St. Louis Truck Accidents on I-44, Highway 54, and I-70

There are some roadways in Missouri where truck accidents are more likely to occur.

It is important to act quickly after you have been involved in an accident with a semi truck for a number of reasons. First, trucking companies usually have experienced legal teams working to protect their interests. Failing to document an accident, obtain crucial evidence, and ensure that you own legal rights are protected right from the start can make it much more difficult to obtain compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages relating to the accident. Trucking companies will sometimes destroy incriminating evidence which demonstrates their liability and negligence. In the event of an accident with a semi truck, get in touch with a St. Louis truck accident attorney as soon as possible.

In Missouri there are some roadways where truck accidents are more likely to occur. These include I-44, Highway 54, and, I-70. Many trucks pass over these roads on a daily basis, especially I-44. Thousands of drivers use these roads for their daily commute and the potential for accidents that involve multiple vehicles is greater when the accident includes a huge semi truck.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident with a truck you should contact a St. Louis truck accident attorney immediately. It is extremely important that your attorney is experienced in handling truck accident cases because these accidents are far more complicated than accidents only involving passenger vehicles. The trucking industry is governed by both federal and state regulations involving commerce, safe driving, maintenance and many other issues. Trucking companies or drivers who ignore these regulations can be held liable for resulting accidents, and incur heavy fines. However, many trucking companies still choose to ignore the rules that exist to keep others safe, and choose to act in a manner that is more convenient for them. This can include encouraging drivers to work longer hours than is legally allowed, ignoring safety violations, failing to do proper background checks, failing to keep drivers off the road who have failed a drug test, failing to maintain their vehicles, logbook violations, not making sure a truck is loaded safely, etc. Any one of these issues can cause an accident, but trucking companies that continuously break the law and violate regulations are sending out vehicles that are not safe and endanger the lives of drivers, their families, and loved ones.

Causes of Truck Accidents

To prove liability, your attorney must be able to demonstrate that the trucking company or truck driver acted negligently. In order to do this, they must be able to act quickly. Negligence can include the following :

• Driver inexperience – Drivers with little experience handling such enormous vehicles, or drivers who have not received enough training can be very dangerous behind the wheel. Driving an 18-wheel semi truck is completely different from driving a car. This is why training is important, but also why it is important that trucking companies perform background checks to see whether or not a driver does have the experience that she or he claims to have.

• Driver fatigue – this is a major issue. Drivers who work long hours are much more likely to cause an accident. Driving while tired can be as dangerous as distracted driving or driving while intoxicated.

• Trucks that are not loaded properly. Imbalance caused by improper loading increased the risk of truck rollover when the weight in the trailer shifts. Cargo that is not secured can fall out of the back end and cause a serious accident as well.

• Intoxicated driving. Impaired driving is always dangerous. When the impaired driver is operating a vehicle that weighs several tons, the vehicle becomes a ticking time bomb.

St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer

Make sure your legal rights are protected and an at-fault trucking company or driver is held responsible if their negligence caused an accident. Your St. Louis truck accident lawyer can help you to get the compensation you are entitled to.

The attorneys at the Zevan and Davidson Law Firm have a proven track record of getting results for their clients. To schedule a free consultation with the trusted St. Louis truck accident lawyers at Zevan and Davidson call us at (314) 588-7200 or fill out our online contact form.

photo credit: Dougtone