Springfield Truck Accidents

Trial Lawyers to Fight for Springfield Truck Accident Victims

The capital of Illinois is Springfield. It is also the county seat for Sangamon County. It has a population of roughly 116,250 and its most famous resident was Abraham Lincoln. The iconic Route 66, also called the Mother Road, remains a draw for tourists though it has largely been replaced with I-55. Trucks and passenger cars often travel in the area along I-55, which runs north and south, as well as the east-west roadways US-36 and I-72. If you were injured in a truck crash, you may be uncertain about whether you have recourse against the driver and others. Call the seasoned Springfield truck accident lawyers of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca. We have more than 60 years of experience seeking justice for truck accident victims. We seek the best possible outcome for each and every client.

Springfield Attorneys to Establish Liability

Due to the weight and size of commercial trucks, an accident can be devastating to many different people, including occupants of more than one car, pedestrians, and cyclists. As experienced lawyers, we will examine all potential avenues for relief. Often that means we need to send an accident reconstruction specialist out to the scene to determine what went wrong and who should be held responsible for a crash in which you were injured.

We may consider bringing into the lawsuit not only the truck driver, but also a trucking company, a third party loading company, a manufacturer, a mechanic, property owners, and others who shared the road.

Evidence of Liability

Our attorneys will need to marshal evidence to show it is more likely than not: (1) the defendant owed you a duty to use reasonable care, (2) you breached the duty to use reasonable care, (3) causation, and (4) actual damages. A truck driver may breach the duty to use reasonable care by speeding, tailgating, weaving, driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, failing to inspect the truck before setting out, driving while fatigued, or driving while distracted. Like other vehicles, truck drivers must obey traffic signs and signals and failure to do so is regarded as negligence.

Trucking companies can be held directly or indirectly responsible. Trucking companies owe a duty of care to make sure that it uses reasonable care in hiring, training and supervising its truck drivers. They also owe a duty to properly maintain their truck and make needed repairs. When a truck company fails to take reasonable care, it may be held directly liable for the harm suffered by accident victims.

We will also look at other potential sources of recovery. A third party loading company and a manufacturer are other parties that are expected to use reasonable care and whose failure to do so can result in catastrophic injuries and wrongful death.

Defending Against Allegations of Comparative Negligence

Even when liability seems clear, a defendant may attempt to shift blame back onto a plaintiff. In Illinois, your damages will be reduced by an amount proportionate to your degree of fault for the accident under the doctrine of comparative negligence. If a jury determines you were 50% or more at fault for your own injuries, you will be barred from recovery. Needless to say this rule makes it more likely than defendants will look for errors you made that can be construed as negligence that contributed to the accident. It is crucial to talk to an attorney before communicating with the other side, and to never allow for a recorded conversation that a defendant could use against you.

Consult a Springfield Truck Accident Lawyer

If you were injured in a truck accident, your injuries may be severe. Most people don’t have enough saved up in case of catastrophic injury. The parties responsible for your injuries should be responsible for the value of your losses. Call the trustworthy Springfield truck accident lawyers of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca at 312-724-5846 or complete our online form. With more than 60 years of experience advocating for accident victims in court, we can seek all available relief for your injuries.