Construction Zone Truck Accidents

Attorneys for Injured Victims in Schaumburg and Wheaton

Construction zones often lead to congestion, traffic, and bottlenecks on the road. When commercial trucks such as big rigs, dump trucks, 18-wheelers or tractor-trailers share the road, the potential for construction zone truck accidents increases. The weight and size of these trucks mean that injuries resulting from a trucking collision are more intense than other types of crashes. Additionally, accidents that occur in constructions zones tend to involve multiple victims, and can lead to catastrophic harm. At Therman Law Offices, our Schaumburg and Wheaton truck accident attorneys have the skill and experience to represent you in a truck accident case. For more than 35 years of combined legal experience, our lawyers have helped clients victimized by the negligent or careless acts of others. We can help you by providing assistance in filing a personal injury claim, or representing the victim’s family in a wrongful death lawsuit.

Personal Injury Claims Following Construction Zone Truck Accidents

Holding a truck driver liable following an accident typically requires showing the truck driver’s negligence. If injuries suffered in construction zone truck accidents are a result from negligence on the part of the truck driver, or their employer, victims may be entitled to recover compensatory damages. Driver error causes the majority of truck collisions, and those that occur in a construction zone often involve multiple victims, and devastating harm.

Negligence is the failure to use due care, as others would use under similar circumstances. The plaintiff in a personal injury claim must show that the truck driver owed them a duty of care, failed to meet this duty and caused damages. Truck drivers must use due care at all times, but particularly in a construction zone where there is increased potential for harm. Uneven pavement, open sections of the asphalt, and exposed construction workers contribute to the need for truckers to exercise due care by slowing their speed and paying proper attention.

A breached duty of care can be straightforward, such as when a truck driver fails to slow speed according to signage posted in the construction zone. Distracted or fatigued driving also contributes to accidents because truck drivers incapable of paying proper attention place others at risk when they take their attention away from the road. In a construction zone, tailgating causes collisions, and traffic tends to slow in narrower lanes. A driver that does not leave enough space between his vehicle and the car in front may not have the necessary space to properly brake.

Trucking companies may be liable for harm caused in a collision. There are different legal theories that hold companies accountable, such as vicarious liability. If the driver was working in the scope of employment at the time of the accident, their employer may be liable. Trucking companies that directly hire a driver they should know is a risk, or fail to supervise a driver, may be legally accountable as well.

In some cases, the construction company may also be liable for injuries. A skilled attorney can assess whether the company’s actions or failure to act may have contributed to the accident.

The type of injuries that occur in a truck accident can include traumatic brain injury, paraplegia, disfigurement, back injury, and broken bones. Life-changing injuries require significant change to daily routine for the victim and their family. In a successful personal injury claim, damages that may be secured include lost wages from work, medical bills and costs for pain and suffering. Victims may recover for future anticipated costs of physical rehabilitation, and necessary medical equipment for the home. In the event of a fatal injury, the personal representative of the victim’s estate may file a wrongful death claim. Wrongful death damages include funeral and burial expenses, medical costs prior to death, and the victim’s pain and suffering.

Contact an Experienced Motor Vehicle Collision Lawyer in Wheaton or Schaumburg

If you or someone close to you has been injured in a construction zone truck accident, we can help. Our attorneys in Wheaton and Schaumburg bring more than 35 years of combined experience and are prepared to investigate your legal options. Our commitment to families is to diligently advocate and recover due compensation for their harm. We proudly represent people in communities such as Clarendon Hills, Lisle, Downers Grove, Bolingbrook, Darien, as well as Elmwood Park, Norridge, Harwood Heights, Norwood Park, Edison Park, Des Plaines, and Park Ridge. Phone our office at 773-545-8849 or reach us online to schedule a complimentary appointment.