Hire A St. Louis Small Truck Accident Lawyer
Thousands of small to medium size commercial trucks hit the road every day. Trucks, big and small, are the lifeblood of our local St. Louis economy. They carry goods and materials from point A to point B, which makes trucking one of the most important functions within a company. Some companies outsource their trucking needs while others have their own fleets of trucks. Even service companies can have large fleets of commercial trucks or vans that transport their employees from client to client. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon to see accidents that involve these commercial trucks. And depending on the size of the truck, the drivers of these vehicles don’t always require any kind of commercial driver’s license. For instance, your average Ford F-150 doesn’t require a CDL to drive, so many of the “commercial” drivers on the road have not been through any special training. As a result, there are many truck drivers who shouldn’t be driving these medium-size trucks.
Why Hire A Truck Accident Lawyer?
If you’ve been an accident victim of one of these incompetent drivers you might have a case to file a lawsuit against the company that owned the vehicle. At Combs Law Group we have the expertise to get you the compensation you deserve in a negligent truck accident. We will work on your behalf to take on the lawyers and the insurance companies that are wanting you to take a quick settlement. The number one rule in these cases is “Don’t sign anything until you’ve gotten advise from an attorney.” The company that owns the vehicle will push to get you to settle right away, in an attempt to minimize their financial exposure. But just know that these entities are not acting in your best interest. Hiring a personal injury attorney who knows the laws and knows how to negotiate with the insurance companies is going to be your best bet. That’s why we hope you call us today to discuss your case. We can provide you a free consultation on your truck accident case and if you like what you hear we would be glad to represent you in the case.
Reasons For Negligent Truck Drivers
Driving a truck for a living is difficult and tiring work to say the least. Even if you’re a well-seasoned driver the stresses of the road can drain you mentally and emotionally, especially if you’re doing it day in and day. Driving any vehicle on the roads and highways requires skill and focus 100% of the time. Otherwise, you put yourself and others at risk. The reality the more hours you drive the more likely it is that you will be involved in an accident, that’s just a statistical reality. However, there are some very common patterns as to why truck drivers and other commercial vehicles end up causing accidents on the roads. Let’s take a look at some of them to see if you were the victim of similar circumstances.
Driver Fatigue – Think about the physical stress that a small truck driver goes through on a single shift. He’s driving a route for hours on end, jumping in and out of the vehicle, grabbing large heavy packages, all the while trying to keep a 100% accurate delivery record for his employer. He’s or she is constantly multi-tasking and that can lead to some serious fatigue. Then you have to consider that some of these drivers are doing this in 100 plus degree weather or worse yet -10 below degree weather. This can result in drivers who are highly fatigued and prone to make mistakes on the road. If you’ve been a victim to one of these tired drivers then you have the right to file a claim for your damages. It’s the responsibility of the company that owns that vehicle and hires that driver to make sure he or she is not driving on the road so fatigued that they make mistakes causing serious injury or death.
DWI Truck Drivers – With smaller trucks you’ll find that most companies don’t require full background checks on their drivers. They might run a full background on the driver’s history, but that might uncover other risk factors involved in that driver. Driving drunk while on the job is of course forbidden by companies. However, many of these vehicles are take-home vehicles that the driver/employee is driving after hours. That doesn’t mean that the company isn’t responsible for its employees’ actions while driving their vehicle. Their insurance and their policies will be scrutinized during the trial to see if there were any telltale signs that the negligent driving shouldn’t have been behind the wheel of their truck. Not only that it’s not unusual to find drivers drinking and using drugs while on the job. Then they get in their company truck and head to the next job. Meanwhile, you’re getting ready to be their next victim.
If that’s what you’re dealing with, don’t worry you’re not alone. Yes, the company and its insurance companies are going to do everything they can to protect that driver, because the more guilty he or she is the more risk the company is exposed too. That’s why you need to get an attorney involved who understand both personal injury law and criminal defense law. At Combs Law Group we also take on DWI cases and defend clients who are caught drinking and driving. We understand these laws inside and out and that can be the difference between you getting a few thousand dollars for your accident to a few hundred thousand dollars for your accident. See when the negligent driver’s lawyers see that we do criminal defense law as well they know we can counter any arguments they make about the driver’s innocence of guilt.
Maintenance Issues Caused By Poor Maintenance – Those who drive commercial trucks are responsible for keeping up the maintenance for their vehicles. That means making sure the breaks are up to standard, the lights work properly, the towing equipment is secure, and any safety equipment works properly. Unfortunately, safety concerns are the last thought with many companies because they think it’s the last thing they have to worry about. That becomes a big problem when the driver is facing a situation that requires quick action and their vehicle isn’t equipped to avoid the accident. With crash scene investigators, we can determine if the vehicle that you hit you was not meeting the standards required by state and federal laws.
Distracted Driver – There are many more reasons why vehicle accidents occur on the road every day. However, the last one we’ll cover is the one that has become such a hot topic in the last 10 to 15 years. Distracted driving is one of the most prevalent reasons why truck drivers get into accidents. Specifically, distracted drivers who are busy on their cell phones is still a very problematic issue that is happening every day on our St. Louis roads. That’s not only truck drivers though, our state has some of the more lax laws when it comes to using your cell phone while driving.
What To Do Next?
Well, if you’ve been injured by a small commercial vehicle you probably have a claim against the owner of that truck. We want to help you get compensated for your injuries, lost income, and/or emotional damage you might have suffered from the accident. Call us now or fill out a contact form and we will get in touch with right away.
