Truck accidents occasionally occur because so many 18-wheelers and other commercial vehicles regularly travel in and around the city. If a trucking wreck harmed you or your loved one, an experienced truck accident attorney can help you determine if pursuing a legal claim is an appropriate course of action for you and your family.
At Kaveny Sarmas Injury Lawyers, we have successfully managed complex legal claims involving wrecks that occur due to many of the common causes of truck accidents in Chicago.
Reasons Why Trucking Wrecks Occur
Semi-truck accidents in Chicago can happen for a wide variety of reasons, including:
Truck Driver Negligence
Like other types of motor vehicle wrecks, driver negligence causes most trucking crashes. Truck drivers are susceptible to the same negligent behaviors as other drivers, such as distracted driving, drunk driving, and speeding. In addition, the nature of their jobs can make them more likely to drive negligently or recklessly. For instance, because most truck drivers operate on a tight delivery schedule, they can feel pressure to speed, drive recklessly by making unsafe lane changes, or continue to drive fast even in dangerous weather conditions.
Truckers must also adhere to strict hours-of-service rules that limit how many consecutive hours they can drive. However, they might feel they need to disregard those hours and drive while fatigued to complete their deliveries.
Trucking Company Negligence
Trucking companies owe a duty of care to everyone sharing the roads to ensure their vehicles are safe and drivers operate safely. Companies should train inexperienced drivers on how to safely handle their trucks. Additionally, they should supervise their drivers to ensure they comply with all federally mandated regulations.
When hiring new drivers, trucking companies should perform full background checks to ensure they do not have poor driving records. Companies should also avoid setting unrealistic delivery deadlines that implicitly or explicitly force their drivers to drive for unreasonably long hours or at high speeds.
Loading Company Negligence
When a company loads freight into a truck’s trailer and fails to balance or secure the cargo, it can cause the truck to become unbalanced, potentially making it roll over or jackknife. Loose cargo can also present a hazard to other cars if it spills out of the truck.
Our Chicago attorneys can carefully examine the evidence from a trucking collision to determine the precise cause and identify who is potentially to blame.
What Happens if Your Actions Contributed to the Truck Accident?
You might be concerned that your own actions contributed to the cause of the trucking wreck. For instance, what if you were speeding when a distracted truck driver failed to stop at a red light and crashed into you in an intersection? Fortunately, Illinois law still allows you to pursue a legal claim provided you were 50 percent or less responsible for the crash.
Issues involving comparative fault can be complicated, which is why consulting with a knowledgeable local lawyer is essential. Our attorneys at Kaveny Sarmas in Chicago can help you gather evidence to prove that someone else’s actions were to blame for causing the truck accident.
Contact a Chicago Lawyer About the Common Causes of Tractor-Trailer Collisions
Any of the common causes of truck accidents in Chicago can lead to life-altering harm. Regardless of why your accident occurred, you deserve legal help.
Contact the experienced attorneys at Kaveny Sarmas today. We put the personal in personal injury, and we will give your case the personal attention it requires.
