Being involved in a large truck accident can be catastrophic, possibly leaving you with serious injuries that have traumatic and long-lasting effects. You may also be facing medical bills, loss of income, and the stress of financial uncertainty.

The compassionate and experienced St. Louis truck accident attorneys at Sansone & Lauber understand what you are going through.

If you have been injured in a truck accident and someone else was at fault, you could be entitled to compensation for your injuries, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, and other losses.

Contact the St. Louis truck accident lawyers of Sansone & Lauber now for a free consultation. We are prepared to fight to pursue the compensation you need and deserve.

Types of St. Louis Truck Accidents

Truck crashes can happen in many circumstances in a busy metro area like St. Louis. The experienced attorneys at Sansone & Lauber represent injury victims in a variety of truck accident cases.

Common types of truck crashes in St. Louis include:

  • Construction Zone – Truck drivers are required to use extra caution while traveling through these dangerous areas.
  • Jackknife – When the trailer of the truck swings around, it may cross several lanes of traffic, causing multiple vehicles to crash.
  • Rear End – The momentum of a massive vehicle causes large trucks to take at least twice the distance as passenger vehicles to come to a complete stop.
  • Rollovers – Because of their height, trucks are more prone to rollover accidents, especially if they are improperly loaded.
  • Tire Blowout – A common occurrence, blowouts happen unexpectedly and are difficult to react to in time.
  • Wide Turns – Large trucks can collide with other vehicles when they attempt a sharp turn and swing into traffic.
  • Blind Spots – Because it is such a serious hazard, truckers often have signs warning other drivers not to travel in their blind spots.
  • Under-Ride – When a large truck stops quickly, a smaller vehicle from behind may get lodged underneath if they don’t stop in time.
  • Unsecured Cargo – Cargo that hasn’t been secured can fly off and collide with another vehicle. Shifting cargo can cause the driver to lose control.
  • Head-on – These violent crashes most often leave victims with severe disabilities or fatal injuries.
  • T-bone – When a truck fails to stop and slams into the side of another vehicle, the occupants of the smaller vehicle can suffer serious injuries.

Regardless of the type of accident, Sansone & Lauber’s truck accident attorneys are skilled at investigating accidents and building cases to seek compensation for injured people.

Causes of Truck Accidents in St. Louis

In a joint study from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, it was determined that there are three main causes of large truck accidents. The agencies determined that truck crashes are caused by the driver, the truck, or environmental reasons.

The federal traffic safety experts also identified additional factors for each vehicle crash. In descending order, the top 10 factors that contributed to – but weren’t necessarily the main cause of – large truck accidents were:

  • Brake problems
  • Traffic flow interruption, such as congestion or a previous crash
  • Prescription drug use
  • Traveling too fast for conditions
  • Unfamiliarity with the roadway
  • Roadway problems
  • Required to stop before crash, due to a traffic control device or crosswalk
  • Over-the-counter drug use
  • Inadequate surveillance
  • Fatigued driver due to lack of sleep

Additional factors that contribute to large truck crashes in St. Louis include:

  • Overloaded or improperly loaded trailers
  • Unsecured or overweight cargo
  • Maintenance failures

The circumstances that surround each accident involve many complicated variables, making it necessary to hire an experienced and knowledgeable St. Louis truck accident lawyer. At Sansone & Lauber, our qualified attorneys can evaluate every one of the causes and contributing factors in building a successful case.

Who Can Be Liable for a Truck Crash?

Determining liability for an accident with a commercial truck can be complicated and difficult.

Each accident depends on a unique set of circumstances that caused the crash. More than one party could be held liable, and a third-party company may even be partly responsible for the accident.

A thorough investigation will be necessary to determine exactly who is responsible for the crash. It is best to have a qualified St. Louis truck accident attorney to evaluate every detail of your case to prove liability.

Responsible parties in a truck accident could include:

  • The driver of the truck
  • The owner of the truck and trailer
  • The company leasing the truck and trailer
  • The maintenance company or workers who repair the truck
  • A manufacturer that produces a defective part on the truck
  • The company or persons who loaded the cargo improperly
  • Others parties whose negligence played a role in causing the accident

After our dedicated team identifies the responsible party or parties, we will work tirelessly to hold them accountable for the injuries they caused. We will do everything we can to seek the justice and compensation you deserve.

How Can Sansone & Lauber Help Me?

The experienced legal professionals of Sansone & Lauber can help you recover compensation to pay your economic damages like medical bills and lost wages, as well as non-economic damages, such as pain and suffering.

Our attorneys strongly believe that the negligent person or persons who caused your injuries should be held fully accountable.

Our team of dedicated professionals can help gather all of your medical records, police reports, and any other documents relevant to the incident and your injuries. We can then thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the accident, calculate your damages, and advise you as to the best legal path forward.

The experienced St. Louis truck accident attorneys at Sansone & Lauber will communicate with the insurance adjusters and teams of lawyers on your behalf so that you can focus on recovering from your injuries. We will negotiate for the best possible settlement or build the best case to present in court and prove who was at fault and who should pay for your injuries.

We are not afraid to fight on your behalf, through negotiating a settlement, or taking your case to court, no matter how large or resourceful the opponent might be. Sansone & Lauber has the resources and trial-winning experience to seek the full and fair compensation that you deserve.

Contact our team today by calling us or filling out an online form to schedule a free and confidential consultation.