Belleville Truck Accident Lawyer

Dealing with an 18-wheeler crash isn’t just traumatic. It’s expensive, and without the right help, you could be suffering for it. That’s why you’ll need a Belleville truck wreck lawyer on your side before you file a claim.

When you merge onto one of Illinois’s major highways, there’s a good chance that you’ll also see a semi-truck. These massive trucks are a major mode of transporting the goods we use every day. Unfortunately, that doesn’t make them less frightening to drive around.

That fear is well-earned. Many of us have heard or read stories about gruesome crashes involving these trucks, and their cargo might make it worse. Now you’ve actually been involved in one of these serious incidents, and you’re suffering for it.

An accident is already overwhelming, but tractor-trailer crashes can be especially dangerous. The costs can be especially high, so you’ll need a Belleville truck accident lawyer to help you fight back. At Hipskind & McAninch, LLC, we’ve seen how serious these accidents can be, and we’ll fight to make sure you get the full compensation you deserve.

Tractor-Trailer Injuries Are Catastrophic

Unfortunately, chances are good that you’ve suffered severe injuries that will change the way you live. You might suffer chronic pain, permanent disabilities, or an inability to return to your job. That puts stain on you and your family without the compensation to cope with your suffering.

That’s why you’ll need to fight back when you’re injured by an 18-wheeler. You’ve suffered devastating injuries, and they’re not just expensive. Even injuries that seem less serious, like whiplash, can take weeks or months to recover from, and that doesn’t include the time lost resting or strengthening your muscles in physical therapy.  

When you’ve suffered through an 18-wheeler wreck, keep track of the injuries you’ve suffered. Your lawyer will need to know of any injuries you’ve sustained to help you properly calculate these damages. If you’ve suffered any of the following injuries, reach out for help:  

• Burn injuries
• Broken bones
• Organ damage
• Head trauma
• Spinal cord injuries

Finding Liability for Your Accident

When you’re starting your accident claim, you’ll need to know who’s responsible for your injuries. Unfortunately, that can be a little complex when it comes to truck accidents. While it might seem like the driver should be responsible for the injuries they cause, you might need to look deeper.

Illinois is a fault state, which means that when a person causes an accident, they’re also financially responsible for the accident. This makes it sound like the truck driver should be responsible, right? However, that driver isn’t just a private driver like you. They’re a commercial truck driver, which changes your claim’s rules.

Instead of filing against the truck driver, you’ll need to file against their employer. Commercial drivers like truck drivers are the liability of the employer. So, as long as they were acting within the scope of their job, their employer should be the one responsible. Knowing this for certain before you file your claim can save you time and get your compensation faster.

When you’re filing for compensation, finding the correct person first can streamline your claim. You’ll want to recover as soon as possible, and if you’ve filed a claim against the wrong person, that only adds to the length of time you’ll be spending on your claim.

Compensation Offered for Belleville Survivors

Once you’ve determined who’s responsible for your claim, you’ll need to focus on the damages you’ve suffered. Calculating these damages will make up your compensation, so you’ll need to calculate these damages properly to ensure you have everything you’ll need to recover.

Economic Damages

Your first thought will be to seek your economic damages. At best, your car is badly damaged or totaled, and you’ll need compensation to repair or replace your vehicle. Because truck accidents cause so much damages, this alone can get expensive. Unfortunately, that doesn’t include other costs, like your medical expenses, time away from work, or the accommodations for a life-long disability.

For example, you might have suffered severe burns in your Belleville 18-wheeler accident. Burns are dangerous because you risk a serious infection, and they can take time to heal. That’s time that you’re unable to work to pay those hospital bills, and you might also need future treatment for these injuries. All these damages should be covered under your economic damages.

Non-Economic Damages

When you’re injured, however, you’re not just suffering financially. You’ll need compensation for the mental and emotional toll that an injury takes. These non-economic damages can be a little more difficult to calculate, but you should be compensated for the trauma you’ve been through.

Dealing with a burn injury, for example, is painful, so you should be compensated for the pain and suffering you’ve been put through. Because your pain can affect your lifestyle and what you’re able to do, you might be restricted from the things you once loved to do, decreasing your enjoyment of life.

You might also have specific conditions, like post-traumatic stress disorder, which may develop after a traumatic event. While this is a disorder that can be treated, the impact on your life might not be as visible as a burn or bone fracture.

Because these injuries are intangible, you’ll need help calculating them. Before you get started, reach out to an accident attorney about the compensation owed for these injuries. Don’t list your economic damages without also including the tractor-trailer accident’s impact on your life.  

Illinois Laws Affecting Your Truck Accident Claim

Once you’ve prepared your claim, you’ll then need to protect it. Truck accident victims need that compensation to recover, but the defense will fight back. That means your claim’s worth could be diminished, or you might completely lose your opportunity to receive compensation.

First, you’ll need to make sure you’re acting within the time limit. Belleville 18-wheeler crash claims should be filed within two years of the accident. It’s important not to lose track of this because, if you fail to file in time, your claim will almost always be dismissed. You’ll be unable to receive any compensation if you don’t act quickly.

You’ll also need to make sure you’re not blamed for any part of the tractor-trailer accident. While most accidents aren’t the fault of a single party, you’ll need to focus on protecting your claim. For every percentage you’re found at fault for, you’ll lose that percentage of your claim. If you’re over 50 percent at fault, you’ll be unable to recover any compensation for your suffering.  

Seek Help from a Belleville Truck Accident Attorney

When you’ve been hit by a semi-truck, the damage can be devastating on all levels. You’ll be left to recover financially, physically, and emotionally, and that can take time and money. Unfortunately, that’s already overwhelming, and now you’ll need to fight for compensation as well.

That makes getting your compensation much more complex and difficult. That’s why you’ll need a lawyer from Hipskind & McAninch, LLC: You need someone who can step in when you’re overwhelmed by such a serious accident. With our attorneys, you can even get started with a free consultation to discuss your claim and what our attorneys can do.

If you’re concerned about protecting your compensation, reach out to a Belleville truck accident lawyer at our firm today. Our lawyers can be reached by calling 618-230-3016 or by completing the following online form below.