St. Louis County, in 2022, had 2,462 truck accidents. At times, such accidents can have several contributing factors. It can result in multi-vehicle accidents where one or more drivers may be at fault.
According to a news report in stltoday.com, on April 6th, 2023, a man of 60 was killed in a crash. The accident happened on the eastbound Interstate 70, close to Jennings Station Road. The Missouri Highway Patrol confirmed that his name is Ali Pope. He was driving his 1997 Dodge Ram pickup truck in the morning when it experienced a mechanical failure.
This truck slipped in the way of a semi-truck, and both vehicles collided. Both Pope and his passenger, a woman of 29, got ejected from the truck, as they weren’t wearing seatbelts. The reports said that the woman had moderate injuries and got hospitalized. Pope didn’t survive this crash and died at the accident scene.
The majority of trucking accidents in Missouri take place on narrow roads. The trucks have very little space to move around the small vehicles. Most commercial vehicle accidents take place in St. Louis City and St. Louis County.
Reckless behavior by others can cause significant disruption to your life after a truck accident. When faced with such a mishap in this city, it’s better to know and understand your legal options and rights.
Nature of Trucking Accidents in St. Louis
Any trucking accident in St. Louis is challenging and complex. It makes the victims feel confused and vulnerable. They might wonder how the accident happened and who is responsible for their injuries.
Missouri exercises firm trucking regulations for companies and drivers. The essential ones, according to Missouri State Highway Patrol, are:
- Commercial trucks shouldn’t be more than 10.2 inches in width.
- The maximum height of the truck should be 13.5 feet on other state highways.
- The maximum height of the truck should be 15 feet in commercial zones like Columbia, St. Louis, St. Joseph, Springfield, and Kansas City.
- The maximum height of the truck should be 14 feet on designated and interstate highways.
- The trucks shouldn’t be over 34,000 pounds on the tandem axle in the interstates.
- The trucks shouldn’t bear over 20,000 pounds/axle on the interstates. For highways, the count is 22,000 pounds.
A common man might not be aware of these details. When faced with an accident, they might not know how to approach the same and get compensated for their loss. Hiring a trustworthy St. Louis trucking accident lawyer can be helpful.
People know that they have a few years at hand to file a claim. But it is never a good idea to delay meeting a lawyer after you’ve suffered an accident. The sooner people act on it, the better. It’s easy to find errors in the accident reports, and that can interfere with the claim’s success. Lawyers can correct these errors, start their investigation and make the legal case stronger.
According to TorHoerman Law, the common causes of trucking accidents in St. Louis are aggressive driving, driver fatigue, mechanical failure, careless drivers, and distracted driving.
Why Is a Trucking Accident Lawyer Helpful in St. Louis?
The lawyers try to get the video surveillance at the earliest. It doesn’t always exist. But when it’s not added to the evidence for several months, it gets lost or erased. The attorney also speaks to the witnesses at the accident spot while the memory of the truck crash is fresh in their minds. With time, the witnesses forget what had happened. That makes it challenging to gather the necessary data.
The trucking accident attorneys also get speaking with the insurance representatives in place of the accident victims. They will contact you soon after the truck accident. In most situations, they will ask you to sign certain forms or accept any settlement offer much lower than what you deserve. They don’t consider the medical expenses needed for your treatment.
It’s best to allow the lawyer to negotiate with such corporate entities. They are always concerned about their best interest. Hence, the lawyer will keep the client’s best interest in mind.
Sometimes, ethical insurers also operate on a business model. They try to pay less and profit more from it. A trucking accident attorney from St. Louis will use their know-how and expertise to get the best compensation for you.
Conclusion
Missouri is known as a “completely comparative negligence” state. It means that you will get compensated even when you had a minimal fault at a truck accident in St. Louis. The compensation you get is much less when you are accountable for the truck crash.
For instance, if you are 30% accountable, you will get 70% of the damages that occurred. Experienced personal injury lawyers can use their negotiation skills to interact with insurance companies and secure the compensation they deserve.
