Being in a truck accident is usually quite different than if you were to get into an accident with another car. For one, since most trucks are much larger and heavier than the average car, accidents involving 18-wheelers produce more damage, result in more injuries, and cause more deaths on America’s roads than accidents between two or more cars. In addition, unlike cars, most truck drivers are not driving their own personal vehicles on the road. With Missouri and Illinois being a prime location for truck traffic, this means that if you are ever in a St. Louis truck accident, you may be unsure of who exactly you can recover damages from.
Combs Waterkotte has a proven track record of getting results for their truck accident clients. Our firm knows how to fight against all the responsible parties in a truck accident lawsuit and get you the money you deserve for your injuries. Give us a call at (314) 900-HELP for a free, no-strings-attached consultation.
Responsible Parties In A Truck Accident
In a typical car accident in Missouri, there are only two entities one can sue if they are injured in the accident: the other driver, plus their insurance company. In some circumstances, like when the driver was working for a ride-share firm such as Uber or Lyft, there might be other responsible parties, but those are much less common.
However, truck accidents have a much wider number of groups one could potentially collect damages from when compared to car accidents. These include, but are not limited to:
- The driver: over-the-road truckers must abide by much stricter standards when compared to regular motorists. They have limits on how long they can be behind the wheel and, in some cases, have a separate, lower speed limit. If they acted with any negligence or broke these rules, you have a case against them.
- The trucking company: only a small percentage of truck drivers are what are called “owner-operators”, with most being employed by a larger trucking company. Accident victims can sue trucking companies for many reasons, including not properly maintaining their equipment, being responsible for their driver’s actions, providing poor driver training, or encouraging an unsafe work environment by setting unrealistic time demands for their drivers.
- Shipping companies: in some cases, a third-party company loaded up the truck with its cargo. They could have potentially improperly loaded the cargo or overloaded it, which commonly results in roll-over accidents.
- Mechanics: it could be that work, like the replacement of a tire or a suspension fix, was improperly performed and directly caused an accident
- Manufacturers: defective trucks or parts (especially tires) often can have disastrous results
Contact A St. Louis Truck Accident Law Firm
Truck accidents are an entirely different breed of accident when compared to simple car crashes. If you are ever in a truck accident, you need to contact a personal injury attorney that has documented experience and success taking truck accident cases in Missouri. Combs Waterkotte is committed to getting you the best possible outcome in your St. Louis commercial truck crash case. Contact us today, either online or by calling (314) 900-HELP, to speak with our experienced truck crash lawyers and find out who exactly you can and should be suing after your truck accident.
