Colliding with a truck carrying heavy goods is a harrowing experience for every truck accident victim.
Only a few people are fortunate to survive a truck accident, whereas the majority succumb to the injuries sustained. These incidents are different from car accidents, as trucks are heavy and carry a lot more momentum in collisions.
Ultimately, small vehicles like cars and bikes and their occupants bear the brunt of the accident, leading to gruesome injuries. As reported by the Missouri State Highway Patrol, St. Louis witnesses more than 15,000 traffic crashes every year. Now that’s alarming, isn’t it?
Damages incurred by truck accidents are so costly that they may set victims’ families back financially for months. Making ends meet becomes challenging if the victim is/was the sole breadwinner of the family.
Because of the loss of wages, victims’ families often have to borrow money to clear medical expenses and take care of other expenses.
That said, truck accident victims qualify for compensation. If you or your loved ones are a victim of a truck accident, you are entitled to recover damages from the at-fault party.
However, filing for truck accident claims isn’t as easy as you may think. That’s because multiple parties are held liable, which would make recovering claims challenging. But don’t worry, for this guide will walk you through everything you need to know about filing a truck accident lawsuit. Continue reading, then!
St Louis Truck Accident: What are Some of the Common Causes?
Not long ago, multiple vehicles involving an SUV and a tractor-trailer collided on Interstate 270, leaving a 62-year-old man seriously injured. In other news, a semi-trailer struck and killed a 59-year-old guy strolling across Interstate 44 in St. Louis.
Truck accidents primarily occur because drivers fail to adhere to traffic rules. However, failure to adhere to rules and regulations laid down by the government isn’t the only reason behind truck collisions.
There are several other reasons that lead to truck accidents, and they are as follows:
1. Fatigued Driving
Drivers that drive long distances hardly get time to sleep. On top of it, they are faced with the pressure to deliver goods within a stipulated time. Such drivers often fall asleep while driving, leading to accidents.
2. Intoxicated Driving
Though illegal, many truck drivers consume alcohol or other substances while driving, which impairs muscle coordination, reasoning, and thinking. As a result, they fail to apply brakes and end up crashing with other vehicles.
3. Truck Maintenance Issues
The lack of maintenance of trucks is another reason that leads to severe collisions. In such accidents, the truck owner and the trucking company are at fault instead of the driver.
Other causes of truck accidents are excessive speeding, distracted driving, minimal driver training, and overloading.
What Damages Can Be Recovered in Truck Accident Lawsuit?
Damages that you are entitled to recover by filing a truck accident lawsuit in St. Louis are listed below:
- Medical expenses, such as medications, doctors’ bills, hospital bills, and so on.
- Future medical expenses, like rehabilitation therapy, physiotherapy, or assistive devices like a wheelchair
- Non-economic damages like pain and suffering
- Loss of wages
- Wrongful death
- Loss of consortium
- Physical disfigurement or impairment
In truck accidents, securing compensation is a little challenging. You can recover damages only if you are able to prove the negligence of the driver. However, an experienced St. Louis trucking accident lawyer can help you recover both economic and non-economic damages by proving the other party accountable for the losses you’ve suffered.
With the aim to help truck accident victims win compensation, several law firms like TorHoerman Law, LLC, file lawsuits on their behalf. TorHoerman Law’s team of personal injury lawyers has fought more than 10,000 cases and served in 50 states across the United States.
Truck accident victims can consult attorneys from such law firms and discuss their cases to know how much compensation they are entitled to receive.
Statute of Limitations: Till When Can Truck Accident Claims be Filed in St. Louis?
Like every lawsuit, the truck accident lawsuit must be filed within a stipulated period; otherwise, you may not qualify for a settlement.
While the statute of limitations differs from state to state, St. Louis offers truck accident victims and their families five years to file a lawsuit from the accident date. However, this statute of limitations isn’t set in stone, as certain exceptions can lengthen or shorten the time period.
Hence, you shouldn’t wait for long to file a truck accident claim. If you want to secure full and fair compensation, consider consulting an experienced lawyer right after seeking medical treatments.
File a Truck Accident Lawsuit Today to Recover Financial Damages
In St. Louis, truck accidents are quite common, mainly because the drivers do not obey the traffic rules and regulations. As a result, they end up colliding with other vehicles on the road.
Anyone who has been a victim of a truck accident or lost a loved one in a fatal truck crash qualifies for compensation, provided you prove your innocence and the truck driver’s negligence. As winning a truck accident lawsuit without legal knowledge is impossible, hiring a personal injury lawyer will be the best bet.
Having an experienced attorney will not only help you win the case, but they will also ensure you’re reimbursed fairly.
