Additional crashes possible after serious truck accidents

 Posted on October 07,2015 in Firm News

When a commercial-sized vehicle is involved in an accident on Illinois roads, it is very possible that many other vehicles are also involved. Trucks are extremely large and on busy highways and streets, they can strike many other cars when a trucker loses control of his or her rig.

In addition to the vehicles that are included in the initial collision, there can be secondary accidents that occur when other motorists are unable to avoid the crash scene or adjust to sudden changes in traffic, speed and lane obstacles. If you have recently been involved in a multi-vehicle accident, you may find it quite difficult to figure out who may be to blame for the damages and injuries you have suffered.

For example, recently a chain of accidents occurred on Interstate 74. Reports indicate that a semi truck driver crashed into a second truck which was stopped on the interstate because of an earlier accident caused by poor visibility. Shortly after, a third truck rear-ended a camper and hit several other vehicles that were stopped because of the second accident. Police are still investigating.

In these messy scenarios, it can be necessary to review police reports, witness statements and any surveillance videos that may be available in order to figure out what exactly happened. Accident reconstructionists may have to be called in to untangle the details and identify the factors that played a role in the initial and subsequent crashes.

It is likely that there are multiple people who are determined to be at fault for chain-reaction accidents like this one. If victims choose to take legal action to pursue compensation for damages, it can be a great challenge to pinpoint the specific party or parties who may be named in a lawsuit.

Because of the complexities of these cases, it can be wise to have the help of an attorney who can help victims and their families navigate not only the logistics of determining liability but also the legal system.

Source: The News-Gazette, "I-74 mess: Where and when it happened," Tim Mitchell and Mary Schenk, Oct. 6, 2015