Jackknife crashes occur when a tractor and its trailer fold toward each other into a V-shape, often sweeping across lanes and striking multiple vehicles. These truck accidents can cause severe injuries. The aftermath often leaves victims facing surgery, lost income, and months of rehabilitation.
If a trucking company or its drivers’ choices cause a preventable disaster in Rockford, Illinois, they need to be held accountable. At Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys, our attorneys know how to get results in complex truck accident cases. We have the resources and experience needed to take on national carriers and their insurers.
From day one, our Rockford jackknife accident attorneys will work to prepare your personal injury claim for negotiation and trial. We represent clients on a contingency fee basis, so you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Contact us today at (815) 662-0330 to set up a free consultation.
How Can Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys Help After a Jackknife Accident in Rockford, IL?
Jackknife accident cases in Rockford, IL, demand immediate action. Evidence such as dashcam files, ECM data, and short-retention surveillance can disappear quickly, and witnesses may scatter. We can coordinate the investigation, challenge the insurer’s early tactics, and help you map out every path to recovery.
Our Rockford truck accident lawyers can:
- Secure police reports, photos, and video from nearby businesses
- Send preservation notices for black box data, driver logs, and dispatch communications
- Audit maintenance records and tire and brake services
- Retain accident reconstruction and human factors experts
- Collect medical records, bills, and employment documentation
- Handle all settlement communications
- Take your case to trial if the other side refuses to offer a fair settlement
Taking these steps builds pressure on the defense. When insurers see expert opinions, preserved electronic evidence, and a clear damages model, they are more likely to take your claim more seriously. Call us today to speak with a Rockford personal injury lawyer.
What Causes Jackknife Accidents in Rockford?
Jackknife events are almost always preventable. These incidents typically stem from choices made by drivers and carriers that could have been avoided, especially on roadways where high speeds and heavy freight traffic mix.
Contributing factors can include:
- Hard braking on a slick pavement with worn brakes
- Improperly secured cargo or weight distribution that destabilizes the trailer
- Speeding or reckless driving in bad weather or traffic conditions
- Driver fatigue from hours-of-service violations
- Tire failures or mismatched tire pressures across axles
- Inadequate training in downshifting, following distance, and evasive maneuvers
Each of these factors represents a violation of safety regulations. Our Rockford truck accident attorneys will work to connect rule violations to the jackknife sequence with the goal of proving liability.
Who Is Liable for a Jackknife Crash?
Jackknife accident cases are complex, with multiple parties potentially responsible. These can include the driver, the motor carrier, a freight broker, or a maintenance contractor. Our Rockford personal injury attorneys will work to help you hold every single party that prioritized profits over safety accountable.
Understanding the full scope of negligence is important in jackknife accident cases. This is because the allocation of fault can impact the outcome of your case and the amount of compensation you may be entitled to. By working to identify all responsible parties, we can open additional avenues of compensation to increase your chances of receiving all the resources you need to rebuild your life.
What Injuries Commonly Occur in Jackknife Crashes?
Because jackknifes often cross lanes and trigger multi-vehicle impacts, injuries can be severe and varied. Victims may require staged surgeries and months of therapy.
Common injuries include:
- Traumatic brain injury, post-concussive symptoms, or skull fractures
- Spinal cord injuries, including herniated discs or vertebral fractures
- Complex fractures and bone breaks
- Crush injuries to the chest or abdomen with internal organ damage
- Facial fractures, dental injuries, and vision impairment from glass and debris
- Emotional harm, such as anxiety, sleep disturbance, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
These harms affect work, family life, and independence. If a crash results in death, families may bring a wrongful death claim to seek accountability for funeral costs, loss of financial support, and the profound personal loss that follows a fatal collision.
What to Do After a Jackknife Accident in Rockford
In the critical first hours after a serious accident, several steps can proactively protect your health and your case, such as:
- Calling law enforcement to report the crash and request medical help
- Seeking medical care to document any injury
- Photographing vehicle positions, skid marks, cargo, and roadway conditions
- Collecting names and contact information of witnesses
- Not making statements to insurers until you have legal counsel
Taking these steps can protect your health and may prevent common insurer arguments about gaps in treatment or evidence.
How Long Do I Have to File a Jackknife Accident Lawsuit in Illinois?
The Illinois statute of limitations for filing a personal injury lawsuit is typically two years from the accident date. Missing this deadline could mean forfeiting your right to seek compensation in court for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Deadlines are important for the strength of your claim as well. Electronic logging data can be overwritten, maintenance records can rotate out of retention, and witness memories can fade.
Filing well before the cutoff allows your Rockford personal injury attorney enough time to thoroughly investigate and secure important evidence. It also reduces the effectiveness of any stall tactics the other side might try.
Contact Our Rockford Jackknife Accident Attorneys Today for a Free Consultation
After a jackknife crash, it is normal to feel overwhelmed by pain, paperwork, and calls from insurance adjusters. Zayed Law Offices Personal Injury Attorneys can help. With decades of experience and over $100 million recovered for accident victims, we know what it takes to prove fault in complex trucking cases. Let our dedicated legal team handle the fight for compensation while you focus on healing.
Contact our law offices today to schedule your free consultation with our skilled Rockford jackknife accident lawyers.
