The Trouble with Truck Accidents

 Posted on September 02, 2015 in Truck Accidents

By Timothy Tomasik

As a recent news story out of Pekin, Illinois illustrates, crashes and accidents between a semi-truck or other large commercial vehicle and a car can result in life-threatening injuries to the car driver and occupants – regardless of who is at fault for causing the accident. However, the trouble with truck accidents does not stop there: where a truck accident occurs because of the carelessness or negligence of the truck driver, injury victims face a steep and difficult road before they are able to recover compensation for their injuries and losses. Having the assistance of experienced legal counsel does not eliminate these difficulties but it can reduce the impact these challenges have on the victim’s chances of recovering monetary damages.

What Makes Truck Accident Lawsuits Difficult?

There is no such thing as an “easy” car accident case – each case has its own challenges and difficulties – but truck accident cases are unique for several reasons. These unique factors, present in many truck cases, make retaining knowledgeable legal representation a good idea for injured victims:

• Truck accidents tend to produce more serious – even fatal – injuries: When a car and a commercial vehicle go head-to-head, it is usually the occupants of the car who receive the more serious injuries. Catastrophic, life-threatening injuries not only require a more lengthy recovery (meaning, more time missed from work and without a paycheck) but also more expensive medical treatment. This in turn means that injury victims may be more susceptible to accepting a settlement for far less than their case is worth simply to have “something” to help pay the bills;
• Truck accident evidence can disappear quickly: The truck driver’s logbook and data from the truck’s onboard computer are just two important pieces of evidence that can be “lost” or destroyed if a proper request that these items be preserved and turned over to the injury victim’s attorney is not made very soon after the accident. If the evidence is misplaced or destroyed pursuant to the truck company’s policies without such a request being made, there is no way to duplicate this evidence.
• Truck accidents may involve multiple “at-fault” parties: In addition to the truck driver him- or herself, the driver’s employer, the truck’s manufacturer, the worker and company responsible for maintaining the truck, the person or company who loaded the trailer, and any number of parts manufacturers can all play some role in the accident. Identifying and bringing suit against all responsible parties is an important first step toward recovering full and fair compensation.

Contact Us for Help

The Chicago truck accident attorneys at Tomasik Kotin Kasserman, LLC are here to help drivers in and around Chicago who are injured by negligent truck drivers. We aggressively pursue compensation for our injured clients, enabling them to focus on their health and recovery. Contact our office today by calling 312-605-8800 or completing our online form to set up your free case consultation and discuss your case with us today.

Source:

http://www.pekintimes.com/article/20150827/NEWS/150829393