Chicago Truck Accident Lawyers | Staver Accident Injury Lawyers
How We Can Help

Truck Accident Attorneys to Kick-Start Your Recovery

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.

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Jared Staver
Ally. Advocate. Advisor.
How we can help

1. Our Truck Accident Lawyers Remove the Risk for Injury Victims

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.

Our truck accident attorneys know that many victims are concerned about finances after 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:

Free case evaluation
$0.00 out of pocket expenses
No fee unless you win

Average Payout Amount*

w/attorney $1,600 on your own $1,600
Difference of $1,000.00

*According to the 2017 Martindale-Nolo Research.

2. Our Experience With Commercial Vehicle Accidents Means More; Faster

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.

Truck Industry Insight from Trial Lawyers

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.

Building Your Case

Illinois Truck Accident Laws & Info

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.

Building your case

Common Injuries and Damages in Chicago Truck Accident Cases

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.

What Caused Your Chicago Truck Accident?

  • Driver error
  • Driver fatigue
  • Impaired driving
  • Distracted driving
  • Poor truck maintenance
  • Limited driver training
  • Driving too fast for conditions
  • Mechanical failures
  • Poor weather conditions

Our Lawyers Handle a Wide Range of Truck Accidents

The type of vehicle crash you suffer determines the injuries you suffer and their severity. Common types of crashes include:

  • Truck vs. car accidents
  • Rollovers occur when a truck driver loses control of the vehicle and it rolls onto its side
  • Jackknife accidents happen when the cab and trailer make a 90-degree angle, causing the truck to slide
  • Tire blowouts often cause a truck to swerve uncontrollably, putting drivers in all lanes at risk
  • Blindspot accidents typically happen when a trucker changes lanes and a vehicle is in the driver’s blind spot
  • Rear-end accidents are common since truckers need much more time to come to a safe stop; rear-end trucking accidents usually cause much more damage than a rear-end motor vehicle accident involving passenger vehicles
  • Underride crash happen when a truck stops and a smaller car behind it gets stuck under the truck’s tractor-trailer

Common Injuries after a Chicago Truck Accident

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:

  • Head and Brain Injuries — These include concussions, internal bleeding, or other traumatic brain injuries.
  • Neck and Back Injuries — This involves Whiplash, bulging discs, or spinal cord injuries.
  • Burn Injuries — These injuries can range from minor to major, and could require serious surgery to recover.
  • Soft Tissue Injuries — These injuries occur when muscles or ligaments tear during an accident, causing substantial pain.
  • Broken Bones — Broken bones often require surgery to recover fully and could take a while to completely heal.
  • Spinal Injuries – Spinal cord damage could result in permanent loss of movement in the lower body, requiring the use of a wheelchair.

Damages & Losses in Chicago Truck Accidents

When someone causes you injuries and subsequent financial harm because of a truck accident, 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:

  • Lost wages
  • Diminished earning capacity
  • Childcare expenses
  • Household maintenance fees
  • Medical expenses

Non-monetary damages could be difficult to value but are just as important. These include:

  • Loss of consortium
  • Diminished quality of life
  • Physical pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Reputational damage
  • Disfigurement and scarring

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.


Negligence, Fault, & Liability in Chicago Truck Accidents

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.

Evidence & Documentation after a Truck Accident

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.


Proving Liability & Fault in Chicago Truck Accidents

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 truck 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.


Trucking Industry Regulations

The trucking industry has an array of state and federal laws in place for the safety of truckers and other drivers. Our truck accident attorneys stay up to date on all of them and how they play a role in your case.

Illinois & Federal Truck Safety Rules

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.

More on State & Federal Trucking Regulations.


Insurance and Statute of Limitations in Truck Accident Cases

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.

How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Chicago, IL

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.


Truck Accident Insurance: Coverage & Policies

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.

Statements to Insurance Carriers

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 Issues in Truck Accident Cases

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.

  • Insurance Subrogation
    Subrogation is when an insurance company recovers money paid out when their policyholder was not at fault, and it could delay or take away from your compensation. Before you receive your settlement, claims from your health insurance or vehicle insurance providers may be paid out.
  • Insurance Arbitration
    Arbitration is an alternative to legal action to settle a dispute and an option to consider if the offending insurance companies are unwilling to make a fair offer. While the arbitration process generally favors the company, this often leads to quicker resolutions than taking a case to court.
  • Unfair Claim Practices
    While some delays are unavoidable and insurance companies won’t be in a hurry to resolve your case, if the insurer acts in bad faith or engages in negligence, you may have options under Illinois’ Unfair Claims Practices Act.

Denying Fault & Truck Accident Defenses

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.

  • The other side may raise certain procedural defenses based on existing law or failure to comply with a statutory rule.
  • Factual defenses to truck accident liability usually revolve around you being wholly or partially to blame for the accident, or that you inflated the severity of your injuries.


Chicago Truck Accident FAQs

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. Our truck accident lawyers 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).


Is There a Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me?

We cover the whole of the Chicagoland area:

Chicago, Aurora, Elgin, Hinsdale, Naperville, Joliet, Waukegan

Our Process

How Our Chicago Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help

Our process is people-focused. It’s designed not only to win but to reduce stress levels and make the whole truck accident process easier.

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Or learn more about our process...

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How we can help

01

Consultation

02

Case Value

03

Evidence

04

Settlement

If Needed

Trial

Get a Free Consultation with a Truck Accident Lawyer

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

  • Any evasive actions you took and any unusual driving behavior you noticed before the tractor-trailer accident
  • Any police reports that were filed after the truck accident
  • Medical records, if they exist
  • Pictures of any injuries you sustained
  • Copies of any written communication with the truck driver
  • A log of verbal communication with the driver and their insurance company
| Next Step:Determine the Value of Your Case

We’ll Determine the Value of Your Truck Accident

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:Evidence

We’ll Prove Your Truck Accident Damages

We’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:Settlement

We’ll Settle Your Truck Claim If the Price is Right

The 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:Trial

If Necessary, We’ll Take Your Truck Accident to Trial

We 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:Consultation
Ready to get started?

It all starts with a free consultation.

Why Staver?

Why Choose Our Truck Accident Lawyers in Chicago, IL

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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3500+
Clients Helped
Why Staver?

We’re Advocates for Truck Accident Victims

When you hire us, 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’ve Earned the Support from Our Clients

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.

★★★★★

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We Get Results in Chicago Truck Accident Cases

At Staver Accident Injury Lawyers, P.C., we relentlessly advocate for our 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.

Read more results

Award-Winning Trucking Attorneys Working for YOU

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.

Awards Memberships
Jared Staver: Named 2024 SuperLawyer
Tyler Kobylski: Named 2024 SuperLawyer
Paul Ciesielski: Super Lawyers Rising Star
Patrick Gill: Super Lawyers Rising Star
Melanie Buckmaster: Super Lawyers Rising Star
Better Business Bureau A+ Rating
American Association of Personal Injury Attorneys
The AV Peer Rating
Top 100 Trial Lawyers of America
The National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys
Multi-Million Dollar Advocates
National Association of Distinguished Counsel
Attorney & Practice Magazine's Top 10 Personal Injury Law Firm
The Chicago Bar Association
The Illinois State Bar Association
The American Bar Association
Brain Injury Association of America ‘Preferred Attorney’

Visit our Awards Page  

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