St. Louis Negligent Truck Driver Attorney

An accident with a large truck is one of the worst situations you can find yourself in on the road. According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the vast difference in size between a passenger vehicle and a large truck makes these collisions particularly dangerous. A semi is 20 to 30 times heavier than a passenger vehicle, significantly increasing the risk of both fatalities and catastrophic injuries in a crash.

If you were injured in a collision with a large truck in St Louis, our personal injury lawyers are ready to help you seek justice for your injuries and related losses. When negligent truck drivers injure people on the road, they can be held liable through a personal injury claim. The best way to assert your rights and demand fair compensation for what happened is to work with a law firm that has considerable experience with truck driver liability cases.

Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC is a negligent truck driving law firm serving St. Louis and surrounding areas of Missouri. Our firm was founded in 1999 by a team of lawyers who wanted to work together to fight for the rights of injured people.

If you’ve been hurt by a negligent truck driver in St. Louis, contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC for your free consultation today.

What Is Negligent Truck Driving?

Negligence is the failure to exercise the level of care a reasonable person would typically exercise under the same circumstances to protect others from harm. For a truck driver, negligence means doing something a reasonable truck driver wouldn’t do or failing to do something a reasonable truck driver would do to prevent a trucking accident. For example, a driver who fails to check their blind spots before merging, fails to make pre-trip inspections, or simply becomes distracted behind the wheel may be engaging in truck driver negligence.

Legal Consequences for Negligent Truck Drivers in St. Louis

In Missouri, truck drivers who negligently violate traffic laws could have their commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) revoked. For example, two serious traffic convictions in a three-year period can lead to an automatic 60-day disqualification, with longer disqualifications for additional infractions, including operating a vehicle while disqualified.

Moreover, truck drivers can be held civilly liable when their negligence leads to a collision. If you’ve been hurt by a negligent truck driver, you can file a personal injury claim against them and potentially their employer and their insurers seeking compensation for what you suffered as a result. Compensation could include money for your economic losses, including your medical bills, lost income, and property damage. It can also include payments to offset non-economic damages, such as pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.

How to Prove Negligence in a Truck Accident Case

Proving truck driver negligence after a truck crash involves taking certain steps, such as these examples:

• Searching for evidence of negligence by examining driver logs, police reports, witness statements, maintenance records, electronic data logs, and other sources
• Demonstrating that the driver was in some way negligent, such as speeding, driving recklessly, driving without sufficient sleep, engaging in distracted driving, driving while impaired, or otherwise careless
• Demonstrating that the driver’s negligence caused your injuries
• Demonstrating the extent of your injuries 

Common Types of Truck Driver Negligence

Common examples of truck driver negligence that can lead to truck collisions include:

• Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
• Erratic or improper lane changes
• Following too closely
• Failing to signal or check blind spots
• Texting or engaging in other distractions while driving
• Failing to yield the right-of-way
• Operating an unsafe vehicle due to lack of maintenance and inspections
• Crossing into oncoming traffic
• Taking turns too fast, causing the truck to tip over
• Overcorrecting

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimates that distraction is a factor in 71 percent of large truck accidents.

Compensation Available for Victims of Negligent Truck Drivers

Victims of accidents caused by negligent truck drivers can seek compensation for their economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages include:

• Medical expenses such as doctor bills, medication, physical therapy bills, nursing care, and modifications to your home and vehicle
• Lost income such as lost wages and commissions you missed out on while you were out of work, raises and promotions you lost the opportunity to seek, and diminished future earning potential

Non-economic damages include:

• Pain and suffering
• Emotional distress
• Reduced enjoyment of life
• Loss of consortium, which refers to the loss of marital companionship after an injury

You may also be able to seek punitive damages in cases involving gross negligence. Pursuing truck accident victim compensation can be complicated, and most injured people underestimate how much negligent truck operator claims are worth. Fortunately, the St. Louis truck accident attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC offer free initial consultations, making it easy and affordable to find out what your case could be worth.

How Our St. Louis Truck Accident Attorneys Can Help You

After a trucking accident, the negligent truck driver’s insurer might offer you a low settlement immediately, hoping you will make the mistake of settling too quickly for far too little. The insurance adjuster may even try to pressure you into accepting their lowball offer by arguing that you were also to blame for the crash or that their offer is your only chance to get paid. Remember, they wouldn’t be making an offer if they weren’t worried they could lose much more in a truck accident lawsuit at trial.

Our skilled St. Louis truck accident lawyers can improve your negotiating position by taking on several important tasks, including:

• Investigating the case to determine the cause of the accident
• Interviewing witnesses and taking their statements
• Examining the truck’s brakes and other components
• Reviewing the data in the truck’s black box and electronic logs
• Using court orders to prevent the trucking company from destroying evidence
• Consulting experts about your injuries and your medical prospects
• Presenting a demand for compensation to the insurance company
• Negotiating to get you the best settlement possible
• Representing you in court if the insurance company won’t make a reasonable offer

Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC is a truck accident law firm in St. Louis. Our experienced truck accident lawyers represent people who have been severely injured by negligent truck drivers. If you’ve been hurt in a truck accident in Missouri, you need to hold the person who hurt you liable for their negligence.

Contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC today for a free consultation about your potential truck accident claim.