Road accidents involving trucks, rigs,
trailers, 18-wheelers, semis, and other commercial vehicles come with some
distinctive legal challenges. When an accident is between two cars or a car and
a motorcycle or two motorcycles, then it falls under the scope of state
specific legislation.
A
Different Type of Crash
However, trucks (technically defined in
most states as vehicles weighing over 14,000 pounds) are not only subjected to
state specific accident laws, but also federal laws that have been drafted and
put in effect by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMSCA). These laws
are extensive and require the help and legal coordination of a Chicago, IL
truck accident lawyer to correctly perceive, interpret, and apply to the
situation at hand.
This is why for anybody that finds
themselves in a similar predicament involving a truck, it is undoubtedly best to
consult and appoint a qualified an Illinois truck accident attorney as soon as
possible. You may believe that you could not become any more unlucky even if
you tried. Well, if you try not to press this button here to find yourself some
legal help your will have put yourself in an even more stressful situation and
the dreadful consequences here will be because of something you did, or failed
to do, this time around.
Who
is liable in a truck accident?
There are several parties involved in
trucking operations. Depending on the specifics of the case and the legal
outcome of trial, any of them may be held responsible. For the most part, they
may all be held jointly liable for the damages. It is no mandate that the
driver is the only one that is always responsible, the truck lessor, owner,
trucking operator (company), insurer, may also be liable. No truck accident is
ever exactly the same with one another.
Given these facts, it is easier for a
plaintiff or complainant to be awarded damages in truck accident cases when
compared to auto accident cases. In a car accident, the plaintiff has only one
person to accuse and prove guilty, the other driver. However, in a truck
accident case it may be the driver, the whole trucking company, the maintenance
team, and/or the truck manufacturer, etc. it all depends on the specifics and
the competency of the Illinois truck accident lawyer you work with.
What
damages maybe awarded in a truck accident lawsuit?
A civil personal injury lawsuit may be
filed after a truck accident. This lawsuit will serve to determine what exactly
transpired, award compensatory damages to the victim(s), and also to punish the
perpetrators.
Trucking companies pay external
vendors/contractors known as insurance adjustors especially for such
situations. The sole objective of these adjustors is to save the trucking
company money and time by keeping things out of court. They will waste no time
in approaching potential plaintiffs and attempt to talk them into a settlement.
Unfortunately, these settlements are
often much lesser than what the victim actually deserves to receive. Many
victims buy into these settlements while being oblivious of how much they could
have extracted out of the case had they taken it to court and actually sued the
trucking company. They know you have bills to pay and possibly even mouths to
feed. They use this against you.
A civil lawsuit allows victims to seek
economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages can be well accounted for
through bills and other paperwork. Economic damages may include claims such as
loss of pay and medical expenses, to name a few. Non-economic damages are for
pain and suffering where you cannot objectively link it to monetary value.
These are claims such as loss of companionship, loss of enjoyment of life,
mental anguish, etc. Your Chicago truck accident lawyer will work with you on
every aspect here.
You can find some of the truck accident
lawyers in the windy city here: https://usattorneys.com/.
The Cubs may always lose in the playoffs but that does not mean you have to.
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