While many commercial truck accidents in the Webster Groves area predictably happen along Interstate 44, there are plenty of collisions between big rigs and small commuter cars on local roads as well. Even at low speeds, these sorts of wrecks can have devastating consequences—especially if they involve a tractor-trailer weighing dozens of tons plowing into the doors or side paneling of a car that’s simply not built to withstand impacts of that nature.
Side-impact truck accidents, also called T-bone collisions, in Webster Groves can often serve as valid grounds for civil litigation against the truck driver, trucking company, and potentially other parties involved in the incident. If you want a chance at getting a fair outcome from this kind of claim, you’ll almost certainly need help from a qualified semi-truck crash lawyer who has successfully handled similar cases in the past. Our dedicated legal professionals at OnderLaw are ready to take up your cause and fight for your rights in and out of court.
Most side-impact collisions between commercial trucks and commuter cars happen at intersections, in parking lots, or in other places where traffic lanes travel perpendicularly to each other rather than side-by-side. While T-bone crashes—which involve the front of one vehicle hitting the side of another—do sometimes happen on two-lane rural roads and major highways, sideswipe collisions—the side or doors of one vehicle scraping against the side, doors, or wheel wells of another—are the more common type of side-impact crash seen in Webster Groves.
Regardless of where your accident happened or what it looked like, the basis for any civil litigation you pursue will almost always be negligence. Someone is negligent under Missouri state law if all the following criteria are met:
Whether your side-impact truck wreck stemmed from an overt traffic violation, a subtle and momentary lapse in concentration, or any other form of legally actionable negligence—guidance from trusted legal counsel will ensure your claim has the best possible result.
On top of strong opposition from the trucking company you’re suing, their insurance providers, and whatever legal counsel either of those entities retains, you’ll also have to deal with a few legal roadblocks during a claim like this. First and foremost, court precedent in Missouri holds that any amount of comparative fault you hold for causing your damages through your own negligence may be held against you as a proportional reduction from your final damage award—something defense lawyers and insurers love to take advantage of to avoid paying what they owe.
Furthermore, Missouri Revised Statutes § 516.120 gives you a maximum of five years after your accident to file suit. This time can run out deceptively quickly while you’re trying to track down evidence and recover from serious injuries. Help from an experienced Webster Groves side-impact truck accident attorney can be essential to building a strong claim within applicable deadlines.
Getting hit by a truck under any circumstances can be an instantly life-altering and intensely traumatic experience, to say nothing of how catastrophic a side-impact wreck can be. Even worse, there’s more working against you than you might think when filing suit over a collision like this and demanding comprehensive compensation for your losses.
Insurance reps are not on your side, and they’ll use every trick possible to pressure you into accepting less than you deserve after a side-impact truck accident in Webster Groves. Call today to learn how OnderLaw can help turn the tables on insurance companies and get the fair payments you need to move forward with your life.
