Knowledgeable and Experienced Chicago Truck Accident Lawyers
Over half a dozen major interstates converge on the city of Chicago, home also to a major international port and one of the busiest air cargo gateways in the world. It is therefore not surprising to see truck traffic on the city streets and highways of Chicagoland at all hours of the day and night. While vital to the economy, the number of semi-trucks crisscrossing the city throughout the year increases the likelihood of a Chicago truck accident. Although they occur less frequently than car accidents, a collision with a tractor-trailer is much more likely to result in serious injury or death to the occupants of the passenger vehicle. Although the big rigs were only involved in 3.8% of all crashes in 2015, they accounted for 2.9% of all injury crashes and a staggeringly disproportionate 8.8% of all fatal crashes.
The Chicagoland personal injury attorneys at D&W Law Group have handled numerous car accident and trucking injury cases over the years, including cases involving catastrophic injury or wrongful death. We approach your case with compassion and sensitivity to what you have been through, while working aggressively to obtain a financial settlement that most fully and fairly compensates you for what you have gone through.
Features of Semi-Trucks Increase Likelihood of Serious Injury
Many aspects of semi-trucks make them more likely to cause serious injury or worse in a collision with a passenger car. Tractor-Trailers are many times larger than even the largest SUV, and when fully loaded they can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a passenger vehicle. At highway speeds, the force of an impact with a semi is enormous. The size of commercial trucks also creates extensive blind spots on all sides of the semi, requiring constant attention and caution on the part of the truck driver. Unfortunately, the pressure on truckers to deliver their cargo on schedule often leads them to drive longer than is safe, and critical lapses of attention or mistakes in judgment can occur.
Trucking Accidents Caused by Violation of Truck Safety Regulations
Federal regulations govern many aspects of the trucking industry, including truck safety. The regulations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) limit the number of hours that truckers may be on duty or behind the wheel without taking days off or significant rest periods. These regulations also cover licensing issues, size and weight limits, and mandate regular inspections and maintenance to ensure a safe trucking fleet. However, it is well-known that truck drivers and trucking companies routinely violate these regulations and even falsify records to hide their noncompliance. During annual roadside safety inspections, thousands of drivers and vehicles are immediately pulled from service for dangerous conditions such as unlicensed drivers, drivers working beyond the hours of service limitations, and trucks with out-of-adjustment brakes, bad tires, non-working signal lights and more.
Here at D&W Law Group, we have prosecuted many trucking injury cases through the years, and we know how to build your case against the trucking companies. Our lawyers are thoroughly familiar with the FMCSA rules and can determine whether regulation violations caused or contributed to the truck accident. Our Chicago truck accident attorneys leave no stone unturned in finding all liable parties responsible for the accident and the harm they have caused to you.
Get Help from Experienced Chicagoland Trucking Accident Lawyers
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a tractor-trailer accident in the greater Chicago area, contact D&W Law Group at 312-888-8888 to speak with an experienced and dedicated Chicagoland trucking accident attorney. Your call is free, and there is never any fee if we can’t recover for you.
