While any vehicle can cause a serious accident some vehicles are more likely to cause serious damage when in accidents. Tractor-trailers are much larger than the other vehicles on the road and can easily cause significant damage to the other vehicles involved in truck accidents.
Truck accident statistics
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation’s publication 2020 Illinois Crash Facts & Statistics, there were 9,296 crashes involving tractor-trailer trucks that year. Of those accidents, 105 involved fatalities and there were a total of 119 fatalities. Of those fatalities, 93 of the victims were the occupants of the other vehicle and another nine were pedestrians.
There were also another 1,636 truck accidents that involved injuries and of those accidents that involved injuries, 237 of them involved incapacitating injuries that prevent the victims from performing daily tasks such as walking or driving. A total of 311 people suffered incapacitating injuries and 236 of those injuries were to the people in the other vehicle.
While truck drivers do suffer injuries in the truck accidents, the majority of people who die or suffer serious injuries are the people in other vehicles.
These statistics demonstrate why it is so important for truck drivers in the Chicago area to drive even more carefully than most drivers on the roads. If they cause truck accidents, generally they are not the ones who suffer the most.
The victims may be entitled to compensation as well. The medical bills can be expensive and people may not be able to work while they recover and compensation for the damages is important. Victims need to receive what they deserve and consulting with experienced attorneys could be helpful.