National Practice

Personal Injury and Wrongful Death Attorneys

Rear Ended by a Semi Truck:
Lawyer for Investigation and Lawsuit

The vehicle that rear ends another vehicle is not automatically considered at fault. Our lawyers recently won a $2, 560,000 personal injury settlement for a couple whose car was hit in back by a semi truck. The case turned out to be a complex case where the trucking company claimed our client (the wife) was driving negligently and was at fault for the accident.

We investigated the accident and hired an accident reconstruction expert to produce a video showing what the evidence proved—that the semi driver was at fault. Our efforts paid off for our clients, but money was not the most important thing to them. They wanted justice and an acknowledgment from the trucking company that its driver was at fault.

Semi Truck Driver Negligence: Rear End Collision Causes

Under the law, the driver of a semi trailer or other commercial truck must exercise extreme care to avoid a rear end collision. We look for evidence of any of the following:

Speeding or driving too fast for the conditions
Distraction
Driving too close to the car, motorcycle or other vehicle just before the accident

We also look at whether the road conditions or other circumstances (road construction or the weather, for example) would have required the driver to drive more cautiously.

In some rear end accident cases, there is a presumption of negligence under the law. This depends on the facts and circumstances of the case.

What if a Brake Failure Caused the Semi Truck to
Rear End My Car, Van, Motorcycle or Bus?

If there is evidence that a brake failure caused the semi-trailer or other commercial truck to rear end your car, van, pickup truck, motorcycle or bus, you may have a product liability claim for money damages against one or more of the following:

A maintenance company
The manufacturer of the brakes
The manufacturer of the commercial truck

This does not mean that you would not also have claims against the truck driver and trucking company. If the driver or the trucking company knew there was a problem with the brakes, the trucking company will still be liable because they would have been negligent not to have gotten the brakes repaired.

Rear Ended by a Semi Truck or Other Commercial Vehicle:
How Much is My Case Worth?

If the rear end accident victim survived, we get to know our client and learn how the injuries caused by the rear end accident are affecting his or her life. We hire medical experts to testify regarding medical procedures and expenses, estimated future medical expenses and pain and suffering.

Pain and suffering is a type of “damages” that compensates for physical pain, emotional distress, disfigurement, disability, loss of quality of life and embarrassment. Commercial truck accident victim serious injuries can include: amputation, burns, spinal injuries, traumatic brain injuries (TBI), kidney damage and kidney failure, collapsed lung and other injuries.

The amount of compensation recoverable depends on several factors, including but not limited to the following:

The severity of the injuries
How the injuries are affecting your life (financially, physically and emotionally) now and will affect your life in the future
How many parties are liable (see truck accident lawsuits and liability information)
The insurance benefits available under the policies held by the driver, trucking company and other legally responsible parties
The financial health of the responsible parties
Other specific facts about the case

If the rear end accident victim died, we get to know the family and how the death of their loved one has affected their lives. This is a critically important step in obtaining wrongful death compensation.

Pritzker Olsen attorneys have appeared on CBS News, Fox News and several local television stations. The have also been interviewed by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Lawyers USA and other publications. In recognition of their accomplishments, attorneys at the firm have been named "Super Lawyers" by Law & Politics magazine, and Fred Pritzker is listed in The Best Lawyers in America.

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Motorcycle Accident Lawyer
Wins Millions for Client

Attorney Fred Pritzker won $6,000,000 for a client whose right leg was amputated when the motorcycle on which she was a passenger was struck by a drunk driver. If you have been in an accident with a DUI driver, you may have a cliam against a bar or other place that sells alcohol.

Truck Wheel Accident Death

Our law firm recently won $2,850,000 for a family whose loved one was killed by a truck wheel that crashed through a car windshield. Read about a truck wheel off accident.

Tow Truck Accident

Attorneys Fred Pritzker and Elliot Olsen obtained a $2,750,000 recovery for a 59 year-old truck driver who suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI), the loss of his left eye and significant disfigurement when the tow chain being used to pull the man’s semi tractor-trailer out of a ditch broke loose from a front-end loader to which it was attached.

Semi-Truck Crash Settlement

Pritzker Olsen attorneys Fred Pritzker and Eric Hageman recently obtained a hard-fought $2,560,000 recovery for a couple who were seriously injured in a semi-truck crash. The husband suffered serious head injury (TBI). Read about the semi truck crash settlement.

Our lawyers have recovered millions more for our clients. Contact us for a free consultation about your accident.

This is attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. The result of each case is determined by the specific facts and the applicable law.