Examples of Negligent Truck Driving 

 Posted on October 22, 2025 in Truck Accidents

Commercial truck drivers have a responsibility to watch out for other drivers on the road at all times. When this responsibility is overlooked, the consequences can be devastating. If you or somebody you care about has been hurt due to the carelessness of a truck driver, an Orland Park, IL personal injury lawyer can help you pursue compensation for your losses.

At the Law Office of J. Francis Barker, P.C., we can investigate the cause behind a truck accident and work to hold all parties accountable, including a negligent truck driver. As a solo practitioner, Attorney Jaime Barker provides one-on-one counsel and representation to every client, prioritizing quality service in every case.

Three Examples of Truck Driver Negligence

Driving Under the Influence

Drunk driving is dangerous enough in a car, but in a truck, the risk of serious injury or death is greatly magnified. Alcohol impairs a truck driver’s reaction time and coordination, which is a major problem because trucks need additional time to react to road conditions. This can result in grisly rear-end collisions, rollovers, or jackknifes as the truck driver loses control of the vehicle.

A police report may serve as valuable evidence in a personal injury claim involving an intoxicated driver, as the officer’s testimony could indicate that the driver was under the influence. Our attorney can recover the report on your behalf, citing it as proof of the truck driver’s fault. If the truck driver had a prior history of DUI, it might reflect on the trucking company’s hiring practices as well.

Fatigued Driving

Accidents caused by fatigued drivers are an epidemic in the commercial trucking industry. Although there are regulations in place to prevent these kinds of accidents, some truck drivers may falsify their hours to keep working past a safe limit. In some cases, this behavior is covered up or quietly ignored by their employers.

Proving that a truck driver was fatigued behind the wheel may involve recovering the truck driver’s logbook hours to look for any discrepancies. Our lawyer will work to prove the truck driver’s negligence to maximize your recovery in accordance with 735 ILCS 5/2-1116.

Reckless Driving

Sometimes, the cause of an accident can be attributed to a bad decision. Common examples of reckless truck driving include:

• Getting distracted by devices in the vehicle, such as cell phones or GPS displays

• Driving over the speed limit

• Making unsafe lane changes, especially without checking blind spots

A truck’s event data recorder can provide insights about the driver’s steering and braking inputs, which may serve as the crux of a reckless driving allegation. Other supporting evidence may include video footage and pictures of the accident itself. Our lawyer will work diligently to reconstruct the accident and build a case on your behalf.

Contact a Cook County, IL Commercial Truck Accident Attorney

At the Law Office of J. Francis Barker, P.C., our Orland Park, IL personal injury lawyer can investigate a truck crash to identify all of the negligent parties. To schedule a free initial consultation, call our offices at 708-321-1223 today.