When people think about truck accidents, they might imagine sudden skids on highways that result in high-speed collisions. However, truck crashes can also occur at intersections and on merge ramps at lower speeds. Unfortunately, these wrecks are still dangerous and deadly.
Pursuing financial recovery after a side-impact truck accident in Ballwin could be easier with a knowledgeable lawyer’s support. Without guidance from a large rig crash attorney familiar these types of claims, you may have little chance of recovering the full value of your damages.
While front-end and rear-end crashes can happen on nearly any type of road, local side-impact 18-wheeler collisions most commonly occur where two or more roads intersect. Since passenger cars have little protection on their doors or side paneling, these types of wrecks can be uniquely dangerous even though they rarely involve high speeds.
Negligence leading to a large rig T-boning another car can take various forms, and accordingly, different parties may bear liability for this kind of crash. A driver may be at fault for being distracted or approaching a traffic light too fast, while a third-party mechanic might at fault for a brake failure that causes a truck from stopping to avoid danger.
In some cases, the company responsible for operating a truck involved in a side-impact accident may bear liability for their employee’s misconduct. They also are liable if they did something directly negligent. For example, a company is responsible if it requires its employees to exceed federal driving time regulations, leaving them so fatigued that they cannot safely operate their vehicle. Whatever specific party bears fault for a particular incident, a dedicated legal team could collect evidence of liability and demand that the party at fault pay for all losses.
Commuter car drivers who get T-boned by commercial rigs can be found partially or mostly at fault for their own damages based on their own negligent behavior. If this happens, court precedent holds that the partially liable plaintiff can only recover for the portion of their damages that they were not to blame for. For example, if a claimant files for $100,000 in damages and is found 30 percent liable for their losses, they will only receive $70,000 in compensation.
Additionally, Missouri Revised Statutes § 516.120 sets a five-year filing deadline for most forms of personal injury litigation, including claims based on side-impact big rig crashes in the area. Five years can run out quickly between collecting relevant evidence and dealing with the immediate physical and financial impacts of a wreck. Because of this, seeking legal representation quickly and starting the filing process as soon as possible is highly encouraged.
Getting hit by a reckless rig driver can lead to substantial physical harm, financial expenses, and a number of other losses. Side-impact truck accidents in Ballwin are often deceptively dangerous, largely because of how few safety features vehicles have in their doors and sides.
After a serious T-bone wreck involving an 18-wheeler, having a skilled legal team to help you enforce your right to recovery could be essential to protecting your future. Learn more by calling our office today.
