East Chicago Truck Accident Lawyers
In an Indiana truck accident, catastrophic injuries and fatalities are not uncommon. In most cases, smaller vehicles or road users like pedestrians cannot withstand the impact of a semi-truck many times their size without suffering life-threatening injuries. This often leads to damages like staggering medical bills, reduced earning potential, pain and suffering, and lost wages for the injured party. Truck drivers who operate recklessly, as well as negligent third parties, are often responsible for the crash, which can mean they are liable for the plaintiff’s damages. If you decide to take legal action, it is in your best interest to have an experienced, respected East Chicago truck accident lawyer negotiate your claim. They can offer beneficial legal insight, access to resources, and the staff needed to conduct research, investigate, and support your claim.
To start the process of recovering the compensation you deserve, schedule a free consultation with one of our East Chicago personal injury attorneys by giving us a call at 219-999-0122 or completing a free online case review today.
Why You Should Choose Lerner and Rowe to Represent Your Truck Accident Lawsuit
The personal injury lawyer you hire to negotiate your East Chicago truck accident lawsuit can have a profound impact on the outcome of your case.
At Lerner and Rowe, we understand that our clients are placing their trust in our decades of experience and carefully honed negotiating skills to secure a fair settlement. We take our duty to our clients seriously and set a high standard for ourselves.
Our diligent personal injury lawyers have recovered billions of dollars in compensation total based on our ability to effectively present compelling evidence of liability, link the negligent actions of the defendant to the plaintiff’s injuries, and negotiate for the full value of our client’s damages.
The truck accident attorneys of Lerner and Rowe are committed to maximizing your compensation so you can take the time you need to heal from your injuries.
The personal injury claims process has demanding deadlines, specific evidentiary standards, and a significant workload, all of which we are more than equipped to navigate.
If you were injured in a jackknife accident on US 20, a lost load collision on Chicago Avenue, a T-bone crash at the intersection of Columbus Drive and Indianapolis Boulevard, or any type of collision with a truck in our team at Lerner and Rowe can provide the skilled advocacy you need to settle your personal injury claim.
Understanding East Chicago, Indiana Truck Crashes
East Chicago, Indiana has a population of roughly 25,968 and is located along the shores of Lake Michigan. Like Gary and other nearby Indiana cities, East Chicago has an industrial background.
Manufacturing cities like East Chicago often depend on trucks to bring in raw materials and export finished products, which means large trucks regularly mix with East Chicago drivers. Additionally, East Chicago is bordered by I-90 and Indiana State Road 912, and other highways like US 12 and US 20 go through the city.
According to the National Safety Council, more than half of large truck accidents occur on non-interstate roads, so East Chicago drivers are more at risk because interstates like I-90 deposit truckers onto local roads or smaller highways, increasing the risk of a collision.
Common Causes of East Chicago, Indiana Truck Accidents
Truck drivers are tasked with operating oversized vehicles that cannot make tight or sharp turns, come to a quick stop, or easily change lanes. They must be on alert for cars in their blind spots, pedestrians crossing the street, changing terrain, road debris, shifting traffic signals, and any other changing road dynamics. The long, dull drives and isolation can contribute to fatigue or inattentiveness, which interferes with their ability to be safe operators. If a truck driver does not have full control of their vehicle or does not have enough time to react, this can result in a collision.
That being said, even if the truck crashed into you, that does not necessarily mean that the truck driver is solely or even partially responsible. Consider a case where a fleet owner failed to inspect their trucks and overlooked a leaking tire, a manufacturer relied on a flawed design to produce their truck parts, a cargo loader did not restrain the freight, or an employer hired someone with a record of DUIs. These third parties can be found liable for a plaintiff’s damages if their actions contributed to or caused the collision. Common causes of truck accidents include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Texting and driving
- Rubbernecking
- Reckless maneuvering
- Unsafe lane changes
- Excessively wide turns
- Aggressive driving
- Ignoring traffic laws
- Running red lights and stop signs
- Drowsy driving
- Mechanical failures
- Road rage
- Poor road maintenance
- Drunk driving
Life-Threatening Injuries Are a Risk in East Chicago Truck Crashes
Despite the strides that car manufacturers have made in terms of safety, there’s only so much they can do to insulate passenger car occupants from the impact of a semi-truck, which can weigh up to 80,000 pounds with a full load. Truck accident injuries often require a trip to and possibly a stay at the hospital. There’s also a considerable risk of fatal injury. As a passenger car occupant, pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, or other road user, you are at risk of sustaining truck accident injuries like:
- Spinal cord injury
- Nerve damage
- Whiplash injury
- Disfigurement
- Soft tissue injury
- Fractured or broken bones
- Crush injury
- Amputations
- Deep lacerations
- Traumatic brain injury
- Contusions
- Severe burns
- Dental injuries
- Facial injuries
If you’re fortunate enough to walk away from an East Chicago truck accident with non-life-threatening injuries, you should still get medically evaluated as soon as you can. Down the line, you may want to file a personal injury claim in order to recover compensation for your damages, and medical records are an essential part of this process.
Plaintiffs who did not seek treatment or delayed going to see a provider often struggle to appear credible to insurance companies, who are forced to wonder why they did not seek medical assistance immediately if their injuries were significant enough to warrant compensation for damages. This can result in the insurance company rejecting a claim or offering a much lower settlement.
What Damages Are Available in an East Chicago Truck Accident Lawsuit
As a plaintiff in an East Chicago truck accident lawsuit, you may be wondering what qualifies as a damage that deserves compensation. In short, damages must be a cost that you incurred as a result of your truck accident injuries. The term cost can refer to both economic and non-economic damages, although the compensation itself is almost always financial in nature.
The first step to quantifying your damages is usually to take account of the financial harm you have suffered because of your truck accident injuries. These monetary losses are your economic damages. As most truck accident survivors will tell you, catastrophic injuries also take an emotional toll and create invisible obstacles, which can be compensated as non-economic damages. Common Indiana truck accident damages can include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Car repairs or replacement
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of quality of life
- Wrongful death
Why You Need an East Chicago Truck Accident Attorney
In the event that an East Chicago truck accident has thrown your life into chaos, the most suitable person to advocate for your right to seek compensation is an Indiana personal injury attorney. They will have the appropriate background and resources to navigate the legal system.
As your representative, they will work to ensure that you are treated fairly, mistakes that could jeopardize your personal injury lawsuit are avoided, and that your damages are fully recognized.
Also, truck accident claims often entail certain added complications that an experienced personal injury attorney will be equipped to handle. Chief among them is the issue of liability. There are several parties that could be at fault for the collision besides the truck driver, and it takes a seasoned truck accident attorney to thoroughly investigate each party’s negligence and responsibility, keep the case on track as they try to deflect liability, and protect their client from being unfairly blamed.
You will likely be facing the negligent party’s insurance company, which is not inclined to pay out large settlements without substantial evidence of their policyholder’s negligence and the legitimacy of the plaintiff’s damages. To accomplish this, you’ll need access to experts like accident reconstructionists and medical professionals, not to mention extensive documentation of your injuries and damages. All of this takes considerable time and effort to compile into a cohesive demand for compensation, which is most efficiently and effectively handled by an Indiana truck accident attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions About East Chicago, Indiana Truck Accident Claims
You don’t have to worry about being able to afford an Indiana personal injury attorney to negotiate your truck accident claim because you won’t be charged any upfront fees, nor will you be expected to make out-of-pocket payments for services rendered. The way that personal injury lawyers are paid is through a contingency fee agreement with their clients.
When a personal injury attorney agrees to take on a case, they do so with the understanding that they have to successfully recover compensation for their client in order to be paid themselves because their fee comes out of the settlement. The contingency fee is about 33% of the value of the settlement they negotiate, so maximizing compensation benefits both the client and the Indiana personal injury lawyer.
If you were involved in a truck accident that was partially your fault, you may be worried that your contribution will prevent you from recovering compensation. As long as you are 50% or less at fault for the truck accident, you can still pursue compensation in a personal injury lawsuit under Indiana’s modified comparative negligence law. The stipulation to this is that you cannot recover the full amount of what your claim is worth. If you were 40% at fault, you lose 40% of what your truck accident lawsuit settles for.
Contact the East Chicago Truck Accident Attorneys of Lerner and Rowe
Filing a personal injury lawsuit may be the last thing on your mind after being severely injured in an Indiana truck accident, but it may be a necessary step so that you can afford your medical bills, balance out lost wages, and receive the acknowledgment you deserve for your emotional losses. The top truck accident attorneys of Lerner and Rowe can provide valuable legal assistance in this endeavor.
We will help you determine who is liable for your losses, collect evidence of your damages, determine what your claim is worth, and hold the negligent party or parties accountable.
Our statewide truck accident lawyers are unrivaled in terms of our dedication to our clients’ needs. Reach out to our team to schedule a free consultation by giving us a call at 219-999-0122 or completing a free online case review today.