Recently in Trucking Accidents Category

The Missouri Truck Accident Lawyers at Schultz & Myers Law Firm are investigating a Phelps County tractor-trailer accident which seriously injured a woman from Washington.  The Phelps County truck crash took place on Monday, July 5, amidst heavy holiday traffic.  The collision involved two separate tractor-trailer big rigs and caused traffic delays while crews and emergency personnel cleaned up the mess.  21 year-old Kaycie Brueggemann was seriously injured in the crash and was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.  Brueggemann is a resident of Washington.

Tractor-trailer accidents are much more complicated than small passenger vehicle accidents due to the equipment involved and the laws that will apply to the case.  Both federal and state law are implicated any time there is a commercial motor vehicle 18-wheeler accident in the state of Missouri.  The lawyers at Schultz & Myers are focused on tractor-trailer accident injury litigation and have represented clients located throughout Missouri and the U.S.  Victims of big rig accidents are usually severely injured and have medical bills in excess of several hundred thousand dollars.  Compensation for an injury claim involving substantial economic damages can only be accomplished by use of industry experts and an aggressive legal team.  Experts in the fields of accident reconstruction, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, medicine, pain management, economics, and life-care planning are critical in order to obtain fair compensation for any truck accident injury claim.

Contact the Missouri truck accident injury lawyers at Schultz & Myers to discuss how to preserve a truck accident claim.  Crucial steps must be taken almost immediately after the truck crash in order to preserve evidence and avoid foul play.  Commercial trucking companies and their insurance companies will be working hard immediately following any Missouri tractor-trailer accident to minimize financial exposure.  Without the assistance of an experienced truck accident lawyer, a victim's chances at prevailing against these defendants are minimal. 

Our St. Louis personal injury lawyers have received several calls from victims of the fatal truck crash that occurred in Jefferson County last week.  The facts of the crash are all too familiar for the resides of the St. Louis metropolitan area.  An inattentive tractor-trailer driver crashes into traffic on a major interstate highway, causing serious injuries and fatalities.  In this most recent crash, two motorists lost their lives, one at the scene and another shortly thereafter at the hospital.

As St. Louis personal injury lawyers, our firm must immediately request preservation of evidence involved in any serious car accident or tractor-trailer crash.  For accidents involving newer cars and trucks, we can secure the electronic control module (ECM) and download critical data that may help prove liability in a personal injury accident claim for compensation.  Data from the ECM doesn't lie, and often times this information can be used in court or a mediation to motivate the defendant's insurance company to settle the case for a substantial amount of compensation.

Tractor-trailer accidents in Missouri are particularly complicated because they involve both state and federal laws.  These types of injury claims typically result in heated litigation and heavily contested issues of law and fact.  The insurance company for the trucking company will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to fight innocent victims in court.  These companies have deep pockets and it isn't uncommon for them to hire multiple defense lawyers to defend a truck crash injury claim. 

Contact a Missouri personal injury lawyer at Schultz & Myers for advice on how to proceed with your claim for compensation.  Consultations are the firm are always free and you will always speak with a lawyer, not support staff.  Don't be victimized twice. Call today at (314) 448-0934 or toll-free at (866) 840-3636.

The Missouri Highway Patrol has confirmed the cause of the tractor-trailer crash in Herculaneum that killed two and seriously injured several others.  Authorities claim that 32 year-old truck driver Jay Valentine of Huntsville Texas took his eyes off the road long enough to miss traffic slowing down in front of his semi-truck.  When Valentine glanced back at the road it was too late, and a rear-end chain reaction crash that involved eight vehicles took place.  Names of the two killed in the crash have not yet been released, but police say they are a 52 year-old man and 28 year-old woman from Festus.  One person was pronounced dead at the scene, while the other was rush to a local hospital but unable to recover due to the catastrophic nature of the injuries. 

Cpl. Jeff Wilson obtained a statement from Valentine that he "looked over his to his right, and looked back, and traffic had slowed."  The tractor-trailer first struck a small Ford Focus, dragging it for over 100 yards.  The Focus was hard recognizable from the crash, and resulted in the death of the 52 year-old Festus man.  The man may not have survived, even if he was in a tank, given the rate of speed at impact.  The 28 year-old Festus woman who died at St. Louis University Hospital was driving a Pontiac Vibe, which is a smaller passenger vehicle, similar to the Focus.

The facts of this fatal Herculaneum truck crash are strikingly similar to the crash which occurred on Highway 64/40 near the Mason Road exit in 2008, which resulted in three fatalities.  Truck driver inattention is a serious safety concern, especially in urban areas where traffic congestion can occur at the blink of an eye.  It is unclear whether Valentine was using his cell phone at the time of this crash, but a Herculaneum truck crash attorney will certainly subpoena his mobile records to find out.  Use of a cell phone by truck drivers is currently the topic of a major debate amongst federal and state safety officials.    

Authorities are still investigating a fatal truck accident that took place on Interstate 55 in southern Missouri on Wednesday afternoon.  The serious crash closed down northbound I-55 for several hours.  Because the crash involved a fatality and a commercial motor vehicle, the Missouri State Highway Patrol called in an accident reconstruction team.  Typically a crash reconstruction involving this level of injury and number of vehicles will take several weeks to complete.  The reconstruction report will include detailed data gathered from the scene, including witness statements, sight distances, skid marks, vehicle data, and weather information.

The 5 o-clock news interviewed a trooper from the Missouri Highway Patrol who stated that the crash was likely caused by the "inattention of the semi-truck driver."  The collision involved 8 vehicles.  The driver of the vehicle that was first in line was pronounced dead at the scene.  Another woman died shortly after being admitted to the hospital.  Several other motorists and passengers were injured in the crash.  Witnesses state that the tractor-trailer just plowed into slowing traffic.  It is unclear at this time whether the truck driver will face criminal charges. 

A Herculaneum 18-wheeler accident lawyer must request a Circuit Court Order commanding preservation of the electronic control module (ECM) located on the tractor-trailer.  A competent accident investigator and engineer can download data located on the truck's ECM to assist in determining the cause of the crash.  Typically this data will include speed of the truck, gear number, and rpm of the truck at the time leading up to the collision.  This data is critical in assisting a Missouri personal injury lawyer in presenting a claim against the truck driver and his commercial motor carrier.  Contact a top 100 trial lawyer at Schultz Legal Group today by calling (314) 448-0934. 

Authorities responded to a fatal tractor-trailer crash on Interstate 70 at McKelvey early Monday morning.  48 year-old Wayne Knickmeyer was driving a Volvo semi-truck westbound when he lost two wheels from the dual axle of his big rig.  One of the wheels bounced over the concrete median and struck a Dodge Durango being driven by Brandon Haskin of St. Peters.  The large truck tire impacted Haskin's windshield at over 50 miles per hour.  His SUV then collided into a Nissan Altima driven by Jamie DuBoise.  24 year-old Haskin was pronounced dead upon arrival by EMS, while DuBoise was transported to DuPaul hospital for treatment.  Authorities ruled the cause of the collision as equipment failure, but declined to file charges against the truck driver at this time. 

A preliminary investigation by the highway patrol discovered that Knickmeyer had recently had his 2008 Volvo tractor serviced by a truck dealer.  This is critical evidence, and a Missouri truck accident injury lawyer will certainly look to the service center to explain how and why the lug nuts on Knickmeyer's truck were not securely fastened.  One of the first things that must be done in a case like this is for a lawyer to file a protective order with the court to secure the 2008 tractor and trailer.  In any equipment failure case, the truck and trailer must be preserved in their current condition, prior to any further repairs being completed.  If the truck is altered in any way, the victims' family may have a harder time proving that equipment failure was the proximate cause of the crash.  A Missouri injury lawyer will hire an engineer and safety analyst to download the truck's electronic control module (ECM) to pull all raw data stored just before the wheel was lost from the truck.

Missouri has a three year statute of limitations for any tractor-trailer wrongful death claim.  However, fatal claims involving a commercial motor vehicle must be prosecuted immediately before evidence is lost, manipulated, or destroyed.  All maintenance records for the 2008 Volvo must be preserved to determine the service history of the truck from day one.  Reconciling service records with vehicle inspection reports may shed light on exactly who is to share blame for the cause of this preventable fatal crash.  Almost all equipment failure cases involving a tractor-trailer could have been prevented.  Aggressive legal representation by a Missouri truck accident injury lawyer may help send a message to those persons who think anything less than "the highest degree of care" is adequate in the service, maintenance, and operation of a 60,000 pound tractor-trailer. 

A tractor-trailer bound for O'Fallon Missouri was involved in a fatal collision on Interstate I-70 in Indiana.  The fatal truck crash took place near Terra Haute and resulted in the closure of the westbound I-70 lanes for over two hours early Wednesday afternoon.  The tractor-trailer was leased by S & H Transportation out of Missouri and was hauling food products.  The other vehicle involved was a 2001 F350 pick-up truck, the driver of which died in the crash.  Apparently the pickup truck slid underneath the trailer of big rig, peeling the top off the pickup truck.  Rescue crews took almost two hours to separate the vehicles and free the man from the pickup truck.  Authorities are still investigating whether alcohol was involved.  Ronald Pforts, the driver of the tractor-trailer, will be required to undergo a drug test within 48 hours of this fatal crash pursuant to the Federal Carrier Safety Regulations.

Ever wonder why so many people are killed in crashes involving the trailer of an 18-wheeler?  Part of the blame is safety legislation which does not require lower safety rails on the sides and back of tractor-trailers.  The United States still has not caught on to the lives saved by stiffer legislation in most European countries, in which trailers are required to have safety rails almost all the way to the pavement on all sides.  This protects other motorists from incidents in which a passenger vehicle slides underneath the trailer.  These types of collisions typically result in catastrophic injuries or fatalities. 

A Missouri tractor-trailer accident injury lawyer will investigate the condition and maintenance of the trailer in any serious crash.  Even with stiffer safety legislation, these vehicles are only safe when they are maintained in top shape.  Brakes, tires, suspension, and other critical components of a large semi-truck must be checked everyday by the driver.  At the first sign of wear, they must be repaired or replaced.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol continues its search for a rogue trucker that cut off a small Ford pickup truck on Interstate 44 later Tuesday afternoon, resulting in a fatal accident.  Witnesses claim that a white tractor-trailer made an improper lane change on westbound Interstate 44 near the Lewis Road exit.  The small pickup truck was forced off the highway, killing one of the passengers and sending the driver of the pickup to St. John's Medical Center in Creve Coeur for emergency treatment.  To protect the privacy of the family of the deceased, the victim's name has not yet been released.  Witnesses with any information on the tractor-trailer that fled the scene are asked to contact Sgt. Al Nothum with the Missouri State Highway Patrol

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations categorizes improper lane changes as a serious safety violation, and for good reason.  We have all been witness to a tractor-trailer veering into the lane of another vehicle.  Sometimes the smaller vehicle can slam on its brakes to avoid a collision, other times the car is forced off the highway and even into oncoming traffic.  These types of situations often result in serious injuries or fatalities, which is precisely what happened in Eureka on Tuesday.  Our Missouri tractor-trailer accident lawyers always urge the public to remain extremely cautious around large semi-trucks, and just assume that they don't see you in their side-mirrors. 

If you witness a hit and run truck crash, or any other type of erratic behavior by a truck driver, you are urged to make a mental impression of the tractor-trailer to relay to authorities.  Also note that each truck has a unique 6-digit DOT number on the side of the cab, which can be used later to identify the trucking company and driver. 

First responders arrived at a gruesome accident scene on a rural stretch of Kentucky highway following a tragic collision that claimed 11 lives.  A tractor-trailer crossed the median of the interstate and struck a van head-on, resulting in the deadliest crash involving a commercial motor vehicle since 1988.  The National Transportation and Safety Board will be investigating this crash, specifically looking into the practices of the trucking company, Hester Incorporated, and its driver, who also died in the crash.  The NTSB will likely be looking into whether Hester Inc. was in compliance with the regulations set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.  The Board should also have an interest in reviewing the professional qualifications of the truck driver.

The design of that particular stretch of highway may also be investigated.  The median that was crossed was protected by a cable barrier.  The tractor-trailer, which was heavily loaded with auto parts at the time of the crash, plowed right through the cable median and into oncoming traffic.  Investigators admit that a cable barrier of this type is not designed to stop a 60,000+ pound truck at highway speeds.  One wonders whether a concrete barrier could have mitigated the losses sustained in this tragic fatal truck crash.

A truck accident injury lawyer would request the DOT medical card and previous medical records of the truck driver to determine if the driver was medically qualified to operate a tractor-trailer.  Due to a shortage of qualified truck drivers, commercial trucking companies are placing medically-unqualified drivers behind the wheel.  These drivers can become easily distracted by prescription medications and infirmities that would have likely been caught by a DOT medical examiner, possibly preventing the crash all together.

A car remained pinned underneath an 18-wheeler on Interstate 35 near the 20th street exit in Kansas City as emergency responders worked on extricating the occupants inside the trapped vehicle.  The southbound lanes of I-35 where closed for over an hour and traffic was diverted around the scene.  Responders report that a young child and two adults were injured in the truck crash.  Authorities continued to investigate the scene after the victims were transported to an area hospital.  Weather in the Kansas City area on the morning of the crash was wet. 

Serious truck crashes involve a large quantity of evidence that must be protected.  If a Kansas City truck crash lawyer does not immediately demand that evidence be preserved, a future claim for compensation may be diluted due to destroyed data which is critical to the claim.  A tractor-trailer has a black box known as an "electronic control module" (ECM) that stores data immediately following a hard brake or collision.  An immediate ECM download is critical in determining what the 18-wheeler did just prior to the collision.  Speed, location, direction of travel, throttle, gearing, and additional information is recorded and stored on a truck's ECM at the time of the impact.

If you are injured in a serious truck crash, you may able to obtain compensation by filing a Missouri truck crash injury claim.  If a truck driver is careless and causes a crash, both the driver and trucking company are legally liable to the injury victim.  Missouri law allows truck crash injury victims to seek compensation for pain & suffering and economic damages.

Authorities are still investigating the causes of a morning tractor-trailer crash in Franklin County Missouri that claimed the life of a young girl.  The crash occurred in the early morning hours Friday morning when traffic on Interstate 64 was already backed up due to an earlier accident.  A white tractor-trailer slammed into the back of another large blue truck that was idling in the previously slowing lanes of traffic.  The impact caused significant damage and claimed the life of a young 3 year-old toddler that was riding in the passenger seat of the white truck.  49 year-old Catherine Stults was driving the white tractor-trailer that slammed into the back of the blue tractor-trailer that was being operated by Timothy Williams.  The 3 year-old was eventually identified as Andrea Witherspoon of Cape Girardeau.

One of the most common type of serious tractor-trailer crash involves the situation where a truck inadvertently crashes into traffic that is slowing or stopped ahead.  Causes of this type of collision can include defective brakes, fatigue, or impaired line of sight.  Missouri has seen is share of serious wrecks of this type, including the fatal truck crash which occurred on Highway 64 near the Mason Road exit in West County.  The shear force and inertia of 60,000+ pounds of weight into a stopped object has devastating results.

Visit the truck accident injury website at Schultz Legal Group for helpful information and resources.  Don't be victimized twice.