Effingham Truck Accident Lawyer

Common Types of Truck-Involved Collisions

Wrecks involving tractor-trailers and other large trucks can take on many shapes and forms. Some of the crash types we find lead to our clients getting hurt and seeking our Effingham truck accident attorneys’ help include:

• Head-on truck crashes
• Intersection accidents (also referred to as T-bones)
• Rear-end trucking collisions
• Jackknife accidents
• Chain-reaction crashes (also known as multi-car pileups)
• Sideswipe accidents

No matter if one of the wreck types listed above hurt you or some other type did, contact our law firm to discuss what happened. It’s likely that Illinois law affords you the right to hold the trucker or other responsible party accountable for the crash that harmed you.

Contributing Factors in Big Truck Crashes

Some of the same causes of any other auto accident can also be responsible for trucking ones, including:

• Distracted driving
• Drunk driving
• Drowsy driving
• Reckless driving

As for the latter point, this is a catchall category that includes speeding, tailgating (also known as following too closely), applying the brakes too late, failing to yield to the right of way of another motorist, and other similar driving behaviors.

The Role Violations of Truck Safety Regulations Plays in Causing Tractor-Trailer Collisions

You’re likely aware that truckers must follow trucking regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and governmental agencies to minimize their crash risks. Those rules:

• Require anyone planning to operate a truck to undergo specialized training, including obtaining a commercial driver’s license (CDL)
• Document pre-trip and annual inspections and vehicle maintenance performed
• Require truckers to log how far and long they travel
• Establish hours of service limiting how much tractor-trailer operators can drive daily and weekly
• Limit how heavy of a load truckers can carry (cargo weight limits)

While the list of regulations above isn’t comprehensive, the different concerns documented above give you an idea of potential concerns that, if handled as truckers, trucking companies, cargo loaders, and others should, can also contribute to causing a truck crash.

Whether you believe or know one of the factors described above contributed to causing your collision with a semi-truck or something else, it’s likely that our legal team at Prince Law Firm can help you. When you reach out to us, we’ll connect you with our Effingham truck accident lawyer, who can review any evidence you’ve compiled and advise you on whether you qualify to recover compensation. So, give us a call to discuss your case now.

Who Is Potentially Liable for Your Effingham, IL Truck Accident?

One factor that’s unique to collisions involving trucks is that there can be multiple people or entities responsible for their occurrences, such as:

• Truckers: As referenced above, there are many choices a truck driver may make, including driving while fatigued, under the influence of alcohol or drugs, when distracted by texting and driving or simply by operating their tractor-trailer aggressively or in non-compliance with trucking regulations that may result in a truck wreck, for which they may be held liable.
• Trucking companies: These employers may not properly screen, train, supervise, or discipline their truckers. They may push their tractor-trailer operators to continue driving outside of hours of service regulations. They may also know that a truck needs maintenance to ensure its roadworthiness, but they fail to address those issues. These are just a few examples of actions a fleet company may take that may lead to them being held at least in part accountable for a truck collision in South Central Illinois.
• Mechanics: We like to think that auto repair professionals notice and adequately address issues, but that’s not always the case. If a mechanic fails to notice an obvious issue or fix known ones and a truck wreck occurs, they could be named as a defendant in a lawsuit.
• Truck or auto parts manufacturers: We trust that products released on the market are carefully manufactured and are of good quality. That, however, isn’t always the case. If a defective vehicle or after-market part gets released on the market and is later pinpointed as the cause of a crash, it’s possible for the designer, manufacturer, distributor, advertiser, or retailer of it to be sued for damages an injury victim like yourself sustains.
• Cargo loaders: As mentioned above, warehouse or dock workers responsible for loading a trailer may be responsible for a truck crash’s occurrence if they fail to properly distribute its weight, strap it in place, or exceed the allowable weight.

It’s important that you know that the responsibility for proving liability in an Effingham truck accident case is all your own as the prospective plaintiff. Given how challenging compiling evidence necessary to show that another party was responsible can be, we urge you to consider reaching out to an attorney experienced in handling potential claims like yours to understand your legal options.

What To Do After a Crash With a Truck in South Central Illinois

Truck accident victims often report feeling a bit dazed and confused after their collision. As attorneys, though, we know how important what you do in the immediate aftermath of a wreck like this can be. This fact has motivated us to create a list of some of the key steps you’ll want to take if you were just in a truck-involved crash, including:

• Calling 911 to document what happened in a report and to perhaps request that paramedics be sent to the scene
• Taking photographs and videos at the crash site and making note of eyewitness contact details as well
• Visiting an urgent care or emergency room if you don’t take an ambulance ride to the hospital to get checked out and following through with any treatment plan your doctor orders
• Contacting an Effingham truck accident attorney

Questions You Should Ask an Effingham Truck Accident Lawyer

As mentioned above, hiring an attorney after you’re involved in a trucking collision in South Central Illinois is critically important for preserving evidence necessary for a successful claim. Considering that’s the case, you may wonder what questions you should ask when interviewing potential Effingham truck accident attorneys you’re considering working with. Asking about the following may give you good insight into their ability to help with your case:

• How many years have they been a lawyer, and what percentage of that time have they spent handling trucking accidents?
• Do they think you have a viable truck wreck case?
• Have they handled Effingham truck accident cases with similar injuries to yours?
• How might you need to assist with the building of your crash case?
• What do they think your case might be worth?
• What are their success rates in handling truck collision cases in terms of securing fair out-of-court settlements and winning verdicts in their clients’ favor at trial?
• What fees can you expect to pay if you have them represent you in your tractor-trailer collision case?

There may be other questions that you come up with that you want to ask any prospective truck collision attorneys in Effingham that you meet with. Be sure to make note of any that come to mind and bring them with you to your initial consultation to ask the lawyer you’re meeting with.

Let Prince Law Firm Help You After a Big Rig Accident

As much as motorists like yourself may try to avoid coming in close contact with trucks, there are many other factors outside your control that can result in accidents with 18-wheelers and other commercial motor vehicles.

If you’ve had the misfortune of suffering debilitating injuries or losing a valued family member in a collision with a truck in South Central Illinois, we want to speak with you. All of our case consultations are complimentary and come with no risk and no obligation. We just want to ensure you’re fully aware of your right to take legal action to recoup your losses.

So, if you’re ready to speak to legal counsel, consider contacting an Effingham truck accident lawyer in our office. We’re waiting for your email or call.