To calculate the value of a truck accident claim in Missouri, add your economic damages (medical bills, lost income from work, property damage, your non-economic damages (pain and suffering), add in future medical expenses and lost earning capacity, and multiply that by the percentage of fault (if any) attributed to you for causing the accident.
The total value of a Missouri semi-truck accident injury claim typically comes from four main parts:
- Medical expenses: This covers everything you’ve had to pay for treatment so far, as well as any care you’ll need down the line.
- Lost income: Any wages or earnings you could not make because of your injuries and recovery time.
- Pain and suffering: Compensation for physical pain along with emotional stress caused by the accident.
- Property damage: Costs to fix or replace your vehicle and any other damaged objects.
Step By Step: How To Calculate The Value of a Truck Accident Claim
Calculating the value of a truck accident claim in Missouri starts by adding up all losses and damages in a systematic way. Although you can estimate your claim on your own, an experienced Missouri truck accident attorney will spot items you might overlook.
You can see the potential value of your claim through this process, but insurance companies often push for lower payouts, so keeping careful records is necessary to support what you’re actually owed.
Step 1: Add Economic Damages
Start by gathering every bill and receipt connected to your accident, such as hospital visits, surgeries, therapy sessions, and any continuing medical treatment. Then, calculate the income you missed, using pay stubs or tax documents, and be sure to include time off for appointments or recovery.
Account for property damage too, such as the cost to fix or replace your vehicle. Also, track smaller but necessary expenses like prescriptions, medical equipment, travel to doctors, or modifications at home needed because of your injuries.
Step 2: Estimate Pain and Suffering
This refers to the aches, limitations, and stress you go through after the accident, and because there aren’t bills for these experiences, it’s important to describe them clearly in your claim.
A common method to estimate it is to take your documented economic damages and multiply them by a factor that reflects the seriousness of your injuries, with more serious injuries using a higher factor and less severe injuries a lower one.
Another way is to assign a daily dollar value for each day you experience pain, which works well if you have a clear timeline of recovery. Both approaches give a practical way to estimate these non-economic losses.
Step 3: Add Future Costs and Lost Earning Capacity
To find out your settlement amount, you need to include future medical costs and how your injuries might affect your ability to work. This often makes truck accident claims higher, especially if the injuries are permanent. Future costs can include ongoing therapy, surgeries you may need later, or long-term care.
If you cannot go back to your previous job or your injuries reduce how much you can earn, that lost income is included in your claim. Medical and financial professionals can check your situation and provide estimates to show what your claim should reasonably cover.
Step 4: Account for Shared Responsibility
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault system, so your settlement can be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you. Even if you are partly responsible, you can still receive compensation as long as you are not completely at fault.
Insurance companies may try to assign you more blame than you deserve, so having evidence to show your side is important.
Step 5: Account for Insurance Limits and Multiple Policies
Because trucking companies are required to carry larger insurance policies than everyday drivers, there is usually more money available to cover claims from a truck accident.
Often, more than one party is responsible—the driver, the company, the shipper, or the maintenance crew—so each may have separate policies that all count toward your claim.
Step 6: Take MedPay, Health Insurance, and Medical Liens into Account
If your MedPay coverage or health insurance paid for care following the accident, they might request reimbursement from the money you receive in your settlement.
A knowledgeable attorney can handle these repayment claims, potentially reducing them so you keep more of your settlement money.
Damages You Can Recover After a Truck Accident
In a truck accident, you can recover money for things you’ve spent, like medical bills, lost pay, or damage to your vehicle. You have the possibility to recover money for other ways the accident has affected your life, including daily challenges, stress, and any lasting discomfort you experience.
Having a clear idea of what you can claim shows the full scope of your case, and that is important because insurance companies often try to pay less by leaving out or downplaying some losses.
You can usually seek payment for:
- Medical bills you’ve already paid and any treatments you’ll need later
- Wages lost during recovery and any long-term impact on your earning potential
- Costs to repair or replace your vehicle
- Physical pain and ongoing discomfort
- Emotional stress, anxiety, or mental strain
- Reduced ability to enjoy everyday activities
- Lasting injuries or changes to your appearance
- Effects on your family life and personal relationships
If the truck driver or company was especially reckless, you might also be able to get punitive damages. These are intended to penalize the at-fault party and discourage similar behavior.
Thorough documentation is critical. Hold on to all bills, pay stubs, and receipts from your accident and recovery, because these documents help prove your claim and show exactly what you’ve lost.
The Main Factors That Impact Semi-Truck Accident Settlement Amounts
No two truck accidents are the same, so the settlement can change a lot depending on the situation. A few things usually make the biggest difference.
How Serious Your Injuries Are
If your injuries are serious, the settlement usually increases. Catastrophic injuries, like spine damage, brain trauma, or losing a limb, often mean long hospital stays, costly treatment, and big changes to your everyday life, which all raise the value of your claim.
Even minor injuries matter if they don’t go away or keep you from your usual routines. Things like not being able to play with your kids, do hobbies, or manage everyday chores get taken into account.
Keeping a record of how your injuries affect your daily life makes it easier to show their real impact when your claim is reviewed.
Whether You Were Partially At-Fault for the Accident
In Missouri, your settlement goes down if you’re partly at fault because the state uses a pure comparative fault system. Even being slightly at fault can lower your settlement, which is why it helps to know how insurance companies might assign blame.
The insurance company might say you were going too fast, distracted, or disobeyed a traffic rule, and each of these claims can reduce the amount you receive.
Negligence is important when determining responsibility. To prove fault, you need to demonstrate that the truck driver or company had a responsibility to act safely, that they failed to do so, and that this failure led to your injuries.
Documents like the police report, pictures from the accident, notes from witnesses, and expert input all help show who caused the crash.
Your settlement can also be affected by factors like:
- Insurance Coverage – Your potential payout is tied to the insurance policies of the driver and trucking company, with higher coverage usually meaning a bigger settlement.
- Damages Related to Your Injuries – All costs tied to your injuries, including medical bills, lost income, and continuing pain, are considered when calculating the total.
- The Strength of Your Evidence – The more detailed your records, photos, and testimony, the more likely your claim will hold up.
- Violations of Trucking Regulations – Any proof that the trucking company broke state or federal rules can raise the amount you recover.
- Ongoing Medical Treatment – Any future or long-term care, therapy, or rehabilitation you require will be included when calculating your settlement.
- Settling vs. Trial – Taking a settlement can provide money faster, whereas pursuing the case in court could result in a higher award, but it often takes more time and involves greater risk.
Do I Need to Reach Maximum Medical Improvement Before Settling
Maximum Medical Improvement, or MMI, occurs when your doctor concludes that your health has stabilized and that additional treatment is unlikely to produce major changes. Waiting until you reach MMI is very important before settling a truck accident claim.
The reason why is because settling too early can mean accepting far less than your case is really worth since you don’t yet know the full extent of your injuries or future needs.
Your doctor determines MMI by examining the progress of your condition and how you respond to the treatment, which in serious truck accidents can take months or even years.
Once MMI is reached, your doctor can provide the prospect of medical needs, such as ongoing therapy, additional surgeries, or long-term care, and this information is critical for calculating a fair settlement.
Insurance companies often push accident victims to settle quickly, knowing early agreements usually cost them less. By waiting for MMI, you make sure your settlement accounts for past, current, and future costs, which often results in higher overall compensation.
What Is the Average Truck Accident Settlement in Missouri
There isn’t a single “average” settlement for truck accidents in Missouri because every case is unique. Your settlement depends on the injuries you suffered, the way the accident happened, and several other specific factors.
Even so, looking at general ranges based on how severe different injuries are can give you a rough sense of what cases like yours might be worth, which helps you understand where your own claim could fall.
| Injury Type | Settlement Range |
| Minor injuries | $20,000 – $75,000 |
| Moderate injuries | $75,000 – $250,000 |
| Severe injuries | $250,000 – $1 million+ |
| Catastrophic injuries/death | $1 million – $5 million+ |
These numbers are just a rough starting point. What you actually get can be higher or lower depending on your situation, including the trucking company’s insurance, your age and income, and how solid your proof is. Some claims end up below these estimates, while others end up well above them.
Having a lawyer familiar with truck accidents helps a lot, because they can look at your specific circumstances and give a clearer idea of what your claim is actually worth.
The Importance of Documenting Your Injuries and Expenses
In Missouri, truck accident claims typically range from tens of thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the severity of your injuries, the strength of your evidence, the insurance coverage available, and who was at fault.
Unlike regular car accidents, truck crashes often result in higher settlements for several key reasons. First, trucking companies carry much higher insurance policy limits than regular drivers.
Second, the size and weight of commercial trucks often cause catastrophic injuries that require expensive, long-term medical care.
Because of this, it really helps to keep every receipt, note, and document, and to talk with a lawyer who knows how these claims work, so you don’t leave money on the table.
Contact Our Missouri Truck Accident Law Firm
If you were hurt in a crash involving a semi-truck, 18-wheeler, or other commercial vehicle, our team is ready to assist. At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, Paul Beck and John Beck have represented truck accident victims across Missouri since 1990, giving us decades of insight into these cases.
Truck accident claims are far more complicated than typical car accidents, so it’s not advisable to handle them alone. You’re up against large trucking companies with aggressive adjusters and defense attorneys whose goal is to limit what they pay.
We’re available around the clock to offer a free consultation and explain your options—contact us today.
Cities where our award-winning Missouri truck accident lawyers have assisted clients include St. Louis, Independence, O’Fallon, Jefferson City, Springfield, Florissant, Kirksville, Joplin, Kansas City, and more.
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