We are experienced Illinois attorneys who help with serious injury cases everywhere in Illinois. Call us at 312-346-5320 to speak with a lawyer for free and find out who is the best Illinois law firm for your case.

We get calls on a regular basis from people who have been injured in Illinois vehicular accidents. One of the first questions we ask is, “What type of vehicle hit you?” What many people don’t know, is that being hit by a semi-truck versus by a car or pickup truck leads to a very different type of case. Here’s why:

  1. Tractor-trailer accidents are more complicated because there are usually multiple parties at fault. Often those trucks drive poorly because of maintenance errors or because they are loaded improperly. The parties you end up suing and recovering from may not be known at the scene of the accident
  2. The commercial aspects of the case create complexity. The insurance companies that represent trucking companies are very experienced in defending personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits. A lot of trucking companies operate under shell companies. That means a big company will create a lot of smaller companies under the same wing so if something goes wrong they can act like they are a small company. Often it will appear that there is only $1 million in insurance coverage when we discover the bigger company. That leads to a larger settlement.
  3. Due to the sheer size and power of an 18-wheeler, the injuries caused by the collision with a truck are often more severe. Not only do you need a lawyer who knows how to investigate these cases, but you also want a law firm with a track record of success with catastrophic injuries such as brain damage, paralysis, life altering back damage, etc.
  4. Trucking accidents often require quick investigation. Time is of the essence. The sooner someone on your side is on the scene, the better. In one case we were involved with, a defendant was caught on film attempting to alter the scene of the accident which could have put the whole case in jeopardy. These big companies care about their bottom lines and nothing else.
  5. Trucking accidents also may require accident reconstruction. An experienced firm will know the best companies to hire in order to recreate how an accident happened so they can prove negligence to a jury. For example, in one case we are involved with, we believe the evidence shows that a semi truck rolled backwards and caused a death. The accident reconstruction specialist will prove this and the end result of that work can be the difference of literally millions of dollars as well as winning or losing the case.
  6. Different/additional driving laws may apply to those with a commercial driver’s license. Commercial drivers have laws as to how many hours in a row they can drive. They are required to keep driving logs. These factors can matter a lot in winning a case.
  7. When looking for an attorney for a trucking accident case, your options are more limited. There are roughly ten or fewer Illinois law firms that have demonstrated a strong track record of success in these cases. Almost every personal injury lawyer in Illinois would want you to hire them, but the reality is that so few are truly right for these cases.

There are other things to think about as well. If you’d like a free consultation, please contact us any time.