Columbia, MO, Truck Accident Lawyer

There is significant legislation outlining how long commercial truck drivers can operate their vehicles, when truck drivers must take breaks and rests, and the required care and maintenance of commercial vehicles. These regulations exist to limit the chances of collisions due to fatigued drivers or malfunctioning vehicles.

Commercial trucks, when they are involved in an accident, cause much more damage than other vehicles. When these collisions happen because a driver or a company ignored safety regulations, they could be liable for the significant damages that result from the accident.

If you were injured in a truck accident, you may be dealing with catastrophic injuries and losses. A Columbia truck accident lawyer can handle a truck accident claim for you so that you can focus on recovery.

Wendt Law Firm P.C.: Experienced Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer

Commercial truck accidents can lead to disabling injuries or even fatalities. When these losses were caused by the negligence of another party, an injured party or grieving family should not be responsible for those costs. The attorneys at Wendt Law Firm P.C. can help you after a truck collision to determine the at-fault party and hold them liable for your damages.

With more than 50 years of collective experience in personal injury claims, including complex truck collision claims, our attorneys are well-equipped to fight for the damages you deserve. Our attorneys manage your legal claim on your behalf, taking the stress off of you and allowing you to recover.

Commercial trucking companies have significant resources to avoid liability after a collision, and an attorney’s resources are necessary to properly combat this. We investigate the cause of the accident and gather evidence of your complete damages, including the costs of medical procedures, the income you cannot earn, and the repair costs of your property. We are proud to support injured individuals throughout Missouri, fighting for the most compensation available.

How Are Truck Accident Claims More Complex Than Other Motor Vehicle Claims?

Commercial truck collisions are more complicated than the average passenger car accident. Because of this, victims of truck accidents can benefit significantly from legal support. Some of the reasons these claims are more complicated include:

Costly Damages

Semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles are much larger than nearly all other vehicles on the road. They are also much heavier, especially when they are fully loaded. The size and weight of these vehicles mean that when they are involved in an accident, the damage to vehicles and individuals is significant.

Truck accidents are much more likely to cause catastrophic injury and wrongful death. They are also more likely to affect multiple other vehicles on the road, especially in accidents like rollover or jackknife accidents.

Because the injuries and other damage in these collisions are more severe, a resulting claim must be a higher amount to cover the higher medical treatment costs, the significant property damage, and the long-term recovery. Calculating these complete damages can be complicated, and an attorney is incredibly beneficial for this process.

While the insurance providers for commercial trucking companies have higher coverage limits than typical car insurance, an insurance adjuster will still want to limit their liability. A skilled legal representative negotiating on your behalf is crucial.

Multiple Liable Parties

Commercial vehicles require many involved parties to be on the road. If any of these parties behave negligently and put an unsafe vehicle or driver on the road, this can cause an accident, and they can be liable. Trucking accidents often have multiple at-fault parties, and an investigation must be thorough to determine liability.

A trucking company, a truck driver, and a third-party shipping or maintenance company could all be partially liable, depending on the circumstances of the crash. An attorney can investigate to determine what parties acted negligently, leading to the crash.

Trucking Industry Federal Laws

Liability is often based on a party failing to uphold the federal regulations in place. These regulations are complex, and many individuals are not aware of the specific requirements of these laws. A trucking accident attorney is well aware of the most current regulations and will know what to look for to determine if these laws were ignored.

If a truck driver fails to follow the rest and break regulations, they may be liable. If they took these actions because their employer or the trucking company gave them an impossible deadline or otherwise encouraged them to ignore regulation, the entity may be liable.

Trucking Company Insurance Adjusters

Not every truck collision is the fault or vicarious fault of a trucking company. Even if it is not their fault, the insurance company will likely be on the scene investigating to prevent their liability.

If the accident is the fault of a trucking company, the insurance company will do what it can to avoid as much liability as possible. These companies have a lot of resources, and individuals usually cannot effectively get the compensation they deserve without legal representation.

Common Types of Truck Accidents

Truck accidents can occur in many ways, and the type of accident may indicate the likely cause and liable party for the collisions. Different types of accidents also have common injuries that may result. Some common commercial truck accident types include:

Rollover Crashes

Rollover accidents can occur for many reasons, such as an improperly loaded truck trailer or a poorly designed truck. Truck drivers can also cause a rollover by driving around a curve too sharply or quickly or failing to brake properly down a steep decline. Rollovers often lead to multiple car pile-up accidents and can crush smaller vehicles under the truck trailer.

Jackknife Accidents

A jackknife accident happens when the trailer of a commercial truck swings away and in front of the truck’s cab. When this happens, the driver can’t control the truck. Jackknifing may occur because a driver brakes improperly or if a commercial vehicle is poorly designed.

Underride Accidents

In certain accidents, a smaller vehicle can get wedged and crushed under the back or side of a commercial truck trailer. These incidents may occur when a passenger car rear-ends a commercial truck or if a commercial driver does not complete a wide enough turn next to a smaller vehicle.

Rear-End Collisions

Commercial vehicles need much more time to brake than other vehicles. If a truck driver fails to provide this stopping distance behind other vehicles or at a stop, it can cause a rear-end accident. These accidents can also occur if other vehicles drive recklessly around commercial trucks and perform unsafe lane changes or brake checks.

Other Types of Accidents

There are many other types of collisions caused by different errors or accident circumstances, including:

Multi-vehicle collisions.
Drunk driving accidents.
Drowsy driving accidents.
Equipment defects and failure crashes.
Loose and overloaded cargo accidents.

An experienced attorney is crucial to investigate your truck accident thoroughly to determine the negligent parties and what damages you may be able to recover.

What Compensation Can You Get in a Truck Accident Claim?

The compensation available in a truck accident claim is often much higher than the average motor vehicle accident. This is because the damages and injuries caused by these accidents are much more serious. The insurance coverage offered by commercial trucking companies is also typically much higher.

When you are able to prove an at-fault party liable, they are responsible for coverage of all your damages. The primary types of damages that are covered in these claims are economic and non-economic damages. If an insurance provider is offering a settlement that does not fairly cover your damages, your attorney will not accept this and may take the claim to court to get fair compensation.

Economic Damages

The economic damages you suffered in a collision are any financial losses. This generally includes:

Medical expenses. The current bills you have that resulted from your injury, such as hospital stays, doctor’s visits, surgeries, and other treatment.
Future healthcare costs. The costs of long-term treatment, future medical complications, and at-home care.
Lost wages. Recovery time, hospital stays, and doctor’s visits cause you to lose time at work, and the wages you would have earned are compensable.
Lost future earnings and benefits. Your injuries may prevent you from returning to work full-time, from continuing the same employment, or from working at all, and these losses can be covered in a claim.
Property damage. A truck accident can result in a totaled vehicle, and a claim can recover the cost to replace the vehicle and repair or replace other property.

Non-economic Damages

Your non-economic damages are intangible damages such as mental trauma and physical pain. It can be harder to properly value these damages, but a skilled attorney has experience calculating many of these claims, and how to use them to maximize your claim while making sure they are fair. Non-economic damages may include:

Loss of consortium. When you are severely disabled in a truck accident, you and your spouse can lose the comfort and companionship of a romantic partner, and this emotional damage is compensable.
Loss of enjoyment or quality of life. Lasting injuries and disabilities can affect your day-to-day life and limit your ability to continue to do the things you enjoy, affecting your quality of life.
Mental trauma and anguish. The trauma of a commercial truck accident and your resulting injuries can cause long-term emotional anguish, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions.

Punitive Damages

These damages are uncommon and are assigned when the court finds evidence that the at-fault party acted with either intentional and unfounded intentional harm or with a reckless and purposeful disregard for other people’s safety. They are awarded the opportunity to punish the party for their actions and prevent it from happening again. Punitive damages can significantly increase the final settlement but are only sometimes available.

Wrongful Death Claim Damages

A wrongful death claim can recover some of the same damages as other personal injury claims, such as property damages, medical bills, and loss of consortium or companionship. It can also recover losses like the financial support for a family, and the cost of funeral services and burial or cremation costs.

Common Injuries in a Truck Accident

Truck collisions can cause very serious injuries. This could include:

Multiple bone fractures and breaks, including in the skull or spine.
Traumatic brain injuries, ranging from minor concussions to long-term cognitive disability and impairment.
Spinal cord injuries, ranging from whiplash to partial or full paralysis.
Multiple soft-tissue injuries from sprains, strains, and tears across the body.
Burns and disfigurement, especially if the commercial truck was carrying hazardous material.
Road rash from being thrown from a vehicle.
Severe nerve damage.
Lacerations, puncture wounds, and contusions.
Internal organ damage and loss of function.
Amputation and lost limbs.
Crushing injuries.
Eye and ear injuries, resulting in vision and hearing loss in some cases.
Wrongful death during the collision or later from severe injuries.

Even minor injuries can require costly medical treatment and days to weeks off of work to recover, receive treatment, and attend doctor’s appointments. More serious injuries can alter the rest of your life, requiring physical therapy, mobility aids and medical devices, and long-term at-home care. These losses can be recovered in a successful claim.

How Does a Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer Help With My Claim?

A Columbia truck accident lawyer significantly benefits your claim and makes you more likely to succeed and recover the maximum compensation available in your unique claim. An attorney helps in many ways, including:

Determining if you have a valid claim.
Outlining your options for recovering compensation.
Keeping an eye on legal deadlines including the statute of limitations.
Managing the claim on your behalf to save you stress and allow you to rest and recover.
Calculating your economic and non-economic damages.
Determining if you have the grounds for punitive damages.
Investigating the cause of the accident and the party or parties that can be held liable.
Negotiating with the insurance company for you.
Bringing your claim to court if the insurance adjuster will not provide a fair settlement.

With the right representation, you can rest assured that your claim is in good hands.

Find a Skilled Columbia Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Wendt Law Firm P.C. has the skills and abilities to help you and your family after a truck accident. Contact our firm today and see how we can help you support your financial future.