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It is important for every driver in the Chicago metro area to drive safely and lawfully at all times. It is even more vital for commercial truck drivers to obey their legal “duty of care” behind the wheel. A fully loaded tractor-trailer traveling on interstate highways can legally weigh up to 80,000 pounds, and even a minor error or lapse in judgement while directing that much mass around can have catastrophic consequences.
If you have been seriously injured due to the negligence of a truck driver or trucking company, you should strongly consider reaching out to a Chicago truck accident lawyer about the possibility of a civil suit. You have the right to demand compensation from anyone who causes you harm through their own misconduct. However, it will be extremely difficult to get the compensation you need without a skilled personal injury attorney on your side.
Commercial truck drivers are specially trained and licensed to operate semi-trucks on highways, local roads, and everywhere else a job might send them. In theory, that means professional truck drivers should be much safer drivers on average than almost anyone operating a standard commuter car. In reality, truck drivers are “negligent” in all kinds of ways that lead to severe traffic collisions, including but not limited to:
Commercial trucking companies may likewise be negligent by putting unqualified drivers on the road, forcing drivers to violate federal driving time laws, or even intentionally overloading trucks with cargo. A skilled Chicago attorney can help identify the root causes of a truck wreck and take effective legal action against everyone who played a role in causing it.
Piecing together how a traffic accident happened can be difficult, and that goes double for wrecks involving massive tractor-trailers. To build a strong civil claim against a truck driver or their employer, it may be necessary to collect and preserve evidence from various sources. This evidence can range from fairly standard sources of information like witness testimony and crash scene photos, to more complex sources like data from a truck’s “black box” and input from accident reconstruction experts.
It will also be important to have plenty of evidence establishing the nature and severity of specific losses caused by the wreck. A plaintiff should be in possession of copies of bills for medical treatment and car repairs, pay stubs for lost work income, medical reports detailing the physical and psychological effects of an injury, and more. In this pursuit, assistance from a seasoned truck accident lawyer in Chicago will be important to building the strongest and most comprehensive case possible. It is also important to do this within the two-year statute of limitations deadline.
A traffic accident involving a commercial truck is one of the most frightening and dangerous experiences anyone can have on a public road. Unfortunately, it can also be one of the most uniquely challenging scenarios to file civil suit over, especially if your wreck has left you with permanent and debilitating injuries.
A Chicago truck accident lawyer could help streamline the legal process for you, work tirelessly to defend your rights, and give you the best possible chances of getting the monetary compensation you require. Call today to discuss your legal options with a free consult.