Wheaton Truck Accident Lawyer

Zayed Law Offices: Relentless Pursuit of Justice for Wheaton Truck Accident Victims

Sustaining severe injuries in a truck accident can leave you reeling. What should you do next? How much compensation do you deserve for your injuries? At Zayed Law Offices, we have considerable experience dealing with truck accident claims. We have successfully helped many truck accident victims obtain the compensation they deserve for their injuries by negotiating fair settlements and fighting for clients in court. After a truck accident, you may find that getting comprehensive legal support goes a long way toward helping you feel more confident about the outcome of your injury claim. At Zayed Law Offices, we aim to provide support and assistance to our clients while relentlessly pursuing the justice they deserve for their injuries.

We know how to perform a full investigation into the details of a Wheaton truck accident.

Truck accident claims often become more complicated than the average car accident claim, primarily because it can be challenging to determine whether the truck driver’s employer shares liability for the incident. These details are critical to filing your claim, especially if you do discover that the trucking company contributed in some way to the accident. At Zayed Law Offices, we know how to help locate and review all the evidence: truckers’ logbooks, company policy, past driver records, maintenance records, and any other details that could affect your claim. When necessary, we can perform a full investigation with no holds barred to find out just what happened in your Wheaton truck accident.

We help put together a comprehensive, compelling claim.

Many truck accident victims assume that the truck driver’s insurance company will send them a reasonable settlement offer, especially if they sustained obvious injuries in the truck accident. Unfortunately, many insurance companies make a low settlement offer to start. Their offer might not even cover the victim’s short-term damages, much less long-term expenses. At Zayed Law Offices, we make sure our clients understand how much compensation they should expect for their injuries. Then, we can put together a compelling claim to present to the insurance company.

We can help our clients deal with insurance company interactions and negotiations.

Insurance companies use various strategies to reduce their payout after a Wheaton truck accident. They may try to:

• Issue a low settlement offer
• Prove that you contributed to the truck accident
• Deny your claim altogether

At Zayed Law Offices, we help our clients navigate dealing with the insurance company. We can take over negotiations on our clients’ behalf and know how to combat tricky insurance company tactics.

Common Causes of Wheaton Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can occur all too easily. The following describes some of the most common causes of truck accidents in our area:

Driver Distraction

Truck drivers often spend long hours on the road every day. They may quickly grow frustrated or distracted, their attention drifting away from the wheel to other tasks. Driving while distracted substantially increases the risk of an accident in any vehicle, but it is even more dangerous in big trucks. Safely driving big trucks takes more attention since truck drivers need more time to respond to hazards around them. Without maintaining the necessary focus, they may have difficulty avoiding potential collisions.

Speeding

Increasing speed correlates with increased accident risk in any vehicle. In big trucks, however, speeding poses even more significant risks. Big trucks need much more distance to come to a safe stop than the average passenger vehicle. Truck drivers also need more room to complete turns safely. At high rates of speed, semi-trucks become much more challenging to manage; drivers may not be able to avoid a collision. Speeding not only increases the risk of an accident; it may also increase an accident’s severity. The full force of a speeding semi-truck crashing into other vehicles or objects causes immense property damage and severe injuries.

Driver Fatigue

In the U.S., most cargo truck drivers may drive a maximum of eleven hours after ten consecutive hours off duty. Those long hours behind the wheel can spell disaster for many truck drivers. Fatigue can cause truck drivers to struggle with decision-making and reflexes. They may have a hard time safely controlling their vehicles and might even drift out of their lane in traffic. Furthermore, increasing fatigue can cause drivers to fall asleep behind the wheel, completely losing control of their semis.

Blind Spots

While most vehicles have at least a small blind spot—an area where the driver cannot safely see what happens around the vehicle—big trucks have large blind spots on every side. If the truck driver fails to keep track of other cars around them, those large blind spots can hide a passenger vehicle, leaving a truck driver unaware of that vehicle’s presence. A catastrophic accident occurs if the trucker changes lanes or merges on top of the unseen car.

Right-Turn Accidents

Big trucks often make wide right turns. However, some drivers may not exercise adequate precautions before making those wide right turns, which can increase the risk of a sideswipe collision on the right side of the vehicle.

Lack of Experience on the Road

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration mandates that truck drivers undergo specific training before receiving a license. However, that does not necessarily mean that drivers receive adequate training and support to handle all the conditions they may face out on the road. Many drivers receive only minimal training before they head out into the streets of Illinois for the first time. As a result, they may be unable to respond to dangers on the road.

Shifting Load Accidents

A shifting load can prove disastrous for many truck drivers. In some cases, shifting cargo may fall out of the truck, especially from flatbed trailers. In other cases, a shifting load may imbalance the truck’s trailer, causing it to swing away from the semi and out of control. Shifting cargo may increase the risk of a jackknife, where the trailer swings free of the truck, making it very difficult for the driver to bring it back under control.

Poor Weather Conditions

Poor weather conditions make driving safely much more difficult for truckers, especially if they lack experience navigating under those conditions. Wheaton, Illinois, receives an estimated 119 days of precipitation each year, including 39 inches of rain and 30 inches of snow. Bad weather makes the roads slick and decreases visibility, making driving conditions dangerous.

Mechanical Problems

Big trucks require considerable maintenance to keep them in working order. After each haul, truck drivers should carefully inspect their vehicles and report any problems to the trucking company. The trucking company should repair any broken parts before the truck goes out again. Unfortunately, some trucking companies do not adequately maintain their trucks, leading to preventable accidents.

Liability in Wheaton Truck Accidents: Who Caused the Accident?

In most cases, the driver who acts negligently bears liability for the accident. That includes truck accidents. When a truck driver’s negligent behavior, such as speeding or texting and driving, causes a collision, that truck driver should be liable for their actions. That said, truck accident investigations often involve more details than the average car accident. Outside parties may share liability for a truck accident, like the trucking company. Trucking companies owe a duty to others who share the road with their truck drivers. They may breach their duty of care by pushing their drivers to engage in dangerous behaviors. For example, policies that force drivers to stay on the road and finish a delivery despite exhaustion, intoxication, or illness can cause accidents. Furthermore, trucking companies may share liability when they fail to maintain a vehicle properly, fail to keep adequate records of their drivers’ behaviors, or negligently hire drivers. Other entities that may bear liability for a truck accident include:

• The truck’s manufacturer, in the case of a severe manufacturing error that causes an accident
• A mechanic that recently worked on the vehicle but failed to complete those repairs properly
• The company that loaded the truck if the cargo shifted dangerously

Hiring a truck accident lawyer at Zayed Law Offices can help you understand who may bear liability for your truck accident so that you can pursue the compensation you deserve.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Wheaton Truck Accident?

After a Wheaton truck accident, knowing how much compensation you might recover can be critical, especially if you sustained severe injuries. Truck accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, amputations, internal damage, or permanent injuries. These injuries can bring significant financial challenges as well as immense pain. As part of a truck accident claim in Wheaton, you may seek compensation for your medical costs, including all bills related to the accident. You may also seek money to recover your lost wages from when you had to miss work because of your injuries. You might also seek compensation for the pain and suffering you faced as a direct result of the accident. At Zayed Law Offices, we can help you review your financial losses to create an estimate of how much you should seek in a truck accident claim.

Do You Need a Wheaton Truck Accident Attorney?

After sustaining severe injuries in a Wheaton truck accident, do not attempt to handle your injury claim on your own. Working with an experienced Wheaton truck accident lawyer will save you time and stress, allowing you to focus on your recovery. Contact Zayed Law Offices at (630) 690-1919 to learn about pursuing compensation following a Wheaton truck accident today.

Client Testimonial

“My experience with Zayed Law Offices was a wonderful experience. I was treated professionally and I thought they were thoughtful and helpful. His interest was always for the client and the best possible outcome. I would recommend Zayed Law Offices to anyone in need of help.” -Mickey L. Zayed Law Offices 1761 S Naperville Rd Suite 202 Wheaton, IL 60189