Vito & Dollenmaier Law
CALL TODAY FOR A FREE CONSULTATION
224-539-8821
Vito & Dollenmaier Law
A truck accident can destroy everything in an instant. You’re hurt, your car is totaled, and the medical bills are already piling up. Meanwhile, the trucking company’s insurance adjuster is on the phone with an offer that doesn’t come close to covering what you’re actually facing.
At Vito & Dollenmaier Law, our truck accident attorneys handle every call personally and respond within 24 hours. We fight to get you what you deserve—maximum compensation while you focus on recovery. No runaround, no getting passed off to paralegals, no waiting weeks for answers
If you've been hurt in a truck accident in {{mpg_cities}},
call us at 224-524-1539 for a free consultation.
Truck accidents are more complex than regular car crashes. An 80,000-pound semi-truck causes more damage than a passenger vehicle. The injuries are typically more severe, the legal issues multiply, and the stakes are higher.
Trucks require more distance to stop. Their blind spots are massive. When they jackknife or roll over, they can take out multiple vehicles. Federal regulations govern every aspect of trucking—hours of service, cargo securement, vehicle maintenance, and driver qualifications. When companies violate these rules, people get seriously hurt or killed.
Liability gets complicated fast. In a car accident, you’re dealing with one driver and one insurance company. In truck accidents, you might be looking at the truck driver, the trucking company, the maintenance company, the cargo loading company, or the manufacturer if there was a mechanical failure. Insurance companies know this gets messy, so they push hard for quick, low settlements before you understand what your case is actually worth.
We handle all kinds of truck accident cases in {{mpg_cities}} and throughout northern Illinois. Semi-truck and 18-wheeler accidents are the most common—these massive vehicles dominate our highways, and when they crash, the damage is severe. We also handle accidents involving commercial delivery vehicles, including Amazon trucks, FedEx vans, and UPS vehicles. The explosion of online shopping means more delivery trucks on the road, and unfortunately, that means more accidents.
Garbage Trucks
Construction Trucks
Dump Trucks
Tanker Trucks
If it’s a commercial vehicle and it hurts you, we’ll take the case. Each type of vehicle comes with its own set of regulations and potential liable parties, and we know how to navigate all of it.
Truck accidents don’t just happen. Someone screwed up, cut corners, or ignored the rules. We’ve seen it all, and the causes tend to fall into a few categories that make our blood boil because they’re so preventable.
Federal regulations limit how many hours truckers can drive without rest, but companies pressure drivers to push through anyway because time is money. A drowsy driver behind the wheel of a massive commercial vehicle is a disaster waiting to happen. We’ve handled cases where drivers falsified their logbooks to hide violations, and we know how to dig those records up.
Yeah, everyone’s looking at their phones these days, but when a truck driver does it, the consequences are exponentially worse. We’re also talking about eating, adjusting GPS systems, or any other task that takes their eyes off the road.
Trucks are supposed to be inspected and maintained regularly. Brakes, tires—all of it matters. We’ve seen cases where companies skip maintenance to save money and downtime, so some brakes fail, lights go out, or tires blow on a semi. When that happens, people die.
If cargo isn’t balanced correctly or secured properly, it can shift during transport, causing the driver to lose control. Overloaded trucks are also a problem—some companies ignore weight limits for a reason, to maximize profit.
Some truck drivers treat highways like racetracks, weaving through traffic or tailgating smaller vehicles. It’s dangerous, it’s illegal, and when it causes an accident, someone needs to be held accountable.
You’re not a case number. You’re someone who got hurt because someone else was careless. We fight to correct the power imbalance between you and the well-funded trucking companies.
When you call Vito & Dollenmaier Law, you talk to an attorney. Not a receptionist, not a paralegal—an actual attorney who knows your case. We return calls and emails within 24 hours because we know you’re dealing with enough stress already.
Our truck accident law firm works on every case together. You get our entire team’s combined experience focused on your situation. We’ve worked for insurance companies before, so we know how they operate and what tactics they’ll use. That insider knowledge gives us an edge when negotiating your settlement or preparing for trial.
We fight to correct the power imbalance between you and well-funded trucking companies with their law firms and adjusters. You’re not a case number to us. You’re someone who got hurt because someone else was careless or reckless, and now you’re dealing with consequences you never asked for.
You get maximum compensation, personal attention, and your peace of mind back. Quickly, responsively, aggressively.
Every case is different, so anyone who gives you an exact number before reviewing your situation is lying to you. But here’s what we look at when we’re evaluating your claim:
Insurance companies will try to minimize all of this. They’ll offer you something that sounds decent until you actually sit down and calculate what you’re facing. We know what your case is actually worth because we take the time to understand the full scope of your damages. We look at your medical records, talk to your doctors about your prognosis, calculate your lost income, and factor in how these injuries will affect you for years to come. Then we go after every penny you’re owed.
When you hire us, we get to work immediately. We start by investigating the accident thoroughly. That means obtaining the police report, interviewing witnesses, visiting the accident scene if possible, and taking photographs. For truck accidents specifically, we go after the truck driver’s logbooks to check for hours-of-service violations. We get maintenance records to see if the truck was properly inspected and repaired. We obtain the truck’s black box data—yes, commercial trucks have them—which can show us speed, braking, and other critical information from before the crash.
If there are multiple potentially liable parties, we identify all of them. The truck driver might have been at fault, but if the trucking company failed to train them properly or pressured them to violate federal regulations, they’re liable too. If the cargo was loaded improperly, the loading company bears responsibility. If the truck had a mechanical failure due to poor maintenance, the maintenance company is on the hook.
We deal with the insurance companies, so you don’t have to. And trust us, you don’t want to deal with them on your own. They’re not your friends, no matter how concerned they sound on the phone. Their job is to pay you as little as possible. Our job is to fight them aggressively and make sure they pay what they owe.
If we can’t reach a fair settlement through negotiation, we will take your case to trial. We’re prepared to go all the way if that’s what it takes to get you justice.
You have two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in Illinois. That might sound like a lot of time, but it’s not. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget details, and insurance companies use delays to their advantage. Don’t wait.
Illinois follows a modified comparative negligence rule, which means you can recover damages as long as you’re 50% or less at fault for the accident. If you’re found to be partially responsible, your compensation gets reduced by your percentage of fault. But here’s the thing: insurance companies will try to pin as much blame on you as possible to reduce what they have to pay. We fight those claims and make sure the fault lands where it belongs—on the truck driver or trucking company that caused the crash.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations govern the trucking industry, covering everything from driver qualifications to vehicle maintenance to cargo securement. When trucking companies or drivers violate these regulations, it strengthens your case significantly. We know these regulations inside and out, and we use them to hold the responsible parties accountable.
The trucking company’s defense is already underway. Evidence like skid marks, security footage, and witness memories disappear quickly. The longer you wait, the harder it is to build a strong case.
Two years from the date of your accident. That sounds like plenty of time, but it’s not. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget details, and the trucking company is already building their defense. Don’t wait.
Commercial trucks are required to carry significant insurance coverage—much more than regular passenger vehicles. If there’s an uninsured or underinsured situation, we can explore other options like your own insurance policy’s uninsured motorist coverage.
Get medical attention, even if you don’t think you’re badly hurt. Document everything—take photos, keep receipts, write down what happened. Don’t post about the accident on social media. Call us at 224-524-1539 as soon as possible so we can start protecting your rights.
No fluff, no obligation. Tell us what happened. We’ll tell you if you have a case. It’s 100% confidential.