Chicago Truck Accident Lawyer Near You

Item: Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C.
Rating: 5
Author: TJ M.

Last Updated on July 8, 2026 by Patrick A. Salvi II

Chicago sits at the center of the nation’s freight network. The metro region moves roughly a quarter of all U.S. rail freight and pushes an enormous volume of truck traffic onto expressways like the Stevenson (I-55), the Tri-State (I-294), and the Dan Ryan (I-90/94), with still more feeding the CenterPoint intermodal port at the I-55/I-80 junction in Will County, one of the largest inland ports in North America. All of that truck traffic comes at a cost. Illinois saw 11,294 crashes involving tractor-trailers in 2024, according to the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT), and while big rigs make up just 3.7% of all crashes, they account for 8.4% of the state’s fatal ones.

The physics are brutally one-sided. A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh 20 to 30 times as much as a passenger car, and IDOT data shows that of the 106 people killed in Illinois tractor-trailer crashes in 2024, roughly four out of five were in the other vehicle, not the truck. More than half of the state’s fatal truck crashes happen on interstates and tollways, the same high-speed corridors that ring Chicago. Whether you were hit by a merging semi on the Kennedy, rear-ended by a fatigued driver on I-57, or caught in a blind-spot wreck on the Eisenhower (I-290), you need a local truck accident lawyer who understands federal trucking regulations and knows how to act fast before critical evidence like the truck’s logs and black-box data disappears.

That is where Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. comes in. For more than 40 years, our Chicago truck accident attorneys have taken on trucking companies and their insurers across Cook, DuPage, Lake, Will, and Kane counties, recovering over $3.5 billion in verdicts and settlements. That includes a $17.9 million Cook County verdict for a woman who suffered spinal cord injuries when a semi failed to yield at an intersection, and a $3.75 million settlement for the family of a 22-year-old killed when a tractor-trailer rear-ended his car on I-57. From our offices in downtown Chicago and Waukegan, we handle the investigation, the insurance companies, and the courtroom so you can focus on healing. Contact us today for a free consultation.

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Our Truck Accident Results

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What is Our Experience With Truck Accident Cases in Chicago?

Through the years, we have secured more than $3.5 billion in verdicts and settlements, including more than 400 multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements. Our record of success includes many truck crash cases, including:

$17.9 Million Verdict
We obtained this verdict after a two-week trial in Cook County Circuit Court. A semi-truck driver failed to yield the right of way at an intersection. A 47-year-old woman suffered spinal cord injuries. We negotiated a $14 million settlement.
$3.75 Million Settlement
We secured this settlement on behalf of the family of a 22-year-old Chicago man who died after a tractor-trailer hit him on I-57 as he traveled to visit his girlfriend at the University of Illinois. The truck driver had failed to slow down and rear-ended the man’s car.
$987,000 Settlement
We represented two clients in this personal injury case – the driver and passenger of a motor vehicle that was involved in a collision with a large commercial truck in Illinois.

Who Can You Sue After a Truck Crash in Chicago?

“Following a truck accident, identifying the operating company and broker is critical to understanding who is liable for your injuries.”

— Brian Salvi, Equity Partner

In your case, we will investigate whether the truck driver’s careless or reckless conduct played a role in your crash. As we have seen, driver error frequently causes tractor-trailer accidents in Chicago and throughout Illinois. Some examples of truck driver negligence include:

Speeding, tailgating and other forms of aggressive driving
Distracted driving
Failing to yield the right of way
Driving while impaired by alcohol or drugs
Driving while fatigued (or in violation of hours-of-service rules that limit the number of hours a driver can be on the road)
Failing to keep in the proper lane.

Under Illinois law, a trucking company can be liable for the negligent acts of its employees. However, the trucking company may be liable because it has acted negligently in its own right. For instance, the company may have:

Hired an unfit driver. Before hiring a driver, a trucking company should check the driver’s commercial driver’s license status, traffic violation record, criminal records and physical and mental fitness.
Poorly trained and supervised drivers. The trucking company may have failed to properly prepare the driver for his or her job duties and/or to monitor the driver’s performance. In particular, the trucking company should make sure that its employees always comply with state and federal safety rules.
Failed to inspect and maintain its vehicles. Your crash may have occurred because the company did not conduct mandatory inspection and maintenance of the vehicles in its fleet.
Allowed cargo to be improperly loaded. A company can be liable if it permits a truck to hit the road with excessive weight or unsecured cargo, causing the truck to jackknife or roll over or allowing objects to spill onto the road.
Forced or encouraged drivers to violate safety rules.Unfortunately, a trucking company’s string of violations of state and federal safety regulations may have caused your crash. For example, the company may have regularly forced drivers to meet delivery deadlines – even if it meant breaking hours-of-service rules.

Many trucking operations use third-party vendors. If one of these parties acted negligently, they could be responsible for your damages. Employment agencies, brokers, cargo shippers, loaders and mechanics are examples of third-party vendors.

If a defective truck or truck part contributed to your accident, you may be eligible to sue the manufacturer and others in the distribution chain. Many crashes can be traced to:

Brake problems
Defective tires
Steering column defects
Wheel roll-offs
Insufficient underride protection
Defective couplings and hitches
Flawed hydraulic systems.

Additionally, our legal team will look at whether a state or federal government agency or its contractors committed wrongdoing that caused your crash. For example, the agency may have failed to properly design or maintain roads.

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How Can Our Chicago Truck Accident Attorneys Help You?

The Chicago truck accident attorneys of Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. know how to tackle the many challenging issues in claims that involve commercial trucks, including large tractor-trailers or smaller delivery trucks such as FedEx, UPS, or USPS trucks. Those issues include:

Immediate, aggressive investigation. Trucking companies and their insurers have much at stake. To protect their interests, they often make it difficult to inspect the tractor-trailer, electronic data recorder (“black box”), logbooks, truck maintenance records, driver employment records, and other important evidence. By taking immediate, aggressive action, we can knock down the walls that a trucking company will try to put around the evidence.
Multiple liable parties. Unlike most accident cases, the at-fault driver may not be the only one liable when a crash involves a commercial truck. The trucking company, broker, shipper, warehouse operator, manufacturer and even a government agency could be liable as well. These parties may be based in another state or country and carry different insurance policies. We have the resources to identify every source of compensation for your losses.
Violations of state or federal regulations. State and federal regulations govern nearly every aspect of trucking. Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules, for instance, control size and weight limits, driver qualifications, speed limits, inspections, maintenance, record-keeping and insurance requirements. Our lawyers have a thorough understanding of these regulations. We will determine whether a violation of these rules contributed to your crash.
Catastrophic injuries. The size and weight of tractor-trailers cause people in passenger cars to suffer severe injuries in crashes. These wrecks also tend to occur at high speeds on roads such as the Kennedy Expressway, Dan Ryan Expressway, Eisenhower Expressway, and Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway. We know how to pursue just compensation for catastrophic injuries, including traumatic brain injury, spine injury, amputations, burns, scarring, and disfigurement.

Our Chicago truck accident lawyers often work with experts in engineering and accident reconstruction. These experts can help us to investigate and analyze the cause of a truck crash. We also review medical records and consult with health care and life care planning experts to determine the extent of our client’s injuries and their future medical needs.

We will work hard to prepare your case and seek a settlement with all of those who are responsible for your truck crash. If necessary, we will be ready to fight for you at trial. Because our lawyers represent truck accident clients on a contingency basis, you will pay no costs or attorney fees unless we obtain a financial recovery for you.

“I have never felt more comfortable and safe, putting my future in the hands of someone else besides myself, or my own family, until I discovered and had the pleasure to work with this amazing law firm. They will do everything possible to make sure you have the best outcome with your situation, and you will not be disappointed.” – TJ M., 5 out of 5 stars

Man rehabilitating from semi truck accident injury

What Damages Can You Recover for Your Injuries in a Truck Accident?

Many truck accident victims and their families are concerned about paying for medical treatment. At Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C., our Chicago truck accident attorneys understand how these crashes typically cause severe injuries. We will pursue compensation that includes:

Past and future medical expenses – All medical costs related to your accident, including emergency treatment, surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, assistive devices, and medication.
Lost income and diminished future earning capacity – All of the wages you have lost and will lose in the future due to your injuries, including benefits, bonuses, commissions, and self-employment income.
Pain and suffering – The physical pain and emotional anguish you have endured to date and will likely experience in the future. For instance, you may have lingering back pain that prevents you from enjoying life as you did before the crash. You may also experience post-traumatic stress disorder due to the horrific nature of the accident.
Scarring and disfigurement – A crash may cause you to lose a limb or suffer severe scars due to cuts and burns. You have the right to seek just compensation for such harm.

Depending on the facts of your case, our team may seek punitive damages as well. These damages serve to punish and deter willful and wanton misconduct. For example, a mechanical defect may have caused your accident. If the trucking company had a long history of failing to conduct inspections that would have caught the defect, punitive damages may be warranted.

If a collision with an 18-wheeler caused you to lose a loved one, a semi-truck accident lawyer on our team can pursue a wrongful death claim on your behalf. The claim would seek a different set of damages, including compensation for funeral and burial expenses and the loss of money, goods, and services that your loved one would have contributed if he or she had lived.

It will be important to identify all available insurance coverage for your damages. Many cases involve multiple insurance policies. For instance, the truck driver, trucking company, and third-party vendors may all carry separate coverage. One policy may cover the truck, while another policy may cover the trailer. A manufacturer may carry special commercial liability coverage.

Generally, state and federal laws require commercial motor vehicles to carry a higher level of minimum liability insurance coverage than what the law requires for standard passenger motor vehicles. This coverage may range from $750,000 (for vehicles over 10,000 pounds carrying non-hazardous freight) to $5 million (for vehicles transporting hazardous materials).

If the amount of insurance coverage of the parties at fault in your crash fails to fully cover your losses, we may turn to your own underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage. Our goal will be to seek the maximum amount for you so that you can cover your medical expenses and experience the sense of security that you deserve.

Our Chicago Truck Accident Attorneys Near You

Time is of the essence. Your Chicago truck accident lawyer will need to get started right away on preserving and gathering evidence after a tractor-trailer accident. The lawyer may need to take many other steps to pursue a full financial recovery for you.

Additionally, the statute of limitations for truck accident cases in Illinois generally requires you to file a lawsuit within two years from the date of the accident or within two years from the date of your loved one’s death. You cannot wait to take legal action.

Put your trust in the Chicago personal injury lawyers at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. With a record of more than $3.5 billion recovered on behalf of clients in personal injury and wrongful death cases, including truck accident claims, we are ready to go to work for you. Contact us today for your free consultation.

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Portrait of Patrick A. Salvi II, a smiling and approachable attorney in a suit and tie. His warm expression conveys trust and empathy. As a skilled Chicago Birth Injury Attorney, Patrick A. Salvi II offers compassionate and knowledgeable legal guidance to families navigating the complexities of birth injury cases.

Types of Truck Accidents

Alcohol & Drug Abuse Accidents

When Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. takes on your truck accident case, we will thoroughly investigate the accident. We also will explore all options for holding the careless truck driver and / or trucking company behind your crash accountable for their actions.

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Distracted Driving Accident Lawyers

We are dedicated to assisting you in recovering this money to pay for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering.

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Big Rig Truck Accidents

Compared to most passenger cars, big rig trucks are giants on the road. These vehicles sometimes weigh as much as 80,000 pounds and can measure up to 65 feet in length.

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Cement Truck Accidents

Cement trucks, also referred to as “in transit mixers,” are designed to mix concrete and transport it to construction sites for use. Due to their sheer size and weight, a collision with a cement truck can result in severe or fatal injuries.

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Tanker Truck Accident Lawyer

These vehicles present unique dangers to other drivers on the road. If you were injured by a tanker truck, the truck accident lawyers at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. are standing by to help.

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I-74 Truck Accidents

I-74 carries a lot of risks and obstacles. If you have been involved in a truck accident on I-74, allow our experienced lawyers to review your case today.

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I-90 Truck Accidents

Semi-truck crashes on I-90 are not uncommon. Jackknife accidents, rollovers, spilled cargo, and multicar pileups have all taken place on this stretch of interstate.

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Fatigued Driving Accident Lawyers

If you or a loved one has been injured due to a distracted driving truck accident in Chicago or anywhere else in Illinois, you may be able to take legal action against the truck driver and the trucking company that employs him.

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18-Wheeler Truck Accidents

Given the massive size and weight of 18-wheelers, it’s crucial that truck drivers, trucking companies, cargo loaders, and maintenance companies all take the necessary precautions to make sure these trucks don’t pose a hazard on the road.

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Blind Spot Truck Accidents

Even when a truck driver is operating the vehicle responsibly, a truck accident is possible. One of the most common types of large truck accidents ─ and one of the most serious ─ is a blind spot truck accident.

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Garbage Truck Accidents

If you have been injured in an accident with a garbage truck or dump truck, the experienced Chicago truck accident lawyers at Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard P.C. are ready to fight on your behalf.

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Wide Turn Truck Accidents

Large trucks are especially difficult to control even when conditions are good. They have large blind spots that can pose a serious hazard to others on the road, and they must often swing wide to turn.

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I-290 Truck Accidents

I-290 is one of the most traveled highways in the state, carrying tens of thousands of commuters and trucks in and out of Downtown Chicago on a daily basis.

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I-80 Truck Accidents

If you were injured in a semi-truck crash on Interstate 80, you need to get in touch with an experienced Chicago semi-truck accident attorney as soon as possible.

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Chicago Truck Accident Common FAQs

How long do I have to file a lawsuit or insurance claim?

If you were injured in a truck accident in Illinois, you have two years from the date of your crash to file a lawsuit. This deadline is called a statute of limitations. Keep in mind that the statute of limitations is for the adversarial legal process. Many personal injury cases are settled before this in the form of an insurance claim. Ideally, your lawyer will have plenty of time before the statute of limitations to work on your claim and to prepare for a lawsuit, if necessary.

What do I do if I’m involved in a truck accident?

First, clear your vehicle off of the road or out of traffic. Next, call 911 or the non-emergency line, so that the appropriate authorities can assist and file a police report. Document the scene and all vehicles involved, including license plates and any other identifying information. Cellphone pictures and video can serve as important evidence. Also remember to get witness contact information. Seek medical attention and ask your doctor to evaluate you thoroughly for any invisible or late-onset conditions, like whiplash and concussion. Finally, call a qualified lawyer to discuss your legal rights.

Should I hire a truck accident lawyer?

If you’ve been injured in a truck crash, it’s a good idea to contact a truck accident attorney. Because truck accidents often result in much more serious injuries than most car crashes, you may have significant medical expenses and long-term losses. A personal injury claim can help you by recovering the money you’ve already spent on your treatment, the money you lost by missing work, and money to cover any future treatment you can expect. Don’t worry about paying your lawyer upfront. At Salvi, Schostok & Pritchard, P.C., our attorneys only get paid upon the successful conclusion of your case.

How common are truck accidents?

Semi-truck crashes are much too common in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, there were 12,267 semi-truck crashes in one recent year alone. Of these, 106 were fatal, and 2,075 resulted in injuries. The most dangerous roads were unmarked state roads in rural areas. The drivers and occupants of smaller vehicles were much more likely than truck operators to be injured or killed.

How are truck accidents worse than car accidents?

Truck crashes result in more serious injuries than other kinds of collisions. Because of their weight and large size, tractor-trailers exert a greater force on the objects they hit, causing more damage. Often, truck’s large blind spots exacerbate crashes. Drivers can’t see the other vehicles, and so they fail to stop or slow down at all. Trucks may also cause catastrophic rollover or jackknife accidents, which often involve multiple vehicles and fatalities.

Who is responsible in a truck accident?

Legal responsibility is more complicated in truck crashes than in other kinds of accidents. Sometimes drivers cause crashes, but oftentimes multiple parties share the blame. Other potentially liable parties include the driver’s employer, the truck’s owner, the maintenance company, and the company that loaded the trailer. It’s important to choose a Chicago truck accident lawyer with plenty of experience in order to identify and prove who is responsible for your injuries.