Our Peoria truck accident lawyer is here to help you maximize your recovery after a truck accident. Contact Joel E. Brown, P.C. by calling our Peoria law office at (309) 673-4357. Your first case evaluation with our Peoria truck accident attorney is free.
Joel E. Brown, P.C. is a trusted legal advocate for Peoria, IL, truck accident victims with over 30 years of experience handling complex personal injury disputes. We level the playing field against powerful corporations and help our clients win millions of dollars in the process.
When you get hurt in a truck accident in Peoria, Illinois, it’s important to reach out to an award-winning legal advocate at Joel E. Brown, P.C. You may have the right to file a legal claim for damages against a negligent truck driver, a trucking company, or someone else who contributed to your life-changing wreck.
How Joel E. Brown, P.C. Can Help You After an 18-Wheeler Accident in Peoria, IL
Large commercial trucks can weigh up to 32 times more than small passenger vehicles. They’re also much more difficult to control – especially in bad weather conditions that are common in northern cities like Peoria, IL. When these large rigs are involved in traffic accidents, it can spell disaster for everyone involved.
As a victim, you have the right to seek damages, but you will face resistance from the trucking company and its insurance carrier every step of the way. Hiring an experienced Peoria truck accident lawyer can make a world of difference as you work to recover the compensation you need to get on with your life.
At Joel E. Brown, P.C., we’re recognized as a Top 100 Trial Lawyer in America and members of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. Our client-driven strategies and passionate representation consistently enable us to achieve top results.
When you ask for our help after a truck accident in Peoria, our Peoria personal injury attorney will be here to handle every aspect of your case for you:
- Conduct a timely independent investigation into your big rig accident
- Assess medical records, dashcam footage, truck inspection records, cell phone records, truck black box data, witness statements, driver logs, and other evidence pertinent to your case
- Enlist expert witnesses to collaborate with us as we investigate your crash, evaluate your damages, and build a legal claim
- Determine the best way to handle claims of contributory negligence that could limit your ability to recover damages from a third party
- Use tried-and-true negotiation strategies as we work to recover a life-changing settlement offer on your behalf
- Litigate your truck accident lawsuit at trial if the defense won’t take full responsibility for your tractor-trailer accident
Between the high costs of medical care and a sudden loss of income during your recovery, it can be difficult to make ends meet after your truck accident. Our law firm wants to make sure that you are able to get the legal representation you deserve, so we’ll represent you on a contingency fee basis.
There’s no cost to hire our Peoria truck accident attorneys unless we win your case.
Learn more about how we might be able to help you make things right by calling our Peoria, IL, law office to set a time for a free consultation.
Illinois Truck Accident Statistics
Thousands of accidents involving tractor-trailers, big rigs, 18-wheelers, semis, and other large commercial trucks are reported across the state of Illinois every year.
According to federal crash data, there were a total of 6,397 truck accidents in Illinois in 2023 – an average of 17.5 collisions every single day.
Many of these truck accidents are serious. In 2023, at least 3,203 people were injured, while another 172 were killed in Illinois truck accidents.
What Causes Most Truck Accidents?
The trucking industry must comply with safety regulations established by Illinois state law and the federal government. These trucking regulations affect everything from minimum driver qualifications to hours of service limitations to vehicle inspection requirements.
When trucking companies and truck drivers comply with these regulations, the risk of getting into an accident is significantly reduced. Accidents are most likely to occur when these regulations are ignored.
Not surprisingly, some of the most common contributing causes of Peoria truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Drowsy driving
- Aggressive driving
- Illegal turns
- Wide turns
- Unsafe passing
- Braking errors
- Cargo shifts during transit
- Tailgating
- Blind spot errors
- Drug and alcohol use
- Negligent vehicle maintenance
When these mistakes cause accidents, the negligent truck driver (or anyone else who makes them) can be liable for a resulting crash.
Our truck accident attorneys in Peoria will thoroughly evaluate your crash so that we can understand how and why it happened. Once we know the underlying cause(s), we can begin to build a claim against those responsible for the wreck.
Who’s Liable For a Truck Accident in Peoria?
Liability for a truck accident is shared by everyone who contributes to it. Of course, this will vary from one crash to the next.
Pending a thorough investigation into your truck accident, our award-winning legal team might determine that one or more of the following parties are liable:
- Truck driver
- Trucking company
- Truck mechanic
- Truck manufacturer
- Freight broker
- Owner of vehicle cargo
- The driver of a passenger vehicle
- Motorcyclist
- Pedestrian
- Bicyclist
- Property owner
- Negligent party’s employer
- Government agency
Liability is shared proportionately to a fault. The more someone contributes to a wreck, the more they’ll be on the hook for resulting damages. Victims can share responsibility for a truck accident, too. When this happens, it can affect the ability to recover compensation from other parties.
Under Illinois’ modified comparative fault statute, damages are reduced in direct proportion to fault up to 50 percent. Once liability is equal to or greater than 51 percent, the right to recover damages from a third party is lost.
What Types of Damages Are Available to Truck Accident Victims in Peoria?
Whether you’re injured in a jackknife truck accident, a truck rollover, a squeeze play accident, or another type of truck accident, the consequences can affect nearly every aspect of your life. Fortunately, as a victim, you will have the opportunity to seek compensation for your financial losses and harder-to-value trauma.
Collectively known as compensatory damages, this can include money for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages and disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Funeral expenses if a truck accident in Peoria is fatal
- Pain and suffering
- Chronic physical pain
- Loss of consortium
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement
- Embarrassment
There may also be times when punitive damages can be awarded. If your truck accident lawsuit doesn’t settle, a jury may elect to award punitive damages if there’s proof that the defendant in your case acted maliciously or with gross negligence.
Don’t worry about what damages you can recover or what your truck accident case is worth. Focus on your recovery and trust our top-rated personal injury attorneys in Peoria to fight to get you every cent you deserve.
Common Truck Accident Injuries
At Joel E. Brown, P.C., we want to help you recover compensation for any injuries you’ve suffered in a recent truck accident in Peoria, IL, including:
- Broken bones
- Soft tissue injuries
- Nerve damage
- Crush injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Degloving injuries
- Concussion injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Chest injuries
- Back injuries
- Neck injuries
- Whiplash injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Burn injuries
- Leg injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
Don’t hesitate to contact our law firm for help after you’ve notified the police and sought prompt medical care at the closest emergency room in Peoria. Members of our team are available to take your call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What Is the Filing Deadline for Truck Accident Lawsuits in Illinois?
The state of Illinois applies a two-year statute of limitations to most truck accident lawsuits. So, whether your case is a matter of personal injury or death, you’ll have two years to formally seek compensation from an insurance company or a liable party.
If the statute of limitations runs out before you have filed a claim, you’ll lose the right to get the money you need to move forward with your life.
You can protect your rights by contacting our experienced truck accident lawyers in Peoria for help right away.
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Experienced Peoria Truck Accident Lawyer
You should not have to deal with the consequences of a recent truck accident on your own. When a truck driver is negligent, they have to be held accountable for their mistakes. So, too, should the trucking company they work for. Joel E. Brown, P.C. wants to help you demand the accountability you deserve.
Our Peoria truck accident lawyer has over 30 years of experience standing up to powerful corporations on behalf of injury victims across the state of Illinois. We’ve helped our clients win millions in monetary awards.
Now, we’re here to help you fight for top results, too. Contact our Peoria, IL, law office to set a time for a free consultation today.