We have all probably passed large trucks on the highway at one time or another. Just passing by these huge machines can feel intimidating. If you are in a truck accident, you might be severely injured.
Many truck accident victims are left with such severe injuries that they cannot leave the hospital for quite some time. They lose work and income and are ultimately left with giant hospital bills and tremendous physical pain. While negligent truckers should be brought to justice, other drivers on the road or even the trucker’s employer might bear some of the blame. The time it takes to complete your case is a tough question to answer. Some cases are resolved quickly, while others take months or even years to complete. It is best to speak with a lawyer about your case quickly. You only have so much time to file a case before your civil claims expire.
After a truck crash, contact our truck accident attorneys at the Rhatigan Law Offices by calling (312) 578-8502 and schedule a free review of your case to begin.
Damages and Injuries Often Involved in Evanston, IL Truck Accidents
In any vehicle accident, serious injuries are possible. In truck accidents, serious injuries are not just possible but likely. Injuries may affect almost all parts of your body and put you out of commission for a long time. Speak to a lawyer as soon as you can. You deserve fair financial compensation for all the pain and high medical costs you have no doubt endured.
Minor injuries might include things like lacerations, broken bones, and various soft-tissue injuries. These kinds of injuries, while painful, often recover in time. Unfortunately, many people experience lacerations and bone fractures all over their body, making for a very long, painful recovery time.
One example of a more severe injury is a spinal cord injury. When the spinal cord is damaged, victims risk becoming permanently paralyzed. How your body is paralyzed (e.g., from the waist down or the neck down) depends on what part of the spine is damaged. Even if you are not left permanently paralyzed, you might live with severe pain and limited mobility.
Speaking of lifelong injuries, many truck accident victims are left with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Many people with TBIs have serious cognitive impairments that make life extremely difficult. Some victims are so affected that they can no longer live on their own or be independent.
Considering how bad injuries can be in a truck accident, it is no wonder that people often take significant time away from work or have to leave their jobs entirely. If you find yourself in this situation, our truck accident attorneys can help you estimate the income you have lost and will continue to lose in the future and add it to your damages.
You also deserve compensation for the psychological and emotional pain and distress you experience. The accident itself might have been deeply traumatizing. If you live with long-term or permanent injuries, disabilities, or disfigurements, you might have trouble coming to terms with how your life has changed. In truck accident cases, these damages should reflect the magnitude of your injuries and pain.
Determining Who is At Fault for the Truck Accident in Evanston, IL
Multiple people might be implicated in a truck accident case, and figuring out who you should name in your case might not be easy. While you should consider suing the trucker who caused the accident, you should also consider suing the trucker’s employer. In some cases, other drivers might be liable in addition to the driver of the truck.
Trucker negligence is frighteningly common. For people in charge of keeping enormous vehicles from causing utter destruction, the lack of due care and caution is shocking. Many drivers fall asleep behind the wheel because they drive for long hours with no breaks. Others become distracted by their phone or the radio, or they zone out after many hours of driving and end up hitting someone. No matter what, we must investigate the trucker for possible negligence.
The trucker’s employer might also be liable under the theory of respondeat superior. Under this theory, an employer can be held vicariously liable for the negligence of an employee. The key is that the employee’s negligence must happen in the normal scope of their work. This covers many instances of negligence, but not necessarily criminal acts like road rage or drunk driving.
Other drivers might have had something to do with the accident, and our attorney can help you figure it out. A reckless driver might have cut off the truck or somehow caused the truck to swerve off the road or lose control. We can review things like dashcams, security camera footage, and witness testimony to determine if other drivers helped create the crash.
How Long Does a Truck Accident Case Take in Evanston, IL?
The duration of a truck accident lawsuit in Illinois varies based on the specific circumstances of each case. For example, suppose we have strong evidence showing how the truck driver and their employer are liable for your severe injuries and damages. In that case, they might be inclined to offer a generous settlement, and the case would likely end somewhat quickly.
Alternatively, we might have trouble building a strong case if evidence is scarce, and the defendants might be staunch in their refusal to cooperate. If that is the situation, the case might take quite a bit longer to complete.
Another factor to consider is the number of lawsuits filed after the accidents. In large-scale truck accidents, multiple plaintiffs might be injured and bring cases. These cases might be combined into one larger case or be handled separately. Generally, the more people involved, the longer the case takes to finish. Talk to your lawyer about what you want from your case, and they can help you determine about how long you can expect to wait before getting compensated.
Call Our Evanston, IL Truck Accident Attorneys for Help Getting Financial Compensation
After a truck crash, contact our truck accident lawyers at the Rhatigan Law Offices by calling (312) 578-8502 and schedule a free review of your case to begin.
Resources