When you’ve been in a truck accident, the traumatic experience can have significant repercussions. Your injuries will likely require hospitalization and you could be looking at a long road to recovery. In addition, insurance adjusters may already be aggressively contacting you to attempt to settle your legal matters before you’ve had a chance to consider all your options. When you have so much on your plate, you deserve to have someone on your side who can help you navigate this difficult process. A Morris truck accident lawyer can give you the support you need. Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP provides experienced legal services to those who were wrongfully injured. We fiercely fight to get our clients full compensation for the injuries they have suffered.
Our firm has helped truck accident victims get their lives back. We understand how uncertain everything can be when you’re dealing with serious injuries. Our lawyers in Morris are dedicated to helping our clients get full compensation so they can focus on their future without worrying about finances.
Let’s take a look at what causes truck crashes and other factors that make these major accidents more likely to occur.
Why Do Truck Accidents Happen?
Tractor-trailer collisions are a serious problem. In 2017, there were about 450,000 crashes involving large trucks that were reported to police. About 4,237 crashes were fatal and 344,000 caused injuries.
It’s common to wonder about the details of your accident. You want to know what went wrong and why. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration conducted a study that looked into the reasons why crashes happen. When the driver is at fault, the following reasons may be why:
- The driver fell asleep at the wheel
- The driver was distracted while driving
- The driver was speeding or misjudged the speed and proximity of others
- The driver made a mistake and overcorrected
However, there are more than just four reasons why a crash can happen. Factors that can contribute to accidents include:
- Driving on unfamiliar roads
- Brake problems
- Tire problems
- Driving too fast for conditions
- Prescription or over the counter drug use
While you may automatically think the truck driver is the one at fault, it’s possible the trucking company they work for is the true negligent party. Trucking companies are supposed to inspect their vehicles to check if they’re safe for the road. When a company takes shortcuts or skips these inspections or knowingly puts a dangerous truck on the road, they’re putting their driver and anyone who drives near them in danger.
There may have been multiple factors that led to your injuries. Our lawyers will conduct a thorough investigation to find out how your accident happened, no matter how complex.
Catastrophic Truck Injuries
While any motor vehicle accident can result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities, truck accidents can easily have these consequences because of an 18-wheeler’s considerable size and weight. A catastrophic injury prevents someone from returning to work and being gainfully employed.
Potential catastrophic injuries include traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries that could result in paraplegia or quadriplegia, amputation or limb loss, eye injuries, and organ damage.
If you have suffered a catastrophic injury, you’re likely dealing with major changes. You may need extensive hospital care to treat your injuries and you may not have a guarantee of making a full recovery. Then, you may need care like rehabilitation or some form of continued care or medical equipment for the rest of your life. In any case, these are significant adjustments and you need time to be able to get used to your new normal.
Not being able to return to work can be overwhelming, especially if you help support a family. You may wonder how you’re going to continue to afford the costs of living without that regular paycheck. Our lawyers have experience in fighting for those who have suffered catastrophic injuries. When you can no longer work, we’ll take that into account when determining the amount of compensation to ask for to a jury or in a settlement conference or mediation. We’ll fight for your loss of earnings, or what you would have earned had you continued to work. We will also fight for your past and future medical needs, as well as compensation for your past and future pain and suffering and loss of normal life.
You should be able to rest assured knowing you’ll be able to support your family when you’re learning how to live with your injury. You shouldn’t have to worry about affording care, paying past medical bills, and then deciding if those are more important than paying a mortgage bill or putting food on the table.
Our Firm Advocates for Injury Victims in Illinois
Our lawyers will make sure to hold the negligent party accountable for their actions. We’ll show them that their negligence caused you to suffer significant injuries and you’re entitled to significant compensation.
We realize that it can be intimidating to go up against a large trucking company. It may seem like they’ll be able to brush your case aside. We won’t let that happen. We’ll make sure your voice is heard. There could be more positive consequences of filing a claim against a negligent trucking company. The company could adopt new safety procedures or policies to make sure this doesn’t happen again.
In most personal injury cases, you have a limited amount of time to file your claim. You should get in touch with our team as soon as possible. Starting your case has other advantages, too. Your lawyers may discover physical evidence that strengthens your claim. You’ll also be taking measures to reaching a resolution and putting the matter behind you. Lawyers from Schweickert Ganassin Krzak Rundio, LLP will sit down with you and review your case in a free no-obligation initial consultation where we can start discussing your options and the best way for you to move forward.
