If you are injured by another party’s negligence in a truck accident, you should be able to recover compensation for your damages. However, insurance companies rarely make it easy for you to collect the full value of your claim. You will need to have evidence to prove causation, liability, and your damages.
An experienced Chicago truck accident attorney can help identify all possible causes and potentially liable parties through careful investigation and the uncovering of essential evidence.
What You Need to Prove In a Truck Accident Case
Most truck accident cases are based on negligence. To succeed in a negligence claim, you must establish that four elements exist:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care. For example, all motorists owe a duty of care to operate their vehicles safely to avoid harming others.
- The defendant breached their duty of care. If a truck driver were to exceed the speed limit, drive recklessly, or be under the influence of alcohol or other drugs, they may have breached their duty of care to operate their vehicle safely.
- The defendant’s breach of duty was the cause of your accident and injuries. You must prove that the cause of your accident was the defendant’s breach of duty. For example, you must prove that it was the defendant’s reckless driving that caused your accident.
- You suffered damages. You must establish that you suffered damages due to the defendant’s breach of duty. This can be shown by damage to your vehicle, medical expenses, or other tangible or intangible losses.
These elements may seem simple, but they are usually strongly contested. You need an experienced truck accident attorney to help establish each element with substantial evidence.
Evidence To Prove Your Truck Accident Case
There are numerous types of evidence used to prove a truck accident claim. Depending on the facts of your case, the evidence used may include:
- Photographs and video footage from the accident scene
- Eyewitness accounts
- Police reports
- Physical evidence, such as shredded tire treads or defective vehicle parts
- Truck maintenance and inspection records
- Truck driver logs, including hours of service documentation
- Event data recorder information
- Cargo load documentation
- Dashcam footage
- Expert witness testimony and reports
- Medical records
- Invoices, bills, receipts, and estimates of damages
- Employment records
- Proof of lost income, such as pay stubs and income tax returns
At Meyers & Flowers Trial Attorneys, our injury lawyers in Chicago carefully compile the most persuasive evidence to establish your claim and help you secure the compensation you are entitled to.
How An Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer Can Help
An experienced truck accident lawyer will thoroughly investigate your accident to help identify causation and liability. They can take fast action to help preserve evidence before it can be lost or destroyed, and work to uncover essential proof of your claim.
Your attorney can help establish and accurately value your current and future damages so you know what a fair settlement of your claim would be. They can work to resolve your claim as quickly as possible, and if a fair settlement cannot be reached, they can take your case to trial to demand the full compensation you deserve.
Your chances of a successful outcome are much higher when an experienced truck accident attorney represents you.
Schedule A Free Consultation With a Truck Accident Attorney
At Meyers & Flowers Trial Attorneys, our truck accident lawyers have helped secure billions of dollars in compensation for our clients, and we want to help you obtain the full value of your damages.
Call (630) 394-5189 or complete the short form on our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your truck accident claim.