LAKE HILLS, Illinois—On the morning of September 14, 2022, Lake Hills emergency personnel responded to an accident where an unnamed semi-truck driver had been trapped in the cab of his 2014 Kenworth semi-truck by the slabs of concrete he was hauling. The accident occurred on Randall Road around 11:00 a.m.
Police reports state that the truck driver had stopped, shifting the concrete slabs on the truck’s trailer forward and into the cab of the semi. The driver had to be extracted from the cab by first responders.
The accident forced the closure of both north and southbound lanes of Randall Road from Algonquin Road to Commercial drive for over four hours. The semi-truck driver was transported to Advocate Condell Medical Center in Libertyville, Illinois, where he remains in unknown condition.
Investigation into this accident is ongoing. No further details have been released.
The loading of the concrete slabs must be investigated to determine any third-party liability
This accident could have easily been worse had emergency crews not responded so quickly to help the semi-truck driver. In fact, the driver is lucky not to have been immediately crushed by the sheer weight of the concrete slabs as they went through the back window of his truck. Thankfully, a fatal scenario was avoided, but that may not always be the case. For these reasons, the loading of the semi-truck’s cargo must be carefully inspected to determine whether a third party may be liable for the driver’s injuries.
Shipping companies are often responsible for the loading and unloading of cargo on semi-trucks. Workers who load big rigs with heavy materials must also ensure the cargo is properly secured to withstand traveling for long distances. Cargo loaders also have a duty to shield the semi-truck driver from injury by securing the cargo against any sudden shifts caused by the driver’s need to brake or turn quickly. Here, however, it appears that the cargo was not loaded or secured in a manner that was safe for travel. Therefore, the semi-truck driver will likely be able to recover for his injuries against the shipping company that placed the concrete slabs on the semi-trailer.
At our firm, we have experienced attorneys that can assist victims like this driver in bringing claims against negligent shipping companies. We believe it is important that responsible third parties are held accountable for their actions, so our attorneys provide independent investigations into the practices of shipping companies and cargo loaders. That way, victims may bring strong claims against those responsible for their injuries and, hopefully, prevent accidents due to shifting cargo from occurring again.
