A truck running a red light is not a minor traffic violation. When a fully loaded semi-truck, delivery truck, or commercial vehicle blows through a red signal in Chicago, the results can be catastrophic. Victims can suffer broken bones, traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and worse. If you or someone you love was hit by a truck driver who ran a red light, you have legal rights under Illinois law, and Briskman Briskman & Greenberg is ready to help you act on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Commercial trucks weigh up to 80,000 pounds when fully loaded. At that weight and speed, a truck that runs a red light cannot stop quickly, and the impact on any vehicle, cyclist, or pedestrian in its path is severe. This is not the same risk you face when a passenger car rolls through a light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chicago’s street grid makes this danger even more acute. Busy intersections along corridors like Milwaukee Avenue, Western Avenue, and Cicero Avenue handle heavy truck traffic daily. Intersections near the I-90\/94 Dan Ryan Expressway, the I-290 Eisenhower Expressway, and the I-55 Stevenson Expressway are common points where delivery trucks, semi-trucks, and commercial vehicles make their way through the city. When a truck driver disregards a red light at any of these crossings, the results can be devastating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The size and momentum of a large truck means that even a low-speed red-light violation can cause a T-bone collision strong enough to total a car and send its occupants to the trauma center at Northwestern Memorial Hospital or Stroger Hospital. Cyclists and pedestrians crossing on a green signal have virtually no protection against a truck that fails to stop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These are not freak accidents. They are the product of driver fatigue, distracted driving, schedule pressure, and sometimes outright recklessness. As a Chicago personal injury lawyer<\/a> serving victims across the city, Briskman Briskman & Greenberg has seen firsthand how these collisions destroy lives and how important it is to act quickly to protect your legal rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Illinois law, under 625 ILCS 5\/11-305 and 5\/11-306, requires drivers facing a steady red signal to stop at a clearly marked stop line or, if no line exists, before entering the crosswalk. This rule applies to every driver on Illinois roads, including commercial truck drivers operating semi-trucks, box trucks, flatbed trucks, and tanker trucks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If a clearly marked line or crosswalk does not exist, the driver must stop before entering the intersection, and the vehicle must remain stopped until an indication to proceed is displayed. There is no exception for truck drivers who are running behind on a delivery schedule or who believe the intersection is clear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Illinois Vehicle Code allows Cook County, along with Lake, Kane, DuPage, McHenry, Will, Madison, and St. Clair counties, to implement Red Light Running Enforcement Systems. This means red-light cameras at intersections throughout Chicago and the surrounding area can capture evidence of a truck running a red light, and that footage can be powerful evidence in your personal injury claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a truck driver violates 625 ILCS 5\/11-306, that violation can support a legal concept known as negligence per se. Showing that the other driver ran a red light creates the presumption of his or her liability under the doctrine known as negligence per se. In plain terms, the fact that the truck driver broke a law designed to protect you can be used directly against the driver and the trucking company in your civil claim. An experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer<\/a> can use this doctrine to build a strong case on your behalf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Truck drivers and trucking companies operating in interstate commerce are not only subject to Illinois law. They are also governed by federal regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation responsible for commercial vehicle safety. The FMCSA is the lead federal government agency responsible for regulating and providing safety oversight of commercial motor vehicles, overseeing more than 500,000 commercial trucking companies and more than four million commercial driver’s license holders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Motor carriers are responsible for ensuring their drivers know and comply with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations listed in Title 49 of the Code of Federal Regulations. If a driver fails to comply, it will affect the carrier’s safety record. This means a trucking company cannot simply point to its driver and walk away. The company itself can be held accountable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability program, known as CSA, is the agency’s safety compliance and enforcement program that holds motor carriers and drivers accountable for their role in safety. Violations of traffic laws, including running red lights, are tracked under this program and can affect a carrier’s safety rating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a truck driver runs a red light and causes an injury, your attorney can investigate whether the driver had prior traffic violations, whether the carrier’s safety record reflects a pattern of disregard for traffic laws, and whether the company failed to properly train or supervise the driver. A qualified truck accident lawyer<\/a> knows how to request and analyze these federal records before they disappear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Liability in a truck red-light accident often extends beyond the driver who ran the signal. Illinois law allows injury victims to pursue claims against multiple parties, and identifying every responsible party is one of the most important steps in recovering full compensation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The truck driver is the most obvious starting point. If the driver ran a red light, that is a direct violation of 625 ILCS 5\/11-306, and it forms the foundation of a negligence claim. But the driver rarely acts in isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trucking company can be held liable under the legal doctrine of respondeat superior. In Illinois, employers can be liable for employees’ negligence under the doctrine of respondeat superior. If the driver was working within the scope of employment when the accident happened, the employer shares responsibility. This matters because trucking companies typically carry far larger insurance policies than individual drivers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The company can also face direct negligence claims. These include negligent hiring if the driver had a disqualifying record that a background check would have caught, and negligent retention if a dangerous pattern emerged during employment and the company kept using the driver anyway. A driver who has a history of traffic violations, including prior red-light infractions, should not be behind the wheel of a 40-ton truck on Chicago’s streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\nIllinois Law Makes It Clear: Truck Drivers Must Stop at Red Lights<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Federal Trucking Regulations Add Another Layer of Accountability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Who Can Be Held Responsible After a Chicago Truck Red Light Accident<\/h2>\n\n\n\n