Motor vehicle collisions often result in injuries, but an accident involving a truck can cause particularly serious harm given the size and weight of a truck compared to a passenger vehicle. Even what appears to be a minor collision can result in devastating injuries to someone in a smaller vehicle. Accidents involving a truck and a car often result in head trauma, back and neck injuries, broken bones, and even lost limbs and paralysis.
If you were hurt in a truck accident, you may cope with severe and chronic pain that leaves you unable to work and care for your loved ones. You may have already undergone one or more surgeries, and you may have to endure more procedures in the future, as well as physical therapy several times per week.
Bills may be piling up, both for medical treatments and for your mortgage, car payment, credit cards, and other regular expenses. You and your spouse may be struggling to make ends meet and worried about what the future may hold for your family.
Pintas & Mullins Law Firm may be able to help. Call our office at (800) 794-0444 to talk about the truck accident that caused your injuries and to discuss your legal options.
What Happened and Who Is Liable
A truck accident can occur for a wide array of reasons. The team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm may conduct an investigation to figure out what led to the collision that caused your injuries and who was responsible.
We may review the police report, interview witnesses, and look at other relevant evidence, such as security video from nearby buildings that may have captured the accident. We may also review the trucking company’s records to find out whether the truck was properly maintained and whether the driver was qualified.
Sometimes, an accident occurs because a driver failed to obey a traffic signal. Collisions involving trucks often happen because the operator was speeding. Truck drivers sometimes travel too fast, and even drive recklessly, because they have to meet strict deadlines to reach a destination and deliver goods. Speeding and reckless driving can result in serious and life-changing injuries to others who share the road.
Truckers who travel long distances can become fatigued, which can put them and drivers and passengers in other vehicles in danger. Illinois has laws limiting the hours of service for truck drivers, but sometimes drivers do not abide by this law established in 625 ILCS 5/6-106.1a.
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs is prohibited under Illinois law. A driver with a CDL license who is involved in an accident and who tests positive for alcohol or drugs can have his or her driving privileges suspended and disqualified.
Trucks are subject to weight limits for safety reasons, according to 625 ILCS 5/4-201. A truck that is carrying more weight than it is designed for can be difficult to control. If the driver needs to turn or change lanes suddenly, or if the driver is speeding, the truck can jack-knife or overturn.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration also sets national rules on the safe operation of commercial carrier vehicles that are intended to protect the public. Those regulations apply to driver qualifications, truck maintenance and repairs, rest breaks, and the use of alcohol and drugs.
How a Cicero Truck Accident Lawyer May Handle Your Case
It can be difficult for an individual dealing with personal injuries to negotiate with an insurance company. Insurers have teams of attorneys looking out for their best interest, and they typically try to settle cases for small amounts. If you do not know how much your case is worth, and if you deal with pain and worry about paying your bills, you may be tempted to accept a settlement that is less than you deserve.
The team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm can work to negotiate a fair settlement with the trucking company’s insurance company. If we cannot negotiate fair compensation, we may file a personal injury lawsuit on your behalf. We do not hesitate to take on tough cases.
For a free legal consultation with a Truck Accidents Lawyer serving Cicero, call (800) 794-0444
Consider a Cicero Truck Accident Lawyer
If you were hurt in an accident involving a truck, the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm may be able to figure out if the driver or the trucking company was liable for the collision and help you seek financial compensation. Even if your life never returns to the way it was before the accident, financial security may be able to provide you and your family with some peace of mind.
We understand that when faced with a growing stack of bills, you may think that you could not possibly afford to hire a Cicero truck accident lawyer. Pintas & Mullins Law Firm operates on a contingency basis. That means that you will not need to pay us anything up front to represent you. We will only collect payment if we succeed in recovering a financial award on your behalf.
You have only two years to file a personal injury case according to 735 ILCS 5/13-202. The sooner you get in touch with us to discuss the accident, the sooner we will be able to begin working on your case. Call our office at (800) 794-0444 to discuss how you were injured in a truck accident and how we may be able to help you.
Call or text (800) 794-0444 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form