St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyers

Truck accidents are different from a typical passenger vehicle crash, and not just because of the extremely serious injuries they can cause. Unlike a typical car accident case where one driver is held at fault for the crash, truck accident claims can include a number of liable parties ─ from the owner of the truck, to the company that maintains it, to the company that loaded the truck's cargo, to a driver.

If you have been injured in this type of crash, you need experienced motor vehicle accident attorneys on your side who understand the regulations and laws involved in the trucking industry and how these types of cases work. At The Bruning Law Firm, our St. Louis truck accident lawyers pursue maximum compensation from all liable parties in large truck accidents — trucking companies, drivers, cargo loaders, and manufacturers — using deep knowledge of federal trucking regulations and decades of trial experience.

For over 35 years, our skilled trial lawyers have been responsible for millions recovered in semi-truck, 18-wheeler, tractor-trailer, and commercial truck accidents throughout St. Louis, Missouri, Illinois, and Metro East. By committing to the truck accident victims we represent with winning settlements and verdicts, we have earned spots among the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum. We have also earned our clients' trust by showing them the respect and compassion they deserve.

Schedule a free consultation today to learn how The Bruning Law Firm's St. Louis trucking accident attorneys will fight for the maximum compensation you and your family need.

St. Louis Truck Accident Guide

Why Truck Accidents Are Different

Truck accidents are much more complex than other types of crashes. There are several key factors that enhance the intricacy of these personal injury cases, including:

Multiple Liable Parties

Trucking accidents have more at-fault parties even when one semi-truck collides with one passenger vehicle. Victims may seek compensation from all liable parties, including the truck driver, trucking company, cargo loaders, maintenance companies, manufacturers, or even another driver.

Federal Regulations

The trucking industry is governed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). These federally-mandated rules require truck drivers and their trucking companies to abide by hours of service, electronic logging device (ELD) requirements, conduct regular drug testing, and much more.

Severe Injuries

Tanker trucks, freight trucks, and all other kinds of commercial trucks outweigh other vehicles, weighing up to 80,000 lbs. The extra weight exerts greater force upon impact, leaving truck accident victims with catastrophic injuries that some may not even survive.

Corporate Defense Teams

Trucking companies have their own team of attorneys that swing into action after truck accidents occur. Their goal is to minimize liability and settlement payouts.

Evidence Preservation

When trucking accident victims don't take legal action quickly, black boxes, driver logs from ELDs, and maintenance records can suddenly disappear.

The need for legal representation is imperative for truck accident victims. At The Bruning Law Firm, our St. Louis truck accident lawyers are here to support you after your tractor-trailer wreck and get you the compensation you deserve.

What Are Some of the Main Causes of St. Louis Truck Accidents?

Fatigued Driving

Most truck drivers have to drive long distances for many hours at night with little rest. Even with federal rules and trucking practices requiring that truck drivers take mandatory breaks, some truck companies demand that their goods arrive within a short time. Subsequently, drivers find themselves under a lot of pressure to fulfill deadlines, skimping on sleep to make sure they reach their destinations as quickly as possible, committing hours of service violations. Consequently, these overworked drivers lack sleep, which causes them to lose coordination and concentration and sometimes fall asleep behind the wheel.

Minimal Driver Training

Although truck drivers must put in a certain threshold of training hours to meet minimum requirements to drive huge commercial vehicles on the roads, not all drivers follow these guidelines. Similarly, neither do trucking companies as the demand in the industry continues to surge. They skip proper vetting techniques and instead, put undertrained truck drivers with little experience on the road.

Truck Maintenance Issues

Trucking companies and owners must ensure that their trucks are in good working condition before they hit the road. However, many companies do not get these proper checkups, because of the costs involved and the time it takes to maintain their trucks. This often leads to truck maintenance issues that can cause serious collisions. Brake failures and tire blowouts are common causes behind truck accidents on I-64, I-70, I-44, I-270, and I-55. When these systems fail, truck drivers lose control, which sadly results in deadly consequences.

Intoxicated Driving

Unfortunately, many truck drivers admit to driving while intoxicated. These substances not only reduce brain function but also can impair reasoning, muscle coordination, and thinking, all of which prove essential to operating a vehicle safely. Alcohol and illegal drugs are a huge concern, though they're not the only things that can impair judgment and coordination. Even prescription medications can cause drowsiness and failure to react in time, leading to traffic accidents.

Distracted Driving

As truck drivers clock in long hours over thousands of miles, drivers may get bored on the road. It is a lonely and monotonous job, and truck drivers with families back home may use that time alone to pick up the phone. This can lead to distracted driving, which often results in devastating accidents and numerous fatalities. Some of the more common examples of distracted driving include eating while driving, texting and driving, talking on the phone while driving, and using navigation.

Excessive Speeding

Truck drivers always strive to get to their destinations as quickly as possible. However, sometimes factors, such as bad traffic, can cause delays, especially at locations such as Delmar Boulevard in University City, which is known for traffic that results from the abundance of motorists and pedestrians in the area. With mounting pressure to meet deadlines, truck drivers try to make up for this lost time by speeding and overtaking other vehicles. However, when truck drivers speed, they may struggle to stop in time to avoid hazards, which can lead to horrifying crashes.

Who Can Be Held Liable?

Truck Driver

Truck drivers may be liable for negligent driving behaviors behind the wheel of their big rig. Long hours on the road lead to fatigue and distraction. Truckers may also drive under the influence, affecting their ability to react in time to changes in traffic.

Trucking Company

Trucking companies have a long list of obligations. They include screening and testing drivers, tracking the hours drivers work every day and week to ensure drivers do not work too much, keeping equipment in good working order, and ensuring that loads are properly contained and secured for the trip. When motor carriers have negligent hiring practices that forgo screening, don't ensure adequate training, or pressure drivers to exceed the FMCSA's hours of service, they can be held accountable through vicarious liability when a semi-truck crashes.

Cargo Loaders

There are specific ways to load 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, box trucks, and other commercial vehicles. Improper loading creates unbalanced loads that can cause a truck to jackknife or rollover in the road. Unsecured cargo is another issue as it can fall off the truck and into the traffic behind it on the many truck routes and freight corridors throughout the St. Louis region that may make them liable for cargo loading negligence.

Maintenance Companies

While trucking companies are responsible for maintaining their fleet, they may not do the work themselves. On any given truck, these tasks might each be performed by a different company – making it even more complicated to determine who is liable for the harm caused. Failed inspections, faulty repairs, or brake and tire issues are some of the most common issues behind truck accidents where maintenance companies share liability.

Truck/Parts Manufacturers

In certain circumstances, the truck or parts manufacturer could have played a role in a semi-truck accident. Defective brakes, tires, and steering systems can cause a truck driver to lose control, no matter how safely they are driving. If investigations reveal that defects are the cause, it will be a case of product liability.

Government Entities

Not all U.S. roads are appropriate for trucks. Off the state and federal highways, truck routes must be carefully marked so that drivers do not become lost or stuck. The weight limits on bridges and the height of overpasses must be clearly labeled, and drivers must be aware of the height and weight of their own trucks in order to prevent an accident. Other hazards ─such as poorly maintained roads with potholes, blind curves, inadequate signage at intersections, or construction site barriers set too narrowly ─ can also cause a truck crash that strips state, local, or federal government of their sovereign immunity against lawsuits.

The Bruning Law Firm's St. Louis truck accident lawyers will pursue maximum compensation from all liable parties in large truck accidents using our extensive knowledge of federal trucking regulations and decades of trial experience. Schedule your free consultation with our trial attorneys to discuss your truck accident today.

Types of Truck Accidents

The Bruning Law Firm represents truck accident victims who have suffered painful and debilitating injuries in many types of crashes, including:

• Jackknife Crashes: If a truck driver slams on the breaks, the truck axle may lock and cause the trailer to skid and stop at a 90-degree angle to the tractor unit. However, when this happens, the driver may lose control of the vehicle, and serious crashes can occur.
• Rear-End Crashes: Generally, when a truck cannot stop in time, they rear-end someone. When these massive vehicles plow into the back of smaller cars, it can result in severe injuries.
• Truck Rollovers: These rollovers often occur following a jackknife crash, when trucks take a corner too fast, when they drive at high speeds, when they hit a curb, or when drivers attempt to correct a drifting trailer.
• Wide Turn Crashes: When truck drivers try to make a sharp turn, they may swing the truck to the opposite side, which can pose a danger to any vehicle in the way.
• Underride Collisions: These accidents often occur when a truck suddenly stops, and a tailgating vehicle rear-ends the truck and gets lodged under the trailer. In many instances, this accident can result in fatalities and severe car damages.
• Head-On Crashes: If a truck driver drives while distracted, crosses over into oncoming traffic, or drives while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, this behavior can lead to a head-on collision, which may prove deadly.
• Blind-Spot Accidents: Trucks have large blind spots, and the truck driver may not see a motorist in one of these blind spots in time when merging.
• Lost Load Accidents: If truck drivers transport unsecured or unbalanced cargo, it can pose an immediate danger to nearby vehicles.
• T-Bone Accidents: These side-impact crashes often occur when a truck runs a red light and ends up striking the side of another vehicle.

At the Bruning Law Firm, our St. Louis truck accident attorneys have represented clients in all types of these devastating accidents and fight back against trucking companies, truck drivers, cargo loaders, and manufacturers using our deep understanding of federal trucking regulations to get you the maximum compensation you deserve. Our trial attorneys can help you review your legal options in a free consultation.

Injuries from St. Louis Truck Accidents

Our St. Louis truck accident lawyers represent victims with severe and catastrophic injuries resulting from these kinds of crashes:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs) — TBIs can cause permanent damage, coma, or death, making it imperative to hire traumatic brain injury attorneys to get maximum compensation.
• Spinal Cord Injuries / Paralysis — Semi-trucks exert so much force that spinal cord injuries, often resulting in paralysis, affect victims for the rest of their lives. Get spinal cord injury representation to hold all liable parties accountable.
• Burn Injuries — Fuel fires and explosions from tanker trucks leave victims with disfigurement and pain. Our burn injury lawyers will see to it that you recover damages for your medical bills, future medical expenses, mental anguish, pain and suffering, and more.
• Amputations — Crush injuries from massive truck weight often require removal of affected limbs and create a lifetime of hardship for victims.
• Internal Injuries — Vital organ damage and internal bleeding are life-threatening injuries that often necessitate emergency surgery.
• Multiple Fractures — Broken bones throughout the body can prevent victims from getting their lives back after a truck accident. Even after they heal, these severe injuries can cause chronic pain.
• Wrongful Death — Unfortunately, many truck accident victims do not survive, leaving grieving families to file wrongful death claims to hold the liable parties accountable for their immeasurable loss.

Compensation for Truck Accident Victims

Each truck accident case our St. Louis truck accident lawyers handle is unique, and each client has suffered different injuries, requiring a personalized estimate for the amount of compensation that is needed. In most truck accident injury claims, we will pursue:

Medical Expenses

This includes costs for current and future treatment such as emergency services, hospital stays, surgery, doctor's visits, medical devices and medications, X-rays, CT scans, therapy and rehabilitation appointments, and the mileage you accrue while driving to and from these appointments.

Lost Wages

If you must take time off work to recover, we will fight for compensation for the wages or other pay you would have received if you had been able to work. If you are so severely injured that you cannot work again (or must take a lighter-duty job), you may also be able to pursue compensation for the wages you would have earned in the future. Both past and future earning capacity can be a part of your compensation award.

Property Damage

This includes the costs to replace your vehicle and any other property lost or damaged in the truck accident.

Pain and Suffering

Truck accident injuries can cause considerable pain, and the events of the crash and the time that follows cause both physical and emotional impacts. Compensation for "pain and suffering" is meant to address these hardships.

Punitive Damages

In severe cases of misconduct, we may pursue these damages, which are meant to punish the at-fault party.

The Bruning Law Firm's experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyers will take a detailed inventory of the ways your injuries have impacted your life, calculate the full extent of your damages, and fight for the maximum amount of compensation in your truck accident claim.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you or a loved one has suffered an injury in a St. Louis trucking accident, do not wait any longer to seek legal help. Contact The Bruning Law Firm today for a free case review, and let our St. Louis truck accident lawyers answer your questions about your legal options, determine your case validity, and show you how we can fight for maximum compensation for your injuries.

Truck Accident Case Results

Since our founding, we have stood up for everyday people who struggle to get the recovery they need to cover the full cost of their injuries. Fortunately, through our dedication, drive, and experience, we have recovered million-dollar awards for our clients through settlement negotiations and jury verdicts, including:

• A $1.4 million jury verdict for a truck accident case that involved an accident in which the victim suffered a spinal fusion.
• $750,000 settlement for an interstate truck rear-end accident that caused the death of an occupant.

While no attorney can guarantee specific results, The Bruning Law Firm will work tirelessly to get you the best possible outcome. Contact our St. Louis personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation.

Let a Truck Accident Lawyer in St. Louis Take the Burden Off You

No matter what caused your crash or how badly you were injured, you need help staking your claim for compensation so that you can focus on getting well. The skilled personal injury attorneys at The Bruning Law Firm have the experience and the knowledge to fight for maximum compensation for you and your family.

Why Choose The Bruning Law Firm

For over 35 years, the Bruning Law Firm has represented accident victims, helping them pursue justice and compensation after sustaining injuries in an accident. We do this by putting ourselves into our clients' shoes to make sure we understand what you and your family are going through, so we can provide you with the strong representation you require.

Choose The Bruning Law Firm for:

• Trucking regulation expertise — We have extensive FMCSA knowledge and understand driver logs and electronic logging devices (ELDs) to help determine liability.
• Trial experience — We are ranked in the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and willing to go to court to hold all liable parties accountable.
• Resources to investigate — Our personal injury firm has the resources needed to access accident reconstructionists and other industry experts for powerful expert testimony.
• 35+ years experience — The Bruning Law Firm has a proven track record litigating against trucking companies.
• Local St. Louis knowledge — Our St. Louis trial lawyers know the highways, courts, and local procedures that impact your case.
• Hospital visits — We come to you to get your case started and start fighting for your full and fair compensation right away.

St. Louis Truck Routes & Dangerous Areas

Drivers in St. Louis know that an endless stream of traffic exists exiting and entering I-64 from Grand Boulevard. However, the exit ramp to head north on Grand poses a particular danger, especially because of its sharp curve. As a result, if a truck driver fails to pay attention to the road in front of them or drives too fast on this ramp, it can mean bad news for everyone around them.

I-70 is another concern as it serves as a major east-west freight corridor through St. Louis. Along with I-44 connecting to southwest Missouri, there is heavy truck traffic on these routes, increasing chances for truck accidents. Drivers should always be cautious on I-270 as this beltway connects the major interstates, putting them in traffic with more commercial trucks. Another area that is a frequent hotspot for truck accidents in Delmar Boulevard in University City, where the congestion fuels these types of crashes.

Contact a St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Due to their massive size, large commercial trucks can have devastating consequences when involved in accidents, often resulting in serious or fatal injuries. However, victims of this tragic ordeal should not have to deal with these horrific repercussions on their own. Rather, victims deserve justice and compensation for the losses and injuries that they sustain. If you suffered injuries in a truck accident, contact The Bruning Law Firm's St. Louis truck accident lawyers to pursue maximum compensation from all liable parties using our decades of trial experience.

Over the years, we have helped clients throughout Missouri and Illinois fight insurance companies, large corporations, and negligent drivers – and we know what it takes to win. Our trial attorneys represent you on a contingency fee basis and don't get paid unless we win. Contact The Bruning Law Firm today at (314) 735-8100 to schedule your free consultation or visit our office, located at 555 Washington Ave Ste 600A, St. Louis, MO 63101.

Client Testimonial

"Aj and Beth were great to work with! After having injuries from my car accident, I contacted them right away. They informed me the whole way and they always kept in touch. I was pleasantly surprised that my settlement took less than half of the time predicted! I felt very confident with them the whole way through my healing process and settlement!" - Alex M.

Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
February 2020
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