Yes. Federal labor data puts transportation and material moving work at the top of the list for on-the-job deaths, ahead of construction, and truck drivers make up the largest share of that group. The hazard is not only the crash. It is the hours, the loading dock, the seat, and the years of them stacked together.
What the Numbers Show
In 2024, transportation and material moving occupations recorded 1,391 fatal work injuries, about 28% of every workplace death in the country and more than any other occupational group in the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ annual count. The same group also had the most injuries serious enough to cost days away from work, roughly 468,830 cases in the 2023 to 2024 estimate.
The crash figures tell a second story. Most people killed in large-truck crashes are not in the truck.
| Large-truck crashes, 2024 | Figure |
|---|---|
| Large trucks in a fatal crash | 5,218 |
| People killed | 5,340 |
| Killed who were in another vehicle | 70% |
| Killed who were truck occupants | 17% |
| People injured | 161,201 |
What Puts Drivers at Risk
Fatigue sits behind more crashes than any other single factor, and the federal hours-of-service rules exist to hold it back. A property-carrying driver needs 10 consecutive hours off before driving, may drive no more than 11 hours inside a 14-hour on-duty window, must take a 30-minute break once 8 hours of driving time have passed, and is capped at 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8 (49 CFR 395.3). Those are requirements, not suggestions, and violations tend to become evidence later.
The rest is physics and maintenance. A loaded tractor-trailer needs far more room to stop than the traffic around it, which is why stopping distance drives so much of what happens in a truck crash. Cargo that shifts changes how the trailer handles. Blind spots swallow whole cars. Worn brakes and bald tires turn a routine slowdown into a wreck, and negligent maintenance recurs in these cases. Ice, fog, and rain make all of it worse.
The Slower Damage
Trucking wears the body down outside of any crash. Long hours seated are linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and the posture behind the wheel shows up as neck, back, and shoulder problems. Drivers who load and unload add lifting injuries and falls to that. Irregular sleep feeds sleep apnea, and weeks away from family wear on mental health.
If You Are Hurt on the Job in Illinois
Illinois workers’ compensation pays for medical care and lost time without any proof that your employer did something wrong. Two deadlines matter and drivers miss the first one. Notice of the accident has to reach your employer as soon as practicable and no later than 45 days after it (820 ILCS 305/6(c)). The claim itself has to be filed with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission within three years of the accident, or within two years of the last compensation payment, whichever is later (820 ILCS 305/6(d)).
In exchange for those benefits you generally cannot sue your employer for damages (820 ILCS 305/5(a)). That bar is narrow to escape. It is not enough to show the company knew a truck was unsafe; Illinois requires proof the employer acted with specific intent to injure you.
What workers’ compensation does not touch is a claim against someone else. If another motorist, the shipper who loaded the trailer, a repair shop, or a parts manufacturer caused the crash, you may bring a separate case against them, and your employer is reimbursed out of what you recover (820 ILCS 305/5(b)). That suit generally must be filed within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Your own share of the fault reduces the award, and it bars recovery only if you are found more than 50% responsible (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). An Illinois truck accident lawyer will move early on driver logs, ELD data, and maintenance records, since carriers only have to keep some of it for a limited time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is truck driving one of the most dangerous jobs in America?
By the raw count of workplace deaths, yes. Transportation and material moving occupations recorded 1,391 fatal work injuries in 2024, roughly 28% of all workplace deaths and more than any other occupational group.
How unhealthy is truck driving?
The seat does much of the damage. Long hours seated are linked to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and drivers report neck, back, and shoulder problems, sleep apnea, and the mental strain of weeks away from home.
How many hours can a truck driver legally drive?
Up to 11 hours after 10 consecutive hours off duty, within a 14-hour on-duty window, with a 30-minute break required once 8 hours of driving time have passed, and no more than 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8 (49 CFR 395.3).
Can a truck driver sue their own employer in Illinois?
Rarely. Workers’ compensation is normally the exclusive remedy against an employer (820 ILCS 305/5(a)), and getting past that bar requires proof the employer acted with specific intent to injure the worker. A claim against a third party who caused the crash is a different matter and stays available.
How long do I have to file after a truck accident in Illinois?
Notice to your employer is due within 45 days for a work injury, and the workers’ compensation claim within three years of the accident. A separate injury suit against a third party generally must be filed within two years.
If you were hurt in a truck crash in Illinois, driving the truck or the car it hit, a Chicago truck accident attorney can review the records and tell you what claims may be available. Contact 844-SEE-MIKE for a free, no-pressure consultation. You pay nothing unless we recover money for you. This post is general information, not legal advice.
