According to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), the number of fatal commercial truck accidents each year has fluctuated between 130 and 160. Although authorities celebrate when this number dips slightly, even a relatively low number of traffic fatalities in a given year represents a major safety issue for all Missouri residents. While it is true that the state depends on a functioning trucking industry, people should not have to sacrifice their traffic safety in exchange for imported goods. A commercial truck accident can lead to many life-altering (or life-ending) consequences, including medical bills, income losses, post-traumatic stress disorder, disfigurement, and more. Due to the size and weight of these trucks, impacts with smaller vehicles are likely to cause catastrophic, debilitating, or fatal injuries. Victims and their families may wish to speak with commercial truck accident lawyers in Missouri after these incidents. Steelman Gaunt Crowley serves the Missouri community, so consider contacting this law firm at (573) 341-8336 for a continued conversation.
How Are Commercial Truck Accidents Different?
Commercial truck accidents are distinct from normal vehicular collisions in various ways. Perhaps the most obvious difference is the size, weight, and other attributes of commercial trucks. Semi-trucks (also known as tractor-trailers) are heavy, cumbersome vehicles with plenty of blind spots and poor braking features. They are also difficult to maneuver, and they can cause unique types of collisions like “underriding” accidents. The presence of a rear trailer often poses a serious threat to smaller vehicles, which may slip underneath during T-bone or rear-end collisions. This “underriding” effect can slice off the top section of a vehicle, often causing decapitation in the process.
That said, a semi-truck is not the only type of dangerous commercial vehicle. Box trucks, dump trucks, cement trucks, tanker trailers, logging trucks, and many other variants pose their own set of unique threats to average drivers. In fact, some commercial trucks are undercounted in state databases, making it difficult to calculate the true threat posed by the trucking industry. For many years, sources like the National Institutes of Health have noted that single-unit trucks are vastly undercounted in databases such as the Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). Examples of single-unit trucks include dump trucks, garbage trucks, and box trucks. These vehicles are involved in countless accidents each year, representing a major safety issue in Missouri despite their lack of exposure in many statistics/studies.
Trucking Companies Must Obtain Considerable Insurance
All drivers must obtain adequate insurance before driving on Missouri roads. This applies to average drivers and commercial trucking companies. However, the insurance requirements for all commercial trucking companies are significantly higher than the insurance requirements for average drivers. If an individual drives their vehicle for personal use (and not for their career), Missouri enforces a “25/50/25” minimum liability coverage system. This equates to $25,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $50,000 of coverage for a single accident, and an additional $25,000 of coverage for property damage.
In contrast, a trucking company conducting interstate transport may need to obtain $750,000 of coverage for a single accident. MoDOT states that minimum coverage may be lower for intrastate transport that occurs only within Missouri. These minimums may reach even higher levels for trucking companies involved in the transport of hazardous materials, and policies that provide millions of dollars in coverage for a single accident are quite common.
Commercial Truck Accidents Can Be Life-Altering
Although a multi-million-dollar insurance settlement might seem like a considerable sum, it is important to remember how life-altering a single commercial truck accident can be. These incidents can leave victims with debilitating injuries such as severe brain damage, paraplegia, or multiple fractures. In the event of a fiery truck accident, disfiguring burns can also cause lasting psychological and physical challenges. These injuries may prevent victims from earning as much money, and permanent disabilities can completely end careers. In addition, non-economic (psychological) damages like emotional distress and PTSD can make it difficult to continue living a normal life after these incidents.
Based on all of the various damages a victim might experience after a commercial truck accident, a multi-million-dollar settlement is often a realistic goal. Income losses alone may represent millions of dollars, especially if professionals experience disabling injuries at a young age. Medical treatments can also be ruinously expensive after serious truck accidents. An experienced lawyer at Steelman Gaunt Crowley may be able to help victims pursue fair settlements after truck accidents.
Nuclear Verdicts Are Common in the Trucking Industry
A recent phenomenon in the trucking industry is the growing frequency of so-called “nuclear verdicts.” Trucking industry advocates often complain about this issue, which involves victims receiving tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars after taking their lawsuits to court. A “verdict” is a sum of money chosen by a jury, and these average citizens are often highly sympathetic to the losses experienced by victims of truck accidents. While trials are somewhat rare, they may be necessary if settlement negotiations fail.
Some insurers stubbornly refuse to offer fair settlements during these negotiations, and this decision often backfires when the case proceeds to trial. Trucking companies may go bankrupt after these nuclear verdicts, especially if their insurance coverage is insufficient to cover the jury-awarded sum. Experienced truck accident lawyers may be able to help push for positive compensation during settlement negotiations and (if necessary) trials.
FAQ
Q: What is a commercial truck accident?
A commercial truck accident involves a large truck or tractor-trailer, rather than a regular passenger car. Because of their size, weight, and regulations, these accidents tend to be more severe and legally complex.
Q: Why are commercial truck accidents more dangerous than car accidents?
- Heavy vehicles cause more damage: A fully loaded truck can weigh many times more than a car.
- Multiple possible causes: Accidents can result from driver error, fatigue, speeding, distraction, improper maintenance, overloaded cargo, or violations of trucking regulations.
- Complex liability: Responsibility may involve the driver, trucking company, cargo loaders, maintenance providers, or even manufacturers.
- Time-sensitive evidence: Proving fault may require truck logs, black-box data, maintenance records, and cargo information.
Q: What should I do immediately after a truck crash?
- Call emergency services for police and medical help.
- Document the scene if possible: photos of the accident, damage, skid marks, road conditions, and truck details.
- Collect contact information from the driver, trucking company, and witnesses.
- Seek medical attention even if you feel fine — injuries may appear later.
Q: Who could be held responsible in a commercial truck accident?
- Truck driver — for negligence such as reckless driving, fatigue, or distraction.
- Trucking company/employer — for failure to maintain the vehicle, enforce safety regulations, or hire safely.
- Cargo loader or shipper — if the cargo was improperly secured or overloaded.
- Maintenance or parts provider — if faulty maintenance or defective parts caused or contributed to the accident.
Q: What types of damages can I recover after a truck accident?
- Medical expenses (immediate care, future treatment, rehabilitation)
- Lost wages or reduced earning capacity
- Property damage (vehicle repair or replacement)
- Pain and suffering, emotional distress, disability, or disfigurement
- Long-term care costs or, in severe cases, punitive damages for gross negligence
Q: Why is it often a good idea to hire a lawyer?
- Truck-accident cases involve complex evidence that must be preserved quickly.
- Multiple parties may share liability, making the case legally complex.
- Insurance companies for trucking fleets often try to minimize payouts.
- A lawyer ensures you pursue full compensation for immediate and future damages, lost income, pain and suffering, and long-term consequences.
Discuss Commercial Truck Accidents With Steelman Gaunt Crowley
Although hundreds of people die each year due to fatal commercial truck accidents, many more suffer life-altering injuries after these incidents. Tens of thousands of commercial trucks crash each year in the Show-Me State, and each one of these accidents has the potential to alter lives forever. Aside from the direct victims of commercial truck accidents, the families of injured and disabled people often struggle with various aspects of life. These challenges might include caring for children after the loss of family income, the end of physical pastimes, and serious mental health challenges. Victims and their families have the right to pursue compensation for these damages. Although no amount of money can turn back time and prevent collisions from happening, a successful commercial truck accident lawsuit in Missouri may provide a sense of closure and justice. Continue this conversation by contacting Steelman Gaunt Crowley at (573) 341-8336.