If you were involved in a truck accident, you may be left with serious injuries and mounting medical bills. The financial stress of treating your injuries can be overwhelming, especially if your injuries are keeping you out of work.
If another driver caused your accident in Oak Lawn, you may be entitled to damages for medical expenses, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and more. If you are unsure how to pursue damages from the other driver and their insurance provider, our Oak Lawn truck accident lawyers can help.
Who is Liable for a Truck Accident?
All drivers owe other drivers and pedestrians a duty of care, which is an obligation to drive safely and avoid harming others. Drivers who violate this duty of care and cause accidents commit negligence and may be held financially liable for the accident.
There are many types of negligent driving. Here are a few examples:
Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Texting while driving
Speeding
Ignoring traffic signals
How Much is Your Truck Accident Case Worth?
How much your truck accident case is worth depends on many factors, including the extent of your injuries, the damage to your vehicle, and the negative impact on your quality of life.
There are two types of damages: economic damages, which include direct expenses, like medical and vehicle repair bills, and non-economic damages, which include intangible losses, such as pain and suffering.
Economic Damages
You may be able to recover damages for:
Medical expenses for emergency room treatment, follow-up appointments, diagnostic imaging, hospital stays, occupational or physical therapies, surgeries, and more
Future medical expenses if doctors anticipate you will require future treatment
Home modifications if your injuries require you to make your home accessible with ramps, wide hallways and doors, or other modifications
Property damage for repair or replacement of your vehicle
Past lost wages to compensate you for unpaid time off work while you recover
Future lost wages to compensate you if you are unable to return to your previous career
Non-Economic Damages
You may be able to recover damages for pain and suffering if:
Your injuries require a long recovery or multiple surgeries.
Your injuries are especially painful.
You are permanently disfigured or disabled.
You develop a mental condition, such as PTSD or depression, because of the
Your quality of life has been negatively affected by the accident.
We Have Successfully Represented Many Truck Accident Victims
Our firm has successfully recovered millions of dollars in damages for victims of personal injury, including people injured in truck accidents and other types of motor vehicle accidents. Here are a few examples of settlements we have obtained for our clients:
$2.2 million settlement for a salesman who was injured in an automobile accident
$1.3 million settlement for a truck driver who was rear-ended while transporting concrete
$500,000 settlement for a woman who injured her neck in a motor vehicle accident
Our history of success highlights our commitment to helping people who were hurt because of other people’s negligence. We will work hard to help you recover fair compensation for your injuries.
How a Lawyer Can Help You After a Truck Accident
Seeking damages after a truck accident should be straightforward, but in many cases, it is not. The other party’s insurance provider may try to avoid paying you a fair settlement or, in some cases, paying you anything at all. Your lawyer will walk you through the process of recovering damages through a settlement or with a lawsuit, if necessary.
Here are some ways we can help:
Investigate the Accident
Your lawyer will investigate the accident to determine who was at fault. They will collect evidence, such as police reports, interviews with eyewitnesses, pictures of the scene, traffic camera footage, toxicology reports, cell phone records, and more.
Estimate the Value of Your Damages
A proper estimate of your damages is critical to obtaining a fair settlement from the insurance provider. Your lawyer will document your medical bills, property damage, lost wages, and pain and suffering and use that information to estimate the value of your damages.
File an Insurance Claim
Your lawyer will gather any necessary documents, including vehicle repair bills, medical bills and records, and past wage statements. They will also file your insurance claim. Our team will speak with the insurance company and handle communication for you.
Negotiate a Settlement
Your lawyer will use their estimate of your damages to evaluate any settlement offers from the insurance company and negotiate for fair compensation.
File a Lawsuit
In some cases, the insurance provider will not agree to a fair settlement. When that happens, your lawyer will file a lawsuit and fight for you in court.
Time Limits After an Oak Lawn Truck Accident
You only have a limited amount of time to take legal action against the at-fault driver after an Oak Lawn truck accident. The following statutes of limitations may apply to your truck accident case:
For personal injury, you have two years to file a lawsuit, per 735 ILCS 5/13-202.
When it comes to property damage, 735 ILCS 5/13-205 requires that you file your lawsuit no more than five years after the incident.
Lawsuits for the wrongful death of a qualifying family member must be filed within two years, as outlined in 740 ILCS 180/.
If you wait too long, you forfeit your right to sue the at-fault party. A truck accident lawyer in Oak Lawn can help you understand how these statutes apply to your case.
An Oak Lawn Truck Crash Attorney is Ready to Represent You
If you were hurt or lost a loved one in a truck accident, The Kryder Law Group, LLC is here to help you. An Oak Lawn truck accident lawyer can help recover damages for medical expenses, vehicle repairs, lost wages, and more. Call our office for a free consultation. We work on contingency, so we collect no fees unless we win your case.
(312) 223-1700 