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St. Louis is a significant commercial hub. Several trucks and trailers frequently travel through the St. Louis highways. The number of truck accidents in St. Louis has increased due to the number of commercial vehicles driving at extreme highway speeds.
Many truck accidents are avoidable incidents brought on by careless driving. However, if the car accident harms or injures anyone, the involved parties have a right to hire a St. Louis truck accident lawyer for fair compensation. This article will cover the frequency of truck accidents in St. Louis and the truck driver's rights to compensation in case of an accident.
St Louis Truck Accident Statistics
The Missouri Department of Transportation reports a 12 percent rise in truck accident deaths from 2019 to 2020. In total, there were 989 traffic fatalities in 2020, up from 881 in 2019. The Missouri State Highway Patrol estimates that distracted driving played a role in around 90% of these accidents.
These truck accidents included:
81 fatalities in St. Louis car accidents out of 76 accidents involving trucks.
6,139 people were hurt in 3,892 truck accident cases.
More than 10,000 accidents with property damage.
Common Cases Involving Truck Accident Victims in St. Louis
Some of the common causes of truck accidents in St Louis include:
Driver Negligence: Negligence on the driver's part accounts for a substantial part of truck accidents. Tractor-trailer and semi-truck accidents frequently result from distracted driving, speeding, tailgating, being sleepy while driving, and other careless driving practices.
Inexperienced or Unqualified Drivers: An inexperienced driver could try a risky move and cause a crash if a trucking company does not thoroughly vet new drivers or does not give them enough training and supervision.
Driver Fatigue: Truck drivers are sometimes under deadline pressure to make deliveries on time. The hours of service rules set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration prohibit some truck drivers from driving for longer than is necessary. Without enough sleep, drivers may become dangerously exhausted and cause truck crashes.
Defective Parts: A truck's faulty parts, including a poor brake system, might occasionally cause truck crashes.
Unsecured Cargo: If a company responsible for loading the cargo does not properly secure it on a truck's trailer, it may fall loose and cause a truck accident.
Truck accidents are more complex than car accidents for St. Louis truck accident attorneys to investigate because they include multiple parties at fault. While the recklessness of the truck driver is frequently to blame for truck accidents, other parties responsible in a truck accident case could include the following:
Trucking company
Cargo loading company
Truck part manufacturers
Irresponsible passenger vehicles
Independent maintenance providers
Owner of the truck
Types of Truck Accidents in St. Louis
Many types of truck and car accidents could happen on St. Louis highways, such as:
Rear-end Collisions: Huge trucks going at highway speeds might not be able to stop in time if traffic in front of them suddenly stops. Truck drivers must give themselves plenty of room to stop.
Blindspot Accidents: When a truck driver loses sight of the vehicles in the blind spots, the trucker could cause an accident by attempting to merge into an already-occupied lane.
Jackknife Accidents: Most tractor-trailers have two different brake systems. A trailer could swing around and hit cars in multiple lanes of traffic if the brakes are not applied and released properly.
Head-on Collisions: A truck can collide with the front of an oncoming vehicle to cause a head-on accident.
Underride Collision: An underride collision occurs when a car slides under a truck's trailer. There are several trucks without side underride protectors.
Rollover accidents: Accidents involving a truck and trailer rolling over could result in rollover accidents with cars traveling in other lanes of traffic.
Construction Zone Accidents: Truck drivers must drive through construction zones very carefully because, sometimes, the building equipment is lying near the road, and the driver may fail to see and crash into it.
Tire Blowouts: These occurrences happen unexpectedly and do not give time for the driver to react to the accident. No one is particularly liable for tire blowouts, so compensation for such accidents can be difficult to get.
Wide Turns: When large trucks make a rapid turn and swing into traffic, they risk colliding with other cars.
If a truck causes severe injuries or a fatal crash, the victim may be entitled to compensation for both monetary and non-monetary losses sustained as a result of a motor vehicle accident, such as:
Medical expenses, including reasonable and anticipated medical care
Physical therapy and rehabilitation services for fatal injuries
Reduced earning potential because the victim suffered serious injuries
Lost wages because of the time off required from work
Mental health counseling
Loss of quality of life if the victim is handicapped
Pain and suffering
Potential damages, under special circumstances
An experienced St. Louis truck accident attorney can help truck accident victims look into the circumstances that led to a truck accident and assist them to seek compensation.
How Can a Person Determine the Truck Accident Case's Worth?
The truck accident case's worth will be determined by the highly specific and individual circumstances of the accident and the truck accident injuries. To determine the worth of the motor vehicle accident case, the semi truck accident lawyers in St Louis MO will carry out a thorough investigation. They will investigate the following:
Did the truck driver contribute to the accident?
What kind of injuries did the accident cause?
Did the victim suffer a long-term impairment or disability?
How will the victim's injuries influence their quality of life?
What kind of insurance is covered for motor vehicle accidents?
In general, cases involving serious and painful injuries and permanent harm or impairment are worth more than those involving minor wounds that heal completely.
Can a Person Receive Compensation in Missouri If They Are Held Liable for a Truck Accident?
A shared fault is a major factor in many commercial vehicle accidents. The pure comparative negligence rule allows the person to receive compensation even if they are held responsible for the accident.
According to this rule, many parties are jointly held responsible for large truck crashes. Each party is responsible for a part of the accident's fault. Therefore, even if someone is 99% at fault, they can receive a small compensation fee.
How Can a Person Prove Negligence after a Car Accident in St. Louis?
The person that files for compensation must demonstrate another party's negligence to get the compensation for any injuries. Their lawyers will have to prove that the other party behaved contrary to what a reasonable person would have under the circumstances, which resulted in the accident.
Due to the complexity of truck accidents, multiple parties are considered at fault. The Powell Law Firm will conduct an impartial investigation into the accident to establish substantial negligence. It will gather evidence such as:
Truck maintenance and inspection records
Internal records and procedures of a trucking company
Truck driver timesheets showing hours driven
Data from the truck's black box
Police and NTSB reports
Results of drug and alcohol testing
Arrests, citations, or sanctions relating to the crash
Mobile phone history
Witness statements
Images and videos of the accident scene and vehicle damage
Truck accidents pose many difficulties, but they also offer more opportunities for gathering evidence than other types of accidents. Federal Motor Carrier Safety regulations on service hours, for example, place strict regulations on the trucking business.
Truck drivers must keep logs proving they don't drive for more than a predetermined number of hours. The business must also follow strict guidelines on employment, training, and maintenance, which adds to the crash evidence.
How Long After the Truck Accident Can a Person File a Lawsuit?
In the event of a truck accident in St. Louis, people have five years to file a personal injury case. After a fatal accident, there is a three-year statute of limitations for wrongful death claims. People should act quickly, because if they wait, they will forfeit the right to compensation from the responsible party.
Conclusion - Contact a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
A truck accident can be terrifying, traumatic, and life-altering. No one should have to battle an insurance company when trying to recover from their injuries and facing an unclear financial future. To get the rightful compensation, people require Powell Law firm attorneys to take over. They can get a free consultation with a St. Louis truck accident attorney from a legal company that is dedicated to fighting for fair compensation.
How Can It Help You?
The experienced Powell Law Firm attorneys will speak with the victims' insurance adjusters and legal teams. This team of dedicated professionals will gather all the relevant documents to prepare a good case. To establish who was at fault and who should be held accountable for the injuries, the lawyers will either negotiate for the highest compensation possible or put together the strongest case to submit in court.
People may contact an experienced and skilled truck accident lawyer in St. Louis to receive a fair settlement for any injuries caused by an accident. They can also answer questions regarding traffic laws, such as difference between truck and car plates in Missouri.