Multiple People Injured In Chicago Tow Truck Accident By North State Street and West Monroe Street

Tow Truck Driver Arrested Following Downtown, Chicago Car Accident By The Intersection of North State Street and West Monroe Street

Multiple People Injured In Chicago Tow Truck Accident By North State Street and West Monroe Street

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS (September 9, 2022) – At least three people were injured in a downtown, Chicago tow truck accident by North State Street and West Monroe Street.

Cook County officials are saying that the accident took place around 1:39 a.m. on Saturday morning. A tow truck driver ran a red light and hit a vehicle which caused it to flip over.

Firefighters and paramedics were called to the scene in order to help all of the victims. A 27-year-old man, a 41-year-old woman and a 17-year-old girl were all taken to the Northwestern Hospital in order to receive treatment for their injuries.

Police arrested the driver of the tow truck and issued them citations. A full investigation into the Chicago tow truck accident remains ongoing at this time.

Liability In Chicago Tow Truck Accidents

Thousands of people are killed or seriously injured every year in truck accidents in the United States. According to the National Safety Council, “In 2020, 4,842 large trucks were involved in a fatal crash, a 4% decrease from 2019 but still a 33% increase since 2011. The involvement rate per 100 million large-truck miles traveled is down 5% from 2019, but up 18% since 2011.” Tow trucks can be particularly dangerous for a number of reasons.

  • Tow trucks have large blind spots that can obscure the presence of smaller vehicles.
  • Tow truck drivers often work odd hours at all times of the night and day. It is common for them to become dangerously fatigued.
  • A tow truck driver carrying a load can weigh more than 17,000 lbs and can take much longer to stop than smaller vehicles.

Tow truck drivers will typically need to get a commercial driver’s license and are held to a high standard in terms of safety. They must exercise all due care to avoid collisions. Pursuant to Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11, the driver of any vehicle facing a red signal must stop at the marked limit line and yield the right of way to opposing traffic until it is safe to proceed. Any driver that hits a vehicle after going through a red light may be held liable for the accident through the doctrine of negligence per se.

If a tow 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 tow truck driver may have been on the way to pickup a vehicle for transport. Victims of tow truck accidents tend to suffer very serious and costly injuries including:

  • Broken bones
  • Head injuries
  • Lacerations
  • Spinal cord injuries

It is extremely important that all evidence is preserved after any accident. If a truck driver was involved in a crash, it should be determined if they were working. Photos of the accident site should also be taken. Sadly, though, truck companies will often fight extremely hard to deny liability for any crash. It is common for truck companies to argue that the injured party in any crash was at least partially at fault.

Investigating A Chicago Car Accident

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to all of the people injured in this downtown, Chicago tow truck accident.  It is our sincere hope that they will all be able to make a full recovery. 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 needs to be some accountability for the sake of all of the victims.

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Chicago tow truck accident? 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 are aware of their rights and that those rights are being protected. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.