The primary regulations are found in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs). These regulations play a vital role in ensuring the safety and security of America’s roadways, including Interstate 57 here in southern Illinois.

If there’s one detail about driving that all motorists should keep in mind, it’s an activity requiring all drivers to do their part to keep our roadways safe here in Marion, IL. All motor vehicle operators, including passenger car drivers, motorcyclists, and truckers, must understand how their vehicles function and each other’s driving behaviors to accommodate each other better. Here at Prince Law Firm, we often see the aftermath of this lack of knowledge.

So many semi truck accidents happen because truckers don’t apply what they’ve learned about how their tractor-trailers function in the classroom when out on the road. Likewise, these truck accidents happen because motorists don’t take time to learn about how 18-wheelers function, which is information that could save their lives. This article will explore what all motorists should know to reduce semi truck accidents.

Driving next to large trucks on I-57 can be stressful, but sharing a city road with a tractor-trailer is an entirely different game. Lanes are much smaller when traveling through urban areas of Marion, and drivers are often expected to navigate tight turns. Those narrow lanes and tight turns can be even more complicated to traverse when you are driving alongside a large truck. 

Smaller motor vehicles are at a distinct disadvantage when sharing the road with big trucks. The attorneys at Prince Law Firm have seen time and time again how truck accidents can happen when a driver makes a wide turn.  

When a truck driver is involved in an accident, attorneys often research the driver’s employer records as part of their investigation on behalf of a motorist who was hurt in a truck crash. This is because a trucker or its employers can be held liable for accidents that occur.

A truck tire blowout is a dangerous event with the possibility for severe injuries or even loss of life. Any sudden loss of pressure combined with an outward rupture or explosion of a tractor-trailer’s tire is likely to cause an accident when other vehicles are around.

Understanding the causes of a truck tire blowout is key to preventing related truck accidents. Both trucking company employers and truck drivers themselves should be familiar with the risk factors for truck tire blowouts, as well as what actions to take to correct any dangers and protect others from harm. Unfortunately, at Prince Law Firm we have dealt with far too many truck accidents caused by tire blowouts. Here are some of the most common causes of truck tire blowout our Marion truck accident attorneys see.

Illinois is considered a major transportation hub due in no small part to its centralized location and access to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence Seaway. The Mississippi River that defines part of Illinois’ border with other states also provides access to the Gulf of Mexico. Whether dealing with imported or exported goods, there is a fair chance that a product will travel through Illinois at some point.

Large trucks can be dangerous, but they are also a necessary part of everyday life in Illinois. Everything from grocery stores and restaurants to retail establishments rely on these large trucks to safely transport products in a timely manner. Protecting passenger vehicle occupants while also balancing consumer needs is essential.