Truck accidents cause devastation across the nation every year. The large size, weight, and design of a semi-truck means that smaller passenger cars rarely fair well when a collision occurs and the drivers and passengers of these vehicles may be injured as a result.
Truck accidents can be complicated to understand if you have been involved in one. In addition to the standard rules of the road that apply to all vehicles, commercial truckers have additional regulations that must be complied with for the driver and the vehicle to be legally allowed to travel. Federal laws and many state laws may come into effect, leaving a victim in the difficult position of trying to sort through the complex interplay of different laws when trying to determine if legal relief is possible.
Victims of semi-truck collisions may choose to speak with a personal injury lawyer who specializes these incidents to gain a better understanding of their own legal rights and options if a crash has occurred. In the truly tragic case where a victim loses his or her life, the right to seek a financial recovery for the damages incurred may belong to that victim’s surviving family members, even though no amount of compensation can ever properly compensate a family for this loss.
Media outlets have confirmed that actor and comedian Tracy Morgan, known for roles on Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock, is suing Wal-Mart, the owner of a semi-truck that allegedly caused a collision with Morgan’s limo bus in early June. The crash left several individuals, including Morgan, with serious and critical injuries; one passenger in the limo bus was killed in the accident.
Morgan seeks to recover for the damages he incurred as a result of the crash and is using a personal injury suit in federal court to seek that relief. In it, Morgan reportedly alleges that the driver of the semi-truck was working for Wal-Mart, that he had been awake for over 24 hours straight at the time of impact, and that the driver had commuted more than 700 miles before beginning his shift that day.
In addition to the pending claim brought by Morgan, federal authorities have levied criminal charges against the driver including one count of vehicular homicide and multiple counts of assault by automobile. The driver has pleaded not guilty to all charges against him.
Truck accidents often involve innocent victims who are simply in the wrong place, at the wrong time when a mistake is made by a trucker. If you have been hurt in a crash, you may be entitled to financial relief, regardless of whether the at-fault driver involved was cited in the accident.
At Abels & Annes, P.C., we have a history of fighting for the rights of truck accident victims in Chicago and across the rest of Illinois, and we are standing by 24 hours a day to help you and your loved ones as well. We offer a free case consultation to all victims toll free at (855) 529-2442 or locally at (312) 924-7575 and there is no obligation on your part for speaking with us. If you prefer to meet with us in person but you are too injured to travel to our offices, we also offer free in-home and in-hospital consultations so that you can get the answers you deserve, whenever you need them.
If you have been the victim of a collision with a semi-truck in the greater Chicago area, do not suffer in silence. Call the lawyers at Abels & Annes, P.C. today and let us help you get the relief you deserve.
Prior Blog Entry:
About 900,000 SUVs Recalled by Chrysler, Chicago Personal Injury Lawyer Blog, published July 11, 2014.
Resource:
Tracy Morgan leaves rehab, sues Wal-Mart over deadly crash, Chicago Tribune/Reuters, published July 12, 2014.