A commercial truck crash can involve much more than the actions of the person behind the wheel. Driver logs, vehicle data, maintenance history, cargo documentation, and decisions made by the motor carrier may all help explain why a collision occurred. At Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law, our motor vehicle accident attorneys handle serious crashes in St. Louis, Missouri, including those involving commercial trucks.
Founding Partner Dan Brown has handled several thousand personal injury and workers’ compensation matters since helping establish the firm in 1993. Partner Ely Hadowsky has been with Brown & Brown since 2000 and concentrates on trial practice. Their backgrounds are especially relevant when a truck claim involves disputed fault, serious injuries, or several businesses and insurance carriers.
Why Are Truck Accident Claims More Complicated?
In a typical passenger-vehicle collision, the central question may be whether one driver acted negligently. A commercial trucking case can involve several people or businesses whose actions contributed to the crash.
Potentially responsible parties can include:
- The truck driver
- The motor carrier
- A company that loaded or secured the cargo
- A maintenance or repair contractor
- A manufacturer of a defective component
- Another driver or business involved in the collision
Commercial carriers and drivers are also subject to federal rules covering matters such as hours of service, vehicle inspections, maintenance, and cargo securement. Our discussion of federal trucking regulations explains why those requirements can become relevant after a serious crash.
Mechanical problems may lead the review in another direction. For example, a suspected brake failure may call for closer examination of the truck’s repair history, inspections, and component condition. Learn more about these issues on our page about truck braking system failures.
What Information Can Help Show What Happened?
The police report is often only the starting point. Depending on the truck and the circumstances, useful documentation can include electronic logging information, driver qualification files, dispatch communications, inspection reports, maintenance history, photographs, video, and witness accounts.
Some commercial vehicles also store electronic information about what the truck was doing shortly before a crash. Our article about black box data in truck accidents discusses how certain systems may record information such as speed, braking, throttle position, or vehicle movement.
No single record tells the entire story. Electronic information is most useful when considered alongside the physical scene, company files, witness statements, medical documentation, and other available facts.
Because trucking companies may control much of this material, getting legal help early can give an attorney more time to identify and request information before it becomes unavailable.
Injuries and Compensation After a Commercial Truck Crash
The size and weight difference between commercial trucks and passenger vehicles can contribute to severe injuries. A collision may result in fractures, internal trauma, brain injuries, or spinal cord injuries.
A claim can account for more than the first round of medical bills. Based on the injuries and supporting documentation, recoverable damages may include:
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Property damage
The amount available in any particular matter depends on the losses that can be documented, the parties responsible, available insurance coverage, and the lasting effects of the injuries.
Why Choose Brown & Brown for a Truck Accident Case in St. Louis?
Truck cases benefit from attorneys who know how to look beyond the initial crash report. Brown & Brown brings together Dan Brown’s decades of personal injury experience and Ely Hadowsky’s background in trial practice. When questions arise about carrier responsibility, company documents, serious injuries, or disputed fault, our attorneys can examine those issues as part of the larger case rather than treating the collision like a routine insurance claim.
We also handle personal injury matters on a contingency-fee basis. Attorney fees are not owed unless compensation is recovered for you.
Selected Brown & Brown Motor Vehicle Injury Results
Brown & Brown’s published personal injury results include a $250,000 policy-limits recovery for a sheriff’s deputy who was rear-ended during a traffic stop and a $250,000 policy-limits settlement for a woman who suffered a closed head injury and other injuries in a motor vehicle collision.
These cases are examples from the firm’s broader motor vehicle practice and are not presented as truck-accident-specific results.
Previous results do not guarantee future case outcomes. However, they show the results Brown & Brown has been able to obtain for clients. Every case depends on its own facts.
Discuss Your Truck Accident With a St. Louis Attorney
Commercial truck claims can require information that is not available to an injured person without further investigation. Call Brown & Brown Attorneys at Law at (314) 333-3333 or contact us for a free case review in St. Louis, MO. We can discuss what happened, identify issues that deserve closer examination, and explain the options available based on your circumstances.
