Were you the victim of a truck accident? Does the driver have a history of reckless driving? You can pursue a monetary award for your injuries and the resulting expenses with the help of a St. Louis reckless truck driver accident lawyer from OnderLaw.
Reckless driving is a serious traffic violation that puts others at risk of physical harm. Any action behind the wheel that shows a lack of regard for the safety of others falls under the category of reckless driving. It’s especially dangerous when someone is traveling in a commercial truck. The injuries people sustain in truck accidents are usually severe and require extensive medical treatment.
According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, drivers are reckless and commit multiple moving violations that can endanger other motorists when they exhibit the following behaviors:
If you’ve been injured by a reckless driver, don’t hesitate to contact a skilled St. Louis truck accident attorney at OnderLaw. We can help you win the compensation you need and deserve to get your life back on track. Call to schedule your free consultation.
You might wonder why some truck drivers are reckless behind the wheel. There are multiple reasons, and they all put other drivers on the road in danger. When you collide with a commercial vehicle, it can crush your car and lead to life-threatening or debilitating injuries that cause permanent or consistent medical issues.
Large trucks, such as 18-wheelers and big rigs, are long, heavy, and full of cargo. When cargo moves around in the trailer, it can fall out or cause the driver to lose control. Along with various contributing factors, driving recklessly can lead to an accident.
Most truckers have to travel hundreds of miles in a single shift to transport products to their destination. They are often exhausted and up against strict deadlines set by their employer. Commercial vehicle drivers will speed or get behind the wheel despite a lack of sleep to meet their company’s requirements.
There’s never a good reason for any motorist to behave in a way that puts others at risk of injury. Still, workers in the trucking industry tend to exhibit continued dangerous behavior for the following reasons:
Truck drivers who are reckless on the road in St. Louis typically have a history of reckless driving and cause more than one accident throughout their driving career.
There are federal and state regulations within the trucking industry to keep motorists safe and prevent accidents from occurring. Unfortunately, a lot of truckers and their employers don’t follow those laws. That ends up creating dangerous conditions on the road and putting innocent people at risk. Truck drivers in St. Louis with a history of reckless driving will ignore specific requirements and guidelines to complete their assigned tasks.
The following are the requirements and guidelines trucking companies and drivers must follow:
When a truck driver breaks a federal or state law, they could end up with points on their license or lose their driving privileges altogether. Many times, an officer will issue a traffic citation, which could result in points on the driver’s license. In serious situations, the reckless trucker could face jail time.
After any kind of accident, injured individuals are usually in shock and don’t know what to do next. If you want to pursue compensation from the at-fault trucker, you need to follow some crucial steps and make sure to collect as much evidence as possible at the crash scene.
Under Missouri law, you have to report a vehicle crash if any of the following circumstances exist:
It’s a requirement to report the crash within thirty days to the Missouri Department of Revenue and file a car accident report. You should also call an officer to the crash site to investigate what happened and issue a traffic citation, if necessary. Getting the details of the documented accident could provide a vital piece of evidence to show the truck driver was reckless and caused your crash in St. Louis.
It’s likely the trucker who caused your accident and resulting injuries carries auto insurance. It’s the law in the state of Missouri for all vehicle owners and operators to hold auto insurance with bodily injury liability coverage. That coverage compensates victims of accidents for their losses.
If you want to pursue compensation from the truck driver’s insurance carrier, you can file a claim. If they don’t have insurance, you can file a lawsuit against them or pursue a claim against the trucking company’s liability carrier for negligently employing a reckless driver. It’s also possible to file a claim with your own insurance company, depending on the coverage listed on your policy.
Damages are the total losses the victim of a vehicle accident can claim for compensation. If clear fault exists on the part of the reckless trucker, you can pursue up to the maximum settlement available from their liability insurance.
The damages involved in a trucking crash claim include:
The evidence you submit for review to the insurance company needs to show the trucker’s reckless driving caused the accident. If they are 100% at fault for the crash, you will be entitled to negotiate a settlement based on the liability coverage and specific information regarding your injury and treatment.
Missouri follows a pure comparative negligence rule, which means the victim of an accident who shares blame for a car wreck can only collect damages based on their percentage of shared fault. As an example, if you have total damages of $10,000 and hold 20% blame, you could only pursue a maximum of $8,000.
When you suffer injuries from a truck accident, the last thing you want to do is pursue legal action and try to navigate the complicated legal process. At OnderLaw, our St. Louis reckless truck driver accident attorneys are ready to take on your case and handle every step for you.
We know you’re under a great deal of stress. You’re overwhelmed with expenses from the crash and can’t return to work. Let us relieve your burden so you can focus on putting your life back together. When you hire us, we will file an insurance claim, submit evidence, and negotiate a full and fair settlement on your behalf.
We have received recognition from numerous legal organizations for our hard work and the millions of dollars we have won for our clients over the years. You can depend on us to fight for the justice you deserve and secure the compensation owed to you for the suffering you had to endure.
You can schedule a free consultation with an experienced St. Louis reckless truck driver accident lawyer to find out how we can help you. We’ll review all the information you provide and let you know the options you have to move forward with your case.
We dedicate our time and resources to each case we work on, and you will always be a priority. If a truck driver with a history of reckless driving caused your injuries, contact us today.
