What To Do If You Are Involved In A Trucking Accident
While a car accident can result in serious injuries, a trucking accident almost always proves fatal. Unlike cars, trucks such as 18-wheelers are larger in size and move with more power due to the freight and cargo they carry. A regular car stands no chance against that sheer power, especially if it is coming at it at full speed. Large trucks take longer to come to a complete stop, after all. With drivers who are sleep deprived and sometimes untrained, it is little wonder why the number of truck-related deaths keeps increasing every year.
Is the Driver or the Company at Fault for the Trucking Accident?
If you ask an experienced personal injury lawyer, you should always look at both the driver of the truck and the company he/she works for. If the driver’s actions resulted in the accident, that means they weren’t trained well enough or were unqualified in which case the company will be liable for damages as a ‘respondent superior’. This can also be the case if the accident was caused due to mechanical negligence, i.e. if the company failed to maintain the truck.
Besides the truck driver and the trucking company, you can also sue the shipping company, the vehicle manufacturer (if a missing or loose component in the truck caused the accident), and the owner of the property whose negligence resulted in the accident. However, this will only be the case if the accident results in death.
What to Do if You are Caught In a Truck Accident
If you are able to, the first thing you should do is get your vehicle off the road and then call 911 to file a police report. Plus, document all of the vehicles and the scene of the accident and get the contact information of witnesses nearby. When you seek medical attention, make sure that you ask your doctor to examine you for late-onset conditions such as whiplash and concussion.
Once all that is done, get in touch with a truck accident attorney as soon as possible. Trucking companies understand that accidents can cost them a lot of money and their insurance companies will send their best defense attorneys to limit losses. At this time, a qualified lawyer from the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens will prove invaluable. Get in touch with us for a consultation in our offices in Chicago, Libertyville, Waukegan, Woodstock, and Antioch, IL.
Under the state of Illinois Law, a doctor or a health care professional will be committing medical malpractice if they are in breach of an established standard of care while providing medical treatment to their patient, which causes a serious injury or could result in a fatality. The term “standard of care” indicates the set of various medical standards and treatment practices any medical professional would rely on while treating patients under similar circumstances.
