Springfield truck accident lawyers

Two of the state’s major interstates meet here: the state’s freight plan notes that I-55 and I-72 intersect in Springfield (opens in a new tab). A crash with a private carrier’s truck on those roads is an ordinary claim against that company.

In a capital city, though, the truck, the plow or the van on the road beside you may belong to a government instead.

Illinois sorts those claims by owner. A vehicle of the State goes one way, a vehicle of a city, a county or a school district goes another, and each has an earlier date to meet than an ordinary case.

It is heard by the Illinois Court of Claims, which has exclusive jurisdiction over tort claims against the State (opens in a new tab).

Two dates control it. Written notice must be filed with the Attorney General and the clerk of the court within 1 year (opens in a new tab) of the injury, unless the claim is filed in that year, and the claim itself must be filed within 2 years (opens in a new tab).

Illinois limits most tort awards against the State. The same statute says that limit does not apply to a case arising from a State employee operating a State vehicle (opens in a new tab).

A claim against a local public entity must be filed within one year (opens in a new tab) of the injury. That covers a city, a county, a township and a school district, among others.

One year passes quickly when you are recovering. If a garbage truck, a snowplow or a school bus was involved, tell us at the start so the right deadline goes on the calendar.

A case against a private trucking company usually begins in the Circuit Court of Sangamon County, part of the Seventh Judicial Circuit. The circuit clerk’s office is at 200 South Ninth Street (opens in a new tab) in Springfield.

A carrier from another state may be able to move the case to federal court (opens in a new tab). Sangamon County is in the Central District of Illinois, and federal law lists Springfield among the places where that court is held (opens in a new tab).

After some crashes, yes. For drivers who need a commercial driver’s license, federal rules require the employer to test the driver for alcohol and controlled substances (opens in a new tab) as soon as practicable after any crash involving a death.

The same rule applies when the driver is cited for a moving violation soon after the crash, within 8 hours for the alcohol test and 32 hours for the drug test (opens in a new tab), and the crash sent someone for medical treatment away from the scene or left a vehicle to be towed. If a required test was not done promptly, the employer has to keep a record of why.