Contact us for a free consultation if you or your loved one was injured or killed in an accident involving a Truck or 18-Wheeler. We pursue claims against responsible trucking companies and other liable parties. Call us today at (847) 520-4810.

Illinois Trucking Accident Attorneys

If you or a loved one were injured in a truck or 18-wheeler accident, our Truck Accident Lawyers can review what happened and pursue claims against the responsible parties for your injuries and losses. 

When we're hired in a truck or 18-wheeler accident case, our Truck Accident Lawyers immediately obtain the truck driver's logbook and the truck's black box and ECM records and send an accident reconstruction team to inspect the scene and the vehicles involved in the crash.

This evidence not only allows our Truck Accident Lawyers to determine whether the trucking company or its driver violated federal safety regulations and state transportation laws, but it also provides us with physical evidence that establishes how fast the truck was traveling at impact, if and when it braked, and whether the driver was fatigued or distracted at the time of impact.

We then consult with both our client's treating doctors and our medical experts to determine the nature and severity of our client's injuries, the doctors and specialists who are most qualified to treat them, and the cost and frequency of medical care that our clients will require in the future.

After obtaining evidence proving how the crash occurred and the effect that the crash had—and will continue to have—on our client's health and future earning potential, we work with our experts and engineers to determine what the truck driver could and should have done to avoid the crash, and the compensation that may be needed to address our clients' injuries and losses, including future care and lost earnings where applicable.

If the trucking company refuses to offer a settlement that fully compensates our clients and their families for their injuries and losses,  the claim may be pursued in court.

Common Causes of Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents

While there are typically a number of factors involved in causing or contributing to a truck or 18-wheeler crash, some of the most common include:

• Driver Fatigue
• Hours of Service Violations
• Hiring Inexperienced and Unqualified Drivers
• Failing to Provide Proper Training
• Failing to Perform Legally Required Pre and Post-Trip Vehicle Inspections
• Requiring Drivers to Drive in Excess of the Maximum Hours Permitted by Law
• Speeding, Unsafe Lane Changes, Failure to Reduce Speed, Failure to Yield and Similar Traffic Violations
• Violations of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations
• Drug Use and/or Intoxication

​Truck Drivers and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Unlike in ordinary car wrecks, truck accident attorneys have to thoroughly understand the hundreds of state and federal safety regulations that trucking companies and their drivers are required to follow in order to operate commercial vehicles on public roads and highways across the United States. 

Many of these rules are found in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations-  laws created by the United States Department of Transportation that govern covered trucking companies and truck drivers, subject to exceptions.

The FMCSRs dictate everything from the type of training a truck driver is required to receive and the maintenance that must be performed on the truck and trailer before and after each trip, to the limits on the hours a driver may drive or be on duty.

Truck Accident Lawyers at Stavros Law Offices are familiar with the kinds of evidence that can matter in a trucking case, where it may be found, and how it may be used in pursuing claims against trucking companies and their drivers for injuries or deaths in a crash. Call us today for a Free Consultation at (847) 520-4810. 

For related injury claims, see our motorcycle accident lawyer, wrongful death lawyer, and McHenry County personal injury lawyer pages.

Car accident resources: Car Accident Resource Center, Car Accident Checklist, Dealing With Insurance After a Crash, Uninsured and Underinsured Drivers, and Illinois Injury Filing Deadlines.

Hours-of-Service Rules in Plain Language

Federal hours-of-service rules limit how long drivers of property-carrying commercial vehicles may drive, and they apply to the carrier as well as the driver. For covered property-carrying commercial operations, drivers generally need ten consecutive hours off duty before driving, may drive up to eleven hours within a fourteen-hour window, and must interrupt driving for at least thirty consecutive minutes after eight cumulative driving hours. Weekly limits generally prohibit further driving after sixty on-duty hours in seven days or seventy in eight days, depending on the carrier's operations. Exceptions can apply (49 CFR 395.3; 49 CFR 395.1). Some details matter:

• The fourteen-hour limit concerns driving after the window, not an absolute ban on all work.
• The thirty-minute interruption can include qualifying on-duty, non-driving time.
• The sixty- and seventy-hour limits concern on-duty time.
• A short-haul exception does not eliminate every hours-of-service obligation.

Whether a particular driver or carrier broke these rules is a question of records and facts, and the rules have exceptions, so we look at the actual logs.

Illinois also adopts federal motor-carrier requirements for covered intrastate operations, subject to state exceptions. Whether a particular rule applies depends on the vehicle, cargo, operation, and applicable exemptions; a trip does not have to cross the state line for safety requirements to matter (625 ILCS 5/18b-105).

Records That Can Be Lost if No One Asks for Them

Several federal rules tell trucking companies what to keep, and for how long. Different trucking records have different retention rules. For example:

• Duty-status records. Electronic logging devices are generally required for covered drivers who must keep records of duty status, but exceptions apply. Carriers generally must retain required duty-status records and supporting documents for at least six months (49 CFR 395.8(a), (k)).
• Driver qualification file. Driver qualification files generally must remain throughout employment and for three years afterward, although specified documents may be removed earlier under the regulations (49 CFR 391.51(c), (d)).
• Maintenance records. For covered vehicles, required inspection, repair, and maintenance records must be retained for one year and for six months after the vehicle leaves the carrier's control (49 CFR 396.3(b), (c)).
• Other evidence. Dashcam footage and electronic vehicle data can have different storage practices, and dispatch messages and cargo or shipping documents may exist, but retention depends on the company, the device and the type of record.

These retention periods are regulatory minimums, not permission to destroy evidence that is subject to a litigation-preservation obligation. Because some records are required to be kept only for months, and electronic data can be overwritten, a written request that evidence be preserved should go out early. Evidence should be preserved promptly. We can help send the request. Please do not wait for the insurance company to do it.

Who May Be Responsible After a Truck Crash

A truck crash can involve more than the driver. Depending on the facts and the contracts between the parties, the responsible parties may include:

• The truck driver
• The motor carrier that operates the truck
• The owner or lessor of the tractor or trailer
• A company that loaded the cargo or arranged the shipment
• A maintenance or repair contractor
• A parts or equipment manufacturer, if a defect was involved
• A government body, if road conditions or a government-owned truck were involved

Sorting this out takes records, and sometimes more than one insurer is involved.

Insurance in Truck Crashes

For covered for-hire interstate or foreign carriage of property, and specified hazardous-material operations, with vehicle and cargo exceptions, federal rules require minimum levels of financial responsibility for public liability, with the level depending on the type of carriage and cargo (49 CFR 387.3 and Part 387). Not every truck has the same insurance obligation. For covered operations, proof of the required coverage must be kept at the carrier's principal place of business (49 CFR 387.7(d)). These federal minimums are not the whole picture: a carrier may have additional or excess coverage, other parties may have their own policies, and your own uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may also matter. See dealing with insurance after a crash and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage.

Fault and Deadlines in Illinois

In an Illinois negligence claim, a person more than 50% responsible for the injury cannot recover damages. At 50% or less, damages are reduced by that person's percentage of fault (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Different rules apply to some statutory claims. Most Illinois personal-injury lawsuits must be filed within two years after the claim accrues (735 ILCS 5/13-202). A child injured before age 18 generally has until age 20 for an ordinary claim against a private defendant (735 ILCS 5/13-211). Claims against local public entities or employees, for example involving a city-owned truck or a road defect, generally have a one-year deadline; for a minor's ordinary injury claim, that period generally begins at age 18 (745 ILCS 10/8-101). Exceptions and other deadlines may apply, so obtain advice promptly rather than waiting.

Claims against the State of Illinois, including certain claims involving IDOT, follow separate Court of Claims procedures. Personal-injury claims generally require notice within one year and filing within two years. Filing the claim within the first year can satisfy the notice requirement. The proper defendant, forum, and any tolling must be evaluated individually (705 ILCS 505/8(d), 22(h), 22-1).

If a truck crash caused a death, see wrongful death in Illinois. Our guide to Illinois personal injury deadlines explains the exceptions, and our Car Accident Resource Center covers the first steps after any crash.

What to Do After a Truck Accident

• Call 911 and get medical care, even if you feel able to walk away.
• Photograph the truck, trailer, damage, scene and your injuries. Note the company name, any USDOT number and the plate shown on the truck and trailer. Marking requirements for covered commercial vehicles are in 49 CFR 390.21.
• Get the driver's name, license and insurance information, plus witness contacts, and ask for the police report number.
• Be careful with recorded statements. The trucking company's insurer may contact you quickly.
• Keep medical records, bills and a record of missed work.

See our car accident checklist for more.

Truck Accident FAQ

What are the federal hours-of-service limits for truck drivers?

For covered property-carrying commercial operations, drivers generally need ten consecutive hours off duty before driving, may drive up to eleven hours within a fourteen-hour window, and must interrupt driving for at least thirty consecutive minutes after eight cumulative driving hours. Weekly limits generally prohibit further driving after sixty on-duty hours in seven days or seventy in eight days, depending on the carrier's operations. Exceptions can apply (49 CFR 395.3; 49 CFR 395.1).

How long do trucking companies have to keep driver logs?

Carriers generally must retain required duty-status records and supporting documents for at least six months (49 CFR 395.8(k)). Electronic logging devices are generally required for covered drivers who must keep records of duty status, but exceptions apply. Other records have different retention rules, so ask early that evidence be preserved.

How long must trucking companies keep maintenance records?

For covered vehicles, required inspection, repair, and maintenance records under 49 CFR 396.3 must be retained for one year and for six months after the vehicle leaves the carrier's control. That is a regulatory minimum, not permission to destroy evidence subject to a litigation-preservation obligation. Dashcam footage and electronic vehicle data can have different storage practices, so evidence should be preserved promptly.

Who can be responsible for an 18-wheeler crash?

Possibly the driver, the motor carrier, the owner or lessor of the equipment, a company that loaded the cargo, a maintenance contractor or a manufacturer, depending on the facts and the contracts involved.

How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Illinois?

Most Illinois personal-injury lawsuits must be filed within two years after the claim accrues (735 ILCS 5/13-202). A child injured before age 18 generally has until age 20 for an ordinary claim against a private defendant (735 ILCS 5/13-211). Claims against local public entities or employees generally have a one-year deadline (745 ILCS 10/8-101), and claims against the State of Illinois follow separate Court of Claims procedures. Exceptions and other deadlines may apply, so obtain advice promptly rather than waiting.

Talk to Our Team

Stavros Law Offices is one team handling criminal defense and DUI, personal injury and civil litigation. We review truck crash claims for clients in our service area from our Wheeling office. Call (847) 520-4810 or request a free consultation online. Our bilingual staff can assist. Se habla español.

Stavros Law Offices
433 N. Milwaukee Ave, Wheeling, IL 60090
(847) 520-4810
Monday–Friday 9–5; closed Saturday
Free consultation. Serving clients in Cook, Lake, McHenry, Kane and DuPage Counties.

General information, not legal advice; no attorney-client relationship until engaged. Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Laws, deadlines and court procedures change and every case is different. Last reviewed: October 2026.