What You Need To Know About Truck Accidents in Illinois

 Posted on August 15, 2024 in Car Accident

Americans depend on semi-trucks to transport goods throughout the country. The Chicago area sees a lot of truck traffic due to its status as a major freight hub. The traffic congestion often found in Chicagoland, combined with the large number of trucks in the region daily, makes truck accidents a clear risk.

Car accident claims are often complicated, but truck crash claims have additional layers of complexity. It may be difficult to obtain the compensation you deserve without the assistance of a competent lawyer from Newland & Newland, LLP.

Truck Accident Facts

A fully loaded tractor-trailer weighs up to 80,000 pounds. Especially at higher speeds, the impact force when a truck collides with another vehicle is tremendous. Truck crashes often cause catastrophic injuries, devastating property damage, and fatalities. Some of these truck collision facts may shock you:

• In 2022, 7,551 Illinois truck crashes injured 3,606 people and killed 217 more.

• Cars are often to blame for truck accidents because motorists may merge too closely in front of a truck, not realizing that trucks cannot respond as quickly as cars.

• The people most likely to be injured in truck accidents are not truck drivers; instead, occupants of other vehicles usually experience the most severe injuries.

• Tire blowouts and faulty brakes are common contributing factors in truck crashes.

• Several parties are potentially liable for the truck’s contribution to your accident.

• Excessive fatigue, distracted driving, and speeding are among the top kinds of truck driver errors that lead to collisions.

• Improperly loaded cargo can cause truck crashes.

• You may qualify to obtain compensation for your injuries and related losses even if you are partially at fault for causing your truck accident.

• Liable insurance companies will likely treat you unfairly, expecting you to accept a settlement offer that is far less than you deserve.

Most of these facts have a common thread: negligence, which is critical to obtaining compensation in a personal injury claim.

How Does Negligence Affect Your Truck Accident Claim?

If someone else’s negligence causes your accident, you may be eligible for compensation. In many cases, more than one party — even you — may share the blame. In Illinois, modified comparative negligence laws determine your eligibility. As long as your degree of fault is less than 51 percent, you can seek damages from other at-fault parties. However, your settlement amount will be reduced by your percentage of the blame.

In legal matters, negligence is the failure to act like another reasonable person would, either by action or inaction, in the same situation. You need sufficient evidence to prove that another party’s negligence caused your accident to get any compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and other eligible damages. Negligent actions that might apply include:

• Cargo loaders not securing or balancing loads properly

• Truckers violating hours of service regulations

• Truck maintenance companies not replacing worn tires or brakes

• Parts manufacturers that sold faulty products

• Driver errors

• Trucking companies that require drivers to work too many hours straight or provide unsafe trucks

As you can see, many factors must be investigated thoroughly to determine why and how your accident happened. Then, you will likely need to fight with insurers to get a reasonable settlement.

Contact Us Today for Your Free Consultation With Our Skilled Arlington Heights, IL Truck Accident Lawyers

When you choose Newland & Newland, LLP, we will investigate your truck accident, identify the at-fault parties, and aggressively fight for the highest possible amount of compensation on your behalf. Our attorneys have decades of combined experience, and our track record shows that we know how to win. Call us today at 847-797-8000 for your free consultation with one of our dedicated Schaumburg, IL truck accident attorneys.