Trucking Accidents Lawyer Columbia, MO

Trucking Accidents Lawyer Columbia, MO. If a truck driver or trucking company was negligent and caused you or a loved one injuries, call a Burger Law Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer right away at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a complimentary consultation.

Trucking accidents can have calamitous repercussions. The physical, financial and emotional damage they can do is unanticipated and harsh. Because of that, in addition to observing the typical rules of the road, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has stringent regulations that truck drivers and trucking companies are required to obey in order to help keep everybody on the Columbia, MO roads out of harm's way. When they eschew their obligation and harm you, the Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer team will hold them accountable and win you the full financial recovery you are owed.

We have a first-class team of attorneys and paralegals that fight on your behalf to get you the best possible compensation. Our Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer team knows the terrible impact being hurt a truck accident can have on you and your loved ones. We also know how to investigate, negotiate, litigate and win truck accident injury cases. We demand nothing but the best results for our clients. If you sustained and injury because someone else broke the rules, reach out to a Burger Law Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer right away at (314) 500-HURT or complete our online form to start on your road to recovery.

Use our free personal injury calculator to see how much your injury may be worth.



How Common Are Truck Crashes in Missouri? | Trucking Accidents Lawyer in Columbia, MO

Unfortunately, a Missouri trucking accidents lawyer often has a lot of cases. The Missouri State Highway Patrol reported that in 2020 there were 13,910 crashes in Missouri involving commercial vehicles, with 80 percent of them involving trucks. Those collisions resulted in 131 fatalities and 2,704 personal injuries. Meaning, truck accidents made up 8.4 percent of all automobile accidents in Missouri, and 14.3 percent of all fatalities.

The bulk of Missouri trucking accidents take place on narrower streets because a truck does not have much room to operate around passenger cars. About one-fourth of commercial vehicle crashes transpired in St. Louis County and St. Louis City, and 11.94 percent occurred in Kansas City and Jackson County, making Missouri's two most populous cities the places where over 33 percent of all Missouri trucking accidents happen. If you have been harmed in a truck accident because of another person's reckless actions, reach out to a Burger Law Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer at Burger Law today to discuss your legal options.

Is It Worth Hiring a Trucking Accidents Lawyer in Columbia, MO?

Almost always the answer is yes. If you were in a standard fender-bender with another passenger car that only necessitated a short stay in a Missouri emergency room, you may be able to get a fair settlement offer with the help of an attorney. However, truck accidents often lead to more severe injuries that require ongoing medical treatment. Furthermore, in a truck collision, you are not filing a claim against a driver, but rather against a large trucking corporation. Columbia, MO insurance companies use a lot of ruses to dishonestly try and lower your payout. The savvy and committed trucking accidents lawyer team of Burger Law knows how to stand up to bullies and get you the full financial recovery you deserve.

Besides standing up to the insurance company, a Burger Law trucking accidents lawyer in Columbia, MO will:

• Meet with you to talk over and understand your case.
• Fully investigate your case, including obtaining vital evidence and taking official depositions.
• Establish liability and prove negligence.
• Keep you in the loop and answer all of your questions through the process.
• Take care of all communication, litigation, documentation and negotiation.
• Work alongside our network of Missouri accident and medical experts to precisely value your claim.
• Provide you with all the information you need to make the best decision for you and your family.

While our goal is always to get you the recovery you are owed in mediation, a lot of times our Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer team will file a lawsuit against trucking companies. Trucking companies and insurance companies have at their disposal top-level attorneys that will try anything to discredit your claim or convince you that they do not have to pay you anything. At Burger Law, our trucking accidents lawyer team has committed their careers to giving the injured and vulnerable in Columbia, MO legal advocacy that eclipses what large corporations have. We are more aggressive than the majority of law firms because we want the insurance company to understand that we are serious and will settle for only full compensation. You do not owe us anything until we win your case.

Common Causes of Truck Crashes | Columbia, MO Trucking Accidents Lawyer

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration released its groundbreaking Large Crash Causation Study in 2009. The study analyzed the causes and associated factors of 18-wheeler accidents. After studying over 1,000 possible factors, they reached the following conclusions:

• Eighty-seven percent of wrecks involved "driver reasons," either by the truck driver or the driver of a passenger vehicle. The most common of those reasons are:
• Use of prescriptions, over-the-counter and illegal drugs and drunk driving
• Speeding or driving too fast for conditions
• Fatigue or distracted driving
• Illegal maneuvers, improper evasive driving or aggressive driving
• Unfamiliarity with the roadway or truck
• Almost a third of all collisions involved issues with the truck, for instance brake failure or defective tires.
• Environmental factors, such as:
• Weather-related wrecks
• Traffic congestion
• Roadway hazards
• Other factors, such as:
• Overloaded trucks or incorrectly loaded cargo
• The driver being pressured to driver even though fatigued
• Illness

Whatever the cause behind your wreck in Missouri, your Burger Law trucking accidents lawyer has seen it before. We will get to the bottom of your crash and hold the liable parties accountable.

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Who Is Liable for My Truck Crash Injuries? | Columbia, MO Trucking Accidents Lawyer

In the majority of auto accident cases, you would make a claim against another Columbia, MO driver and their insurance company. In trucking accidents, truck drivers were responsible for 44 percent of crashes caused by driver error, with drivers of other vehicles being liable for the rest. When your Burger Law trucking accidents lawyer conducts an investigation into your crash, they will find which driver is at fault. However, one of the unique things about truck accidents is that there are usually multiple parties at fault. That is why you need a dedicated, accomplished and expert trucking accidents lawyer standing by your side.

Below are some examples of other parties in Columbia, MO your trucking accidents lawyer at Burger Law may be able to hold accountable:

The Trucking Company

Trucking companies have an obligation to respect our safety. They are required to:

• Hire drivers that meet the strict requirements for Commercial Driver's Licenses in Missouri. Neglecting to do so, or hiring a driver with several traffic violations, constitutes negligent hiring practices.
• Ensure the safety of their fleet. Missouri and Federal Law mandates pre-trip and annual inspections performed by the driver and trucking company or third party, respectively. Not carrying out inspections or not repairing faulty parts are examples of negligence. Brake failures were an associated factor in 27 percent of trucking accidents, which is true in only 2 percent in other motor-vehicle accidents.
• Ensure their drivers get enough rest. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has an Hours of Service Guide for Truck Drivers that must be obeyed. Thirteen percent of trucking accidents involved driver fatigue as a contributing factor, frequently because an employer was pressuring the driver to drive off little rest.

We will request maintenance and driver logs when we get to work on your truck collision claim. Your Burger Law trucking accidents lawyer in Columbia, MO knows how to gather all the evidence needed to prove your claim.

A Shipping Company

Cargo must be appropriately loaded onto trucks in order to ensure safety. Overloaded trucks or trucks with unbalanced weight distribution are more likely to rollover. Inadequately loaded cargo can also spill onto Columbia or Missouri streets and lead to multi-vehicle collision. Overweight trucks also take longer to stop, which hinders the driver's ability to respond to situations or dangers on the road.

Mechanics or Manufacturers

Manufacturers have a duty to safely design and test their products and recall any components when they discover it to be faulty. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration states that a recall is required when a vehicle or vehicle equipment "does not comply with a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard." Neglecting to do so amounts to product liability. Burger Law's trucking accidents lawyer team has experience with every type of personal injury case and knows how to deliver you maximum compensation whatever the circumstances surrounding your truck collision injury.

A Government Entity

If your truck accident occurred because of infrastructure that was improperly designed or improperly maintained, your truck accident injury lawyer may help you make a claim against a public institution such as the Missouri Department of Transportation. If a guardrail suddenly swings into the road or a substantial crack in the concrete leads a vehicle to go airborne, causing a domino-effect until you get in an accident, your truck accident attorneys will help you hold the local organization that runs that property accountable.

Generally, Missouri provides sovereign immunity to government employees which means you cannot make a claim against them. However, Missouri Revised Statute §537.600 allows for suing a public employee for damages sustained "out of the operation of motor vehicles" within the course of a driver's "employment."

Bringing a claim against a public entity in Columbia, MO is an intricate process, but your trucking accidents lawyer at Burger Law knows how to apply the law to your case and collect maximum compensation in even the most difficult cases. Call our trucking accidents lawyer team right away at (314) 500-HURT.

What Compensation Can I Recover For My Injuries? | Columbia, MO Trucking Accidents Lawyer

The financial recovery you receive will come down to the seriousness of your injuries, the effect they have had on your life, and the savvy of your Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer. There are typically two types of damages if you were injured as a result of somebody else's careless behavior.

• Economic damages, such as:
• Lost wages
• Lost or reduced earning potential
• Medical expenses, such as:
• Emergency room visits
• Surgeries
• Doctors appointments
• Physical therapy
• Medication
• In-home care
• Assistive devices such as wheelchairs or household modifications
• Property damage, such as damage to your car
• Transportation fees
• Noneconomic damages, which Missouri Senate Bill 239 defines as:
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Inconvenience
• Physical impairment
• Disfigurement
• Loss of ability to enjoy life
• Loss of consortium

The worse your injuries, the more time you will go without wages, the more medical costs you'll have and the more you will receive in noneconomic damages. Every Burger Law trucking accidents lawyer knows how to get an insurance adjuster, judge or jury in Columbia, MO to step inside your shoes and see the full effect your injuries have had on your life. Call Burger Law now at (314) 500-HURT to get a full financial recovery.

How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Claim in Missouri?

In Missouri, the statute of limitations is five years for the majority of personal injury claims, according to Missouri Revised Statute §516.120. There are three important outliers for truck accident claims:

1. If you were less than 21 years old or "mentally incapacitated" when the injury occurred, you have five years from your 21st birthday or the day your disability is over to make a claim, according to Missouri Revised Statute §516.170.
2. If the person you are making a claim against is a resident of Missouri but leaves the state for a period of time, that time does not count against the five years, according to Missouri Revised Statute §516.200.
3. Any claim against a government entity in Missouri must be filed within 90 days with the Missouri Office of Administration's Risk Management Division.

If a truck accident leads to the wrongful death of a loved one, Missouri Revised Statute §537.100 states that you have three years from the date your loved one passed to make a claim.

While five years may seem like a long time, the clock is already ticking on when you can file your claim. Delaying could bring hurdles to your case. Your trucking accidents lawyer will need to completely investigate the circumstances surrounding your injury in order to hold careless parties accountable. Moreover, you need a financial recovery as soon as possible in order to genuinely heal and be made whole again. Do not delay. Call a Burger Law trucking accidents lawyer in Columbia, MO right now at (314) 500-HURT.

Learn more about our various practice areas by clicking the links below:

• Personal Injury Attorney Missouri
• Personal Injury Lawyer Near Me Missouri
• Defective Products Lawyer Missouri
• Car Accident Lawyer Missouri

You do not have to shoulder the weight of emotional distress, physical pain, lost wages and accumulating medical bills all because somebody else broke the rules. At Burger Law, our Columbia, MO-based trucking accidents lawyer team works tirelessly for the injured and vulnerable throughout Missouri. We have committed our careers to making certain that people in bad situations are not taken advantage of by unethical corporations and lying insurance companies. When you hire a Burger Law trucking accidents lawyer, we get working on your case straight away and do not let up until you get every dollar that you deserve. You do not have to wait any longer to start on your road to recovery and being made whole again. Call a Burger Law Columbia, MO trucking accidents lawyer today at (314) 500-HURT or contact us online for a free case review.