Car accident lawyer | Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd

Personal Injury Paralysis From a Truck Accident

January 13, 2017/in Blog, Car accident injury law, Personal injury claim, Personal injury law, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

Every single time you drive, you risk being seriously injured or even paralyzed. And yes, this could happen to even the most careful driver. In Illinois, paralysis is among the most common personal injury when a car collides with a truck. As a result of these accidents, more serious injuries are often found on the occupants of cars rather than on truck drivers. In Chicago and throughout Illinois, injured victims face significant medical bills, lost wages, pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life. Additionally, their family members suffer economic loss, mental anguish and the loss of companionship.

Building a Truck Accident Lawsuit

If you have suffered a life-altering injury, such as paralysis, the various provisions that must be made for your care can be much more expansive than you thought. You may not be able to handle this on your own. A life care planner and an experienced truck accident lawyer is needed to present your personal injury lawsuit to the courts.

At the Dinizulu Law Group, when we consult a life care planner, we ensure that all your anticipated needs will be taken into account. Our personal injury attorneys will confirm that the current and future medical needs are analyzed and supported across all providers. We help ensure the life care planner gets admissible evidence from medical doctors, psychologists and the entire team of experts to ensure that a judge will allow the jury to hear all parts of the Life Care Plan. The plan must include future medication, adaptive furniture, assisted living professionals, rehabilitation, transportation needs, recreational opportunities and construction modifications to the home to accommodate new realities like the need for wheel chair access, an elevator lift, and specialized bathing areas for the seriously injured.

We know if you or a loved one experiences a serious injury that you want the best personal injury lawyer on your case. We at Dinzulu Law Group, Ltd are Chicago accident lawyers with extensive experience in truck accident lawsuits and presenting complicated and individualized life plans to the courts. If you have been injured, contact us today so that we can help you navigate the complex legal processes.

Spinal Cord Injury Association of Illinois

You should also visit The Spinal Cord Injury Association of Illinois if you suffer from paralysis and live in Illinois. This is a non-profit information and support resource for individuals paralyzed by spinal cord injury and their families. You can also learn about the health care and related professionals that serve the paralysis community. Though this resource is located in LaGrange, IL, a suburb of Chicago, it serves the entire state of Illinois. Furthermore, for many additional resources, such as support groups, centers for independent living, state disability resources, and more, please visit the United Spinal Association website.

Electronic Logging Devices Hold Truck Drivers Accountable for Negligence, Recklessness, and Breaking the Law

December 30, 2016/in Blog, Car accident injury law, Personal injury claim, Personal injury law, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

It’s winter weather and holiday driving can be hazardous on icy roads and skid-prone conditions. Add trucks and semitrailers to the mix and an accident is much more severe when a large vehicle loses control on the road.

When a truck collides which a smaller passenger vehicle, a disastrous injury occurs more often to the occupants of the other smaller vehicle. To protect all drivers, in 2014, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed and adopted a rule requiring Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) to be utilized in large trucks. ELDs are akin to those black boxes you hear about in planes, which help investigators understand how and why an accident happened. Similarly, ELDs in commercial trucks electronically record data from a vehicle’s sensors which can be subsequently downloaded.

Currently, much of a truck driver’s accountability stems from his or her own written records, but the ELDs will ensure that the truck driver can not cheat the system or inadvertently make a mistake. ELDs record speed, when the truck is in motion and other significant pieces of data.

The Trucking Industry Must Utilize ELDs by December 16, 2019

Although the ELD rule was adopted in 2014, the FMCSA understands that changes do not happen overnight. Accordingly, the trucking industry was given a grace period to incorporate the rule into practice and during that period, records could be kept through paper logs, logging software, automatic onboard recording devices or appropriately registered ELDs. The grace period ends December 16, 2019 and on that date, all drivers subject to the rule must use certified and registered ELDs.

While there are exceptions to the rule, in general if the truck driver was originally required to provide logs showing their hours of service then they are subject to the ELD requirement. While some drivers have met this new requirement with skepticism, the FMCSA maintains that ELDs will reduce risk of accidents and will also allow for a more streamlined collection of data.

ELDs can Help Answer Questions About Liability in a Trucking Accident

The ELDs will play an important role in the legal arena, as well. If you or a loved one is injured in a trucking accident, then you will have to prove that the truck driver acted wrongfully in some way. Maybe they were driving too fast, or perhaps they were drowsy. Truck drivers, their employers and their insurance companies oftentimes have a team of lawyers helping them avoid liability and so it is imperative that you also obtain a personal injury attorney right away.

Obtaining evidence from an opposing party can be difficult and is often subject to strict court rules. During a time when you are already reeling from a terrible accident, it is advised that you seek professional legal help. You will need an accident attorney who not only understands the litigation process, but also acts as your advocate during a time when you need it most.

Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. always provides a free initial case evaluation and will help you pursue the necessary legal action if you have been involved in a truck wreck accident. Our experienced Illinois truck accident attorneys understand the importance of monetary justice when a victim is facing current and future medical bills in addition to being unable to work. A personal injury accident happens in an instant, but the effects can last a lifetime. Please contact us today to find out how we can help you.

Truck Driver Fatigue & Increased Personal Injury Risk for Car Drivers

December 5, 2016/in Blog, Car accident injury law, Personal injury claim, Personal injury law, Trucking accident injury law, Wrongful death action/by Yao Dinizulu

In 2014, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducted a study to analyze various factors that contribute to crash risk. It comes as little surprise that driver fatigue contributes to many tractor-trailer accidents every year. Between 1975 and 2014, about 185,000 crashes involving large trucks or buses resulted in fatalities and of the nearly 215,500 individuals who lost their lives, most were occupants of smaller vehicles, such as cars.

This data clearly shows that when trucks and smaller vehicles collide, the truck drivers are much less likely to be injured or killed. Unfortunately, truck drivers often fail to adhere to safety mandates required by law and as a result, other citizens on the road face a higher risk.

Costs Associated with Trucking Accident Injuries Can Last a Lifetime

Injuries sustained in accidents caused by large trucks are often severe and can include loss of limb, brain injury, burns, spinal injury, and immobility. Costs associated with these massive injuries are not limited to the hospital bills incurred right after the accident. Many victims require years of rehabilitation and may never be able to work again. The economic impact can be crippling and that does not even take emotional trauma into consideration. Truck accidents are also often fatal. Many times a loved one lost in an accident is a family’s breadwinner.

If you or someone you know has been injured or worse in a trucking accident, you should seek legal counsel right away. The accident injury lawyers at Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd. have almost 60 years of total experience representing victims of truck accidents. We will help you get the compensation you deserve.

While insurance companies are experts at pointing the finger and talking victims into very low settlement amounts, our experienced trucking accident attorneys request log books and backup data to build strong, credible cases that will withstand the utmost scrutiny in the courts.

We understand that trucking accidents are often catastrophic and life changing. Contact us today so we can help you get the justice you deserve.

What to Do When Car Accidents Are Serious Personal Injuries?

November 18, 2016/in Blog, Car accident injury law, Personal injury claim, Personal injury law, Trucking accident injury law/by Yao Dinizulu

Truck accident

If you experience a serious car accident, chances are insurance companies will try to get you to sign on an injury settlement amount quickly. This is never a good idea. When injured, you may not be able to perceive the long-term effects of the accident and this is what insurance companies want. Accepting a short-term settlement amount quickly will only leave you paying unforeseen expenditures out of your own pocket. This is not something that most people are able to afford and it often leads to financial ruin. There also may be the matter of ongoing medical care which you or your loved one will need. This is often impossible to get without fair representation in the courts from an experienced personal injury lawyer.

Head and back injuries are some of the most serious injuries that can happen in a car accident. These are the type of cases that you must have representation from a good personal injury lawyer. You need a lawyer who is experienced in litigation and will be able to able to get you the compensation you deserve. When back injuries result in severe nerve damage or even paralysis, these conditions leave people with lifelong physical issues and enormous medical bills. The average yearly expenses of someone living with severe a spinal cord injury ranges between $230,000 to over $775,000. This can amount to millions of dollars across the average lifetime. These financial costs can be ruinous to both the victims and their families without monetary compensation. Insurance companies are not willing to give this level of money unless they are taken to court.

Trucking Accidents & Serious Personal Injuries

While we often wishfully think such serious injuries won’t happen to us, they can, especially when a large truck collides with a car. Serious injuries or death when trucks and cars collide are often in the car and not the cause of the accident. The Illinois Department of Transportation reports that while only about 6% of traffic crashes in Illinois involve large trucks, these wrecks represent a disproportionate number of traffic fatalities (nearly 13%).

Illinois Personal Injury Attorneys

If you or somebody you know has been involved in a car accident injury due to collision with a large truck or other commercial vehicle, it is important to seek help from an attorney who is familiar with the tactics used by truck and insurance companies and has the knowledge to anticipate the future needs and challenges that could be faced by you or your loved one. The experienced and compassionate personal injury lawyers at the Dinizulu Law Group will work with you to determine the best way to handle your personal injury claim. Contact us to set up a free consultation with one of our experienced car accident injury lawyers today.