4 Critically Injured After Drunk Semi-Truck Driver Causes Serious Car Accident
A 42-year-old semi-truck driver was nearly four times the legal limit when he struck an oncoming car, according to police. The ensuing crash left four people, including two children ages 4 and 7, critically injured, according to the Will County State’s Attorney’s Office of Jim Glasgow.
State prosecutors were seeking to hold the defendant indefinitely but under the Illinois SAFE-T Act, the defendant was released without bail. The driver is now charged with four counts of aggravated driving under the influence. The judge also put stipulations in his release that he was allowed to travel to Indiana and several neighboring states for work.
The criminal complaint indicates that the defendant was driving a Mack semi-truck and fuel tanker at about 1:35 p.m. when he crossed into the eastbound lane and struck a Chevy Tahoe driven by a woman who was traveling with another woman in the front seat plus two children, ages 4 and 7, in the backseat.
The passenger in the front seat of the vehicle was ejected from the vehicle and landed on the road, according to prosecutors. The driver was extricated from the wreckage. All four individuals were taken to the hospital in critical condition.
Elements of negligence in personal injury cases
It’s more than likely that the driver of the semi-truck and the company that he works for will be facing personal injury lawsuits filed by the victims of the crash. In this case, the victims will have an easy time making their claims. The driver was drunk at the time of the accident and struck another vehicle head-on causing severe injuries to the vehicle’s occupants. Each of the four passengers was taken to the hospital in critical condition, and each will have extensive medical expenses that emerge from this incident. Further, their quality of life may never be the same after suffering such severe injuries.
Typically, in a case like this, where negligence is a foregone conclusion, the defendant company or their insurer will seek to limit the plaintiff’s recovery based on damages. Often, this means saying that the plaintiff’s injuries were not caused in the crash and instead, were part of a preexisting condition.
The plaintiffs will have a solid case against the driver. The accident was caused when he crossed the divider and struck another vehicle head-on. The occupants are lucky to have survived the crash. In many cases as violent as this one, the occupants do not survive. In that case, you would be looking at a wrongful death lawsuit.
Talk to a Truck Accident Attorney Today
Patel Law, PC represents the interests of Illinois residents who have been injured by the negligent actions of commercial drivers. Call our Urbana personal injury lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin investigating your claims right away.
Source:
patch.com/illinois/joliet/4-critically-injured-joliet-semi-driver-4-times-limit-sherif
