Truck accidents often result in serious neck or spine injuries which will require one or several surgeries, as well as lengthy rehabilitation programs.
Truck accidents account for only a fraction of all crashes in Illinois, just 3.4% according to the Department of Transportation report for 2018. However, truck accidents are far more dangerous than passenger car collisions. When two passenger cars collide, occupants in both vehicles face the same risks of being killed or injured. When a truck is involved, those in the passenger car face a much greater risk. For instance, according to the same 2018 report, only 19 truck occupants died in crashes, as compared to 86 fatalities among passenger car occupants. Also, 544 truck occupants were injured, while among occupants of passenger cars there were four times as many victims, 2,338.
If you were recently injured in such a crash, you need to speak to some experienced Illinois truck accident lawyers as soon as possible, if you want to get a fair settlement.
Truck accidents are more complex than car crashes as there are more aspects involved. You need to find out exactly who was responsible for the accident, as it may very well be that the truck driver didn’t do anything wrong. Of course, if the trucker was drunk or distracted, that’s completely on them. However, if the driver was exhausted he might be the victim of greedy bosses forcing them to forego rest and keep driving to deliver the goods quickly. If a driver works for more than 11 consecutive hours in one shift, that’s a clear violation of the federal road safety regulations, and you have every right to file a claim against the trucking company.
Seasoned truck accident lawyers in Fairfield will also want to review the technical data on the truck. They can order the truck inspected and bring in independent experts to see whether the accident was caused by some sort of malfunction. In this case, again, it is the trucking company that should be held accountable, or the company they hired for maintenance of their vehicles.
The main reason you should get yourself a good truck accident lawyer is that the other driver’s insurance might not cover the damages you sustain. Truck accidents often result in serious neck or spine injuries which will require one or several surgeries, as well as lengthy rehabilitation programs. You’ll also need to fix or replace your car, and, on top of it all, you won’t be able to work and earn for many months to come. That’s a lot of money and the personal injury protection insurance the truck driver is required to carry probably won’t cover even your medical bills, let alone the other losses. Do you think $25,000 will be enough to pay for the expert care spine injuries require?
If your lawyers advise you to go after the trucking company, do that. They know what they’re doing and you can get a 6-figure sum. According to federal regulations, trucking companies are required to carry $750,00 liability insurance.
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