A “fender-bender” is a colloquial term for what most people would consider a very minor car accident. The name suggests that no real harm was done except for a dented bumper or wheel well. However, this is not always the case. Even a light bump can potentially cause serious harm to the people inside the vehicle. 

People who have suffered an injury in a “minor” car accident often feel that they are struggling to get others to take their injuries seriously. Certainly, the driver who caused the accident and their insurance company are likely to try to downplay your injuries. You might be accused of “faking” or “exaggerating” your very real pain and bodily harm. If this is happening to you, know that a fender-bender is still a car accident, and the responsible driver is still liable for the injuries you actually suffered, not the injuries they think you should have suffered. 

Why a Relatively Light Impact Can Cause Serious Harm

It should be fairly obvious that a human is much more vulnerable than a car. Even if the damage to the large chunk of metal you were sitting in is fairly minor, the damage to you might not be. When your car is hit, the force of the collision affects not only the car, but everything and everyone inside it. This commonly forces people’s necks to move suddenly in a way they were not meant to, causing injury. 

Driving an 18-wheeler takes focus and skill. It is critical that truck drivers are completely sober when working. Drugs and alcohol can impair the driver’s focus and coordination, making it impossible for them to safely drive a large vehicle. Substance use among truck drivers is more common than you might hope. The job can be demanding. Truck drivers are away from home for weeks at a time and often work long, monotonous, hours. Some resort to using substances to cope. Stimulants are a popular choice, as drivers may believe that they will help, rather than hurt, their driving ability. It is, of course, illegal for a truck driver to operate their rig while impaired. If you suspect that an impaired truck driver caused your accident, it is particularly important that you contact an attorney within a day or so of the accident and alert them of your suspicions. 

Will the Truck Driver Be Drug or Alcohol Tested?

It depends. There are a number of rules set out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Association that pertain to drug and alcohol testing after a truck accident. If there was a fatality, the driver should be automatically tested. If the driver was given a citation for causing bodily injury that required urgent medical attention, then testing should also be automatic. 

Commercial truck drivers can also be tested upon reasonable suspicion. This is a fairly low standard. If there is an articulable reason to think that the driver was under the influence, then the reasonable suspicion standard is likely met. 

Getting hurt in a car accident is going to cause a serious disruption to your life no matter what. The process of recovering damages can be annoying even when the at-fault driver stops and exchanges insurance information. However, if the driver who hit you took off without stopping, you may be wondering who on earth is going to pay for all your damages. 

The good news is that there are multiple ways to recover compensation after a hit-and-run crash. You may be able to pursue compensation from more than one party. A lot will depend on the circumstances of your accident, your own insurance policy, and whether it is possible to identify the driver who caused the crash. You should strongly consider getting an attorney who can help you determine the best course of action, as recovering compensation after a hit-and-run can be complex. 

Ways to Recover Compensation Following a Hit-and-Run

One of the difficulties associated with pursuing a hit-and-run claim is proving what happened. When there are two damaged vehicles stopped, the police can usually determine what happened fairly easily. When only one damaged vehicle is stopped, it can be difficult to prove that the crash was in fact caused by another driver. 

Accidents caused by a negligent truck driver can be devastating. Personal vehicles offer little protection to their occupants during a collision with a much larger commercial truck. If you were hit by a careless semi-truck driver, odds are your injuries are fairly severe. You are likely to require intensive medical care after such an accident, and you may have missed a great deal of work. Settlements or awards related to truck accidents tend to be on the higher end. Unfortunately, this often means that truck drivers and the companies they work for will probably try very hard to avoid paying you the compensation you need and deserve. This makes objective evidence showing what actually happened during your truck accident extremely important. Multiple types of evidence may be needed to support your case. 

The attorneys at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices are skilled at conducting complete investigations to gather evidence of a truck driver’s negligence after a crash. The sooner you call us, the better we can help you. 

What Types of Evidence Might be Useful After a Truck Accident?

No matter how truthful your account of the accident may be and how untruthful the truck driver’s is, your testimony alone is not likely to provide sufficient evidence to hold the trucker accountable in court. Your attorney will want to gather additional evidence showing that the truck driver was negligent, like: 

Pedestrians are the most vulnerable users of our transportation system. Any accident involving a pedestrian has a higher likelihood of injury. Sadly, pedestrian accidents have been on the rise in recent years, reversing a trend of steadily improving pedestrian safety. Many factors can cause pedestrian accidents, including driver behavior, unsafe infrastructure, and pedestrian behavior. If you have been injured or a loved one has been injured or killed in a pedestrian accident, it is important to be represented by lawyers who will fight to get you the compensation you deserve.

Factors that Contribute to Pedestrian Accidents

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest contributing factors of pedestrian accidents. These include but are not limited to:

• Alcohol – Alcohol-impaired drivers and pedestrians account for almost half of fatal crashes involving a car and a pedestrian. Alcohol can impair the judgment of both drivers and pedestrians and lead to severe collisions.
• Dangerous and distracted driving – Driving at a high rate of speed, driving recklessly, and driving while distracted all contribute to accidents. This has been especially true over the past few years and has been a significant factor in increasing pedestrian injuries and fatalities. While it is frequently cited in the news, distracted pedestrians only account for about 2 percent of pedestrian accidents. However, pedestrians should still be aware of their surroundings and pay attention to all traffic.
• Larger vehicles – Larger vehicles can contribute to more pedestrian accidents and more severe injuries. Pedestrians, especially at crosswalks, can be more difficult to see if they are close to a larger vehicle. Additionally, larger vehicles weigh more and will cause more severe injuries when their drivers hit a pedestrian.
• Nighttime – More pedestrian accidents occur at night when the visibility of both drivers and pedestrians is impacted.
• Infrastructure – Many areas suffer from incomplete sidewalk networks and inadequate crosswalks. More pedestrian accidents occur when pedestrians attempt to cross where no safe alternative exists. As mentioned earlier, more accidents also happen at night. More sidewalks, better-designed crossings at more locations, and more complete streetlight networks at high pedestrian activity locations can contribute to a safer environment.
• Age – Older adults and young children are more frequently victims of pedestrian crashes in the United States than other age groups are.

Contact a Naperville Personal Injury Lawyer

If you have been injured in a pedestrian accident, you need a lawyer who will work to get the compensation you deserve. We will fight to get you money to pay for your hospital bills, lost wages from time missed at work and compensation for your pain and suffering. Contact the DuPage County pedestrian injury lawyers at Mevorah & Giglio Law Offices today for your free consultation. Call our office at 630-932-9100.