Kansas City Semi Truck Accident Lawyer

Highway and Semi-Truck Accidents Cause Serious Injuries

It should come as no surprise that when a person is involved in a motor vehicle accident with a semi-truck, the results are virtually always catastrophic resulting in injuries ranging from whiplash to broken bones, and even death. Even at slow speeds, a semi-truck can cause serious injury.

It is widely known that many truck drivers drive long hours, leading to exhaustion and negligent operation. Missouri State law regarding maximum driving time allows truckers to drive up to eleven consecutive hours.

Trucking accidents involve large, over-the-road tractor-trailers known as “semis.” They are generally the most deadly accidents that happen. Large trucks can be fatally dangerous. There is an evident difference in the size and weight between trucks and their roadside counterparts. This can cause catastrophic injuries for anyone involved in a truck collision. If you have been involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, contact me today. I am a Kansas City personal injury lawyer with extensive experience handling these types of cases.

I have represented drivers of automobiles injured by negligent commercial truck drivers throughout the Kansas City area, and across the nation since 2005, providing the representation and legal guidance clients need. Do not allow the insurance company to tell you how to value your injury. Please give me a call.

Tired Truckers Cause Accidents

• The statistics are frightening: Every year in the United States, trucking accidents cause over 5,000 deaths and 80,000 injuries.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation defines a “large truck” as a truck with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) greater than 10,000 pounds.
• A fully loaded, over-the-road semi can weigh up to 80,000 pounds without needing any extra permits.
• The average passenger car only weighs about 4,000 pounds.
• The majority of the injuries and fatalities in trucking accidents are the passengers in the car, not the truck drivers themselves.
• Trucks can legally drive as fast as 70 miles per hour in many places. And many truckers speed in order to deliver their trailers on time.
• The federal limit on driving commercial trucks is 11 hours in a 14 hour period, followed by at least 10 hours off – HOWEVER – drivers are only able to sleep 5 hours at a time before starting their next shift behind the wheel. Truckers face tremendous pressure to deliver their cargo on time.

Missouri Truck Accidents Caused By Improper Maintenance

Semi-trucks and other commercial vehicles need to be properly and frequently maintained in order to keep them safe. The negligent failure to maintain these vehicles can often result in truck accidents, many of which have serious and fatal consequences for others on the road. It is the responsibility of the trucking company, the maintenance contractor, the driver or all three to properly maintain semi-trucks, and the failure to do so may be considered negligence.

I provide experienced representation for people who have been injured in 18-wheeler accidents. I know how to recognize and understand inadequate or negligent maintenance procedures. I can also obtain all federal and state records, as well as company documents and records that trucking companies and drivers are required to maintain.

• The cab, trailer, hydraulic brakes, air brakes, and tires on semi-trucks must all be inspected on a regular basis in order to ensure that they are working properly.
• In cases involving inadequate maintenance of semi-trucks and other large vehicles, there are often many liable parties who are responsible for the oversight. I will thoroughly review all company records, maintenance records, and other records to determine who is at fault. I know that our clients are often overwhelmed and devastated by the financial and emotional aftermath of a serious accident.
• Semi-trucks are designed to carry large amounts of cargo at a time, but even these vehicles have their limits. An overloaded or oversized truck is dangerous and can present serious hazards for other vehicles on the road. Sometimes, overloading is the result of a trucking company putting profits over safety. Other times, it is the result of a driver’s haste and negligence in the loading process.
• Falling debris from an overloaded semi-truck can do significant damage to you and your vehicle, often as much as would be caused by another vehicle.
• Driving a properly loaded semi-truck can be challenging enough, but when a load is not secure, or there is too much cargo loaded onto a flatbed truck, that cargo may fall off and present obstacles for other vehicles that are driving at high speeds.
• In other cases, an improperly loaded truck may have a load shift during travel, upsetting the center of gravity and tipping the truck over. Drivers and passengers who are in the way of these vehicles may face serious injuries or even death.