What Do I Do After I Have Been Involved in a St. Louis Truck Accident?
What Do I Do After I Have Been Involved in a St. Louis Truck Accident?
Immediately following a truck accident in the St. Louis area, you need to take several actions to ensure your recovery and health are protected. Here are the steps our St. Louis truck lawyers advise you take following an accident:
- Get to safety
Stay at the scene of the accident so it can be properly documented, but do what you can to keep yourself, your passengers, and other roadway users safe.
- Call 911
Get first responders to the scene of the accident as quickly as possible. Stay in a safe spot and wait for medical responders to examine you. Even if you do not think you are seriously injured, make sure to get emergency medical attention because you could be in shock or have injuries that are not readily visible, like whiplash or a concussion.
You also want to give an accident report by speaking to the police right away.
- Collect evidence
If you require serious medical attention right away, disregard these next steps. Allow the ambulance to take you to the hospital to receive the necessary medical care. But if you are physically able to, take pictures of the road and traffic conditions, the damage to your vehicle, and your injuries. This evidence could be vital in your truck accident claim.
- Exchange information
Get information from the driver of the truck as well as any available witnesses. Do not rely on the police to collect witness accounts and contact information for every witness. When you speak to the truck driver, be polite but be careful what you say. Get their:
- Name, address, phone number and email address
- Driver's license number
- Insurance card information
- Name and contact information for the trucking company and truck driver's employer
- License plate number of the truck and any other identifying information
- Contact a truck accident lawyer
As soon as possible after the accident and once you have left the scene and returned to safety, you need to contact a qualified truck accident lawyer. With a free initial consultation, a lawyer like Gary Burger of Burger Law can get a sense of your situation to determine whether you have a truck accident case and whether you need a lawyer. In most cases, because of how destructive large trucks are and the parties involved in commercial vehicles, you will need legal representation to successfully settle your case. Once you have hired a lawyer, they will advise you on additional steps to take during your case and will help take care of the intricacies of filing a truck accident case for you.
- Receive medical treatment
Once you have hired a lawyer and filed your accident claim, follow your lawyer's advice. One important thing to do is to continue to get medical treatment for your injuries. The medical files and documentation will help you prove your case. Plus, you want to get the prompt medical treatment that will help you make as full a recovery as possible.
Taking these steps can help secure your recovery, and shield you from any fault for the accident. If you cannot take these on because of an injury or other complications that make your truck crash claim more difficult, we can help. Burger Law has a track record of success and protecting the rights of St. Louis truck accident victims. We will fight for you and your rights, whatever it takes.
Why Do I Need a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer?
Why Do I Need a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer?
While there are some regular passenger vehicle accidents that can be fairly settled on your own without involving accident lawyers, that is almost never the case for a truck accident. You only have one chance to collect a recovery for all of your truck accident damages and you are working against the clock. Under Missouri Revised Statute §516.120, you have five years from the date of the accident to file your truck accident injury claim. In order to make the most of your opportunity to be made whole in the form of financial compensation, you need a skilled St. Louis truck accident lawyer to represent you.
Your Burger Law truck accident lawyer in St. Louis will fight for you until you get a complete recovery. Truck accidents are distinct from regular car accidents and require a lawyer with a background specifically in a truck accident case like yours. You need an attorney who is familiar with the extensive destruction these large vehicles cause, understands the various parties involved in the operation of a commercial truck and is not afraid to be aggressive in their demands to the large, corporate insurance companies covering the operation of the truck. Our truck accident lawyers have years of experience winning truck accident claims for clients in St. Louis who have been injured or have lost a loved one in a commercial truck accident.
Truck accidents are different from regular car accidents both because of the nature of the accidents themselves and the issues of liability, regulations and insurance coverage that are unique to commercial vehicles like semi-trucks. Learn more about what makes truck accident cases different below or speak to one of our knowledgeable truck accident injury lawyers in St. Louis today at (314) 500-HURT or online.
Truck Size
One of the things that make a truck accident different from a regular car accident is the sheer size. Trucks, on average:
- Are 20-30 times the weight of an average passenger vehicle
- Take 30-40 percent longer to come to a stop
- Average 70 feet in length
Because of a truck's large size, they are more dangerous. Their size makes them dangerous for two reasons:
- More opportunities for accidents to occur (due to truck driver blind spots, potential for tipping over, longer stopping distance, etc.)
- When a collision occurs, the inertia of the enormous, heavy vehicle causes more destruction than a regular passenger vehicle
Trucking Regulations
Another reason you need a specialized truck accident lawyer on your case is due to the regulations in the trucking industry. Being familiar with these rules can help your truck accident injury lawyer build your case, use key evidence and negotiate a great settlement in your favor.
Semi-trucks are usually commercially operated vehicles and, as such, those who operate them must follow specific rules. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration places limits and regulations on operating commercial trucks for the safety of everyone on Missouri or Illinois roads.
Some of the basic truck driving rules and regulations include:
- 11-Hour Driving Limit – A commercial truck driver can operate their vehicle for no more than 11 consecutive hours, and this 11-hour drive must come after 10 consecutive hours resting
- 14-Hour Limit – A driver must take a 10 hour break after 14 hours, regardless of how many hours they drove during that 14 hours
- 30-Minute Driving Break – After 8 consecutive hours of driving, a driver must break for 30 minutes
- 60/70-Hour Limit – Drivers who travel long distances are limited to 60 hours of driving in a 7-day workweek or 70 hours in an 8-day workweek and must rest for 34 consecutive hours before the workweek can begin again
- Logbook – Drivers must keep an accurate log of their mileage, where they have driven and when/where they rested.
- State regulations – Here are some Missouri state requirements for commercial truck driving that drivers are obligated to meet to ensure the safety of the road.
Truck Accident Liability and Insurance
Truck Accident Liability and Insurance
Because trucks are commercially operated, the insurance coverage and liable parties involved are different from those in a regular passenger vehicle accident. Commercial trucks must be covered by extensive insurance policies due to their potential for destruction, and the insurance companies are therefore even more motivated to get out of their financial responsibility to pay you after your accident. You need a skilled and confident truck accident lawyer who will stand their ground and demand the compensation you deserve.
There are several parties that could be liable for the damages you sustained after your truck accident. Depending on the situation, any of the following parties could be involved in your truck accident claim:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The truck owner
- The manufacturers of the truck or parts used on the truck
- The truck's cargo loader
The experienced truck accident lawyers of Burger Law have fought trucking companies and their insurance providers, winning maximum compensation for our clients. We know what to look for and how to prove fault so that you can make a full recovery for your injuries. We evaluate all available information to make an informed assessment of who is at fault and who must be held accountable for causing you harm.
Hire a St. Louis truck accident lawyer from Burger Law so we can investigate who is liable for your injuries and hold them accountable. We stand by your side and do not back down until the insurance companies covering the at-fault trucking parties all pay for the damages you have suffered as a result of the accident – lost wages, medical bills, disability, pain and suffering and other damages.