Distracted Truck Drivers

Representing Victims of Commercial Trucking Accidents throughout Illinois

Distracted truck driving is incredibly dangerous, particularly given the size and maneuverability challenges of commercial trucks. Distracted truck driving includes any activity that diverts the truck driver’s attention from the task of operating his or her vehicle. While distracted truck driving most often includes cell phone use, it can also include texting, emailing, using an on-board computer, using a GPS device, or truck driver fatigue.

Distracted driving typically amounts to negligence, whether committed by the driver of a car or the driver of a large commercial truck. The victims of commercial trucking accidents caused by distracted truck driving may be entitled to compensation from the negligent truck driver and his or her trucking company.

The Chicago truck accident attorneys at Cogan & Power, P.C. focus on representing the victims of commercial trucking accidents, including those caused by a distracted truck driver or fatigued truck driver. Our exceptional legal team of Chicago trucking attorneys includes a nationally recognized member of the prestigious Association of Plaintiff Interstate Trucking Lawyers of America. We take great pride in our record of successful verdicts and settlements, including a $13 million verdict in a trucking accident case, as well as the enduring relationships we have developed with our clients.

Schedule a free consultation with one of our trucking accident attorneys. We will not collect any fees from you unless we get you compensation.

Distracted Truck Driver Statistics

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, research by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) shows that using a hand-held cell phone while driving results in a commercial driver taking several risky steps beyond that of using the hands-free mobile phone, such as searching and reaching for the phone. When commercial drivers reach for an object, such as a cell phone, they are three times more likely to be involved in a truck accident or safety critical event. A truck driver that dials a hand-held cell phone is six times more likely to cause a trucking accident or safety critical event, and a truck driver who texts while driving is 23 times more likely to have a crash or near-crash event.

Distracted Truck Driver Laws

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Transportation passed legislation that prohibits interstate truck and bus drivers from using hand-held cell phones while operating their vehicles. Drivers who violate the distracted truck driver laws face federal civil penalties of up to $2,750 for each offense and possible disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle for multiple offenses. Additionally, states have the authority to suspend a driver’s commercial driver’s license after two or more serious traffic violations.

Trucking companies also face civil penalties of up to $11,000 for distracted driving violations if they allow their truck drivers to use hand-held cell phones while driving.

Cogan & Power’s Dedicated Trucking Accident Attorneys

The Chicago trucking accident lawyers at Cogan & Power are uniquely positioned to represent the victims of commercial trucking accidents and their families. Because we take a collaborative approach to legal representation, we are able to draw on our extensive and diverse experience to help our clients recover the compensation that they need and deserve. Our attorneys have more than 100 years of combined experience representing victims of personal injury accidents and have recovered more than $600 million for our clients, including several record verdicts and settlements.

If you or a loved one has been injured in a trucking accident, contact the skilled Chicago trucking accident attorneys at Cogan & Power at (312) 477-2500 for a free consultation to discuss your legal rights following a commercial trucking accident. If you cannot come to our offices in downtown Chicago, we will come to you. And because we take cases on a contingency basis, you will not pay any fee unless we get you compensation.