Illinois and Indiana Semi-Truck Crash: Common Ways the Trailer Causes the Accident

Driving semi-trucks is much more complicated than most members of the general public realize. It’s a tough job and commercial truck drivers must be respected as professionals on our roadways. These rigs, in a combination of motorized tractor and attached trailer, move an amazing amount and variety of goods and cargo through our part of the country. Reefers, flatbeds, tankers carrying hazardous materials, etc.: they are all sharing our roadways with us each day. Read, Semi Trucks and Big Rigs: High Indiana and Illinois Commercial Truck Traffic Creates Dangerous Conditions.

For instance, while most understand that these semi-trucks have air brake systems, they may not know that these braking systems are connected to the truck’s tires, too. Air brake systems on the 18-wheelers are not just equipped to stop these huge and heavy vehicles; air brakes are also able to keep all those big tires inflated through things like glad hands connections; dedicated inflation kits; or auxiliary compressors. See, “How Automatic Tire Inflation Systems Keep Semi Trucks Rolling Safely,” written by Shane Schmid and published by Jalopnik on October 9, 2025.

Semi-truck crashes are a very great danger here in Illinois and Indiana, because we have so much more commercial truck traffic than other parts of the country. The number and diversity of big rigs, especially on our interstates, increases the likelihood of a catastrophic truck accident. Many of these 18-wheeler crashes are preventable accidents, caused by one or more companies or individuals failing to meet required duties of safety and care as defined by industrial standards or legal regulations, as overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

The dangers are real, and there are a lot of them. Our weather alone can cause a fatal semi-truck crash. Winter weather brings blizzard conditions, for example. High winds can topple a big rig in a matter of seconds. Summer heat highs can impact asphalt, raising temperatures and risking tire blow-outs. See, e.g., Lake-Effect Snow Accidents in Chicago: When a Car Accident Lawyer Is Needed.

The Trailer Alone Can Be the Cause of a Serious Truck Crash

One of the critical considerations when trying to avoid a big rig accident in Illinois or Indiana must be the condition and care of the trailer itself. Trailers do not come with engines, but they are complicated nevertheless. Mechanical failures; improperly loading the cargo into the trailer; or sudden movement of the rig regardless of speed, can all result in a truck accident caused by the trailer itself. Consider the following:

Common Reasons a Semi-Truck Trailer Causes a Big Rig Accident

Ask an experienced trucker, and undoubtedly you will get war stories of all sorts of horrific conditions of various trailers the truck driver has been asked to haul. Truckers understand the gravity of their job and the need to do a thorough inspection of the trailer before driving away. Nevertheless, trailers can be flawed or faulty and the cause of a serious or deadly truck crash, such as:

1. Moving Load Inside the Trailer

Accidents can happen whenever cargo is not properly loaded or placed in the trailer, or it is not secured in a reasonable and prudent way. When the truck is moving along the roadway, that load can shift or move. That movement, especially if the rig is in the midst of a turn, can cause a tip over or rollover with deadly consequences. And the cargo can involve all kinds of things.

Recently, a two-story livestock trailer loaded with over 60 head of cattle overturned with tragic consequences on an Oklahoma interstate in a spot notorious for its dangerous curves and turns. The Oklahoma troopers confirmed at the scene that shifting by the live load resulted in instability within the trailer and the rig to overturn. Read, “Semi carrying 62 heads of cattle overturns near Tinker,” written by Katelyn Ogle and published by KFOR-TV on July 7, 2026.

2. Disconnecting from the Tractor

Obviously, sturdy and strong mechanisms are placed on both the tractor and the trailer to allow for a secure attachment capable of keeping the two in tandem during the drive. However, all sorts of things can fail which can disconnect the trailer. Always a dangerous situation, this is particularly dangerous for the trucker and those sharing the roads with the rig whenever the semi-truck is moving at a high rate of speed. Disconnection can happen because of things like worn jaws or kingpins; malfunction of the release handle; high-hitching (apron sitting on top instead of sliding over the fifth wheel, so there is not a real grip by the locking jaws onto the kingpin); or failure of the trailer’s frame or apron (think rust, cracking, etc.).

Back in March, a fully-loaded trailer disconnected from the tractor near Zoo America Wildlife Park in Derry Township, Pennsylvania. Fortunately, while this caused a huge traffic jam and frustrating gridlock, there were no injuries. Read, “Loaded trailer disconnects from tractor in Dauphin County,” written by Rachel Lardani and published by WGAL on March 23, 2026.

3. Brake and Axle Failures

The trailer has its own air lines and if they are not in proper working order, they can fail and trigger the emergency brakes. This causes a drag felt by the tractor and a crash can happen from a full lockup or from unsteady wobbling that causes the trucker to lose control of the rig.

Earlier this month, the entire rear tandem axles of a fully loaded trailer came off when a Kia Rio hit the side of the rig; the back wheels and axles came off the trailer completely. As a result, the trailer became unstable and overturned. Read, “SCHP: Tractor-trailer involved in Lexington County crash; other driver killed in hit-and-run,” written by News 10 Staff and published by WIS-10 on July 8, 2026 (includes images of the trailer on its side with two sets of axles and wheels nearby in a field).

4. The Notorious “Sail Effect” of Wind

Wind is very powerful and when wind speeds are high, trailers are vulnerable to their impact. Strong crosswinds on an interstate can have sufficient power to move that trailer, especially if it is not loaded with heavy cargo. This is called the “sail effect.” Even the most proficient truck driver can be surprised by a sudden and powerful gust of wind that hits the side of the rig, literally lifting the trailer off the roadway and flipping it over. This is a very real risk for all truckers driving their tractor-trailers through Illinois and Indiana. Not only is our part of the country known for high winds and big storms, we must contend with the infamous hazards from being near to the Great Lakes.

Two recent examples of the Sail Effect on trailers here in Illinois and Indiana: (1) the I-55 rollover in Livingston County, Illinois, when high winds hit the broadside of an empty trailer rumbling along the interstate and flipped it; wind conditions were so dangerous that first responders could not safely move the overturned rig until the next day; and (2) the I-65 rollover in Jasper County, Indiana, when winds were powerful enough to slam several tractor-trailers either onto the highway itself (overturned) or shoved them into the side ditch. Read, “Strong winds flip semi-trailer on I-55 in Livingston County,” written by Josh Seabaugh and published by MSN on March 14, 2026; and “Strong winds cause semi-truck rollovers on I-65 in northwest Indiana: sheriff,” written by Cody King and published by FOX32-Chicago on March 13, 2026.

Accident Victim Claims When Semi-Truck Crash Caused by Trailer

Any serious truck crash must be respected and given independent, individual consideration and expert analysis for the reasons why it happened, and what legal liabilities may attach to the accident. Not only will there be government investigations here (think FMCSA) but insurance carriers, trucking companies, and law enforcement may be working to determine causation alongside those experts and advocates working on behalf of the truck crash victims.

When the facts are all collected and analyzed, and accident reconstruction experts confirm that the trailer was at fault or a contributing factor to a catastrophic semi-truck crash, then the truck crash victims (trucker; rig occupants; other semis; drivers and passengers and pedestrians alongside the rig) may have legal claims for civil damages to assert against one or more third parties. For more, read 18-Wheeler Truck Crash: When the Trailer is the Cause of the Big Rig Accident.

Trailers may be owned or operated by companies that are distinct from the truck driver or the trucking company, as well as from any contractors with the job of inspecting, repairing, maintaining, or loading the trailer itself.

For more, read:

Truck accidents are more deadly than other types of motor vehicle accidents. Sadly, fatal truck crashes caused by a trailer are often found to have been preventable and avoidable, if legal duties of safety and care had been respected. Please be careful out there!