I-94 Accident Information on Injuries and Fatalities

Were you injured in a freeway semi-truck accident and believe you are entitled to receive compensation for your damages? Contact our Chicago office at (888) 424-5757 to schedule a free consultation.

The truck accident lawyers at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers, LLC, help victims get the maximum recovery they are entitled to receive under state law. Discuss your compensation claim with a Chicago, IL truck accident attorney to protect your rights.

Interstate 94

Interstate 94 (I-94) is a United States freeway connecting the Great Plains to the upper Midwest, beginning in Billings, Montana (I-90 Junction) to Port Huron, Michigan (I-69). The freeway continues into Sarnia, Ontario, Canada, across the Blue Water Bridge.

Many truckers use I-94 while hauling goods and materials from Seattle to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The highway intersects with the largest freeway in the United States (I-90) in Madison, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and Lake Station, Indiana.

The freeway travels through or near major metropolitan areas, including Bismarck and Fargo, North Dakota, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota, Madison and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Chicago, Illinois, and Detroit, Michigan.

The original section of I-94 began in 1956 after Congress passed the Federal Aid Highway Act. The 12-mile section was completed two years later, connecting Valley City to Jamestown, North Dakota.

In 2009, the United States Federal government rebuilt I-94 entirely, adding an eight-lane expansion starting at the Illinois/Wisconsin border up to the Milwaukee Mitchell interchange. A year earlier, the Federal Highway System completed the downtown Milwaukee Marquette Interchange.

Major freeways interconnecting with I-94 include interstates:

• 29 (Fargo)
• 39 (Portage, Minneapolis/St. Paul)
• 41/894 (West Allis, Zion, Milwaukee)
• 43/794 (Milwaukee)
• 55 (Chicago)
• 57 (Chicago)
• 65 (Marshall, Gary)
• 69 (Port Huron)
• 75 (Detroit)
• 90 (Billings, Madison, Lake Station, Chicago)
• 96 (Detroit)
• 194 (Bismarck, Battle Creek)
• 196 (Benton Harbor)
• 275 (Romulus)
• 294 (Deerfield)
• 394 (Minneapolis)
• 494/694 (Maple Grove, Oakdale-Woodbury)
• 696 (Roseville)
• Ontario Highway 402 (over the Port Huron Blue Water Bridge)

What a Truck Crash Victim Should Know

Trucker negligence is a contributing factor in many horrific crashes involving semi-tractor-trailers, long-haul truckers, 18-wheelers, and commercial vehicles. The massive truck’s sheer size, weight, and lack of maneuverability/visibility make stopping or slowing down to avoid an accident challenging.

Truckers must follow the 2021 Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations mandating hours of service and traffic rules that reduce accidents, injuries, and fatalities.

Even so, truck driver negligence is a common problem on all freeways throughout the United States where the:

• The trucker was driving fatigued from failing to take a required rest break
• The driver was speeding, tailgating, or driving unsafely like illegal passing
• The commercial vehicle was improperly loaded or overweight, making stopping difficult and load shifting possible
• The trucker drove distracted while on a cell phone, texting, or reading emails
• The trucker failed to obey traffic rules when merging or driving back onto the freeway
• The driver was driving under the influence

If the truck driver, the trucker’s employer (trucking company), or others violated national safety regulations, victims suffering injuries or damages, or families who lost a loved one, can file a compensation claim to recover losses.

An attorney working on behalf of the victim or family members can build a case by collecting evidence that may involve the trucker’s drug testing results, travel logs, maintenance and fuel receipts, black box data from the installed electronic monitoring system, and State Highway Patrol’s reports.

I-94 Truck Accident Reports

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the number of crashes involving large commercial vehicles and buses increased 8%, rising from 112,000 severe accidents in 2016 to 121,000 just two years later.

The 2018 Illinois DOT truck crash statistics revealed over 13,000 crashes resulting in 122 deaths and 2035 injuries. That year, semi-tractor-trailer deaths totaled over 4860 across the United States, where 234 individuals died in fatal bus crashes due to negligence, adverse weather conditions, and road hazards.

Statistics reveal that so far in 2021, large commercial vehicle accidents are on par with previous years. Recent crashes on I-94 involving 18-wheelers, commercial trucks, long-haul truckers, and semi-tractor-trailers include:

• Michigan, August 2020 – A Wayne County semi-tractor-trailer accident on I-94 near Beech Daly killed the trucker in the early afternoon hours. The trucker lost control when the front axle malfunctioned, causing it to hit a passenger car before careening off the freeway.

First responders said that the vehicle toppled onto its side before catching fire. The crash closed the westbound lane causing law enforcement to reroute traffic until the scene could be cleared.

• Wisconsin, June 2019– A commercial vehicle driver died in a fiery accident on I-94 in Mount Pleasant just north of the Wisconsin/Illinois border in Racine County. A second trucker died in a multi-vehicle collision. Two other victims suffered injuries.

Law enforcement said that the accident occurred at approximately 11:00 A.M. when the trucker traveled southbound and made a lane change. Reports indicate that the trucker hit the median wall, sending debris into the northbound lanes.

First responders closed all lanes for some time before reopening just after 8:00 PM. Crews worked over ten hours clearing the area.

• Illinois, December 2020– A semi-tractor-trailer driver involved in a collision drove down a steep embankment on the Bishop Ford Expressway near 103rd St. just after 2:00 A.M. The crash involved colliding with a passenger vehicle. The crash separated the cab from the dry-load tanker after leaving the road.

Law enforcement said that although the trucker was seriously hurt, he did not have life-threatening injuries. Emergency medical technicians transported the victim to the University of Chicago Hospital. Law enforcement closed the Expressway’s westbound and northbound lanes until later that morning until the area was clear.

Hiring a Freeway Accident Injury Lawyer to Resolve a Truck Crash Compensation Claim

The highway injury attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC can advise you on the merits of your case to proceed with filing and resolving a personal injury compensation claim.

Our law firm accepts personal injury cases using signed contingency fee agreements. The arrangement ensures you only pay for our services if we obtain compensation on your behalf.

Have you been harmed in a commercial vehicle crash? Contact our truck accident lawyers to schedule a free consultation to discuss your legal options.

Anyone who lost a loved one from a preventable death has the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages, including medical bills, lost past and future earnings, loss of companionship, funeral costs, pain, and suffering.

All information you and your loved ones share with our personal injury lawyers is confidential through an attorney-client relationship. Our Chicago truck accident attorneys currently follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Covid-19 guidelines on social distancing to maintain everyone's well-being.

Our practice areas include workplace injuries, car crashes, premises liability, medical malpractice, nursing home abuse, product liability, and wrongful death. Our lawyers currently represent injured clients throughout the state of Illinois in Cook County, Dupage County, Lake County, Peoria County, Sangamon County, Will County, Winnebago County, Aurora, Chicago, Joliet, Schaumburg, and Waukegan.

Resources:

• National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) – Truck Crash Statistics
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration – Regulation Interpretations