CDL Licensing
Truck Accident Lawyers Helping Victims Facing Injuries in the Chicago Area
The experienced Chicago truck accident attorneys at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca understand the financial, emotional, and physical impact of a catastrophic collision upon the lives of victims and their families. As litigators, we are familiar with state and federal trucking regulations, and we are equipped to hold trucking companies and their drivers accountable for causing harm to others on the road. Operating a large truck, as well as other specific vehicles, requires obtaining a commercial driver’s license, or CDL. When rogue trucking companies or drivers do not abide by CDL training and testing regulations, and their careless conduct causes an accident, they may be held legally accountable for the resulting injuries and damages. Let our skilled lawyers help you recover the compensation to which you are entitled as you move toward recovery following a truck accident.
Violations of CDL Licensing Regulations May Support a Claim for Compensation
Pursuing a personal injury claim against a negligent truck driver or trucking company may entitle accident victims to recover damages that they have incurred from the crash. Proving the fault of the defendant in a legal claim typically requires that the victim show that the driver or the company was negligent. Negligence can take many forms, but it generally requires showing that the victim was entitled to be protected by a duty of care that was breached by the defendant. This breach must have directly caused the plaintiff’s injuries and related losses.
Violating a CDL licensing requirement is an example of potentially negligent conduct if it leads to a truck accident and harms others. Since commercial truck operators are required to act reasonably, as others would act under similar circumstances, when they fail to follow proper training regulations or ensure that their drivers attain licensing as mandated, they may be held accountable for the resulting injuries. In other words, a trucking company that engages in illegal conduct can be held liable if this leads to harm to others.
Additionally, trucking companies may be held legally at fault for hiring drivers who have not met the CDL licensing requirements. Trucking companies can be held liable for negligent hiring if the circumstances show that they knew or should have known that a driver was unfit for the job. The significance of CDL licensing requirements is that they ensure that drivers have undergone specific training, which provides instruction in how to safely maneuver a truck or other vehicle and helps to make certain that drivers are otherwise qualified to share the road with passenger vehicles.
By seeking monetary damages after a truck accident, victims are often attempting to recover for medical costs, property damage, and emotional pain and suffering resulting from a crash. Trucking companies that employ drivers who are not qualified, in that they have not met CDL licensing requirements, have violated the law. This conduct places others at risk, and if an accident results, the company may be held responsible for injuries suffered by accident victims.
Consult a Chicago Lawyer Regarding Your Accident Claim
For decades, the Chicago lawyers at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca have helped people pursue legal claims against trucking companies and drivers who may have caused a crash. Our attorneys provide seasoned legal representation from initial investigations through negotiations and potential litigation. Following a truck accident involving a failure to abide by CDL licensing requirements, victims have a right to hold the driver accountable and possibly also the trucking company if vicarious liability or direct theories of liability apply. To discuss the details of your case and better understand your legal right to monetary damages, contact our Chicago office. We can be reached by calling 312-724-5846 or using our online form. We provide a complimentary consultation with a motor vehicle collision lawyer, and we offer our legal representation to truck accident victims in Quincy, Rockford, Champaign, Springfield, and other communities in Winnebago, Sangamon, Adams, Kane, and Cook Counties.