Collisions involving semi-trucks or other large commercial vehicles can be devastating, both to the actual vehicles and to the people inside them. Most often in these types of truck accidents, the passenger vehicle and its occupants suffer the most damage.

If you are in an accident with a commercial truck and believe the driver of that vehicle to be responsible, you have the right to file a lawsuit against that person, the trucking company, and any other negligent entity. Illinois is an “at-fault” insurance state, meaning that after a collision, the party found to be responsible for the crash is liable to pay damages.

Crashes involving large trucks often result in more damage and greater injuries simply because of the size of the truck. Because of this, it can take longer to settle these types of cases than it does for those that only involve passenger vehicles.

No two accidents are the same. The exact timeline of your truck accident lawsuit will depend on the specific details of your case. Cases can take anywhere from a few months to well over one year to settle. In general, the more extensive the injuries to people and the damage to property, the longer the timeline for the case.

A few factors can impact your settlement’s timeline:

Investigation

If determining liability gets complex — and it often does in truck accident cases — you can expect the timeline for your settlement to take much longer. Part of this is because the investigation may take longer. A good lawyer will want to examine the potential evidence as thoroughly as possible in order to claim as many bases for liability as they can. It is important for you to collect as much evidence as possible immediately following a truck accident, and to keep a careful record of any medical paperwork and bills relating to your injuries. That will help expedite the acquisition of the important medical records for your care.

Injuries

It is critical to seek medical attention as soon as you can after an accident, even for seemingly small injuries. The extent of your injuries will be a major influence in how long it takes to settle your claim. Often, personal injury cases are resolved only after the victim is fully recovered. Since truck accidents tend to cause greater property damage and personal injuries, it may take longer to resolve such a case.

Insurance

The truck’s insurance company will need time to investigate your claim and negotiate with your attorney. This can be a lengthy process depending on the severity of the accident. The extent of your injuries and subsequent medical treatment are a major factor in these discussions, and if liability is disputed, that could lengthen the proceedings.

Note that trucking companies and their insurance providers do not have your best interests at heart. In all likelihood they will try to avoid paying what they rightfully owe you. Because of that, it is best to navigate a truck accident claim with the help of experienced legal counsel.