TRACTOR-TRAILER ACCIDENT LAWYER CHICAGO
PRACTICE AREAS
Tractor-Trailer Accident Attorney in Chicago, IL
The American economy depends on tractor-trailers. Nearly 70% of all transported goods in the United States arrive in trucks. The trucking industry employs around 3.5 million people. Tractor-trailers saturate our roadways and pose a threat to pedestrians, bikers, and those in smaller vehicles. Every year, there are nearly half a million tractor-trailer accidents.
Tractor-trailer accidents cause serious injuries. All too often, these injuries end up being fatal. Sadly, many of these accidents would have been preventable had the truck driver taken better care and attention.
Companies that insure tractor-trailers and truckers work hard to save money. Therefore, they often rush investigators to the scene of tractor-trailer accidents to gather evidence in order to limit their liability. The sooner you hire an experienced tractor-trailer accident lawyer, the sooner we can begin to fight against these ruthless insurance companies. The attorneys at Curcio Law Offices have a proven track record of securing extraordinary outcomes for our clients.
Why Choose Curcio Law Offices for Your Tractor Trailer Accident Case?
As one of Chicago’s distinguished law firms, we focus solely on personal injury cases. Rather than dividing our time between as many practice areas as we can, we focus on one category of law. This allows our clients to receive only the best in legal services concerning their personal injury cases. We have provided qualified representation for Chicago and Illinois residents since 1957. That’s over 65 years of experience and dedicated service. Why settle for a law firm that takes every case type out there when you could have superior knowledge and experience on your side?
We Seek Maximum Compensation for Victims
Not only do we handle a wide variety of personal injury cases, but we also seek maximum compensation for victims and their families. After suffering a personal injury or the loss of a loved one, it’s important that your injuries and pain are fairly compensated. We never accept lowball offers from insurance companies, and we fight tooth and nail for the compensation you deserve.
Will My Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Handle the Insurance Companies?
Absolutely. In many cases, insurance companies operate on a for-profit basis. This means that they’re more concerned about making and saving money than helping injured victims. Because of our years of experience and practice, we know exactly how to handle stubborn companies and insurance adjusters. Insurance claims can be complicated to handle without an experienced attorney at your side. Let Curcio Law Offices do all the heavy lifting while you focus on healing.
What Should You Do if the Insurance Company Contacts You?
In many cases, it’s not the best idea to speak with the insurance company on your own. While it is important to speak with your own insurer, you should be careful dealing with another company. The best way you can deal with insurance companies is to let your Chicago personal injury lawyer handle them. They will attempt to use anything you say against you with the goal of either not paying you at all or paying you as little as possible. Attorneys know how to avoid this, so it’s in your best interest to let your truck accident lawyer handle it.
How Much Does a Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyer Cost?
At Curcio Law Offices, we offer a free consultation to every single client prior to taking their case. We also operate on a strict contingency fee basis. But what does this mean for the client? Basically, we don’t accept a dime of your money unless we secure a recovery for you. Your free case evaluation establishes an attorney-client relationship with us, and we evaluate the facts of your case.
Once we take your case and begin gathering evidence (such as police reports, driver logs, witness statements, medical bills, and records of lost wages), we handle your case for free until we secure a recovery.
Contingency fees are usually a percentage of your semi truck accident settlement amount or your lawsuit recovery. Prior to litigating your case, we ensure that you are comfortable with this arrangement. A law firm that operates on contingency fees has the best interests of the client in mind. After all, we understand that you already have mounting medical expenses, and you’ve probably lost time at work. We don’t want to weigh our clients down with outrageous legal fees while they’re already struggling.
With that said, the ultimate cost of legal fees for your case will vary depending on the facts of the case and the work that our attorneys put into it. Schedule a free consultation with us to gain a better understanding of how your case might be handled.
How Can a Tractor Trailer Accident Attorney Help My Case?
A Chicago truck accident lawyer is an invaluable asset for truck accident victims. Accidents involving tractor-trailers have the potential to be highly complicated. Therefore, the skill of an experienced attorney can greatly benefit accident victims in the following ways.
This includes gathering relevant evidence and paperwork, as well as interviewing witnesses. Additionally, we seek “black box” data from the trucking companies to use in our cases. This could show a driver’s negligence and help your case in court.
Filing a trucking accident claim often requires piles of paperwork. If they are filled in incorrectly or submitted late, it could jeopardize your case. We will ensure that all your paperwork is properly filed and submitted on time.
Tractor-trailer accidents often involve serious accident injuries. Examples include spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injury, neck injuries, catastrophic injuries, and more serious injuries. We fight to get you the medical care you deserve.
Tractor-trailer accident attorneys have the knowledge and experience necessary to uncover what really caused the accident. A tractor-trailer wreck isn’t always the fault of the driver. Sometimes, the truck company is liable for your injuries.
In many cases, it is much more likely for an attorney to negotiate a favorable settlement than for victims to negotiate on their own. We build a strong case for your compensation by compiling detailed evidence.
If the insurance company refuses to negotiate a fair settlement, that’s where we come in. Personal injury lawsuits arise when cases can’t be settled out of court. We litigate your case before a court and have considerable trial experience that you can rely on.
Sometimes, the verdict might not be in the favor or the best interest of the victims. When this happens, we appeal your case to a higher court. One setback won’t deter our law firm from pursuing compensation for you and your family.
What Percentage of Accidents Are Caused by Tractor Trailers?
It’s important to understand certain statistics surrounding trucking accidents. Because the trucking industry is so large and still growing, it should come as no surprise that truck accident cases are also on the rise. Careless drivers combined with large, dangerous vehicles are a recipe for disaster, and fatal accidents are unfortunately also on the rise. Below, we include important yet shocking statistics about tractor-trailer accident cases.
- Since 2009, there has been a 52% increase in truck accidents.
- 74% of fatal accidents involving passenger vehicles also involve large trucks.
- Passenger car occupants account for around 68% of large truck accident fatalities.
- The top causes of truck accidents are mechanical defects, specifically brake and tire defects.
- Approximately 74% of fatal crashes involve tractor-trailers as opposed to other large trucks.
If I’m Hit by a Tractor-Trailer in Illinois, Who is Legally Responsible?
The first person we usually look at in tractor-trailer accidents is the truck driver. However, in most cases, other parties are involved. There is a wide range of parties that may be called defendants in the lawsuit. Some of these include:
- Truck driver
- Insurance company
- Trucking company
- Truck part manufacturer
- Commercial truck owner
- Maintenance and service companies
- Other drivers involved in the crash
The experienced truck accident lawyers at Curcio Law Offices investigate the specific details of each case for our clients. Most importantly, we decide who to name as defendants in order to recover the full amount that a tractor-trailer accident victim deserves.
How Do You Investigate a Tractor Trailer Accident in Chicago?
Every Chicago motor vehicle accident is unique. Still, there are several factors that commonly cause tractor-trailer accidents. Unfortunately, truck drivers sometimes do things that endanger public safety in order to save time and money. In some cases, they might not take the required rest breaks. In other cases, they might have taken illegal drugs or stimulants in order to stay awake.
When we build your case, we need to investigate how the accident happened. Often, the devastating consequences of a tractor-trailer accident could have been prevented.
What Causes Tractor Trailer Accidents in Chicago?
Some of the common contributing factors of tractor-trailer accidents in Chicago include, but are not limited to:
- Driver fatigue
- Distracted driving
- Poor training and hiring
- Reckless driving, or
- Driving under the influence
- Poor weather conditions
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Tractor-Trailer Accident Case?
After an accident with a tractor-trailer, the trucking company will usually send its own team of investigators immediately. They will be looking for evidence to show that they should not be held liable. You need investigators on your side that will help document the accident. The sooner you enlist the help of our tractor-trailer accident lawyers, the sooner we can act to collect important evidence for your case and investigate the accident properly. We seek the opinions of experts and witnesses. We know where to search for evidence and who to hold responsible.
Truck drivers are supposed to follow a long list of federal and state laws and regulations. These rules govern substance and alcohol abuse, maintenance and inspection procedures, training and licensing procedures, working hours, and more. Because of our years of work with truck accident lawsuits, we know the many regulations that truck drivers must follow. We know how to determine if a violation caused your accident. Proper investigation ensures you will recover compensation from every possible source of liability in your accident.
If you need a tractor-trailer accident lawyer in Illinois, enlist the help of our experienced, passionate team. Your road to recovery begins with a free, confidential consultation. Contact us online or by calling 312-321-1111. Don’t wait to get the representation you need.
Common Causes of Tractor-Trailer Accidents
The hours many truck drivers must work are difficult. Many of them develop sleep apnea, a disorder that prevents restful sleep. It can cause excess fatigue while they are working. There are regulations that dictate how long drivers may work before needing to take a sleep break. Sometimes drivers exceed the limits in order to get paid.
We all face distractions when driving. However, those behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer can inflict a lot more damage and need to be warier of distractions like:
- Texting and driving
- Social Media
- Sports Games
- Phone and Video Calls
- Food and drinks
- Navigation
These are the leading causes of car accidents as well.
Negligent training practices could include:
- Failure to properly train employees on safe practices and company policies
- Negligent hiring practices could include:
- Failing to do background checks
- Hiring drivers with false or expired licenses
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Failure to use turn signals
- Some drivers may resort to taking stimulants or other illegal drugs to stay awake, which may impair their ability to drive safely.
How Long Does a Truck Accident Claim Take to Settle?
It is nearly impossible to predict the exact amount of time required to settle a tractor-trailer crash case. However, they usually take longer than cases for car accidents. This is because these large truck crashes often involve commercial vehicles, meaning the cases are more complicated.
After a major trucking accident, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) must conduct its own investigations. Below, we include common reasons that could lengthen a case for an accident involving commercial trucks.
- Investigations into liability and fault. Possible liable parties include truck drivers, trucking companies, truck manufacturer, truck mechanics, and many others.
- Determining the accident’s severity. Due to their size and weight, large trucks often cause more damage. This means there is more for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to investigate.
- Determining the insurance coverage required by federal regulations and ensuring that trucking companies carry this insurance.
- Your medical treatments and injuries could hold up your case. This is because you must wait until you fully understand the extent of your current and future medical expenses before accepting a settlement offer.
- Settlement negotiations can delay the process as well. Many cases see multiple rounds of negotiation in order to reach a fair settlement.
What Damages Can I Collect for a Tractor-Trailer Accident?
Victims of truck accidents deserve certain types of compensation for their losses, especially in cases of wrongful death. We list these types of damages below.
- Current and future medical bills
- Physical therapy costs
- Medication costs
- Lost wages
- Loss of earning capacity
- Transportation costs for receiving medical treatment
- Burial and funeral expenses for victims’ family members
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Disfigurement or permanent scarring
Punitive damages are also a possibility in a truck accident case in which the court finds the defendant’s actions particularly egregious. These damages intend to act as both a deterrent and a punishment.
Contact the Tractor Trailer Accident Lawyers at Curcio Law Offices Today
If you are injured, or a loved one has died because of a tragic motor vehicle accident, call us today at 312-321-1111. You can also contact us online to schedule a free initial consultation. We operate on a contingency basis, so you only pay after we recover compensation for you. Our law firm will take care of you and your family after a truck crash. Depending on your case, you can file either a personal injury lawsuit or a wrongful death lawsuit.
