Truck Accidents

Springfield, Illinois Attorneys Obtaining Compensation for Large Truck and Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Pursuing monetary recovery for your injuries

In 2009, large trucks hauled 1.3 trillion tons of freight all across the United States. Major distribution centers, such as Chicago, are especially busy. To keep the goods moving, drivers must adhere to strict deadlines. With all these factors converging in one state, it is little wonder that the number of Illinoisans killed in large truck accidents is steadily increasing.

A lawsuit against a trucking or transportation company is a complicated affair that requires aggressive and experienced counsel, the kind of attorneys you find at Londrigan Potter Randle P.C. With more than 180 years of combined experience, the lawyers at LPR are the right choice for your personal injury lawsuit against the transportation industry.

The different types of large trucks

“Large trucks” is a much broader category than tractor-trailers and 18-wheelers. Oversized commercial vehicles include:

  • Tractor-trailers and other shipping vehicles
  • Dump trucks and other construction vehicles
  • Garbage trucks and other large municipal vehicles
  • Municipal buses, such as SMTD buses
  • Commercial buses, such as Greyhound buses

Large truck accidents often share a common thread

In some ways, the same dangers that apply in standard auto accidents also apply to large trucks. But in other ways, large trucks are inherently more dangerous, and not only because of the catastrophic injuries, such as burns, permanent disfigurement, dismemberment, brain injuries and wrongful death, that such accidents routinely cause. Other dangers include:

  • Overloaded weight: An empty large truck can weigh as much as 18,000 pounds. A truck with an average load is heavier still, and an overloaded truck is almost impossible to stop.
  • Falling debris: If the load is secured improperly, pieces of the cargo can easily fall off the truck’s bed, creating obstructions for other motorists and disrupting the large truck’s center of gravity, making the already unwieldy vehicle even more difficult to control.
  • Distracted drivers: A passenger car driver talking or texting is a roadway hazard; a large truck operator talking or texting while driving is a roadway menace.
  • Poorly maintained roadways: Rural highways tend to be neglected and frequently fall into disrepair, while urban roadways simply have more vehicle traffic than the roads were designed to handle.

Multiple defendants may be responsible for a single large truck accident

In some cases, the individual driver may be responsible. In many more cases, the individual driver is an employee of a trucking company and, according to respondeat superior, that company, which is frequently an out-of-state holding company, is responsible for your damages. Still other times, a large truck accident may be caused by a defective part in the truck or a defective section of the roadway. Through the discovery process, your attorney can identify all responsible parties to help you obtain the maximum amount of compensation.

Work with tenacious lawyers serving Taylorville

At Londrigan Potter Randle P.C., our attorneys are known for their successful track record and for their knack of finding the right angle in a difficult case. Contact us at 866.658.3248 or online to schedule your free consultation.

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