Edwardsville Truck Accident Lawyer

What Steps Should I Take if I’m Involved in a Truck Accident in Edwardsville IL?

If you are involved in an accident, it is important to do the following:

1. Do not leave the scene.
2. If it is an emergency, immediately call 911 to alert authorities and receive medical attention.
3. Follow any instructions given to you by the police.
4. Be polite to all individuals, including the police and other driver, but do not admit fault at any point.
5. Collect any evidence of the scene.
6. Keep track of all costs associated with your accident.
7. Call a lawyer at TorHoerman Law for a free consultation.
8. Ask your personal injury legal team any questions.

Truck accident attorneys will help you as soon as you contact them, so don’t hesitate to reach out after a crash occurs.

Filing a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Edwardsville IL

The Civil Litigation Process requires keen attention to detail and knowledge of legal jargon.

It can be overwhelming for those coping with complications and trauma from their injuries.

Under the direction of an experienced personal injury lawyer, you will begin a few processes that will support your truck accident claim in court:

• Gathering Evidence
• Mitigating Injuries
• Assessing Damages

Gather Evidence for a Truck Accident Claim

Cases for car accidents and truck accidents rely heavily on solid evidence.

A claim is often won or lost based solely on the quality of evidence.

The amount awarded can fluctuate depending on the ability to gather relevant evidence and prove the liability of another party.

It’s important that you begin to gather evidence and preserve it after your car accident.

Evidence for a truck accident may include:

• Photos and videos of the accident or scene
• Witness statements and testimony
• Reports from police or other responding authorities
• Medical records, reports and bills

A truck accident lawyer will help to determine what evidence is most relevant and useful in a particular case.

Mitigating Injuries

Things can become unnecessarily complicated if injury victims do not take necessary steps to improve their condition.

Mitigation is a critical element to any truck accident claim.

If you wait too long and the statute of limitations of your case expires, you may not be eligible to file a lawsuit.

Always follow the advice of your truck accident attorneys and a trusted medical professional after your accident.

Even minor medical issues resulting from a crash can turn into serious injuries.

Proper mitigation steps include:

• Receiving official diagnoses for your injury
• Seeking medical care
• Following your doctor’s orders
• Doing everything in your power to minimize the extent of your injury

Mitigation is an important step in building a strong, honest claim.

Assessing Damages in a Truck Accident Claim

Damages refer to all economic and non-economic losses suffered as the result of a car accident.

A car accident lawyer will help you to determine what relevant damages you are able to claim.

Typical damages in a car accident case include:

• Medical Expenses
• Lost Wages
• Property Damage
• Emotional Distress
• Pain and Suffering
• Loss of Consortium and Quality of Life
• Other compensatory and punitive damages

Determining Liability and the Legal Process of a Trucking Accident

Pinpointing who is at fault in a trucking accident is difficult.

Liability could be due to more than one of the following parties:

• Truck Drivers
• Trucking company
• The company tasked with providing maintaining a truck
• Truck manufacturers
• Another driver on the roadway
• The government entity responsible for maintaining roadways

Determining liability requires an extensive amount of investigation by the lawyer hired to represent you.

In some cases, you, the driver, may be partially at fault.

If both you and the other party are at fault, this does not prevent you from receiving compensation for your injuries, but there are certain stipulations to be aware of.

Your attorney will use the principle of comparative negligence to determine your degree of fault and decide the amount you deserve on a percentage basis.

After your claim has been filed, your attorney will begin discovery, the investigation portion of the lawsuit.

Your attorney will review the police report, witness reports, any video and pictures taken, consult with an expert, and review any other necessary evidence.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

These are the most common causes of semi-truck accidents nationally:

• Bad Weather
• Driving while Tired/Exhausted
• Drunk driving
• Driving under the influence of drugs
• Stop-and-Go Traffic
• Nighttime Driving
• Equipment Failure
• Jackknifing: (when a semi-truck and its trailer skids, result is the trailer swinging out and stopping at a 90-degree angle.)
• Underride (when a car slides underneath semi-truck)
• Truck Defects
• Cargo Overload
• Lack of driver training

Because of the size and strength of semi-trucks, they are inherently more dangerous than an average car accident.

Spilled or Fallen Cargo

Whether a load secured to the bed of an open tractor trailer or packed into a closed box trailer, items on the back of a semi-truck can fall onto roadways, increasing the potential for a car accident.

Unsecured loads that break away from semi-trucks can cause terrible accidents and block roadways for hours as they’re cleaned up.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

Trucking accidents can lead to serious injuries and even death.

People who are injured can take a very long time to recover from and result in a decreased quality of life.

Most common injuries from a truck or car accident:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Spinal cord injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Broken Bones
• Internal organ injuries
• Lacerations

Trucking Accidents in Edwardsville IL

According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were over 11,000 accidents involving semi-trucks in the state in 2019.

116 people were killed in tractor-trailer involved accidents in 2019.

Madison County specifically experiences a number of semi-truck accidents, especially on the county’s many interstate highways.

On Interstate 255, particularly by IL-143, accidents are common and rise to a fever pitch during periods of construction.

A number of fatal accidents have also occurred along Interstate 270 and Interstate 55:

• A 20-year-old woman was killed on I-70 in September 2021 when her car collided with a tractor-trailer merging across lanes to enter a construction zone.
• Two semi-trucks were involved in a crash that killed a 34-year-old Missouri man on Interstate 270 in September 2021.

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has taken steps to alert motorists of construction zones.

IDOT places marquee signs placed miles ahead of an affected area and rumble strips laid even closer to work areas.

What are the Trucking Laws in Edwardsville IL?

Each state has specific laws for trucking companies, drivers, and semi-trucks.

These laws are subject to change, so it is important for every truck driver to be aware of the latest and most updated legal regulations:

• Trucks are required to undergo safety inspections every 12 months.
• All motor vehicles, regardless of type, must have liability insurance.
• All drivers are required to hold a current Illinois’ Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) to operate a semi-truck or other type of commercial vehicle.

Hiring an Edwardsville IL Truck Accident Lawyer

Navigating a lawsuit after a traumatic accident can be difficult.

Choosing an experienced personal injury attorney can be an extra, unneeded stress.

If you were injured, suffered financial losses, or other damages resulting from a truck accident, you may benefit from hiring a personal injury lawyer to represent you.

The civil litigation process can be long and complex.

An Edwardsville truck accident lawyer will be able to navigate this process for you, so that you can focus on recovering from your accident.

The choice of an attorney is important and should be taken with careful consideration.

When hiring lawyer who deals with traffic accidents, you should find one that knows how to establish a good attorney client relationship.

Your lawyer should allow you to focus on your recovery while they hard on your case.

You should feel comfortable vetting potential candidates.

Some good questions to ask are:

• What is their experience litigating truck accident cases?
• What is their experience with the Edwardsville & Madison County judicial systems?
• Do they have the resources necessary to litigate your case?
• How can they guarantee commitment to your case?

What will a Truck Accident Lawyer do for me?

A truck accident lawyer will act on your behalf, doing the following:

• Files a legal claim
• Deliberates with any insurance company involved
• Assesses your medical expenses and damages
• Ensures that you receive compensation for any injuries or damages from the negligent party.

Your lawyer will fight for you and your rights.

At TorHoerman Law, that is our primary objective – fighting for you.

The Top Edwardsville IL Truck Accident Law Firm: TorHoerman Law

THL’s Edwardsville Truck Accident Lawyers are here to guide you and help you, providing aggressive legal representation to sort out legal issues and seek maximum compensation.

TorHoerman Law is a well-established personal injury law firm, focusing on various legal practice areas.

We serve clients in areas including:

• Edwardsville
• Glen Carbon
• Collinsville
• Granite City
• Alton
• East Alton
• Wood River
• Other cities in Southern Illinois
• The Metropolitan East, St. Louis area
• And more locations listed below

Our main office location is on Main Street in Edwardsville IL.

TorHoerman Law operates on a contingency fee basis.

With working on a contingency fee basis, our clients do not pay legal service fees until they have been fully compensated for their losses.

If you do not receive compensation, our law firm will foot the bill for all legal costs.

If you or a family member suffered injuries from a truck accident, contact THL accident lawyers today.

Want to find out if you qualify for compensation instantly?

Use our chatbot to receive a free case review.

TorHoerman Law – your truck accident lawyers.

TorHoerman Law Practice Areas

THL handles dozens of complex cases, helping injured people across the country, in many practice areas.

We will provide you with formal legal advice and will fight for fair compensation while you make a full recovery.

Reach out to us for a free consultation if you or a loved one have been involved in any of the following:

• Car accidents or truck accidents
• Premises liability
• Workers compensation
• Medical malpractice
• Wrongful death
• Catastrophic injuries
• Mass torts
• Product liability
• Dangerous drugs and medical devices
• Abuse and Assault

If you do not see your potential case listed above, explore our practice area pages or contact us for more information.