Who will be sued in the event of a truck accident?
In the event of a truck accident, it can be difficult to discover all of the responsible parties unless you have experience in personal injury law. An Illinois personal injury attorney with experience in trucking negligence will be able to help you identify those responsible. Generally, a lawsuit stemming from a trucking accident may include:
- the driver
- the owner of the truck/tractor
- the owner of the freight/cargo
- the owner of the trailer
- the employer of the driver
- the trucking company employing the driver
- the truck manufacturer and
- even the company identified on the trailer of the truck.
What kind of recovery can be made in the event of a truck accident?
Truck accidents can inflict untold catastrophe upon the life of an individual and his or her family. In the event of a truck accident, a personal injury attorney will be able to help victims recover for:
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Loss of earnings
Loss of earning capacity
Medical bills
Future medical bills
Disability
In the event that a truck accident takes the life of an individual, their family may pursue recovery for things like:
Loss of care
Loss of support
An experienced Illinois truck accident attorney will know how to navigate the often confusing laws governing the aftermath of a serious truck accident.
Why should I hire a Chicago truck accident attorney?
Although truck accident cases can be considered a category of personal injury law, they are far more complex and more aggressively defended by insurance defense lawyers. This is because of the severity of injuries in truck accidents and because commercial truck drivers and commercial trucking companies carry large insurance policies. It is of the utmost importance to hire an Illinois truck accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident in order to protect your rights and to ensure that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Another important reason to hire an Illinois trucking negligence attorney is to ensure that all potential liability is assessed to the appropriate defendants. An experienced personal injury attorney will be able to research and discover issues like whether the truck driver kept an adequate log of his driving hours and whether he drove more hours than he was allowed under trucking regulations.
What are the significant laws and regulations relating to Illinois truck accidents?
The trucking industry is regulated by state laws and federal laws. If one of these laws is violated it can increase your chances of a significant recovery.
What are the common causes of truck accidents and trucking negligence?
There are numerous causes of trucking accidents, some of which are:
- Aggressive driving
- Time sensitive schedules that push truck drivers beyond reasonable work expectations
- Malfunctioning tires, brakes and lights
- Failing to inspect tires, brakes and lights
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding
- Cell phone usage
- Failure to use or install blind spot mirrors
- Drunk driving
What steps should I take to protect my rights after a truck accident?
- Call the police
- Contact your insurance company to report the accident
- Don’t speak to insurance companies for the defendant
- Don’t talk to the defendant’s insurance claims adjuster
- Do not sign anything
- See a doctor
- Take photographs of any and all damage before repairs, before selling your car, or before destroying your car as applicable
- Take photographs of injuries
- File your police report
- Contact a truck accident lawyer
How can I inform myself about truck accidents?
Below are several helpful links relating to the trucking industry and trucking accidents.
Bureau of Transportation Statistics
Federal Highway Administration
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
Illinois Department of Transportation
NICAR Data Library – Department of Transportation Truck Accidents
