Distracted Truck Drivers

Distracted truck drivers are dangerous drivers who put other people at risk. At Healy Scanlon Law Firm in Chicago, our attorneys hold truck drivers and their employers accountable when their reckless behavior hurts other people. If you have been injured or a loved one killed in an Illinois truck accident, you can discuss your case with one of our lawyers in a free initial consultation.

Some of the most common causes of distracted driving among truck drivers are cellphone use, texting and use of other types of portable electronics. While these activities are dangerous for any driver, they can have deadly consequences when the distracted driver is piloting an 80,000 pound tractor-trailer. Trucks do not have the same maneuverability, visibility or ability to stop quickly as smaller vehicles, and a truck requires the driver’s full involvement for safe operation.

Text messaging while driving is illegal in Illinois. The Evanston City Council committee has approved an even more restrictive ban, outlawing the use of handheld cellphones and other portable electronic devices while driving.

Whenever a serious motor vehicle occurs, our lawyers obtain all cellphone records to determine if the driver was using his or her cellphone when the accident occurred. Juries do not like it when distracted drivers injure people, and evidence of cellphone use can, in some cases, lead to punitive damages to punish the reckless behavior of the driver.