You never saw it coming. One minute you're driving home on I-70, and the next, an 80,000-pound semi-truck slammed into your vehicle. Now you're facing mounting medical bills, lost wages, and a painful recovery that might last months or even years. Meanwhile, the trucking company's insurance adjusters are already working to minimize your claim.
This isn't just another car accident case. Commercial truck crashes involve federal regulations, multiple liable parties, and corporate defense teams whose job is to pay you as little as possible. At Finney Injury Law, our St. Louis truck accident trial lawyers understand what you're going through and have the resources, experience, and determination to fight for the full compensation you deserve.
Why Truck Accident Claims Are More Challenging Than Car Accident Cases
We see large commercial vehicles throughout Missouri and Illinois—big rigs, tankers, flatbeds hauling ag or construction equipment—moving essential goods all over our country. The transportation industry is vital to our economy. However, each truck operator has a considerable responsibility to maintain road safety. This is just one of many reasons why truck accident claims involve several factors that make them distinctly different from typical car crash cases.
Multiple Liable Parties
In a standard car accident, you're typically dealing with just the at-fault driver and their insurance company. Commercial vehicle collisions often involve numerous responsible parties, including:
- The truck driver
- The trucking company
- The vehicle manufacturer
- A cargo loading company
- Maintenance contractors
- Parts manufacturers
Federal Regulations
Commercial trucks must comply with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations that govern everything from operator qualification and training to hours-of-service limits and maintenance requirements. At Finney Injury Law, it’s our responsibility to thoroughly understand these regulations to prove negligence.
Significant Insurance Coverage
Most semis and other large trucks carry insurance policies with much higher limits than passenger vehicles. While this may mean more compensation is potentially available, it also indicates an insurance company will fight harder to protect its bottom line.
Extensive Evidence
Truck accident cases involve specialized evidence not present in car crashes, including driver logs, vehicle black box data, maintenance records, and drug testing results. This evidence can disappear quickly if not properly preserved by an experienced legal team.
Typical Causes of Truck Accidents We Handle
At Finney Injury Law, our award-winning St. Louis truck accident trial lawyers have successfully represented clients injured in crashes caused by:
- Driver fatigue. Despite hours-of-service regulations, many operators face pressure to meet tight deadlines, leading them to travel while dangerously tired. Fatigue impairs reaction time and decision-making abilities similar to drug or alcohol intoxication.
- Inadequate training. Operating a commercial truck requires specialized skills and training. Some companies put undertrained drivers on the road to cut costs or address employee shortages.
- Distracted driving. Professional truck operators sometimes use their phones, adjust GPS systems, or engage in other distracting activities behind the wheel, taking their attention off the road at critical moments.
- Improper maintenance. If a transportation company fails to properly maintain brake systems, tires, coupling devices, and other vital components, this negligence often results in catastrophic mechanical failures.
- Overloaded or improperly loaded cargo. When cargo isn't properly secured, or a truck is overloaded, the vehicle becomes unstable, causing it to jackknife or even roll over during regular driving maneuvers.
Devastating Injuries Common in St. Louis Truck Collisions
Most passenger cars and SUVs weigh between 4,000 and 5,000 lbs. Even unloaded, the average 18-wheeler weighs approximately 35,000 lbs. Add force of impact and other critical factors, and a collision with a large truck frequently results in catastrophic medical conditions including, but not limited to:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). Many people who suffer TBIs experience permanent cognitive impairment and require extensive rehabilitation and long-term care.
- Spinal cord damage. Injuries to the spinal cord can result in partial or complete paralysis, changing your life forever and requiring lifelong medical care and home modifications.
- Crush injuries. The tremendous force in truck accidents compromises limbs and internal organs, sometimes necessitating amputation or causing permanent internal damage.
- Burns. When large trucks carrying flammable materials catch fire or explode, victims often sustain severe burns requiring multiple surgeries and causing permanent scarring and disfigurement.
Unfortunately, many large truck accidents in St. Louis also result in wrongful death, leaving families to cope with both considerable emotional and financial losses. You don’t want to feel like just a number when such a tragedy occurs—you deserve a St. Louis truck accident law firm that will be by your side and fight for your rights.
How the Skilled Trial Lawyers at Finney Law Firm Stand Up for You
Our attorneys are recognized leaders in personal injury litigation. When you choose us to handle your truck accident case, we immediately begin building a compelling case designed to win at trial, even if we ultimately settle. Our approach includes:
- Acting quickly to preserve evidence. We promptly send spoliation letters to prevent the destruction of critical evidence and work with accident reconstruction experts to document the crash scene.
- Conducting a thorough investigation. Our legal team identifies all potentially liable parties and collects evidence such as:
- Electronic logging device (ELD) data
- Truck black box information
- Driver qualification files
- Maintenance and inspection records
- Drug and alcohol testing results
- Dispatch records and communications
- Freight bills and weight tickets
- Video footage from dashcams or nearby security cameras
- Working with top experts. We collaborate with accident reconstructionists, medical experts, life care planners, economists, and other experts who strengthen your case and clearly demonstrate the full extent of your losses.
- Calculating your full damages. We carefully assess all current and future damages, including:
- Medical expenses, including emergency care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and long-term care needs
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement and disability
- Preparing every case for trial. Unlike firms that settle quickly for less, the experienced attorneys at Finney Injury Law prepare each case as if it will go to trial—because we have a proven record of success going against major trucking companies and their insurers. This approach gives us leverage in negotiations and ensures we're ready if the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation.
The lawyer you choose matters. Clients choose Finney Injury Law because:
- We limit our caseload. By handling fewer cases, we provide each client with personalized attention and the resources their case deserves.
- We have courtroom experience. Our attorneys have successfully tried numerous truck accident cases, giving us insight into what works with St. Louis juries.
- We advance all costs. We cover all expenses related to your case, from investigation to expert witnesses, so you don't pay anything out of pocket initially.
- We work on contingency. You pay no fees unless we win your case, aligning our interests with your best outcome.
We're not just another law firm—we're savvy trial attorneys who believe in fighting for what's right, no matter how powerful the opponent.