Hit By A Commercial Vehicle? Our Attorneys Can Help
Dealing with a car crash can be hard enough. But when you get involved in a wreck with a commercial truck, that can open up an entirely new set of problems. Figuring out who is responsible for making you whole after your vehicle is hit by a commercial vehicle can be complicated. Chances are you may end up going through the driver’s employer or the company that owns the commercial vehicle to seek compensation instead of dealing directly with the at-fault driver. The company may try to turn it back on the driver, leaving you in the middle when you just want your medical bills paid and your car fixed.
The best way to deal with being injured in an accident with a commercial vehicle is to hire an experienced Chicago commercial vehicle accident lawyer who can handle the complex nature of the personal injury process on your behalf. Call our team of commercial vehicle accident lawyers today at (312) 236-2900. Our law firm offers free initial consultations and if we don’t win, there’s no fee.
Commercial Vehicle Accidents in Chicago, IL
Anyone who has ever sat in traffic on the Dan Ryan Expressway, or tried to get through the intersection at Stony Island Avenue and South Chicago Avenue during the 11 seconds the light is green, knows that Chicago can be a frustrating and even frightening place to drive. The Census Bureau reports that it’s one of the top commuter cities in the nation. That means a lot of people moving in and out of the city each day, battling for space on the city’s streets with buses, taxis, trucks and delivery vans.
Inevitably, drivers who are in a rush, or who are tired at the end of a workday, or haven’t had their morning coffee, or just plain aren’t paying attention, run afoul of each other and collide.
What is a Commercial Vehicle?
The term “commercial vehicle” can have a lot of different meanings. A commercial vehicle could be someone’s company car, a taxi cab, a delivery van, a tow trucker, a semi-truck, a hotel shuttle, or even a piece of construction equipment that also is a vehicle.
Basically, a commercial vehicle is a vehicle operated for commercial purposes. It doesn’t necessarily have to be driven by someone holding a commercial driver’s license, but often may be. Usually, a commercial vehicle is owned by a business or operated for business purposes, and is covered by a commercial liability insurance policy.
Commercial Vehicle Accidents
There are some ways that a Chicago car crash involving a commercial vehicle can be different than one involving someone driving their own personal vehicle on their personal time. For the most part, the process of investigating the crash and filing a lawsuit, if necessary, is the same.
However, some different legal principles can be involved when it comes to determining who should be responsible to compensate you for your injuries and damages incurred caused by the crash.
In a crash involving two personal vehicles, the at-fault driver is the person you pursue a claim against. But when a commercial vehicle is involved, you may need to pursue a claim against the driver’s employer, if he or she was driving while doing business for his or her employer, or you may have to pursue a claim against the company that owns the vehicle if that entity is different than the driver’s employer.
If the driver was a truck driver, bus driver, taxi driver, or some other kind of driver who has to maintain a commercial driver’s license, there may be particular sets of rules that the driver has to follow.
For example, truck drivers under federal regulation are only allowed to drive for so many hours per day. If the trucker exceeded the allowed number of hours and crashed into you because he or she was tired, that opens up an additional way that you may be able to prove your case for negligence and convince an insurance company or a jury to award you compensation.
Compensation in Commercial Vehicle Accidents
Because commercial vehicles often are larger and heavier than your personal vehicle, damage to your car and injuries to your person can be much greater in this kind of crash than in other types of motor vehicle accidents. You may have significant medical expenses that you’re worried about paying, and your car may be heavily damaged or totaled.
If you had to pursue a claim against an individual driver who only has the minimum insurance coverage required by the state, you could be in a bad spot in terms of financial recovery. However, commercial liability policies often have much higher limits. If you are successful in making a claim against a commercial policy, the odds of being fully compensated are better.
The types of damages you may be able to recover include:
An Experienced Chicago Commercial Vehicle Accident Lawyer Can Help
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, an experienced Chicago commercial vehicle accident lawyer can help you by investigating the facts, determining the responsible parties, and making the arguments designed to get you the best possible settlement.
A Chicago injury lawyer with experience pursuing claims against commercial liability policies will have a thorough understanding of the different kinds of issues in this type of accident, and what legal principles or rules apply in your specific situation.
We have represented clients for commercial vehicle accidents throughout the Chicago area, and would be happy to discuss your situation in a free legal consultation. You can reach us at (312) 236-2900.
