Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer

Best truck accident lawyer in Chicago 

Not long ago, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the rule that allows truck drivers to drive eleven hours at a stretch, as opposed to the ten hours that safety groups – as well as many drivers – advocated for. If you have ever taken a long trip, you know how difficult it is to remain alert after driving for eleven hours straight. Truck drivers do this on a daily basis. As a result, nearly half of all truck drivers admit to falling asleep behind the wheel at least once within the previous twelve months, and 65 percent admit to being chronically over-fatigued while driving.

In light of the fact that approximately 4,000 people are killed annually in trucking accidents, with another 100,000 being seriously injured, many are questioning the Court’s decision to allow truckers to continue to drive such long, uninterrupted hours. Even with the allowable eleven hour limits, tight deadlines and slim paychecks lead many drivers to exceed those rules. Since a large number of fatal truck accidents can be tied to an overly fatigued truck driver, it appears that the economic profits of the trucking industry are being given more importance than the safety of the American public.

Causes of Illinois Trucking Accidents

There are a number of causes of trucking accidents, however some of the more common causes include:

• Driver fatigue;
• Distracted driving;
• Inexperienced truck drivers;
• Defective or poorly maintained truck brakes and tires;
• Poorly secured cargo;
• Swinging turns;
• Trucker blind spots;
• Lack of underride guard;
• Negligent hiring practices; and
• Defective truck parts.

How Your Chicago Truck Accident Attorney Can Help

If you were involved in a trucking accident, it is essential that you contact an experienced Chicago truck accident lawyer immediately. Your attorney can ensure that no crucial evidence “disappears” following your accident, and that you are not bullied by a large trucking corporation and their army of lawyers. Highly skilled Chicago truck accident attorneys can additionally do the following for victims of a trucking accident:

• Interview witnesses and get statements from those witnesses soon after the accident;  
• Secure all evidence related to the truck accident, and ensure that the black box evidence is properly preserved;
• Subpoena the trucking company’s safety and personnel records of the driver;
• Bring in experts to recreate the accident or the scene of the accident;
• Obtain all maintenance records related to the truck involved in your accident;
• Determine whether there were violations of federal or Illinois state laws concerning driving regulations;
• Discover any past history of trucking company violations;  
• Secure and review the police reports pertaining to your trucking accident;
• Thoroughly review your medical records, interviewing medical personnel when necessary, in order to build a solid case on your behalf; and
• Secure the driver’s log books in order to determine whether the driver had driven more than the allowable hours.