Trash collectors provide an essential service for homeowners and businesses, but garbage trucks can also be dangerous. They share the roads with much smaller vehicles and often travel along narrow residential streets at times when people are traveling to work and taking their children to school.
An accident involving a garbage truck and a car can lead to devastating injuries to a person in the smaller vehicle. A collision between a garbage truck and a pedestrian or a cyclist can result in catastrophic and life-changing injuries.
If you were hurt in an accident involving a garbage truck, you may have suffered back or neck injuries, broken bones, a concussion, and even lost limbs or paralysis. You may have spent time in the hospital and had one or more major surgeries. You may have been told that you will need to undergo months of physical therapy to recover from your injuries and to return to some semblance of a normal life.
You may be experiencing chronic pain that makes it difficult or impossible to work, perform regular household activities, take care of your children, and get a good night’s sleep. You may be facing a stack of bills for treatments you have already received, and your family may be struggling to cover the mortgage, utilities, groceries, and other basic living expenses.
An Elgin garbage truck accident lawyer may be able to help you seek financial compensation for your injuries. For more than 30 years, Pintas & Mullins Law Firm has been representing clients across the United States in personal injury cases. We have helped many people who were hurt in motor vehicle accidents seek justice. Call our office at (800) 794-0444 to talk to a member of our staff about how we may be able to assist you.
Our Team Can Work to Figure Out Who Was Responsible for the Accident
An Elgin garbage truck accident lawyer can investigate to find out what led to the accident and who was responsible. We can speak to you and any passengers who were with you in the vehicle at the time of the collision, as well as any eyewitnesses who saw the crash. We can review the police report and any surveillance or cellphone video that may have recorded the accident. We may also review the garbage collection company’s internal documents.
Our investigation may uncover evidence that the garbage truck operator’s illegal actions caused the accident. For example, the driver may have been speeding in violation of 625 ILCS § 5/11-601; talking or texting on a cell phone in violation of 625 ILCS § 5/12-610.2; or driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, which would be a violation of 625 ILCS § 5/11-501.
During our investigation, we may find evidence that the garbage collection company was liable for the accident. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration imposes guidelines on the owners and operators of large trucks that are designed to prevent accidents and to keep the public safe, but companies often cut corners or ignore those rules to save money.
According to Federal Regulation §396.3, companies are required to regularly inspect and maintain their vehicles and to make any necessary repairs. If the garbage collection company failed to do so, and its inaction led to the accident, the business may be held liable for your injuries and may be required to pay you a financial settlement.
Federal Regulation §391.11 requires companies to make sure that their drivers are qualified. If the trash collection company hired an unqualified driver, either intentionally or because it failed to perform its due diligence, or if the business did not provide appropriate training on how to operate a garbage truck safely, we may take legal action against the company.
Sometimes an accident investigation reveals that a manufacturer’s defect or a design flaw in a vehicle or one of its components led to a collision. If we find evidence that the garbage truck was poorly designed, that a mistake in the factory caused a critical component to malfunction, or that a part made by another company was defective, we may be able to pursue legal action against the party responsible to seek financial compensation for your injuries.
How We May Be Able to Help You Seek Justice
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm has helped thousands of people who suffered personal injuries seek justice. We work with trial litigation attorneys across the United States to better serve our clients and to provide them with the services of two attorneys for the price of one.
Our team does not shy away from tough cases. We can attempt to reach a settlement with the garbage truck company’s insurer, but if we cannot agree on a figure that we consider reasonable, we may decide to take the case to court to seek fair compensation for you.
If you are facing a growing pile of medical bills and you are struggling to cover basic necessities, you may be thinking that your family could not afford to hire an Elgin garbage truck lawyer. You do not have to worry about that because Pintas & Mullins Law Firm works on a contingency basis. Our clients do not have to pay us any money up front. We cover the costs related to personal injury cases ourselves and only get paid if we succeed in obtaining financial compensation for clients.
According to 735 ILCS 5/13-202, the statute of limitations gives victims of personal injuries in Illinois just two years to file a lawsuit. In a case involving a garbage truck accident, we may have to look into the actions of the driver and the company, as well as the design and manufacturing of the truck. That means that our investigation may be complex and time consuming. The sooner you contact us, the sooner our team will be able to begin gathering information related to your case. Call us today at (800) 794-0444 to get the process started.
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