Accidents between a large commercial truck and passenger cars can often result in catastrophic injuries. Worse, many of these crashes end in fatalities. Passenger vehicle occupants are the most likely victims of these fatalities. Truck drivers and their employers face much stricter standards since large commercial trucks pose a much bigger threat on the roads. When these standards are not met, it is more likely that tragedies will occur. If your loved one died in a truck crash, you may be interested in pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit. 

Fatal Trucking Accidents in Illinois 

Catastrophic injuries and fatalities are more common in truck accidents in part due to the great contrast in size and weight between the vehicles as well as the truck’s greater ground clearance. Trucking accidents can also involve dangerous cargo spills of hazardous chemicals or fuel. 

Truck accidents may be caused by driving errors such as speeding, failing to check mirrors, texting and driving, or external factors such as a tire blowout or bad road conditions. In other cases, these crashes may have been caused by overloaded cargo or cargo that was not properly secured to the truck.  

If you are suffering from the effects of an injury caused by someone else’s negligence, you may be overwhelmed by the mounting medical expenses and all of the other ways your injuries have changed your life for the worse. In the most difficult moments, the possibility of recovering financial compensation from the at-fault party may provide some consolation, but it is reasonable to wonder just how much you may receive. Though the value of a personal injury case varies substantially depending on the circumstances, you can start to get a better idea by considering some of these questions.

How Much Medical Treatment Do You Need?

Personal injury victims can pursue compensation for the full extent of their relevant medical expenses. The costs of treating soft tissue or surface injuries are typically lower than the costs of severe, catastrophic injuries that require surgery, rehabilitation, and multiple visits to the hospital and specialists over many months and years. A personal injury settlement or verdict can include compensation for both past and future medical bills.

Are You Missing Time at Work?

Some injuries have a long recovery period, during which you may not be able to work full-time, if at all. Other injuries can leave you permanently disabled, which may decrease your earning capacity throughout the rest of your life. As with medical expenses, it is possible to pursue compensation for lost wages from work time you have already missed, as well as future lost wages related to your disability.

When most people think about a car crash, work accident, assault, or another injury-causing incident, the most obvious concern is the physical injury itself. However, the psychological implications of a serious injury are often just as significant as the physical consequences of the injury. This is especially true when an accident causes disfigurement or considerable scarring. If you or a loved one suffered a disfiguring injury, it is important to know how the disfigurement may be addressed in a personal injury lawsuit.

Disfiguring Injuries Can Have a Profound Impact on the Injured Person’s Life

In a catastrophic accident, the physical and emotional scars suffered by the accident victim may last a lifetime. When an injury changes the way a person looks, the injured person may feel as though his or her very identity has changed. Scarring and disfigurement is often especially consequential when an accident causes:

• Facial trauma – Deep lacerations to the face, injuries to the eyes, and injuries that cause disfigurement to the teeth and mouth can all have profound psychological consequences. In one study, up to 70 percent of people with acquired facial trauma suffered from depression and anxiety after the injury. Many patients suffered from social withdrawal and reduced occupational functioning.
• Amputation – Losing a limb is a life-changing experience to go through. The injured person must deal with the physical limitations resulting from the amputation as well as the psychological toll created by the loss.  The majority of those who suffer a traumatic limb amputation or dismemberment suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, phantom limb phenomenon, and other psychological effects.
• Scarring – Although advances in surgery and wound care techniques have reduced the severity of scarring after a serious injury, some scars are unavoidable. If your injury caused significant scarring, this is likely to affect your life long after the physical pain of your injury has dissipated.
• Burns – Chemical burns, as well as burns suffered in a fire or other accident, can also lead to profound disfigurement. Often, a burn victim suffers changes in skin color and texture that last years.

Financial Compensation for Scarring and Other Disfigurement

Illinois personal injury law allows for the recovery of financial damages as well as non-financial damages. There is no amount of money that someone would trade for the loss of a limb or another disfiguring injury. However, financial compensation through a personal injury lawsuit may address the psychological toll that disfigurement has on an accident victim. It may also provide reimbursement for counseling or other psychological treatments.

For many, riding a motorcycle is one of the best things in life. Unfortunately, motorcyclists are significantly more likely to die during a collision than occupants of cars and trucks. If your loved one died in a fatal motorcycle crash, you may be shocked and unsure of what to do next. In addition to your grief, you may be facing considerable financial hardship because of your loss. One legal option that you may have after losing a loved one in a motorcycle accident is a wrongful death lawsuit. Through a wrongful death action, you may be able to recover financial compensation for the losses incurred by your loved one’s death.

A Wrongful Death is a Death Caused by Negligence or Wrongdoing

According to Illinois law, a wrongful death action is possible when a death is caused by “negligence,” meaning carelessness or recklessness, or wrongdoing. You may be able to bring a wrongful death case if your loved one’s motorcycle accident was caused by:

• Negligent driving such as distracted driving, running a red light, or speeding
• Drunk driving or drugged driving
• Negligent road design or substandard road maintenance
• Defective motorcycle parts
• Other conduct that is negligent or unlawful

Potential Benefits of a Wrongful Death Claim After a Motorcycle Collision

A wrongful death action may allow you to get justice for your loved one and hold the responsible party accountable. You may also be able to recover financial compensation. There is no amount of money that could make up for someone’s death. However, a wrongful death claim may ease the financial burden you are facing.  

A personal injury lawsuit can serve two vital functions in an injured person’s life: Holding the liable party responsible for the injury and recovering financial compensation for damages. When we think about personal injury damages, medical bills and immediate costs incurred by the injury usually come to mind. However, these losses often pale in comparison to the long-term costs resulting from the injury. In many catastrophic injury cases, the greatest loss that an injured person suffers is the loss of his or her ability to earn a living. If you or a loved one suffered severe injuries in an incident caused by negligence or wrongdoing, you may be entitled to compensation for lost earning capacity.

Compensation for Injuries That Cause Loss of Functioning or Disability

Semi-truck accidents, motorcycle crashes, construction accidents, intentional acts of physical violence, and countless other incidents can leave a person with catastrophic injuries. If you or a loved one suffered an injury that caused paralysis, amputation, neurological damage, loss of vision or hearing, or other long-term health consequences, is it important to know your rights. You or your loved one may be entitled to compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost income, damage to your future earning capacity, and more.

Determining How Much Compensation You Are Entitled To

If your injuries forced you to work fewer hours, take a lower-paying position, or left you unable to work at all, you may be compensated for the reduction in your earning capacity. The amount you could receive depends on an estimation of the income you would have received if not for the injury-causing incident. The amount of compensation that you could recover depends on several different factors, including: