Attempting to represent yourself is a mistake in a truck accident case. Immediately after an accident with a semi-truck, insurance companies send out what they refer to as ‘The Truck Accident Autopsy Team’ to carry out an extensive investigation, so they already have a head-start in the case. And they’re not there to uncover the truth – they are there to minimize their own financial liability.
Rest easy knowing that we work based on a contingency fee in large commercial truck cases. Put simply, if you don’t receive compensation, you won’t owe us anything.
We know that many victims are concerned about finances after such a semi-truck accident, and we don’t want those concerns to keep you from getting legal help from an experienced truck accident lawyer. At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, we offer:
Average Payout Amount*
w/attorney $1,600 on your own $1,600 Difference of $1,000.00*According to the 2017 Martindale-Nolo Research.
It all boils down to efficiency in a truck accident case. And we’ve been honing our skills for decades. With legal representation, the average payout is $77,600, while the average is $17,600 without.
Insurance companies and large trucking companies notoriously offer less than enough after a large commercial truck accident. But our Chicago truck accident lawyers know how they operate and what makes them respond. We will negotiate to reach a fair result. But if the company won’t take accountability, we will take them to court.
At Staver, we have you legally covered after a truck accident and handle every aspect of your insurance claim or lawsuit. But it can be helpful to learn about some unique causes, laws, and obstacles you may face.
Whether it was a semi-truck, an 18-wheeler, or some other large commercial truck vehicle, crashes occur for many reasons and often result in severe injuries. Sometimes establishing responsibility is obvious. Other times, it takes an investigation to determine if a truck driver was distracted, poorly trained by their employer, or negligently love their required hours of service.
The type of vehicle crash you suffer determines the injuries you suffer and their severity. Common types of crashes include:
The severity of your injuries after a major truck wreck significantly impacts the value of your insurance claim and possible truck accident lawsuit. It’s important to keep up with medical treatment and document your recovery. This includes medical bills, treatment documents, and insurance info.
Here are some of the most common injuries we see after auto collisions:
When someone causes your truck injuries and subsequent financial harm, you have the right to pursue compensation. This could be from a reckless truck driver, their trucking company employer, or a third-party company that loaded the truck incorrectly.
Regardless of the party at fault, a full truck accident settlement should consider all the ways your life has been impacted, including monetary and non-monetary damages like pain and suffering.
Financial records like medical bills could help prove monetary damages. These damages include the following:
Non-monetary damages could be difficult to value but are just as important. These include:
Punitive damages might also apply to your case in extreme cases, but only if the trucker’s behavior or the actions of the trucking company were particularly egregious. Reckless and drunk driving are common examples.
Most large truck crashes in Chicago happen because of negligence. This means that another driver or some other party acted unreasonably or failed to act and caused you else harm.
While proving a truck driver or their employer’s negligence caused a collision sounds easy, especially if you believe they were speeding, distracted, or tired, the reality is much different.
Common examples of evidence in a truck accident claim are black box data from the truck itself, police and medical reports, truck deconstructionist data, and corporate documents.
The burden of proof is based on a preponderance of the evidence – you need enough evidence to demonstrate that the other party is more than likely responsible for your injuries. This includes photos, medical records, and other documentation.
Someone must be held financially responsible for your injuries. Your injuries alone aren’t enough. This is usually the driver or their employer. This is referred to as the ‘liable party.’ Liability is determined by establishing the four elements of negligence. This essentially means that someone owed you a duty of care, they breached that duty and therefore caused your injuries that resulted in the need for monetary compensation.
Illinois is an at-fault state for car accidents. You will most likely file a third-party claim with the liable party’s insurance company or their employer if they were working at the time.
However, insurance companies are reluctant to give you what you’re owed. It’s vital to retain a truck accident lawyer to represent you.
The trucking industry has an array of state and federal laws in place for the safety of truckers and other drivers. At Staver, we stay up to date on all of them and how they play a role in your case.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Illinois Department of Transportation have a number of regulations in place to protect truck drivers and others on the road.
A Chicago truck accident claim can get complicated fast. Truck companies and big insurance companies will be on the scene fast to protect their drivers and themselves. They will also likely diminish your injuries, suggest that you’re to blame, and use stall tactics so you accept less.
The victim of a trucking accident has two years from the date of the accident to initiate a claim. If their claim only includes property damage, they have five years.
This sounds like plenty of time, but memories and evidence fade quickly. The longer you wait after a truck wreck, the harder it’ll be to recover compensation.
The FMCSA requires trucks weighing more than 10,000 pounds to have at least $750,000 of insurance coverage. This increases to $5 million if the truck carries hazardous materials.
Because trucks typically have much higher insurance limits than passenger vehicles, payouts tend to be higher.
It’s important to let your lawyer handle your communication with the insurance companies involved. This is particularly important when multiple carriers play a role in the accident, which is often the case with tractor-trailer and semi-truck crashes.
Remember, anything you say to an insurance adjuster may be used to diminish your pain, cast doubt on who was at fault, and lower your settlement amount.
Insurance companies process most claims within a matter of weeks. But truck accidents can be unpredictable. Insurance delays and stall tactics are not unheard of.
Aside from using the statute of limitations against you, the trucking company’s insurer and their legal team will want to protect themselves and their profits. They do this by refuting your claims, suggesting that you share blame for a truck accident, and using various defense strategies to reduce or deny your claim.
We have helped clients win money after truck vs. car accidents that involved many different types of trucks, including postal trucks, UPS and FedEx trucks, big rigs/18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, milk trucks, produce trucks, work vehicles, garbage trucks, and more.
If your relative died as a result of a truck wreck in or around Chicago, you should immediately contact a wrongful death lawyer. We can help you obtain money for medical expenses, estate administration, funeral and burial costs, and even the pain and suffering your loved one experienced.
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), most truck crashes occur on urban roadways and highways. Interstate routes are the most dangerous for truckers, including the Kennedy Expressway (I-190) and Eisenhower Expressway (I-290).
When you're fighting for maximum compensation, we know what it takes to get it.
Our process is people-focused. It’s designed not only to win but to reduce stress levels and make the whole process easier.
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During your initial consultation, we’ll talk about the details of your case and give you an idea of what’s next.
Be sure to turn over any evidence you have, such as an accident journal or any photos or videos that help explain what happened. These will help determine the value of your case.
What We’ll Need from You
When you choose us, we’ll get right to work.
We’ll handle all aspects of your claim so you can focus on what matters most, healing from your injuries.
Then, we’ll assess all types of damages to determine your case’s value. You might be entitled to receive four types of damages, including special, punitive, general, and survival damages.
Bear in mind that punitive damages in truck accident cases are paid out to the plaintiff to punish the responsible parties. But they also exist to set an example for the trucking industry as a whole. They are only awarded if the defendant’s actions are grossly negligent or malicious.
For a full run-down of damages, take a look here.
| Next Step:EvidenceWe’ll support your damages with a various forms of evidence, including medical bills, photos or videos, or expert testimony asserting expected future damages.
This is a crucial point in the claims process. The better evidence you have, the more substantial your compensation will be.
You may need to prove your pain and suffering through a testimony from your doctor or a diary that explains your recovery journey.
| Next Step:SettlementThe majority of truck accident cases settle long before they get to court. Insurance companies are motivated to settle, as going to court could cost them far more. And that’s the last thing they want. However, negotiating to reach a settlement in a truck accident case can be complex to say the least.
It’s not uncommon for multiple insurance companies and defendants to be involved. For example, a large truck and its trailer are often times insured by different companies. And the trucking company may be responsible for requiring their driver to work longer than is legally permitted, while the truck manufacturer may be partially responsible for an unsafe component that contributed to the crash.
Whatever the case may be, your attorney will navigate this process for you, and work to get each party to accept their liability and pay their part of the settlement. They’ll go back and forth at the negotiating table until a fair settlement has been reached.
| Next Step:TrialWe want to get the most out of your case. – and if a settlement can’t be reached, we won’t hesitate take your case to trial. And we’ll need all the evidence we can get our hands on.
Think documentary evidence, including medical records and photographs, that will show your financial damages and the extent of your injuries. Witnesses will also be vital as they provide an objective recounting of the accident and may solidify the other side’s liability.
Also, the big rig black box (also known as an electronic control module or event data recorder), stores data about the truck at the time of an accident. Your attorney will use the data to strengthen your case. With accident reconstruction, they can show exactly how the accident occurred and paint a clear picture to the jury.
Every piece of evidence we gather will have one goal: to support the damages suffered and get you fair compensation.
| Next Step:ConsultationIt all starts with a free consultation.
Our law firm understands that getting the compensation you deserve after a truck accident is an uphill battle. Truck driving companies and manufacturers are typically represented by large legal teams with massive budgets.
These attorneys are pros at limiting their clients’ liability and go above and beyond to make sure that victims get away with minimal settlements or nothing at all.
As a victim with no legal experience, your chances of getting a fair settlement on your own are slim to none. That’s where we come in.
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When you hire Staver, you’re not getting a lawyer who picks up your case with no care. In fact, you’re getting an advocate. A passionate truck accident law firm who will speak on your behalf, with insurance companies, and in court.
We’ve done it for thousands of clients who were in your shoes, and we’ll do it for you.
We dedicate ourselves to client success and satisfaction. This shows in our 4.95 star Google rating 185+ reviews left by clients on Google.
On October 7th, I was hit by a semi-truck and didn’t know what to do. Well, I search on google to find a lawyer and found Staver. They helped me all the way from the first doctor visit thru therapy and with transportation service. I would highly recommend Staver Law Group to family members and friends.
Rosa C.
At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., we relentlessly advocate for out clients. We have years of experience and have seen all types of truck accidents.
You may be in uncharted territory, but it’s very familiar to us.
The outcome of an individual case depends on a variety of factors unique to that case. Case results do not guarantee or predict a similar result in any similar or future case.
We’ve won awards for over 3,500 clients. With each award, we prove our quality even more. Years of credibility, glowing ratings from the BBB and a place on the top 100 trial lawyers of America.
Our recognition speaks for itself.
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