Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer

It can also be difficult to determine or uncover all the responsible parties in a truck accident unless you are well-versed in a personal injury claim or personal injury case in the state where the accident occurred, which is why hiring a semi truck accident lawyer with specific expertise in dealing with a truck crash and the associated lawsuits and truck accident claims are so essential. After all, an attorney who has experience dealing with these types of accidents and subsequent investigations and insurance claim issues will know how to navigate these complicated and sometimes tricky situations to ensure that you get the settlement you deserve. This is especially important if you are injured or otherwise incapacitated as a result of the accident – you and your family have enough to deal with already, so working with a lawyer who knows how to handle these kinds of trucking accident cases can help decrease your stress and improve your overall outcome.

Types of Semi-Truck Accidents

There are all kinds of Chicago truck accidents and each must be handled differently in order to ensure the best possible outcome for you and your family. The way that a trucking accident lawsuit is handled depends on a number of factors, the primary ones being the cause or causes of truck accidents and the serious injuries and associated traumas and problems that occur as a result. Semi-truck or big rig accidents are caused by a variety of factors, such as truck safety violations, trucking company negligence, inclement or disastrous weather, debris on the road, or a number of other issues. However, if the trucker or trucking company prove fault (and it is nearly always worth investigating), it is time to contact Chicago truck accident attorneys who have a background in personal injury cases involving damages from truck-related incidents. Contact the trial lawyers at Zayed Law Offices for a free consultation. The various types of semi-truck accidents can include but are not limited to:

• Truck jackknife accidents which can be caused by unsafe driving conditions such as potholes, debris in the road, or poor weather including severe rain or snowstorms
• Overloaded trucks and improper loading
• Truck driver negligence
• Truck driver error
• Breaking safety rules
• Improperly loaded trucks or unbalanced cargo which can result in objects falling from the vehicle or other problems
• Truck driver errors or miscalculations
• High speeds or other aggressive driving behaviors
• Low speeds
• Truck driver fatigue and driver fails
• Drunk or otherwise impaired truck drivers
• Truck driver cell phone usage
• Breaking hours of service rules
• Unlicensed truck drivers and negligent hiring
• Time-sensitive cargo delivery schedules that push truck drivers and their vehicles beyond reasonable expectations
• Poor visibility and lack of reflectors
• Failure to use blind spot mirrors
• Failure to follow federal safety regulations
• Failure to follow state and federal regulations
• Improperly installed or missing blind spot mirrors
• Defective or malfunctioning tires, brakes, lights, or other parts of the truck, trailer, or tractor
• Failure to inspect the truck properly, including tires, brakes, lights, and other areas
• Dangerous or defective highways
• Unsafe or poor road conditions due to weather or other damage to the surface such as cracks or potholes

Trucking Accident Investigations

Typically, once a truck crash occurs, there will be an investigation by the insurance party responsible for the parties involved. Potentially, law enforcement and the companies who employ the truck drivers or handle the cargo involved in the incident will also bring in their own legal team to investigate what happened and who is at fault as well, particularly if any laws were clearly broken or there are allegations or evidence of a truck driver or truck drivers being drunk or under the influence of drugs or controlled substances. It is essential to understand that you should never speak to the trucking company’s insurance representatives or claims adjusters, or any lawyers other than the tractor trailer accident lawyer that you have secured to represent your interests. And definitely never sign anything without your lawyer present and with their permission or approval! That’s why one of the first things that you should do after you’ve been involved in an accident with a semi-truck or similar vehicle is to reach out to a truck accident attorney who has experience representing clients in trucking accident lawsuit cases.

Why You Should Hire a Trucking Accident Attorney?

Hiring a trucking accident attorney helps to protect your legal rights if you’ve been in an accident of any kind. Furthermore, if you’ve been injured in any way during a truck accident, or you’ve lost a loved one from a fatal truck accident, then you’ll specifically want to consult an attorney with expertise in trucking law and dealing with the aftermath of trucking accidents in order to ensure that you are getting everything you are entitled to after suffering from an on-the-job accident or any accident that involves a semi-truck or tractor trailer. When an accident involving a semi-truck, delivery trucks, garbage truck, or 18-wheeler occurs, there are several parties involved who could potentially be considered at fault, including the commercial driver of the truck, their employer, and the associated insurance companies. The company that owns the cargo on the truck or even the manufacturer of the truck may also be included. Be aware that all of these companies or parties will want to do everything they can to protect their interests, which is why you should hire a truck injury lawyer as soon as possible after you’ve been in an accident with a semi-truck or tractor-trailer. Government agency, shipping companies, freight companies, truck manufacturers, and any other business involved in the trucking industry (even peripherally) are all expected to follow certain laws and regulations that are designed to protect employees and promote consumer safety. When companies fail to meet these expectations and violate these laws, they are then responsible for compensating the injured parties for their losses.

How Much Is a Tractor-Trailer Accident Case Worth?

 A tractor-trailer accident case or truck accident case worth depends on the damages caused and the extent of harm incurred by the victim or truck accident victims.  Damages can be recovered or settlements made for a number of reasons, including but not limited to:

• Disability
• Current or immediate medical expenses and medical treatment bills
• Future medical treatment bills
• Future medical care
• Suffer devastating injuries
• Loss of earnings or wages (in the present)
• Financial recovery
• Physical therapy
• Loss of earning capacity in the future (in the event of a disability or catastrophic injuries)
• Emotional distress and personal injuries
• Suffering pain

After being involved in a truck accident, you may have experienced significant discomfort, pain, serious injury, inconvenience, or worse. You may have missed and may continue to miss significant amounts of work or may even no longer be able to work in your previous capacity. Serious injuries or suffered injuries related to trucking accidents include but not limited to:

• Brain Injury or Traumatic Brain Injury
• Spinal Cord Injury
• Bone Fracture
• Whiplash
• Wrongful Death

Trucking incidents may even involve catastrophic injury or the loss of life. Filing a lawsuit and taking legal action against the negligent parties in a trucking accident is a way of recovering or recouping the loss or damages for the accident and ensuring that medical expenses, lost wages, and other pain and suffering that occurred as a result of the accident are taken care of as best allowed by the U.S. legal system. In the case of wrongful or accidental death due to the negligent acts of another party or parties, their heirs have the right to file an accidental death lawsuit under Illinois law, which allows for a cause of action to be brought on behalf of family members or heirs of the deceased. Accidental death lawsuits for trucking accident victims can cover medical bills and related expenses, pain and suffering, loss of earnings, and emotional distress for the family of the deceased. These losses are compensable in the state of Illinois under the Illinois Survival Act. A personal injury attorney experienced in handling these types of suits will be able to assist your family during this difficult time of unimaginable loss and handle the associated lawsuits and insurance claims so your family doesn’t have to and can focus on their grieving process and recovery.

What Should I Do If I Was in a Truck Accident?

If you were involved in a truck accident of any kind, after ensuring that you are medically safe and sound, then you should contact an attorney who has expertise in dealing with these types of issues. They can help you navigate a truck accident claim and bring a potential lawsuit against the party or parties at fault and ensure that you get everything you are owed. Immediately after being in an accident involving a truck, the first steps are to take care of your health by seeking medical attention and contacting the police. Once things are stable and you’ve seen a doctor and the police (and filed a police report), then it is time to contact your insurance company to report the accident and then a personal injury attorney to help you navigate the days ahead. Keep in mind that you should never speak with the trucker’s insurance company or their insurance claims adjuster, their employer’s insurance company or claims adjusters, or anyone related to multiple parties involved in the incident. Do not sign anything before contacting a personal injury attorney who can help you review any and all documents regarding the trucking accident and file any and all lawsuits and a personal injury claim. You should also take photographs or videos (or both) of the damage to your car before any repairs are made or you sell, destroy, or otherwise lose access to the car (if applicable). Getting pictures or video of the accident scene is also useful if you or another party or bystander are able to take photos or video shortly after the incident. Also, take clear pictures of your truck accident injuries, even if you don’t feel significant pain at first. Get all medical records from any hospital or doctor visits related to the accident reconstruction as well. Preserve evidence – with all confidential and sensitive information, keep all of this information in a safe place and make multiple copies, including digital copies stored on different hard drives or in the cloud if possible.

Here’s a list of the steps you should take after being involved in a trucking accident:

1. Call 911 and seek any necessary medical attention, and call the police to get an accident report started.
2. Take pictures of the accident scene, if you are able to at the time of the collision or incident, along with any severe injuries and damage to passenger vehicles.
3. Exchange contact information with other parties and any bystanders who could potentially be witnesses if applicable and you are able to at the time.
4. Document any doctor reports or any other medical attention that you receive, including bills and other costs.
5. Call your insurance company.
6. Call a personal injury attorney who has experience dealing with truck accidents, commercial vehicle accidents, or big rig accidents in your state or the state where the accident occurred. They can help you handle the claim and potential lawsuits from this point on.
7. Do not speak to any other party’s insurance company, their claims adjusters, lawyers, or anyone else associated with the case without your lawyer’s involvement.

Taking all of these steps in the proper order will likely make filing your personal injury claim lawsuit and insurance claims go more smoothly, and make the process of working with a personal injury lawyer go that much more smoothly. That said, your safety is always paramount so if you are unable to take pictures or videos immediately after the accident, there are other methods of establishing fault and determining a settlement.

Our Chicago Truck Attorneys Are Here to Help

A trucking accident can be a catastrophic and traumatic event that affects you, your family, and your career in many complicated and devastating ways. Furthermore, the effects of being in a truck accident can last for many years into the future, affecting your health, medical costs and future medical needs, lost wages, lost income, and future income, and even your family’s future if you lose earning capacity or the ability to care for yourself. And if you’ve lost a loved one to a trucking or commercial vehicle fatality, contact our Chicago wrongful death attorneys to recover a fair wrongful death claim settlement and to deal with the grieving process as best you can without the extra stress of dealing with insurance companies and other third parties. All of the above reasons are why you should work with truck accident lawyer or Chicago car accident lawyer who has experience dealing with truck accidents and trucking injuries who can help you recover costs for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, medical bills, disability, and emotional distress. Have you been in an accident with a semi-truck or other commercial trucks and need a truck accident lawyer to help you recover compensation for damages and severe injuries? Trunk accident victims have legal rights, and our Chicago personal injury attorneys can help with experienced legal representation.  Through our attorney client relationship, our truck accident lawyers Chicago welcome the opportunity to provide legal advice with you about your legal situation and help you determine the next steps. Please contact Zayed Law Offices and schedule a free case review and confidential initial consultation by completing our short contact form. We’ll schedule a time that is convenient for you and please note that you will not pay lawyer’s fees unless we recover and pursue compensation for you.