Brandon Clifton, Shealy Clifton Injured In Marion County Semi-Truck Accident On Interstate 57

Truck Accident - August 19, 2022

Brandon Clifton, 45, Shealy Clifton, 18, both from Nashua, New Hampshire, Were Injured In Semi-Truck Accident Along Interstate 57 Near Milepost 124

MARION COUNTY, ILLINOIS (August 18, 2022) – Two people identified as Brandon Clifton and Shealy Clifton were injured in a Marion County semi-truck accident on I-57.

Marion County officials are saying that the accident took place around 11:09 a.m. on Tuesday. A semi-truck was traveling southbound on I-57 when the driver failed to notice that traffic was slowing.

The truck driver rear-ended a Silver Subaru Brz driven by Brandon Clifton who was transporting Shealy Clifton. Police said that the force of the impact caused the Subaru sports car to veer into a ditch.

The semi-truck kept going and rear-ended a second vehicle before hitting a second semi-truck. Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help all of the victims.

Brandon Clifton was flown to a regional hospital with serious injuries. Shealy Clifton was taken in an ambulance to a local hospital.

It remains unclear if the driver of the first semi-truck will receive any citations for the crash. A full investigation remains ongoing at this time.

Liability In Marion County Semi-Truck Accidents

Semi-trucks can be particularly hazardous to passenger vehicles. A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh as much as 80,000 lbs. Even a low impact collision can be catastrophic. According to the IIHS, 4,014 people were killed in collisions with trucks in 2020. Tens of thousands more were seriously injured. Operating a commercial truck is substantially more difficult than driving a commercial vehicle.

Semi-trucks take substantially longer to stop than passenger vehicles.
Semi-trucks have large blind spots that can obscure the presence of smaller vehicles.
Semi-truck drivers will typically have to drive at all times of the night and during all weather conditions.

Fatigue is one of the most common contributing factors for semi-truck accidents. Semi-truck drivers are pushed hard to complete their routes as quickly as possible. In fact, nearly one in ten truck drivers involved in a collision reported feeling under pressure from work. The CDC estimates that staying awake for only 18 hours can reduce a person’s ability to drive safely equal to driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05%.

Semi-truck drivers will need to get a commercial license and are held to a high standard in terms of safety. Many truck accidents are due to truck drivers that fail to scan the road ahead of them. Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11-601, no person shall drive a motor vehicle at a speed greater than what would be reasonable or safe given the prevailing conditions of the roadway. There is a rebuttable presumption of negligence for any driver that rear-ends another vehicle in their own lane.

If a truck driver was working at the time of a collision, the company that they were working for could be held at fault. Generally speaking, companies are liable for the wrongful actions of their employees -insofar as those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. For example, a semi-truck driver may have been delivering packages at the time of a crash. Victims of semi-truck accidents tend to suffer very serious and costly injuries including:

Broken bones
Head injuries
Lacerations
Spinal cord injuries
Organ damage

The FMCSA requires commercial trucks to carry between $750,000 -$5,000,000 worth of liability coverage. Any person that is injured in a semi-truck accident may have legal recourse through a bodily injury claim. Damages in a civil claim can help cover lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering. Sadly, though, truck companies will often fight hard to deny responsibility for any collision involving their drivers. A truck accident attorney can examine the unique facts of your case free of cost and let you know what your legal options are.

Investigating A Marion County Semi-Truck Accident

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to Brandon Clifton and Shealy Clifton as they continue to recover. Any person that may have more information about what happened should reach out to police. This was a preventable crash that should have never taken place. There are many questions that need to be answered. Was the truck driver involved in this collision properly licensed? Were they distracted? Did they have logbook violations?

Have you or someone that you care about been injured due to the negligence of a truck driver? There are a number of laws designed to protect your rights. Our team of consumer safety advocates are here to answer any questions that you may have. We care deeply that accident victims get the medical and financial support that they need to make a complete recovery. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of assistance after an accident we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.