Johanna Bukowski
1 month ago
Ed and Maggie have both been a pleasure to work with! They keep you up to date on your case, clearly explain the process and next steps along the way, respond quickly to any questions and always offer different options to discuss details (email, phone, text, Zoom, etc.). What I appreciate more than anything, is their genuine compassion and concern for you as a person. They both demonstrate true empathy for what is most likely one of the most unexpected and traumatic events in a person’s life and do everything they can to ensure justice is served. I highly recommend Collins Law!
Jeff Matticks
2 months ago
I became aware of Collins Law Group after I was involved in a motorcycle, several years ago. Since that time I have reached out to Ed Manzke, at Collins Law Group, for assistance in a couple of other areas. In each instance, I have found Ed and his team to be very helpful with great communication, keeping me informed every step along the way. Everyone who I have interacted with, at Collins Law Group, demonstrated that they are interested in building relationships so that you know who you can turn to for any of your legal needs.
Ella Folson
3 months ago
Chris and John were attentive and thorough to my needs throughout my entire case. I appreciate the all the time and effort they took. I will be recommending their services going forward to family and friends! Thank you so much for all your help!
J. Savv
3 months ago
Ed Manzke was very patient and kind with helping me and my sister with our mom’s case. He often took the time out his day to explain everything to ensure we understood what was going on. The law firm itself is organized making our whole process run smoothly. I appreciate Ed and his team.
Unique Morris
3 months ago
Ed Manzke was very informative, clear and honest when it came to my mother and father’s case. He took his time with all of my questions and concerns, making sure that no questions went unanswered and that there was no room for confusion with our case. I’m forever grateful for Ed and everyone at the law firm.
Nick Erlenbaugh
3 months ago
Collins Law was recommended to me after I was involved in an accident with a semi-truck. Amber Blevins was exceptional to work with. She is a total pro at what she does and made the process as easy as she could for me. Ed ensured I received the best outcome possible and exceeded my expectations. I would highly recommend this firm to anyone who might be shopping around for an attorney!
Dwayne Kurfirst
3 months ago
I want to take a moment to recognize John at Collins Law for the incredible work he did in helping my mom secure her settlement. It wasn’t a quick or easy process—it took time, patience, and persistence—but John stayed committed every step of the way. What stood out most was his professionalism, attention to detail, and genuine care for getting the best possible outcome. He kept us informed, navigated the complexities with confidence, and ultimately delivered results that truly made a difference for our family. If you’re looking for someone who will put in the work, stand by you through a long process, and follow through, I highly recommend John and the team at Collins Law.
Helen Montague
5 months ago
We are fortunate to have had the chance to work with John Risvold as he represented my brother in his case. Professional, personable and authentic in his manner, John kept us informed throughout the long process, and was always available to respond to my many questions. Having never been involved with a law suit, I really appreciated John's patience (especially since I am 1,000 miles away) and his genuine care for my brother's well being. We are forever grateful, John. Thank you.
Matthew Malone
6 months ago
I had an excellent experience being represented by Collins Law Firm. Ed Manzke and Amber Blevins were amazing to work with and truly helped me in my time of need. Both were extremely personable and knowledgeable throughout every step of the way. I would absolutely recommend them for anyone’s legal needs.
Ronnie Sanchez
6 months ago
I had an excellent experience with The Collins Law firm. Amber was extremely helpful, kind, and friendly throughout the entire process. She took the time to explain everything clearly whenever I didn’t understand something, which meant a lot to me. I truly felt supported and informed. I will absolutely seek Collin’s help again if I ever need legal assistance in the future. Thank you again :)
Maddie Scheele
6 months ago
I cannot say enough wonderful things about Ed Manzke and Amber Blevins. They are truly the best of the best. The efficiency and professionalism throughout the entire process of my case has been unmatched. What I really want to point out, though, is the empathy and compassion both Amber and Ed hold. That was the true difference maker. I knew they both prioritized my well-being and made that their number one priority. They represented me to their highest capabilities through every step of my case, and I cannot thank them and Collins Law Firm enough.
Leticia Pink
7 months ago
Ms. Maggie Galka is an experienced environmental (radon) attorney who prioritizes her clients' health and safety in her legal practice. She maintains thorough records and offers strategic advice while working with government agencies. Ms. Galka demonstrates key values such as integrity, expertise, respect, empathy, and compassion essential for positive outcomes. Her professionalism, follow-up and communication skills are excellent. Ms. Galka's guidance extends beyond legal issues, and the Collins Law Firm advocates strongly and effectively for clients. We sincerely thank Collins Law Firm, and in particular Ms. Galka, for helping our family reach a successful outcome and for their meaningful impact on our community. I strongly recommend Ms. Galka and Collins Law Firm as an outstanding legal firm.
Megan
7 months ago
I can’t say enough good things about John Risvold at The Collins Law Firm. From start to finish, John was professional, responsive, and incredibly knowledgeable. He took the time to explain everything clearly, kept me informed throughout the process, and always made me feel like my case truly mattered. His dedication, attention to detail, and genuine care made a stressful situation much easier to handle. John’s expertise and clear communication built a lot of trust, and I’m very grateful for his hard work. I would highly recommend John Risvold to anyone looking for a reliable and skilled attorney.
David Bretti
7 months ago
(Translated by Google) They are very responsible in what they do, they were able to resolve my case quickly and efficiently, I especially recommend Mr. Chris for always being in contact and being honest throughout the process 👏🏻 (Original) Son muy responsables en lo que hacen, pudieron resolver mi caso de forma rápida y eficaz, recomendando, especialmente el Se Chris por siempre estar en contacto y ser sincero en todo el proceso 👏🏻
Jas R.
7 months ago
Amber was very thorough, informative, and made this process very easy for me, which I greatly appreciated considering all the events that led up to this point. Justice isn’t always served, but working with Collin’s Law Firm really me feel that my injuries were tangibly worth something, and that to some degree, justice was served. Would highly recommend this law firm to anyone seeking out a personal injury firm/attorney.
Amy Ressen
8 months ago
I wana say a huge thank you to the Collin’s Law firm and Chris Gauthier for helping me with my Complicated case. They helped me put my life back together after a horrible incident that I didn’t think I could over come. Chris was always good about communicating and he made sure I got what I deserved! I highly recommend this law firm they were so kind and reassuring that things would work out. Thank you again for all the hard work and being there to help me through the process when I didn’t know where to turn to for help! Thanks again Chris and The Collin’s Law firm!
Lauren Dryanski
9 months ago
I had an exceptional experience with Collins Law Firm . A special thank you to Chris, my lawyer, and Patti, the legal assistant. They helped me navigate my car accident proceedings from start to finish, and I always felt like I was in great hands. Chris was incredibly knowledgeable, easy to talk to, and explained everything in a way I could understand. He always made sure I felt informed and supported, especially when it came to legal details I wouldn’t normally know. Patti was also wonderful—very helpful, communicative, and always made sure I had everything I needed throughout the process. I never once doubted this team. They made everything easy and stress-free. I would absolutely recommend Collins Law Firm to anyone in need of legal support!
Will Brooks
10 months ago
John brings impressive expertise and heartfelt dedication to every matter he handles. His thoughtful approach and clear communication make it easy to trust his advice, and it’s evident he is committed to fighting for what’s right with both professionalism and empathy. John’s balance of insightful expertise and warm, personal attention truly sets him apart.
Icela Hernandez
11 months ago
If ever needed. I will gladly go to the Collins law firm again. They were always quick to respond any questions. Happy to say case is closed and all went well .
Sharif Maadi
1 year ago
I’ve had the opportunity to co-counsel with John Risvold and he is a great attorney. He brings a high level of experience, strategic insight, and tenacity to every case. Truly an asset to the personal injury field. Rest assured, your case is in good hands with this firm
Fatigue leaves no skid marks. When an exhausted truck driver drifts across a lane or fails to brake for stopped traffic, the police report often says nothing about sleep, because fatigue cannot be measured at the roadside the way alcohol can. It has to be proven afterward, from the records the trucking industry is required to keep. That is precisely the kind of case Collins Law Group builds: methodical, science-driven, and aimed at the company as much as the driver.
Peer-reviewed research has shown for decades that sleep deprivation impairs driving the way alcohol does. In a study published in Occupational and Environmental Medicine, researchers found that after 17 to 19 hours without sleep, subjects performed as poorly on cognitive and motor tests as people with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.05%, with response speeds up to 50% slower on some tasks. Behind the wheel, fatigue also produces something alcohol does not: microsleeps, episodes lasting seconds in which the brain simply shuts off. At highway speed, a three-second microsleep carries an 80,000-pound truck roughly the length of a football field with no one meaningfully at the wheel.
Fatigue is not a rare factor in truck crashes. In the federal government's Large Truck Crash Causation Study, 13% of truck drivers were coded as fatigued at the time of their crash, and safety researchers have long considered figures like that conservative, because fatigue is systematically underreported in crash data. No driver admits to being asleep.
Congress and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration treat fatigue as a known, regulated hazard. The hours-of-service regulations in 49 CFR Part 395 limit a property-carrying driver to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, all within a 14-hour on-duty window that breaks cannot extend. Drivers must take a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving, and they cannot drive after 60 hours on duty in 7 days (or 70 in 8) without a 34-hour restart.
Those are the rules. The economics push the other way. Most long-haul drivers are paid by the mile, not the hour, which means every hour of rest is an hour of lost income, and delivery windows are set by dispatchers who are not the ones fighting sleep at 2 a.m. When an hours-of-service violation shows up in a fatigue case, it is rarely just a driver's personal failing. It is usually evidence about how the company runs its business, which is why these cases so often become trucking company negligence cases.
The physics are merciless. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation's 2024 Illinois Crash Facts, there were 11,294 tractor-trailer crashes in Illinois in 2024, including 91 fatal crashes. Of the 106 people killed, only 15 were occupants of the truck. Eighty-three were people in the other vehicle, and seven were pedestrians. When a loaded semi hits a passenger car, the catastrophic injuries almost always belong to the family in the car: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, crush injuries, and deaths.
Fatigue cases are won with documents and data, gathered before they disappear. We move immediately to preserve and obtain:
This is also why timing matters more in truck cases than in ordinary car crashes. Much of this evidence is kept only briefly in the ordinary course of business. One of the first things we do in every case is send a spoliation letter requiring the carrier to preserve all of it, and the case timeline moves differently once a carrier knows the evidence is locked down.
The driver behind the wheel is rarely the only responsible party, and almost never the one with adequate insurance to cover catastrophic injuries. Trucking companies are generally responsible for their drivers' on-the-job negligence, and frequently bear direct responsibility for the conditions that produced the fatigue: impossible schedules, ignored hours-of-service violations, negligent hiring, and inadequate medical screening. Federal law also requires interstate carriers to maintain substantially more liability coverage than passenger vehicles carry, which matters when the injuries are lifelong. We pursue every responsible party; our trucking company negligence page covers how that case is built.
With records, not guesswork: ELD data, dispatch and payroll records, fuel and toll receipts, timestamped bills of lading, cell phone data, and the driver's medical certification history. Matched against the crash time, these records often show a driver who could not have been legally rested.
Federal hours-of-service rules strictly limit driving time, and federal regulations separately prohibit operating a commercial vehicle while ability is impaired by fatigue or illness. An hours-of-service violation in the records is powerful evidence of negligence.
Often the trucking company, and depending on the facts, brokers, shippers, and maintenance contractors. Identifying every defendant and every insurance policy is a core part of the case.
Get medical care, and get a lawyer involved fast. ELD data and onboard video can be overwritten in the ordinary course of business. A preservation letter needs to go out immediately, not after the insurance company calls you.
Fatigue cases reward preparation: the medicine, the data, and the federal rules all have to be mastered, and we have built our Illinois truck accident practice around exactly that. If a truck driver hurt you or took someone from you, call Collins Law Group at (630) 527-1595 or use our contact form. The consultation is free, we advance all case costs, and there is no fee unless we win.
Every truck crash is different. If your case falls outside the situations described above, our our Illinois truck accident attorneys handle the full range of commercial truck and tractor-trailer claims across Illinois. Related case types we handle include:
