How Are Personal Injury Settlement Paid Out? Your Complete Guide
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In 2020, there were nearly 5,000 truck accidents in Missouri. Nearly 2,300 people were injured and 120 perished. Lives are lost and countless others are irrevocably altered when someone is negligent while operating a vehicle weighing up to 40 tons.
If you have been injured in an 18-wheeler accident, or if a loved one has been incapacitated or killed, you have the right to pursue compensation for a number of different expenses, including medical bills, funeral costs, and lost wages.
At Jett Legal, we are proud to represent truck accident victims in St. Louis, Missouri, and from Jefferson County to St. Charles County. Finding compensation may be a challenging journey, but our firm is committed to fighting with you every step of the way.
Contact a St. Louis truck accident lawyer at Jett Legal today.
The operation of semi-trucks is subject to stricter federal and state laws designed to maintain safety while on the road. The sheer size and weight of semi-trucks make them infinitely more dangerous than passenger vehicles. The operations, inspections, safety requirements, compliance reviews and audits, driver training and qualifications, and minimum requirements for liability insurance coverage are subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and a number of different rules and regulations outlined by the Missouri Department of Transportation Motor Carrier Services Division.
In Missouri, there is a five-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, including those resulting from a truck accident. If you have been injured in an accident involving a semi-truck, or a loved one has been incapacitated, you have five years from the date of the accident to either settle an insurance claim against all liable parties or file a lawsuit in the appropriate Missouri court.
There is a two-year statute of limitations imposed on wrongful death claims. If your loved one was killed in a truck crash, you have two years from the date of death to settle a claim or file a lawsuit. The date of death may be later than the date of the accident if the death resulted from the truck accident injuries.
Liability or “fault” for an 18-wheeler accident can lie with more than one individual or entity. Under the law, you can file a truck accident claim or lawsuit against any party whose negligence contributed to the crash.
This includes:
There are a number of other factors to consider when determining liability for a crash, including potential negligence or pure comparative fault on the part of the drivers of passenger vehicles involved, as well as road and weather conditions at the time of the crash.
Because trucking companies are required to carry high limits of liability insurance, there is typically a lot of money at stake in a personal injury claim or civil suit. That’s why most trucking insurance companies retain aggressive attorneys to defend claims and minimize liability.
When it comes to the investigation of an 18-wheeler accident, documenting evidence of any level of negligence against any party who might have contributed to the crash is critical. You need an experienced truck accident attorney who knows how to preserve evidence, investigate the circumstances of the crash, interview witnesses, research the history of the truck driver, and retain crash engineers, medical, and other experts if necessary.
You should hire a personal injury attorney who can aggressively negotiate with the insurer, and if the claim cannot be settled, litigate the case in court. If a loved one has been incapacitated or killed in a truck-related crash, you should speak with a St. Louis wrongful death attorney right away to ensure the preservation of critical evidence.
A personal injury or wrongful death claim resulting from a commercial truck accident is not one you should pursue on your own. The crash investigation is critical, especially since all liable parties must be named in the initial Petition for Damages filed in a Missouri court. Otherwise, you could forfeit your right to name additional parties later.
Having an intimate knowledge of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Act and Missouri Department of Transportation regulations is equally crucial to the success of any truck accident case. You need an attorney who knows those regulations and how to determine if those standards have been breached.
You also need a St. Louis truck accident lawyer who will perform the due diligence necessary to make sure that each and every party who was liable for the crash is held accountable. Negotiating with trucking insurers and litigating a case in civil court is not for the timid. So if you’ve been injured in a truck accident, don’t face this challenge on your own. Call or reach out to our firm, Jett Legal, today for reliable legal guidance and strong representation.
Jett Legal is driven by garnering justice for our clients. Our St. Louis truck accident lawyers do the extensive work required to document a claim, and we won’t back down when defending your rights. We represent individuals and their loved ones in personal injury and wrongful death claims across St. Louis, Missouri, from Jefferson County to St. Charles County.
If you have been injured or a family member has been incapacitated or killed in a truck accident, contact us today to schedule a free case review!