Our truck accident lawyers recently settled a truck accident case for five million dollars.

Trucking cases often involve drivers who: (1) are fatigued, (2) have a history of prior accidents, (3) have a history of driving violations or (4) lack the necessary experience and training to drive safely. In many cases, the trucking companies place the driver in a position to fail.

Trucking companies notoriously attempt to cut corners, doing the minimum that federal and state law requires for training drivers. Instead, trucking companies focus on timely deliveries and profit. This focus results in the hiring and retention of drivers when the company is aware, or should be aware, that the driver lacks the skills and knowledge to drive safely.

Trucking companies needlessly endanger the public by putting unqualified and unskilled drivers on the road. In 2015, the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration reported that trucking accidents caused 3,964 deaths and an estimated 95,000 injuries. Due to the impact forces created by an 80,000-pound semi, these injuries are frequently catastrophic. Truck accident injuries destroy the remaining lives of both the injured and their families.

Hiring an Experienced Truck Accident Lawyer is Smart

In truck accident cases, time is of the essence. Within a few hours of the accident, the insurance companies have engaged an attorney and commenced their investigation. It is crucial that truck accident victims do the same. Our attorneys recognize the importance of acting quickly. Once retained, our lawyers will immediately:

• visit the accident scene to obtain photographs of tire marks, gouge marks, and preserve possible video feeds from nearby business or local transportation departments;
• demand the preservation of evidence such as ECM data, electronic driving logs, personnel files, training logs, and other information regarding the driver’s skills and training
• inspect all vehicles involved, download all available data from the semi’s onboard ECM modules, and obtain a three-dimensional laser scan of all vehicles involved;
• locate and take recorded statements of witnesses;
• request and obtain information from the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and state agencies involved, and;
• engage accident reconstructionists and engineers to assist in the investigation.

Additional Steps that a Truck Accident Lawyer Will Take

After completing a thorough initial investigation, our attorneys will file suit against those who caused the injury or death involved. Upon filing a lawsuit, the attorneys will:

• obtain additional information through formal discovery to assist in understanding what caused the driver’s inattention, fatigue, or other rule violations that contributed to the accident;
• obtain the trucking company’s internal policies and procedures, safety training materials, and specific trainings provided to their drivers on how to safely drive;
• engage trucking experts to assist in investigating whether the driver and the company violated established safety rules, and if so, testify as to those rules and the harms caused to the traveling public as a result of the violations;
• engage medical experts to assist in explaining the nature and extent of a client’s injuries, and the permanent disabilities resulting therefrom;
• engage life care planners and economists to provide projected costs of medical, personal and other services and devices needed to address the limitations created by a client’s disabilities, explain how the services and devices are necessary to allow a client to function with those limitations, and further quantify the value of lost services due to the injuries or death, and;
• if the driver or trucking companies refuse to accept responsibility, put them on trial for their safety rule violations and needless endangerment of the public.

Contact Us – We’re Here to Help!

Our truck accident lawyers routinely take on trucking accident cases through direct client engagement or other attorney referrals. The attorneys are members of Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys, Arkansas Trial Lawyers Association, and the American Association for Justice. These organizations are devoted to representing people harmed by those who choose to cut corners and needlessly endanger the public. The attorneys have handled cases throughout the Midwest, including Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, Illinois, Oklahoma, and Florida. If you or a loved one have been injured in a truck accident, contact our experienced truck accident lawyers to discuss your claim. You can also call us at (573)686-2459. We are here for you when you need us. Our commitment is to earn your confidence by answering all questions and providing quality representation.