Road accidents in Missouri cause thousands of injuries and hundreds of fatalities every year. In fact, there were 55,660 traffic related injuries in 2018, and 921 deaths. At least 1,717 of these injuries, and 84 fatalities, involved a semi-truck.

If you or a family have suffered an injury or fatality in a traffic accident, you may be eligible for compensation. The personal injury lawyers at Patterson Legal Group are well-versed in all sorts of St. Joseph truck accident claims. For a free case evaluation and consultation with a St. Joseph truck accident lawyer, call us 24/7 at 816-920-0000.

Common Truck Accident Injuries

Commercial truck accidents in Missouri can cause a range of injury, usually proportional to the severity of the crash. In other words, since commercial trucks and big rigs are much larger than other vehicles on the road, any injuries may be more severe. Some common truck accident injuries include:

These injuries may only affect your life for a short amount of time. However, especially when it comes to truck accidents, these injuries are more likely to affect a victim’s life for years to come. Seeking compensation to cover medical care for those injuries, as well as lost wages during recovery, may help you adjust to life after a truck accident.

What Causes Truck Accidents in St. Joseph?

We all wish that collisions between large trucks and smaller vehicles could be avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, negligent and reckless actions involving big rigs happen all too frequently in Missouri. For instance, our legal team has represented a variety of injury victims involved in truck accidents caused by the following situations.

1. Jackknifing happens when the truck loses control of the connected trailer. Then, the trailer may swerve into other lanes of traffic, cause the entire rig to rollover, or completely disconnect from the truck. Jackknifing can cause terrible high-speed accidents on highways. In 2018 alone, there were 98 instances of jackknifing accidents.

2. Improperly loaded cargo may cause accidents too. There are specifics to loading and securing different kinds of cargo onto a semi truck. If all steps are not followed, the driver may lose control of their rig, or spill hazardous materials onto the roadway. If hazardous material is spilled, other vehicles, passersby, and properties may be affected. 

3. Sometimes, lack of training can contribute to a crash. A truck driver must maintain their vehicle while travelling and operate it safely. If they do not know how to do this, or were never trained adequately, the result can be deadly.

4. Fatigued truck drivers may contribute to truck accidents, too. This may happen for a few reasons, either at the fault of the driver or the fault of a trucking company with unrealistic expectations for their drivers. With tight deadlines to meet, a driver might not take a break, and fall asleep behind the wheel. 

Of course, these are not the only causes of truck accidents in St. Joseph. Truck accidents may also be caused by distracted driving, speeding, drunk driving, and other reckless behavior.

Even if you’re not sure what caused your collision, contact us for a free consultation. You can do this by calling us, using our convenient LiveChat feature, or by filling out this online form. Our representatives are available 24/7 to take a look into your case and determine if you may seek compensation for your injuries. 

How a Missouri Truck Accident Attorney Builds Your Case

After taking on your complicated truck accident case, our attorneys will begin to build an effective truck accident claim. We do this by following these steps.

1. We investigate your case by seeking out witnesses, taking statements, and obtaining other evidence.
2. Then, after considering all the evidence, we will determine who was liable for your accident. 
3. Next, we will determine the amount of financial compensation you deserve. This may be in the form of economic damages, non-economic damages, or punitive damages. 
4. We will draft a demand letter to the insurance company, stating the amount we know is fair for your case.
5. Last, we will fight the insurance companies to ensure you receive the maximum possible compensation. 

With Patterson Legal Group fighting for you, you will have a team of the highest caliber of legal professionals fighting alongside you throughout every step of the process. 

Work with a St. Joseph Truck Accident Lawyer from Patterson Legal Group

There are many reasons to choose Patterson Legal Group for your truck accident case. Not only do we have over 25 years of experience handling truck accident cases like yours, we have also recovered over $250 million on behalf of our clients. Contact the St. Joseph truck accident lawyers at Patterson Legal Group today to learn more about how we may be able to assist you with winning your Missouri personal injury claim.