Donald Fohrman Applauds Guilty Verdict in Fatal Truck Accident

Chicago, illinois, April 16, 2015 (Newswire.com) - A truck driver faces up to three years in prison after being found guilty of five counts related to a fatal January 2014 truck accident. The incident happened on Interstate 88 near Aurora. The convicted truck driver crashed his semi into a highway toll worker and an Illinois State Trooper who had stopped to help another broken down semi. The toll worker died and the trooper was seriously injured.

Chicago car accident lawyer Donald Fohrman applauded the convictions, which came at the end of a bench trial. "Trucks pose a serious risk on the road, especially when the drivers are running on little rest," Mr. Fohrman explained. "Criminal convictions send a message that truck drivers are expected to comply with safety regulations."

The driver was convicted of driving while fatigued and violating safety laws. Prosecutors alleged that he had driven for 37 hours while only resting for 3.5 hours. Under state law, drivers can only drive 14 hours for every 10 hours of rest. He was also convicted of failing to avoid a state emergency vehicle.

The truck driver faced five additional charges of falsifying safety records. However, he was found not guilty of those charges because prosecutors couldn't prove that the records were falsified in Illinois. The driver faces up to three years in prison, but could also be put on probation.

"Fatigue can have devastating consequences," argued Mr. Fohrman, a car accident lawyer in Chicago. "Even though truck drivers face strict regulations, there's still incentive there for them to skirt the rules. More transparent and accurate record keeping would prevent these accidents."