What Are the Causes of St. Louis Trucking Accidents?
What Are the Causes of St. Louis Trucking Accidents?
Below is some more information on what causes truck crashes and who may be liable.
Driver Error in St. Louis Trucking Accidents
Driver Error in St. Louis Trucking Accidents
In its landmark large truck crash causation study, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that "driver reasons" accounted for the main cause in 87 percent of trucking accidents nationwide. Some instances of driver error in trucking accidents are:
- Distracted driving, such as:
- Texting and driving
- Looking at directions
- Eating or drinking
- Smoking or chewing tobacco
- Being preoccupied or daydreaming
- Looking at something on the side of the road
- Speeding or driving too fast for weather conditions
- Drunk driving or drug impaired driving
- Not accounting for road conditions
- Overcompensating for road conditions
- Making illegal maneuvers
Some other common causes of trucking accidents:
- Improper Loading. The shipping company is responsible for loading the truck's cargo with equal weight distribution and not overloading it. Improperly loading the truck can lead to rollover accidents. If your truck crash was caused by negligent loading practices, a Burger Law St. Louis trucking accidents attorney will help you make a claim against the at-fault shipping company.
- Poor maintenance. A large truck crash study by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, negligent maintenance is a contributing factor in 40 percent of trucking accidents. Examples can include failed brakes, electrical problems, burst tires and more. Brake problems were an associated factor in 27 percent of trucks in trucking accidents, contrasted with just 2 percent in cars. Missouri, St. Louis and Federal Law requires pre-trip and yearly inspections carried out by the driver and trucking company or third party, respectively.
- Driver Fatigue. Thirteen percent of trucking accidents involved driver fatigue as an associated factor. The same study found that pressure from management was a leading reason for drivers to try and drive more hours than they were able.
- Another driver. In accidents between trucks and passenger cars, trucks were the cause of a trucking accident only 44 percent of the time. The other crashes were caused by a passenger car. If you are in a multi-car accident, you may be able to file a claim against the driver of a St. Louis or Missouri passenger car as you normally would after a car accident.
Distracted driving is a leading contributor to St. Louis and Missouri trucking accidents as 71 percent of truck crashes happened when the driver was doing something besides driving the truck. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration banned texting and driving for drivers of commercial vehicles, but unfortunately, as with drivers of St. Louis and Missouri passenger cars, sometimes truck drivers break the rules. When they do and they injure you as a result, the St. Louis-based Missouri trucking accidents attorney of Burger Law will stand by your side and insist that you are fully compensated for all of your damages.
Burger Law's St. Louis, Missouri trucking accidents attorney team has seen a lot of truck crashes. We have found that they are rarely cut and dry, and there are often several contributing factors for a trucking accident in St. Louis. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration lists over 1,000 "associated factors" related to trucking accidents, meaning conditions that were present at the time of the crash. Your Burger Law trucking accidents attorney in St. Louis has seen every type of truck crash and knows how to determine liability.
Like any St. Louis and Missouri car accident, each crash is unique and has its own set of circumstances. Trucking accidents can have a variety of contributing factors. They can frequently lead to multi-vehicle accidents in which more than one driver may be at fault. Burger Law's St. Louis trucking accidents attorney team will fully investigate every aspect of your case to determine every liable party and hold them accountable.
Trucking accidents in St. Louis, Missouri are complicated, and in the immediate aftermath of a truck crash injury you are likely feeling vulnerable and confused. You are probably wondering how the accident could have happened to you and who you can hold accountable for your injuries. Every St. Louis-based trucking accidents attorney of Burger Law has seen every type of truck crash and knows exactly how to determine who is liable in a truck accident and prove negligence in your case. Missouri has strict trucking regulations for both drivers and companies. When they break those rules and injure you, put your case in the trustworthy hands of Burger Law.
What Do I Do After a St. Louis Truck Accident?
What Do I Do After a St. Louis Truck Accident?
Our St. Louis-based trucking accidents attorney team recommends taking several steps immediately after being injured in a crash to ensure your safety and the best possible outcome in your case:
- Make sure you are safe
- Call the police
- Document the scene
- Get Medical Attention
- Call Burger Law at (314) 500-HURT
To guarantee that insurance companies and large St. Louis or Missouri corporations treat you fairly, and to secure a full financial recovery for your case, call a trucking accidents attorney at Burger Law today at (314) 500-HURT or fill out our online form.
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Cases We Win
Burger Law's Missouri trucking accidents law firm based in St. Louis has a team of gifted litigators and trial lawyers with more than 70 years of combined experience practicing law and protecting the vulnerable and injured. We will fight to get you maximum compensation in any injury claim in Missouri, including the case types listed here. Click for more information.