Rockford Truck Accident Lawyers

Chicago Rockford International Airport has been home to the second largest UPS hub in North America since 1994, and the airport ranks thirteenth in the nation for air cargo volume. Cargo flown into Rockford finishes its trip by truck.

That puts package cars and cargo trucks on I-90, I-39 and the streets around the airport. For you, the practical consequence is that a crash with one of them can involve a company far larger than the vehicle suggests.

The name painted on a van does not always match the company that employs its driver. Our pages on UPS and FedEx Ground explain how those two operations differ, and why the difference decides who answers for a crash.

A truck case from Rockford stays close to home whichever court hears it. Winnebago County's circuit court is in Rockford, and the Western Division of the federal Northern District of Illinois holds court in Rockford as well.

The distinction still matters. A case against an out-of-state carrier can be removed from state court to federal court when the parties are from different states, and federal procedure then governs discovery, expert testimony and the path to trial.

We prepare each Rockford case with both courts in mind, because an out-of-state defendant can often choose to move it.

Illinois allows two years to file a personal injury suit after a crash, under 735 ILCS 5/13-202. Two years can sound generous, yet the evidence in a truck case does not wait that long.

Federal rules require a carrier to keep a driver's records of duty status and supporting documents for six months, a fraction of the time you have to sue. A written request to preserve those records, sent early, asks the carrier to keep them past that minimum.

If the person hurt was a child, Illinois generally lets the action be brought within two years after the child turns 18. The logs are not held that long either, so the same early request applies.

From our Rockford office we handle truck and delivery vehicle claims across Winnebago County and the northern Illinois corridors around it. The call is answered around the clock, and the first consultation costs you nothing.

Bring what you have from the scene. A photo of the vehicle's door, where federal rules place the operating carrier's name and USDOT number, is often the single most useful thing you can give us.

There is no fee unless we win, and you can reach us before you have spoken to any insurer.