Question 1

How do you prove negligence in a truck accident case?

Accepted Answer

Although companies are required to follow Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSA) concerning their equipment and their drivers&#8217; hours of service, driver fatigue continues to be one of the most common reasons for these tragedies. Don&#8217;t let their mistake get twisted into yours.
After an accident, it’s often necessary to act quickly to preserve evidence. If you are unsure of what to do, you may lose much-needed information. If you hire a truck accident attorney soon after the accident, you will have a much better chance of locating and saving all necessary evidence.
Our Investigation Includes:

Determining the level of truck maintenance
Drug and alcohol tests
A review to confirm adequate insurance coverage
A full examination of truck safety markings
Weight restriction compliance
Adherence to loading procedures
Ensuring the company fulfilled safety inspection requirements
Accident reconstruction

When our semi-truck accident attorney files a lawsuit against a trucking company, we know that we will need to present evidence that proves negligence. The key to helping you seek justice for the physical pain and emotional duress caused by an accident includes our proving reckless conduct by the driver and/or trucking company.

Question 2

What should I do after a Semi-Truck Accident in Illinois?

Accepted Answer

Like in a car accident, it is important to check for injuries immediately after an accident, both your own and those of anyone else involved in the accident such as your passenger or the other drivers involved. If anyone is hurt, call for an ambulance. Afterward, you should contact the police to report the accident.
Even more than with ordinary car accidents, it&#8217;s also important to gather as much information as you can. Exchange information with the other driver, including names, driver’s license information, and the trucker’s company name and contact information. You will also want to get the license plate information and the truck’s DOT number, insurance information, and the information on the truck itself such as its make, model, and year.
If there are any witnesses, you will want to get their names and contact information. Take pictures of anything involving the scene of the accident you can. The truck. Your vehicle. Skid marks on the road. Any other debris or damage on the road that might have caused – or been caused by – the accident.

Question 3

How do I know who is liable for a Truck Accident in Illinois?

Accepted Answer

While most car accidents are straightforward as to who might be liable in an accident, the liability for a truck accident can be a much more complicated affair. Outside of the truck driver themselves, who may be responsible for driving inattentively, in an unsafe manner, or while drowsy or under the influence, there are many others who may hold at least partial liability for a trucking-related accident.
The Trucking company itself may be liable if the truck driver was involved in an accident while on the job, if they failed to properly inspect the vehicle, or had pushed the driver to exceed the legal limits on driving speed or time to meet an unreasonable deadline.
The owner of the truck, if it was neither the driver nor the company, the manufacturer if an accident was caused due to defective parts, and loaders who failed to properly inspect or secure cargo may also be partially liable for an accident caused by the results of their failure to properly ensure that an accident would not be caused.

Question 4

How long do I have to file a lawsuit for a Semi-Truck Accident?

Accepted Answer

The statute of limitations for filing a claim for personal injuries in Illinois is two years. For property-damage only claims, the person has up to five years to start the claim.
However, with Semi-Truck related accidents it is especially important to get in touch with an experienced attorney right away. More than in many other types of accidents, evidence about accidents involving large trucks has a tendency to disappear if it is not immediately collected.
An Attorney experienced in these kinds of cases will know which kinds of evidence you will need to find or request to support you in your case, and will help you to acquire them in a timely manner before they are lost.

Question 5

How are Semi-Truck Accidents different than normal car accidents?

Accepted Answer

The most obvious difference between accidents with large trucks and other vehicles is the sheer scale. Injuries and damages from accidents involving Semi-Trucks tend to be significantly greater than when only smaller vehicles are involved, based on the sheer size and weight of the trucks and their cargo. During normal car accidents, the vehicles are usually pretty close in size, so your car can offer a degree of protection it just can’t against a much larger vehicle.
There are also additional complications in investigating the accident. A trucking company is obligated to keep logs of the state of their vehicles and their use, but these logs are often only kept for a few weeks. If an immediate investigation or request to preserve that information is not made, it can be potentially lost forever, making investigating the accident much more difficult.

Question 6

What are the most common causes of Semi-Truck accidents?

Accepted Answer

A great deal of Semi-Truck related accidents is caused by driver error. This includes poor decision-making such as speeding, following other vehicles too closely, or failing to pay sufficient attention to their surroundings because of fatigue or distractions. Other common factors of accidents with large trucks include mechanical problems, like errors with the brakes, unexpected traffic flow interruptions, or the need for a sudden stop.
Many accidents are also caused when a driver is unfamiliar with the area they are driving in. A mistake that could be recovered by an ordinary vehicle can often result in a devastating accident when a large truck is involved.

Question 7

How much are truck accident cases worth?

Accepted Answer

Though individual cases vary widely, the scale of truck accidents often leading to devastating injuries and significant damage has caused them to often be much larger than other cases.
Though there are often relatively small cases when an accident was not caused primarily through the fault of the truck driver or trucking company, many claims relating to large trucks have often reached settlements approaching or significantly passing $1,000,000.

Question 8

What kind of injuries do people usually get from Semi-Truck Accidents?

Accepted Answer

Due to the sheer size and weight of the vehicles involved, accidents involving Semi-Trucks often result in devastating injuries.
Disfigurement, brain injuries, broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and significant muscle and soft-tissue injuries are all possible injuries from an accident involving a Semi-Truck if the victim manages to survive. Tragic fatal injuries are also not uncommon in more severe accidents.
Accidents involving a semi-truck are among the most serious and most deadly in the United States. An experienced Chicago-based semi-truck accident lawyer has a thorough understanding of commercial vehicle regulations on both the federal and state level for Illinois.
You may not have considered this, however hundreds, and some years thousands, of truck accidents, occur in greater Chicago. Did you know that there are six federally sanctioned interstates crossing directly through the very heart of our windy city?
Whether you commute every day on the Kennedy Expressway or leave for a weekend in the country by taking Interstate 55, it is highly likely you have encountered numerous commercial or semi-trucks along your drive.

Question 9

Where are the worst places for Semi-Truck accidents in Illinois?

Accepted Answer

A large number of accidents with Semi-Trucks occur on highways and interstates, where a combination of high speed and the truck’s immense size and weight can cause a dangerous situation with even a relatively minor mistake.
Some of the most common highways for accidents are the I-57, the I-55, and the I-80. In 2017, over one hundred people died in trucking-related accidents on these three highways alone, comprising the majority of truck-related deaths in Illinois that year.

Question 10

How to find a tractor trailer accident lawyer?

Accepted Answer

Some of the best trucking accident attorneys can be found online. A simple Google search of &#8216;Best Truck Accident Attorney&#8217; or &#8216;Truck Accident Injury Lawyer&#8217; will point you in the right direction. However, before you decide on who to call, make sure they have a lot of experience and have great reviews.
Here at Shuman Legal, we can certainly help your accident case. With hundreds of five star reviews and over 30 years of experience serving truck accident vicitims, you&#8217;ll be happy you called.

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