Pedestrian Injured In Joliet Utility Truck Accident on East Cass Street

Pedestrian Accident - May 22, 2024

75-Year-Old Male Pedestrian Critically Injured In Joliet Utility Truck Accident While Crossing Cass Street In Joliet

JOLIET, ILLINOIS (May 22, 2023) – A 75-year-old man was critically injured in a Joliet pedestrian collision on Cass Street by Herkimer Street.

Will County officials are saying that the collision took place around 11:03 a.m. on Wednesday. A Joliet Utilities employee was driving a city-owned Ford F350 pickup truck and made a left turn before hitting a pedestrian.

Paramedics were called to the scene in order to help the victim. The pedestrian was transported to Ascension St. Joseph Medical Center with critical injuries.

A full investigation into the Joliet collision remains ongoing at this time.

Liability For Joliet Utility Truck Accidents

Pedestrians are uniquely vulnerable to the hazards posed by larger vehicles and trucks. According to National Public Radio, Vehicles with higher front ends and blunt profiles are 45% more likely to cause fatalities in crashes with pedestrians than smaller cars and trucks, according to new research published Tuesday by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.” There are a number of factors that could contribute to pedestrian accidents.

• Driver-Related Factors: Pedestrian collisions are more likely to occur when drivers are distracted, speeding, or driving aggressively.
• Environmental Factors: Pedestrian collisions are more likely to occur during adverse weather.
• Infrastructure Factors: Poor infrastructure, such as inadequate street lighting, can also contribute to collisions.

Speeding remains one of the main causes of pedestrian collisions across Illinois. According to Illinois Vehicle Code 625 ILCS 5/11-601, no person shall operate a motor vehicle at a speed greater than would be reasonable or prudent given the prevailing conditions of the roadway. If a truck driver fails to slow down to avoid hitting a pedestrian, this could form the basis of a negligence claim. Many collisions are also caused by drivers who make dangerous turns on the roadway.

Depending on the facts of any case, a city or municipal entity could be liable for a pedestrian collision. When a vehicle is owned or operated by a municipal entity, that entity could bear some liability for the wrongful actions of their driver. In general, employers are liable for the wrongful actions of their employees – provided that those employees were working within the course and scope of their job duties. It is important that evidence is properly preserved after any pedestrian collision.

• The employment status of any truck driver should be determined.
• Medical records related to the crash should be preserved.
• The police report for the collision should be collected.
• Surveillance footage should be sought.

The vast majority of pedestrian collisions are completely preventable. They tend to involve drivers who are either distracted, fatigued, or simply not paying adequate attention to the road ahead of them. This is particularly true when drivers are making left turns. Drivers are often distracted by looking out for oncoming traffic and fail to notice pedestrians that are entering crosswalks.

Investigating Will County Utility Truck Accidents

We at Horwitz Horwitz & Associates extend our best wishes to the pedestrian injured in this Joliet utility truck accident. Any person who may have more information about what happened should reach out to the police. There needs to be a thorough investigation into what went wrong. Many questions still remain unanswered.

Have you or someone that you care about been injured in a Joliet utility truck accident? Our team of pedestrian safety advocates is here to assist you in any way that we can. We are committed to helping accident victims get the medical and financial support that they are entitled to under the law. Whether you just have legal questions or need any type of support, we are here for you. You can reach out to us anytime at (312) 564-4256.