St. Louis Truck Accident

St. Louis truck accidents put motorists in St. Louis, Missouri, at risk of devastating injury. Commercial trucks, also known as big rigs, semi trucks, 18-wheelers or tractor-trailers, are difficult to maneuver, putting them at risk of a St. Louis truck accident. Victims involved in a St. Louis truck crash may face massive medical bills, loss of wages—current and future—and rehabilitation costs. Because of their size and weight, commercial trucks are much more difficult to maneuver than passenger vehicles and pick-up trucks. Semi trucks require greater breaking distance, have more blind spots and respond differently to steering than smaller vehicles do.

The sheer size and weight of these tractor-trailer trucks means that anyone in a smaller vehicle involved in a Missouri truck accident could face catastrophic injury.



According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, there were 64 truck tractor and trailer fatal crashes in 2008, involving a total of 75 fatalities. That same year, there were 916 crashes that involved injuries for a total of 1,311 injuries.

Commercial trucks weighing 10,000 lbs or more have different regulations than passenger vehicles. Missouri has intrastate trucking laws that govern truck maintenance, securing loads and truck routes.

Under trucking laws, truck drivers must periodically undergo drug testing, keep updated log books and drive no more than 11 hours after 10 hours of consecutive off-duty hours. As of January 26, 2010, it is illegal for drivers of semi-trucks to send text messages while driving.

Negligence in truck accidents takes a variety of forms. These include failure to stop, failure to yield right of way, and driving while distracted. In the case of commercial trucks, negligence can also include driving over the legal hours, not getting enough rest time, driving while tired and having a vehicle that is overweight.

In cases of injury or death caused by negligent driving, the injured party or his family may be able to sue the driver of the commercial vehicle, the owners and/or operators of the vehicle and the people responsible for the truck's maintenance.

Missouri uses the principle of pure comparative negligence when determining accident liability. This means that in a semi truck accident, the injured party can recover damages for his injury even if he was 99 percent at fault for the accident. The victim's awarded damages are reduced by the amount of fault he is responsible for. For example, if the injured party is 25 percent responsible for the accident, his award is reduced by 25 percent.

Defective truck parts can play a role in truck accidents and can result in injury to other people on the road. Issues with commercial vehicles include faulty brakes, engine problems and steering problems.

In the case of injuries caused by truck defects, the injured person may be able to sue the maker of the defective part, the automobile manufacturer and the companies or individuals responsible for repair and maintenance of the vehicle.

In Missouri, it is illegal for commercial drivers to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of.04 or higher. In Missouri, Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is the same as Driving While Intoxicated (DWI). The DWI includes alcohol and/or drugs. It is illegal for drivers in Missouri to operate a vehicle with any amount of a controlled substance (such as marijuana or cocaine) in the blood.

All drivers who are suspected of driving while intoxicated must submit to a chemical analysis of their blood, breath or urine.

St. Louis Truck Accident Legal Help

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Last updated on Sep-6-10