Commercial trucks may be the most dangerous vehicles on the road. They are big, intimidating, obstructive of your view, and they can cause a great deal of damage in an Illinois truck accident. Because of this, Illinois has strict laws regarding trucking company negligence, some of which are criminal offenses and punishable by law.
Some common types of trucking company negligence include:
- Careless hiring practices;
- Poor training of drivers;
- Inadequate safety equipment;
- Poor maintenance and inspection procedures;
- Failure to properly secure a load; and
- Maintaining schedules that exceed federal regulations.
If you have been injured in an Illinois truck accident that was caused by trucking company negligence, then you may want to get the help of a Chicago personal injury attorney.
The Negligence of Personnel
The greatest dangers of trucking company negligence are caused by human error. Therefore, trucking companies have the task of hiring responsible personnel. By hiring unqualified drivers, or providing them with insufficient training, trucking companies run the risk of causing significant damages in an Illinois truck accident.
To ensure their aptitude for driving commercial trucks, operators are required to complete a course in specialized training. And they should be properly disciplined whenever they violate safety regulations. It is the responsibility of the trucking company to ensure that each driver’s license has not been suspended, revoked, or canceled because of traffic violations, criminal offenses, or any other type of negligence.A trucking company must also submit personnel to random drug and alcohol screening.
If a failure to maintain responsible personnel has resulted in an Illinois truck accident, then you may be able to sue for damages in a personal injury lawsuit.
Mechanical Negligence in an Illinois Truck Accident
Drivers of commercial trucks are also responsible for the maintenance and safe operation of their vehicles. Independent operators have routine inspections to conduct before, during and after a route, while drivers who work for a larger transport company have mechanics to report to.
The loads hauled during a route also play a critical factor in the cause of many Illinois truck accidents. An improperly balanced or unsecured load can shift during driving, causing spillage or loss of vehicle control. Drivers also need to be aware of adverse road conditions where it would be unsafe to operate their vehicles.
During a route, a driver cannot be negligent in responding to unfavorable vehicle responses. Many drivers try to ignore unusual engine sounds or vehicle conditions until they are off duty or at a more preferable area to break down. In many cases delaying proper attention to mechanical issues can cause unexpected vehicle failures which often result in Illinois truck accidents.
The Difficulty in Proving Illinois Truck Accident Negligence
Truck drivers have the added advantage of normally having their transport company dealing with the insurance companies. Many transport companies have an agent on site immediately following an accident to document the situation for their use as evidence.
The keeping of records also poses a challenge when you attempt to file your insurance claim. The federal laws for retaining records regarding crash data (driver’s logbook, vehicle maintenance, etc.) only require them to be kept for as little as 90 days before they can be destroyed. Having a Chicago truck accident attorney can help you file a notice to cease document destruction.
Hiring a Chicago Truck Accident Attorney
When you are involved in an Illinois truck accident your injury claims will usually be going against a trucking company’s insurance provider. Because the providers often dispatch adjusters to the scene immediately following your accident, you need to act quickly as well to protect your claim.
A Chicago truck accident attorney at the Law Offices of Barry G. Doyle, P.C. knows the ins-and-outs of Illinois car insurance coverage and can help you understand the claims process. Contact us today for a free case evaluation – 312-263-1080.
