Our client was driving in Missouri when a commercial truck owned by a construction company caused a violent collision. The crash was caused by a common negligent act we see a lot, a tuck driver changing lanes without looking and seeing a car next to them and knocking them off the road.
The truck crash occurred in St. Louis County and involved a work truck operated in the course and scope of the company’s business.
As in most Missouri truck accident cases, the claim involved:
- A commercial vehicle owned by a business
- A professional driver
- A liability insurance policy with higher commercial limits
- Complex questions of fault, medical causation, and future damages
After a thorough investigation and aggressive litigation, including depositions and discovery, the case resolved for the full $1,000,000 insurance policy limit available from the trucking company’s insurer.
Serious Spine Surgery
The crash caused life‑altering injuries to our client, including:
- Cervical discectomy and fusion at multiple levels:
- C5–C6
- C6–C7
- Ongoing pain, limitations, and the need for future medical care
The spinal surgery involved removing damaged cervical discs and fusing the vertebrae, a procedure that permanently changes how the neck moves and functions. This type of surgery is common in high‑impact truck and commercial vehicle accidents, because of the sheer force involved.
Our client’s treating spine surgeon, a well‑credentialed neurosurgeon, provided expert testimony explaining:
- The permanence of the cervical fusion
- The risk of adjacent segment disease above and below the fusion
- The likelihood of future revision surgeries over the next 20 years
- The impact on our client’s daily life, work, and long‑term health
Medical literature supports a 3–7% cumulative failure rate per year at adjacent levels, which over time leads to a very high likelihood that the segments above and below the fusion will break down and require additional surgery. Each surgery comes with:
- Pre‑operative testing and treatment
- Hospitalization and post‑operative care
- Months of pain, physical therapy, and recovery
- Time off work and lost income
We used these facts to build a strong Missouri personal injury and truck accident damages case that went far beyond just “medical bills and some pain.”
Missouri Truck Accident Law: Negligence and Corporate Responsibility
In Missouri, truck accident cases are governed by the principles of negligence and vicarious liability:
- A driver is responsible when they fail to use the highest degree of care required by Missouri law.
- A company is responsible under respondeat superior when the driver is acting within the scope of employment.
- Companies may also be independently liable for:
- Negligent hiring
- Negligent training
- Negligent supervision
- Failure to follow FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) safety regulations
- Unsafe policies and practices that put profit over safety
In this case, litigation and discovery included:
- Depositions of the injured driver
- Deposition of the corporate representative for the commercial trucking/construction company
- Examination of company policies, safety practices, and training
- Review of insurance coverage, including commercial auto and liability policies
Missouri law allows an injured person to recover damages for:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Past and future lost wages and loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of normal life and enjoyment of life
- Future surgeries and medical risks
- Permanent disability and impairment
In St. Louis County, juries regularly hear serious truck accident and personal injury cases, and they are often asked to place a fair value on permanent injuries and lifelong medical needs.
Why This Missouri Truck Crash Case Was Worth Far More Than Policy Limits
Based on the medical evidence, expert testimony, and the client’s story, we believed that the full and fair trial value of this case in front of a St. Louis County jury was well in excess of the available insurance. The injuries alone – multiple‑level cervical fusion and traumatic heart arrhythmia – supported a multi‑million‑dollar verdict.
From a trial perspective, the factors that increased the value included:
- Permanent neck injury requiring fusion at two levels
- High likelihood of future adjacent segment disease
- Need for one or more future spine surgeries
- Lasting pain, limitations, and impact on daily life and work
- Strong, credible medical testimony from a respected spine surgeon
- A likeable, honest plaintiff who would present well to a St. Louis County jury
In our demand, we made clear that:
- The pain and suffering and permanent injuries alone justified a value of $5,000,000 or more.
- We were prepared to present evidence of future care costs, future surgeries, lost earning capacity, and non‑economic damages at trial.
- We were willing to accept the full policy limits as a compromise to avoid trial if the insurance company tendered all available coverage.
Ultimately, the insurance company agreed to pay the entire $1,000,000 in available insurance coverage to resolve the claim.
How a Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Builds This Type of Case
This result did not happen by sending a short letter and hoping for an offer. It required:
- Early, aggressive investigation
- Obtaining crash reports and scene evidence
- Identifying all potential insurance policies and coverages
- Evaluating the trucking company’s role and responsibility
- Complete medical documentation
- Collecting all medical records and bills
- Working closely with treating physicians
- Obtaining clear opinions on future surgeries and prognosis
- Expert testimony
- Spine surgeon testimony explaining the fusion and future risk
- Use of medical literature on adjacent segment disease
- Potential life‑care planning and economic analysis of future losses
- Litigation and depositions
- Deposition of the injured client to present a consistent, compelling story
- Deposition of the corporate representative to establish company responsibility
- Pressing the insurer during discovery with clear trial themes and evidence
- Strategic settlement demand
- A detailed, evidence‑based demand letter
- Clear explanation of trial value versus policy limits
- Reasonable offer to settle in exchange for a full and final release
This is the type of work a dedicated Missouri truck accident lawyer or Missouri personal injury attorney must do to secure policy‑limit results in serious commercial vehicle crash cases.
Why Policy‑Limit Settlements Matter in Missouri Injury Cases
In many Missouri truck accident and serious injury cases, the real issue is not what the case is “worth” in terms of human loss; it is what insurance coverage is actually available.
Policy‑limit settlements can:
- Protect the injured client from the risks and delay of trial and appeals
- Avoid the emotional strain of prolonged litigation
- Ensure that medical bills, future care, and financial losses are covered to the fullest extent possible under the law and available coverage
- Send a message to insurers that Missouri injury attorneys will not accept lowball offers on serious cases
Here, we believed a jury could award far more than the available coverage. But rather than risk an excess‑judgment collection fight or coverage disputes, we secured the full $1,000,000 commercial policy for the client.
Looking for a Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer?
If you or a loved one has been injured in a Missouri truck crash, commercial vehicle accident, or construction company truck accident, you may be facing:
- Spinal injuries, including neck and back fusions
- Traumatic brain injury
- Serious orthopedic injuries
- Heart and internal injuries
- Months or years of recovery and lost work
- The need for future surgeries and medical care
Our firm handles Missouri personal injury and truck accident cases throughout the state, including St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County, and surrounding areas. We focus on:
- Holding negligent drivers and companies accountable
- Identifying all available insurance policies
- Maximizing recovery for medical bills, lost income, pain and suffering, and future care
- Preparing every serious case as if it will go to trial
Contact a Missouri Personal Injury and Truck Accident Attorney
To discuss your potential case with a Missouri truck accident lawyer, visit www.Missourilawyers.com or call our office to schedule a free consultation. We represent injured clients and families on a contingency fee basis – you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover money for you.
This $1,000,000 policy‑limit settlement is one example of how we fight for our clients in serious Missouri truck accident and personal injury cases. Every case is different, but the commitment to preparation, evidence, and client advocacy remains the same.
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