Truck Accident Attorney In St. Louis, MO
St Louis Truck Accident Lawyer
Truck accidents can be catastrophic. With their large weight and heavy loads, big rigs power down the roadways and although their drivers are supposed to operate these vehicles with caution, they sometimes make errors. When a truck driver is careless or reckless, a life-changing collision can occur. People who get seriously hurt in truck accidents may suffer devastating injuries. When these accidents are caused by the careless or reckless actions of another, victims do have legal recourse. In Missouri, people who are hurt through the fault of another can sue for fair compensation.
Wolff & Wolff Trial Lawyers focuses on cases that involve personal injury. Our firm is based in St. Louis, MO, but we represent clients all over the region. Many personal injury cases are highly complex. Our firm has been practicing personal injury law for nearly a century. We have the experience needed to address the most complicated of claims. Our attorneys are litigators and equally effective at the negotiation table. Turn to us if you need legal advice about a personal injury claim. We offer free initial consultations.
Truck Accidents
In a typical year in the U.S., as many as 500,000 accidents occur between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles. Over the last decades, thousands of people have been killed in truck accidents. Truck drivers are tasked to exercise caution when operating their vehicles. They need to take appropriate measures to safely operate their rigs. Even so, many truck drivers do make serious errors on the roadways. Some of the reasons for truck driver error include:
- Improper lane change
- Overloaded trucks
- Driver fatigue
- Aggressive driving
- Driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs
- Driver error
- Cellphone use
- Improper training
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Failure to inspect truck
If you’ve been involved in a trucking accident, you may be eligible for compensation if the truck driver was at fault. Wolff & Wolff Trial Lawyers will take time to carefully evaluate your claim. We can discuss its merits as well as its challenges or obstacles. We will provide you with our experienced-based opinions, letting you know how we can help support your case. If you choose to pursue your claim, we will do everything in our power to provide you with the effective representation you deserve.
When truck drivers fail to obey the rules of the road, the consequences can be deadly. These drivers must keep a greater distance between themselves and other vehicles. They must take care to check mirrors before making lane changes. They must get adequate rest before taking to the roads in their rigs. There is a whole host of things that truckers must do to foster safe driving. Failing to do just one can lead to a serious collision. If a truck driver has failed to drive safely and you have suffered as a result, you have the legal right to hold them accountable and file a claim for fair compensation. We will help you fight for it.
Truck Accident Injuries
Truck accident victims know that colliding with a truck is serious. Catastrophic injuries and wrongful death can be the result of these collisions. Wolff & Wolff Trial Lawyers have represented Missouri victims of truck accidents who have suffered injuries like:
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Spinal injuries
- Burns
- Cuts and lacerations
- Road rash
- Post-traumatic stress disorders
Many types of injuries require multiple surgeries and serious medical interventions. While some accident victims are able to recover, others may never fully heal. Some may suffer disabilities or deformations that will always affect their lives. Victims of these collisions may not be able to return to the former occupation. Some may never be able to work again. We’ve represented clients who are never completely out of pain. These life-changing injuries do truly cry out for justice. Drivers who are in error are accountable for the mistakes they make, mistakes that cause pain to others.
Truck accidents don’t just cause physical and mental pain for victims injured in these collisions. They sometimes threaten financial ruin with their seemingly endless medical expenses and lost wages. Although nothing can undo the pain of the injuries, fair compensation can at least alleviate the financial burden.
Wolff & Wolff Trial Lawyers Will Fight for You
People who have been involved in accidents often have their lives turned upside down. Just navigating their medical care may be all they can reasonably attend to. That’s why we manage all aspects of the legal claim. We have the experience to handle the legal side of these cases. Our skilled attorneys will do all they can to gather the necessary documents. You rely on us to provide you with the following services:
- Obtain witness statements
- Obtain police reports
- Obtain incident reports
- Visit the scene of the accident
- Hire a crash reconstructionist
- Manage court filings
- Handle all case-related paperwork
- Communicate with insurance companies
- Communicate with at-fault party’s lawyers
- Manage correspondence
- Tenaciously litigate or negotiate on your behalf
Our attorneys are relentless in their pursuit of justice for our clients. We’re passionate about helping victims of truck accidents win fair compensation.
What Are the Benefits of Hiring Wolff & Wolff Trial Lawyers?
Wolff & Wolff Trial Lawyers is a small legal firm with nearly a century’s worth of experience practicing personal injury law. As a small firm with hands-on trial lawyers at the helm, we are able to maintain close professional relationships with our clients. No client is a case number to us. We get to know every client and their individual stories. Our attorneys also frequently collaborate in order to provide some clients with the extensive support their case may demand. Our support staff is courteous and knowledgeable. Together, our team boasts outstanding research skills and an eye for detail. Our attorneys are experienced litigators and negotiators. You can rely on our experienced legal counsel, honest, and integrity.
About Personal Injury Compensation in Missouri
Missouri law allows victims of personal injuries to claim economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are the current and future medical costs associated with the individual’s injuries. Medical costs typically include hospital stays, surgeries, tests, specialist care, medications, and physical therapy. Some truck accident victims may only require finite care for their injuries. They may recover after a few months’ time. On the other hand, many truck accident victims require more long-term medical care—care that could be ongoing for the rest of their lives. Medical damages can take into account a fair cost estimate for these future medical expenses. Similarly, individuals may not be able to work. They can sue for their lost future wages as well as their current lost wages.
The non-economic damages are less tangible—at least for legislators—to estimate. The pain and suffering that victims experience is certainly tangible from their perspectives. However, the state caps non-economic damages at $350,000 that is adjusted annually for inflation. For some, this amount is fair; for others, it is small comfort in token for what they’ve endured and lost as a result of their accident.
We can help claimants calculate what a fair settlement should look like with the state’s statutes in mind. For complex cases that involve mutual fault or life-long injuries that require on-going medical care, we may procure the professional services of an accountant or actuary. Arriving at a fair figure is important. As we head into negotiations, we need to know what’s fair so we can advise insurers that their settlement offer is likely to be declined by the client when it’s too low.
It’s Helpful to Contact Your Personal Injury Attorney Soon
Many people realize that they have a couple years to file their claim if they choose to pursue their case. But waiting to contact your personal injury attorney is never a good idea. The sooner we can become involved in a case, the better for the claim. Here’s why:
When we take on a case, we immediately scan all the materials. It’s common to find errors in incident and accident reports. Even the smallest errors can have an impact on a claim’s success. The earlier we can correct these errors, the better. We also begin our investigative work right away. We visit the vehicles involved in the accident so we can take photos of the damage. Will these vehicles in their present condition be available in six-months’ time for a photo session? Not likely. Yet, these photos can be powerful pieces of evidence that support our clients’ claims.
We also try to procure video surveillance early in the case. It doesn’t always exist, but it’s likely to get erased or lost if it does exist and it isn’t entered into evidence for months. This is unfortunate as this type of evidence can be a powerful support to a case. It’s also essential to talk to witnesses early on when the accident is still fresh in their mind. Over time, witnesses move on. They may be difficult to find. They may forget important details about the accident they witnessed.
As you can see, it’s very important to consult with your attorney right away. We can also talk to insurance representatives on your behalf. They are very likely to contact you right away after an accident. They may try to get you to sign forms or possibly accept a settlement offer that is far too low and doesn’t even take into account the future medical costs you may need for treatments you may not realized you will need. Let us manage these corporate entities. They are looking out for their best interest—their bottom line. We look out for our clients’ best interests. The fact is, even the most ethical insurers have a business model that informs their practices—they must pay out less than they take in. The more they pay, the less they profit.
We have decades of experience dealing and negotiating with insurance carriers. We will not be intimidated by any tactics that threaten to diminish our clients’ right to fair compensation. We frequently go toe to toe with insurance companies and their attorneys and come out victorious. When you’re right—you’re right. And we go in knowing all the facts inside out in order to aggressively make our client’s case.
What Should I Do after a Truck Accident?
There’s no question—the first thing you should do is get medical attention. Often, these collisions are so serious that the injured party isn’t able to call for emergency service. The truck driver, if not injured as well, or other drivers on the road may call for help. If you can walk away from the accident, walk straight into your urgent care center or area hospital to get an evaluation. If nothing is wrong—the cost is negotiable. If something is wrong such as internal bleeding or concussion, you’ll be glad you got help.
Getting medical treatment can preserve health but it also establishes clear-cut proof of your injuries. We’ll be able to present the medical record of your evaluation and subsequent medical care as evidence in support of your claim should you elect to file it.
Next in line of importance—the accident report. Call or ask a witness to call the police. They will generate an accident report. This, too, can support your claim. The report can assign fault and record if citations were issued. Was the truck driver driving under the influence? Did witnesses at the scene report that the truck driver failed to brake or was speeding? This information can be entered into the report—and the report used as vital evidence.
The attorneys of Wolff & Wolff Trial Lawyers are compassionate about what our clients have suffered, but we’re also determined and aggressive about pursuing justice on their behalf. We’ve built our reputation on putting our clients’ best interests first. We hope you’ll get to know our firm and decide to place your trust in our experienced team. Meet with us for a free preliminary consultation so we can discuss your case. If you proceed with your claim, we will work diligently on your behalf.
