St. Louis Rollover Truck Accident Lawyer

Large trucks have a higher center of gravity than automobiles and are susceptible to rollover accidents, especially when truck drivers fail to adjust their speed when rounding curves. If a truck and/or its tractor-trailer overturns, it can cause serious injuries to the truck driver and to occupants of other vehicles. If you or a loved one has been injured in a St. Louis truck rollover accident caused by someone else, call immediately to discuss the specifics of your case with our rollover truck accident lawyers during a free, no-obligation consultation.

Large trucks require more training and caution to drive because there are so many variables to manage while driving. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 280,000 rollover accidents are reported each year, claiming more than 10,000 lives annually. Rollover truck accidents are especially dangerous for drivers. In fact, 50 percent of occupant deaths in large trucks were caused by rollovers in 2020, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

If you or a loved one has been seriously injured due to a rollover truck accident caused by a negligent driver, see how much your claim may be worth by using our free personal injury calculator.

What Are Some Common Causes of St. Louis Rollover Truck Accidents?

The vast majority of rollover truck accidents are caused by some form of careless, reckless or negligent behavior, often on the part of the truck driver. Some common causes include:

Distracted driving, such as:

• Texting and driving
• Looking at directions
• Eating or drinking
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Being preoccupied or daydreaming
• Looking at something on the side of the road
• Drunk driving or drug impaired driving
• Speeding or driving too fast for weather conditions
• Failure to maintain a safe distance
• Not accounting for road conditions
• Overcompensating for road conditions
• Making illegal maneuvers

Some other common causes of rollover trucking accidents:

Poor maintenance. A large truck crash study by the Federal Motor Carrier Administration, negligent maintenance is a contributing factor in 40 percent of trucking accidents. Brake problems were an associated factor in 27 percent of trucks in trucking accidents, contrasted with just 2 percent in cars. Missouri, St. Louis and Federal Law requires pre-trip and yearly inspections carried out by the driver and trucking company or third party, respectively.

Driver Fatigue. Thirteen percent of all trucking accidents involved driver fatigue as an associated factor. The same study found that pressure from management was a leading reason for drivers to try and drive more hours than they were able.

Another driver. In accidents between trucks and passenger cars, trucks were the cause of a trucking accident only 44 percent of the time. The other crashes were caused by a passenger car.

Distracted driving is a leading contributor to St. Louis rollover trucking accidents as 71 percent of truck crashes happened when the driver was doing something besides driving the truck. The FMCSA banned texting and driving for drivers of commercial vehicles, but unfortunately, as with drivers of St. Louis, Missouri and Illinois passenger cars, sometimes truck drivers break the rules. When they do and they injure you as a result, the St. Louis-based Missouri and Illinois rollover truck accident lawyers of Burger Law will stand by your side and insist that you are fully compensated for all of your damages.

Like any St. Louis, Missouri or Illinois car accident, each rollover truck incident is unique and has its own set of circumstances. Rollover accidents can have a variety of contributing factors. They can frequently lead to multi-vehicle accidents in which more than one driver may be at fault. Burger Law’s St. Louis rollover truck accident attorney team will fully investigate every aspect of your case to determine every liable party and hold them accountable.

What Hazards Do St. Louis Rollover Trucks Cause?

Truck rollovers lead to potentially deadly road and traffic conditions, particularly in heavily congested areas. Here are some of the more common truck rollover dangers in Greater St. Louis:

• A collision between the truck and other vehicles. A truck can roll over onto or slide on its side into another vehicle. It can also obstruct a roadway making it impossible for other vehicles to safely avoid.
• Harm to the truck driver. If a driver is lucky, only the trailer rolls over in an accident. When the truck cab also flips, the impact can crush the driver’s compartment and lead to catastrophic or even fatal injuries for the trucker and any passenger in the vehicle.
• Spilled cargo, exposures and explosions. Trucks carry a wide variety of cargo on St. Louis roads, as well as roadways throughout Missouri and Illinois. When a truck rolls, it risks spilling cargo onto the roadway. Spilled cargo can create deadly hazards. Hard goods can obstruct the roadway and pose collision hazards. Liquid cargo can make roads slick and dangerous. Toxic or flammable cargo can poison the air or ignite, leading to a deadly fire or explosion.
• Secondary vehicle-on-vehicle collisions. Even when no vehicle collides with an overturned truck, a rollover can lead to secondary accidents between other vehicles. This may occur from those vehicles swerving to avoid an overturned truck or its cargo, or because an overturned truck distracts other motorists and causes them to lose control of their vehicles.

Who Can I Sue in a St. Louis Rollover Truck Accident?

Determining liability in St. Louis rollover truck accident cases is complicated because there are so many parties responsible for a truck’s performance, but holding the right parties accountable is critical to your full recovery. Depending on their actions, any of the following parties could be wholly or partially liable for your St. Louis rollover truck accident injuries and other damages.

• The truck driver
• The trucking company
• The truck owner
• The manufacturers of the truck or parts used on the truck
• The truck’s cargo loader

To make matters more complicated, the parties that can be responsible in an accident depend on how the truck in question is owned and how the driver of the truck is employed. For example, some drivers are independent contractors who own and operate their own vehicles and are not actually employed by a company. Many truck drivers work for trucking companies, which other businesses hire to ship their goods, but the trucks that trucking companies use are often owned by someone else. Sometimes the driver is directly employed by the company for which they are delivering goods. The truck drivers who drive for Walmart are employees of Walmart. In the case of Walmart, the company that employs the driver of the truck also happens to own the truck itself.

Truck Drivers and Trucking Companies

There are many possible combinations of organizations and individuals involved in rollover truck accidents. Truck drivers and trucking companies are liable when there is evidence of the improper operation of the vehicle. If the driver fails to obey a traffic law or is driving while distracted or drowsy causing the rollover, he or she could be at fault for making such mistakes. The company that employs him could be at fault as well for improper training, hiring someone who is unqualified or enforcing unrealistic deadlines or expectations that push the driver beyond a reasonable limit.

Truck Owner

The person or organization that owns the truck is responsible for the maintenance and inspections of their vehicles. They must schedule regular inspections in accordance with FMCSA guidelines and make sure that the truck is always in good working order. This means making sure the engine is healthy, fluids are at the proper levels and things like lights, turn signals, windshield wipers, brakes, tires and other components are functioning properly.

Manufacturers and Cargo Companies

While maintenance of the truck and all its components is the responsibility of the owner of the truck, the manufacturer can hold blame if the part is faulty or does not perform as promised as long as proper maintenance has been practiced. Some common component failures that can lead to rollovers are tire blowouts, brake failures, steering mechanism defects and fuel tank fires. In addition, improper loading of cargo on the truck can also contribute to a rollover accident. Loaders who do not properly secure items or put too much weight on a vehicle can be liable, as it is more likely that the truck will roll over and possibly cause the goods to spill into traffic. It is especially important with hazardous materials that the people who load the truck take extra care and follow regulations.

The potential at-fault parties in a rollover truck accident can vary greatly depending on the conditions that contributed to the accident, as well as the ownership and operating status of the truck involved. It takes someone with experience in rollover truck accidents to successfully navigate a case. You should always consult an experienced St. Louis rollover truck accident lawyer after being in a rollover accident. We have fought against insurance companies in the name of justice for the injured, and we have helped our St. Louis, as well as Missouri and Illinois, rollover truck accident clients recover the full compensation they deserve.

What Damages Can I Recover From a St. Louis Rollover Truck Accident?

Rollover truck accidents unfortunately happen daily and they are one of the most common reasons behind personal injury cases. Armed with the right knowledge of what you can demand helps with crafting a more complete settlement that leaves no stone unturned, which can truly ensure that you will be compensated in the best way possible. A St. Louis rollover truck accident lawyer will help you pursue the liable parties for complete damages. You may recover costs for property damage, medical bills, lost wages, disabilities, pain and suffering and court costs. The Burger Law St. Louis rollover truck accident lawyers can help you recover the following:

• Medical expenses – You could be reimbursed for the cost of your past and current medical expenses such as the ambulance ride, emergency room visit, hospital bills, doctors’ bills and medications.
• Future medical expenses – If your accident has left you suffering from injuries that require long-term care or therapy, you may be entitled to compensation to cover your recovery treatment. That could include physical therapy, rehabilitation therapy, and even assistive devices, for example, like a wheelchair.
• Loss of income – As with many people involved in serious accidents, you may need to take time away from work to recover. You need to be reimbursed for those lost wages.
• Loss of future earning capacity – If you sustained injuries from the accident that make it impossible to continue working to your full capacity, you may also be entitled to compensation for a loss of future income.
• Pain and suffering – An experienced attorney can also help you recover compensation for the physical pain and emotional hardships your injuries have caused for you.
• Mental anguish – Mental and emotional trauma experienced from the crash, such as anxiety, fear, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and distress.
• Physical impairment or disfigurement – Permanent scarring, disfigurement, or loss of use of a body part.
• Loss of consortium – Intangible injuries suffered by the victim’s spouse from being deprived of comfort, affection, companionship, assistance, society or sexual relations.
• Wrongful Death – If, unfortunately, a family member is killed in a truck accident, you may be able to recover compensation for their final expenses, medical costs, and loss of your support. It is heartbreaking to lose a loved one, and we can’t make that pain go away, but we can help make sure that you are left with some financial stability.

We are not intimidated by the trucking companies or their large insurance corporations. We fight until the insurance company in your claim agrees to pay you in full for the losses you have sustained. We will not stop until you win a great settlement.

What Are the Best Ways to Avoid Rollover Truck Accidents?

When you are driving on the highway or other roadway around tractor trailers, there are red flags you can watch for to attempt to avoid a rollover accident. Even the most experienced truck drivers can make serious mistakes. Here are a few things to keep in mind while driving:

• Slow down. When driving around trucks, you should maintain the speed limit so that the truck drivers can better predict what you are going to do. If you are speeding, they might not see you until the last minute, which can be extremely dangerous. Staying on the slower side also allows you more space to brake if you need to based on other drivers.
• Stay out of the truck’s blind spots. Speaking of danger, trucks have blind spots to be wary of. Right in front of the cab, right behind the trailer and to the back right and left of the trailer are considered “no-drive zones” you should avoid. In general, you should stay in spots where you can see the driver in their sideview mirror, which means that they can see you as well.
• Give the truck more space than usual. Give a truck more space than you would a regular vehicle because they need more room to stop and sometimes need to make split-second decisions. Extra space will also allow you and the truck driver more space for braking if necessary.
• Signal early. While this is certainly a tip that applies to all driving scenarios, you will want to signal early around large trucks because they need more time to react to your actions. The earlier you signal, the better truck drivers can anticipate what you are planning to do, like passing them or getting back into their lane.
• Pass carefully. Because trucks have blind spots, you should never pass on their right side. If you must pass them, do so on their left, but be careful because you will be passing through their blind spots and they might have to come into your lane unexpectedly.

Reach Out to a St. Louis Rollover Truck Accident Lawyer Today

Due to the number of potential parties involved in a rollover truck accident, the laws that regulate commercial vehicles and the potential for destruction, you need a knowledgeable and skilled St. Louis rollover truck accident lawyer fighting in your corner. If you or a loved one was injured in a rollover truck accident, you have no time to waste. The statute of limitations in Missouri is five years.

Call us as soon as possible or contact online so we can start fighting for you.