Glenn Reed Killed In Spring Grove Garbage Truck Accident By Huron Drive and Michigan Drive

Wrongful Death - October 12, 2021

Glenn Reed of Spring Grove Died In McHenry County Garbage Truck Accident Near The Intersection of Huron Drive and Michigan Drive

MCHENRY COUNTY, ILLINOIS (October 12, 2021) – An 87-year-old man identified as Glenn Reed has tragically died in a Spring Grove garbage truck accident by the intersection of Huron Drive and Michigan Drive.

Spring Grove police officials are saying that the collision took place around 7:28 a.m. on Wednesday. Glenn Reed was walking near the intersection when he was hit by a waste disposal truck.

Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene of the collision in order to help the victim. A medical helicopter was also called to assist the victim. Glenn Reed was transported to the Northwestern McHenry Medical Center in order to receive treatment.

Despite life-saving measures of nurses and doctors, he died due to severe blunt force trauma. A full investigation into the Spring Grove garbage truck accident remains ongoing at this time.

Liability In Spring Grove Garbage Truck Accidents

Garbage trucks can be especially dangerous for pedestrians. They often travel through residential areas during early morning hours when pedestrians are less visible. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), there were 2,430 crashes involving garbage trucks. Those accidents resulted in 107 fatalities and 1,427 injuries. There are a number of ways that garbage trucks can be especially hazardous for pedestrians.

Blind Spots: Like all large commercial trucks, garbage trucks have large blind spots. These exist all around the truck and are especially pronounced on the sides and back of the truck.
Weight: A fully loaded garbage truck can weigh as much as 51,000 lbs, which makes them very difficult to stop.
Ground Clearance: Garbage trucks have a high ground clearance which can lead to pedestrians becoming trapped underneath the front of the truck.

Private garbage collection companies have a much worse safety track record than garbage trucks owned by cities or counties. In short, public garbage trucks lack the same profit motive of their private counterparts. According to one report from ProPublica, private garbage truck drivers are often put under an enormous amount of pressure to complete their routes as quickly as possible. Drivers of private garbage truck companies have reported working 14 – 16 hour days. This can lead to drivers being dangerously fatigued. In fact, 82% of all waste worker deaths took place in the private sector.

Garbage truck drivers need to obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and are held to a high standard in terms of safety. They must exercise all due care in order to avoid hitting pedestrians. According to Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1003.1), “every driver of a vehicle shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any pedestrian, or any person operating a bicycle or other device propelled by human power and shall give warning by sounding the horn when necessary.” When a garbage truck driver fails to exercise due care and hits a pedestrian they can be held at fault in the event of an accident.

The company or municipal entity that a garbage truck driver works for could also be held at fault for an accident. As a general rule of thumb, employers in Illinois can be held vicariously liable for the negligent actions of their employees. This is true insofar as the tortious conduct fell within the scope of the worker’s employment. By contrast, employers will typically not be liable for the negligent conduct of the independent contractors that they hire.

Consider, for example, the case of Sanchez v. Perez & City of Chicago. The plaintiff was injured after being hit by a garbage truck. The driver of the garbage truck allegedly failed to look for traffic while backing the truck into an alley. Attorneys for the plaintiff contended that the defendant was negligent by failing to exercise due care and violating Illinois Vehicle Code (625 ILCS 5/11-1205). Attorneys for the plaintiff are appealing for a new trial after a jury ruled in favor of the defendants. There are a number of steps that should be taken after any garbage truck accident.

Eye witnesses to the accident should be interviewed.
Surveillance of the accident should be sought. With the rise of companies like Ring and Vivint, video doorbells are becoming extremely popular. They often capture traffic collisions.
Medical records should be preserved. Even in the absence of eye witnesses or video footage, medical records and injuries can paint a picture of how an accident took place.
A full, independent investigation into the accident should be conducted.

Victims of garbage truck accidents are protected by a number of laws. The family of any victim that died in a garbage truck accident may be able to seek justice through Illinois civil statute (740 ILCS 180/1). Under the statute, the act proceeding the death must have been caused by a wrongful act, neglect or default such that, had the person survived, they would be entitled to an action to recover damages. Sadly, however, garbage truck companies will often fight extremely hard to deny liability for an accident. A personal injury attorney can examine all of the facts of your case free of cost and get to the bottom of what may have contributed to a collision.

Investigating A Spring Grove Garbage Truck Accident

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our deepest condolences to the family of Glenn Reed. Any person that may have information about what happened should reach out to police. It is our sincere hope that steps are taken to help prevent additional tragedies like this. This accident raises a number of safety questions. Did the garbage truck driver follow all safety regulations? Did they receive adequate training? Could this accident have been prevented? Most pedestrian accidents can be prevented when drivers remain alert and follow traffic laws. Far too often, however, speed and efficacy are favored by garbage truck companies in ways that put pedestrians and the public at risk.

Do you need more information about a Spring Grove garbage truck accident? Our team of personal injury attorneys are here to answer any questions that you may have. We are committed to helping accident victims get the information and support that they are entitled to under the law. Whether you just have legal questions or need a free, independent investigation into an accident we are here for you. You’re always welcome to reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.