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Lawyers for Injured Truck Drivers
Every day, competent and highly skilled truck drivers move products and equipment needed by the nation along roadways, freeways, and highways in the Chicago area and throughout the State of Illinois.
The job opportunities for driving commercial trucks often come at a high price, where drivers spend long days and weeks on the roadway, increasing their fatigue, distraction, and exhaustion.
The hectic lifestyle with tight deadlines often leads to an increased risk of catastrophic accidents requiring the need to hire attorneys for injured truck drivers and shippers. Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represents injured truckers involved in single-vehicle crashes, truck/passenger car accidents, and head-on collisions.
Injured Truck Drivers FAQs
Workers' Compensation Claims & Third-Party Lawsuits from Accidents
The attorneys at Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC represent commercial vehicle operators suffering serious injuries resulting from an accident on Cook County and Illinois state roads. Regardless of who is responsible for causing the accident, drivers are usually entitled to receive financial compensation.
Commercial truck operator employees are typically covered by workers' compensation, even if found at fault for the accident (although an independent contractor may not be).
Some of the benefits include:
- Ongoing medical care coverage along with prescription medications until the injuries healed
- Disability benefits for the time the driver is unable to work or only working part-time as a result of injuries caused by the trucking accident
- Vocational training if the injuries preclude the driver from returning to his or her position
When injuries from the accident are caused by the negligent actions of a third party (individuals not working for the commercial truck operator employer), the injured operator can file a personal injury lawsuit against the responsible individual or company who breached the duty of care.
This suit can hold the third party accountable through an insurance company to pay monetary compensation for damages, medical bills, pain, suffering, or injury not covered under worker's compensation.
The trucker's family members might be entitled to pursue benefits under the workers' compensation act or in a separate injury case against the responsible party under certain circumstances. An attorney working on behalf of the surviving family members could build the case, claiming that the truck driver was killed in a crash or other accident directly related to his work.
Temporary or Permanent Disability After a Significant Chicago Accident
Many truck accidents cause severe catastrophic results, where the injuries are so horrific that the operator is unable to work or disabled for days, weeks, months, or years. Disabilities lasting a year or longer often require additional benefits.
Commercial truck operators that have suffered severe injury might be entitled to receive SSDI (Social Security disability insurance) claim benefits. However, the process of making a claim can be complicated and often requires knowledgeable assistance from a skilled personal injury lawyer to avoid denial of the claim.
A skilled truck accident attorney can ensure that the injured truck operator details any occupational illness or chronic injury to support their claim with the Social Security Administration.
Common Injuries Sustained by Truckers and Shippers around Chicago
A trucker might suffer severe injuries in a truck/car accident while operating a semi-tractor trailer, LCV (long combination vehicle), or other commercial trucks.
Some of these injuries could include:
- Back and neck injury (see here)
- Brain injury and trauma (see here)
- Spinal cord injury (see here)
- Loss of limb (see here)
- Wrongful Death (see here)
Injured Truck Driver Statistics and General Information
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the Illinois Department of Transportation, nearly 50,000 truck drivers are injured in the workplace every year while on the road or in warehouses. Many injured truckers remain in their trucking job while receiving workers' compensation benefits through their large truck company employer.
- Thousands of truck drivers and shippers die each year due to work-related incidents.
- The most common states for truck driver fatalities include Florida, California, Texas, and Illinois.
- Both fatalities and injuries have declined across the trucking industry over the last twenty years.
Hiring an Attorney to Prosecute Claims Under Workers Compensation & Civil Lawsuits
Truck accident lawyers representing injured truck drivers handle claims for accident victims in various on-the-job situations when there are extenuating circumstances in the accident case.
Some of the situations can include:
- The trucking company breached its duty of care and failed to maintain the commercial truck's fuel system or braking system properly, which led to the Illinois truck accident
- Truck accident injuries were sustained by another individual working at a loading dock at the company or a loading/unloading facility. Injuries could include being struck against or by objects including pallet jacks, winch bars, lift gates, chains, binders, cartons, or boxes
- An injurious fall from elevations, including falling from the truck, falling into workplace openings, making deliveries at higher elevations, stepping/falling in the holes, or when exiting the semi-truck, could cause back or knee sprains
- Being involved in a forklift accident while loading/unloading the cargo
- An improperly balanced cargo load, causing a motor vehicle accident
- Injury sustained on the road when involved in a collision with the negligent, reckless motorist
- A truck accident caused by a failure to properly operate the commercial truck because of a manufacturer's defect, like an exploding tire, failing brake pads, or defective part
Illinois Lawyers for Injured Truck Drivers
A truck driver injured at work can face lifelong problems, emotional trauma, and financial stress. Skilled Chicago truck accident lawyers can work aggressively on your behalf to help you obtain the maximum compensation you deserve to maintain the accustomed lifestyle for you and your family.
Rosenfeld Injury Lawyers LLC is committed to protecting the rights of injured truck drivers in Illinois through aggressive strategies. Our law office helps clients recover adequate financial compensation in an amount enough to cover any unpaid medical expenses, lost wages, pain, and suffering.
Call our personal injury attorneys at (888) 424-5757 (toll-free phone call ) or fill out our online contact form to schedule a no-obligation, free consultation to discuss a personal injury claim. Our law firm also provides legal advice and represents family members who have lost a loved one through a truck crash wrongful death.