If you or someone close to you has been harmed because of a careless truck driver or a trucking company that failed to act responsibly, our experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyers can help you recover compensation.
Being hit by a semi-truck or tractor-trailer in St. Louis, Missouri, is not like an ordinary car wreck. The size and force of these vehicles often leave people with serious, sometimes life-changing injuries that can affect every part of their lives.
These crashes bring not only physical pain but also financial strain and uncertainty about what comes next. This is why having our experienced truck accident attorneys in St. Louis, Missouri, by your side is crucial.
Injured in a semi-truck accident in St. Louis, Missouri? Our legal team at Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers is available 24/7 to offer expert legal guidance. Call (314) 207-9996 now.
How Our Truck Accident Lawyers in St. Louis, Missouri, Will Help You
After a serious truck accident, your focus should be on healing, not on battling with trucking companies or insurance adjusters. Our firm takes on the legal burden so you can concentrate on recovery, while we work to secure the compensation you deserve and reduce the stress that comes with the process.
Protecting Your Health and Treatment
Our team helps you get the medical care you need, making sure records are properly documented and negotiations with providers are handled the right way. This allows us to both protect your health and build a strong case that reflects the full extent of your injuries.
Investigating the Crash
Our firm looks closely at every piece of available evidence. That can include accident reports, medical records, photographs, videos, damage to the vehicles, and electronic data pulled from the truck itself.
We also check whether the driver stayed within federal safety rules, such as limits on how long they were allowed to be on the road without rest.
Pushing Back When Fault Is Disputed
Trucking companies and their insurers often argue that the injured person shares responsibility for the wreck. Our team addresses those claims right away by gathering records, testimony, and other evidence that makes the chain of events clear.
By setting out the facts, we work to place liability where it belongs and protect your right to a full recovery.
Handling the Legal Process
From filing paperwork to managing settlement talks, we take care of every step. If the trucking company refuses to resolve the matter fairly, our trial lawyers are ready to present your case in court. Our goal is always to achieve the best possible outcome for you.
Why Choose Us To Handle Your Truck Accident Claim?
At Beck & Beck Missouri Car Accident Lawyers, we’ve been representing people hurt in truck accidents since 1990. Over that time, our firm has recovered more than $105 million for clients across Missouri.
Attorneys Paul Beck and John Beck built the practice on a simple goal—stand up for regular people against trucking companies and insurers who try to avoid responsibility.
Decades of Focused Experience
Truck accident cases aren’t the same as car accident claims. They involve federal rules, driver logs, and corporate safety policies that can be overlooked by lawyers without specific experience.
Because we’ve handled these cases for more than three decades, we know where to look for mistakes and how to prove when a company cut corners. That background gives us an edge when building a strong claim.
Proven Results for Clients
Numbers alone don’t tell the whole story, but results matter. Our record of more than $105 million recovered shows that we have the skill to take on tough cases and see them through.
Whether through settlement or trial, we make sure our clients aren’t pressured into accepting less than they deserve.
Personal Attention and Support
Large firms sometimes treat cases like files on a shelf. We work differently. Every client has direct access to us, and our experienced St. Louis truck accident attorneys make sure questions are answered and updates are clear.
When you hire our law firm, you know who is standing beside you and that your case will never be lost in the shuffle.
Understanding of State and Federal Trucking Regulations
Because truck accident claims involve more than just the crash itself, we make it a priority to fully understand both Missouri law and the federal rules that govern the trucking industry.
These regulations cover everything from driver hours and rest breaks to how companies train and supervise their employees, and knowing them allows us to uncover violations that may have played a role in the wreck.
When we find that a trucking company or driver has ignored safety rules, we use that proof to hold them responsible. Knowing how these regulations work allows us to push the cases forward without delay, deal with the insurance companies on even ground, and stand up for our clients’ rights from start to finish.
What To Do After a Truck Accident in St. Louis, Missouri
After a collision with a large truck, the first few steps matter more than most people realize. The priority is safety, but you also need to think about how to protect yourself if questions about fault or compensation come up later:
- Make sure you’re safe: Look around, check yourself and anyone with you, and if you can move to a safe spot, do it.
- Call 911 right away: Police and medical crews need to be there. The report they create is often the starting point for sorting out what happened.
- Get checked out by a doctor: Don’t brush it off. Pain and symptoms often show up later, and medical records link your injuries to the crash.
- Gather all the evidence you can: Pictures of the scene, vehicles, and road conditions help. If people saw it happen, ask for their contact information.
- Be careful with your words: Don’t guess about the cause or accept blame. Just explain the basics to the police and leave it at that.
- Stay off social media: Posts can be misused against you.
- Write things down: A short note about time, location, weather, and what you remember can help later.
Taking these steps doesn’t solve everything, yet it puts you in a stronger position moving forward.
Types of Trucking Accidents in St. Louis
Truck accidents in St. Louis take many forms, and each brings different risks for the people involved. Knowing the most common accident types helps explain why these crashes are so severe and also guides how liability is sorted out afterward.
Rear-End Collisions
One of the most frequent accidents involves trucks striking vehicles from behind. Large trucks need far more distance to stop, and when drivers misjudge space or traffic slows suddenly, the smaller vehicle often takes the full impact.
Jackknife and Rollover Accidents
When a driver brakes too sharply, the trailer can swing out and fold against the cab, blocking traffic in what’s known as a jackknife. Rollovers are another risk, especially on tight curves, ramps, or slick St. Louis roads during bad weather. Both types can involve multiple cars at once.
Blind Spot and Wide Turn Accidents
Trucks carry large blind spots on every side, and cars caught in these “no-zones” can be struck when a driver changes lanes. Similarly, wide right turns can put nearby cars or pedestrians at risk if the truck swings too far or cuts across lanes.
Underride and Side-Impact Collisions
Underride accidents, where a smaller car slides beneath a trailer, are among the most catastrophic. Side-impact crashes, often at intersections, can be just as serious when a truck driver ignores a signal or fails to yield.
Other Risks: Tire Blowouts, Cargo Spills, and Head-On Collisions
Tire failures, unsecured cargo, and even trucks drifting into oncoming traffic remain dangers on Missouri highways. Each creates sudden hazards that can affect many drivers at once.
Determining Liability in Semi-Truck Accidents
In Missouri, fault for a truck accident doesn’t always rest on the driver alone. The trucking company, a repair shop, the parts maker, or even the crew that loaded the trailer may share blame.
Each accident is different, which is why the process starts with a close look at every detail.
Who Can Be Held Accountable
A driver may be at fault for speeding, breaking rest rules, or skipping inspections. If the company that hired them failed to screen their background or train them, that can shift liability to the employer.
If a defective brake or tire caused the crash, the manufacturer could be pulled in. Cargo loaders or mechanics may also be named if their mistakes played a role.
Sorting this out takes more than reviewing a police report. Driver logs, service records, and black box data are often examined. Witnesses may be interviewed and, when needed, accident reconstruction experts help explain what really happened.
Because several parties may be involved, the role of our skilled St. Louis personal injury attorneys is to connect the evidence, identify who is responsible, and pursue the compensation you need to recover.
Can I Still Receive Compensation If I’m Partly to Blame?
In Missouri, you don’t have to be completely free of blame to bring a claim after a truck accident. The rule is simple: your damages are cut by the percentage of fault assigned to you. It doesn’t bar you from recovering money, it only reduces the amount.
Here’s what that looks like. Suppose the crash left you with losses valued at $100,000. A court decides you were 15% at fault because you rolled through a stop sign before the truck driver ran the red light. That means your recovery is reduced by 15%. Instead of $100,000, you’d receive $85,000.
Insurance companies know this system and often use it to their advantage. They may argue your share of the blame is higher than it really was. The more fault they can pin on you, the less they have to pay.
That’s why these cases usually come down to proving exactly how the accident happened and making sure fault percentages are set fairly.
Damages in Truck Accident Claims
After a truck accident, the losses people face are rarely simple. Some are financial, some affect daily life in ways you cannot put on paper, and in rare cases the law allows for punishment when conduct is extreme. These fall into three main groups.
Economic Damages
These cover the money side of the case. Medical bills are the biggest part, but not the only one:
- Emergency care, follow-up visits, and ongoing treatment
- Rehab or therapy if you need it long term
- Wages you lost while out of work
- Future income if you cannot do the same job anymore
- Repairs or replacement of your vehicle. They add up fast.
What matters is documenting each one so they are not left out of the claim.
Non-Economic Damages
Some harms don’t come with a receipt. These are harder to measure but just as real:
- Constant pain or limits on movement
- Stress, depression, or sleep issues from the crash
- Strain on family life or relationships
- Scars or changes in appearance
The law lets you recover for these because life after a wreck is often very different, even once bills are paid.
Punitive Damages
Punitive damages are not common. They only come into play when someone acted far worse than careless. A drunk driver or a company pushing drivers to break safety rules could face them.
The purpose is to punish and send a message, not to cover your bills. Whether this applies depends entirely on the facts uncovered in the case.
How Long Do I Have To File a Truck Accident Lawsuit?
If you were hurt in a truck accident in Missouri, the law gives you a set amount of time to act. Under Section 516.120 of the Missouri Code, most personal injury claims, including those from semi-truck crashes, must be filed within five years. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations, and it applies whether you’re pursuing an insurance claim or a lawsuit.
Missing this deadline can have serious consequences because once the window closes, the trucking company and its insurer have no obligation to negotiate. If you still try to file in court, the defense can point out that the deadline expired, and a judge will likely dismiss your case regardless of the evidence.
There are a few exceptions, such as if the injured person was under 21, incapacitated, or if the defendant left Missouri after the crash. On the other hand, claims against government agencies have much shorter timelines, sometimes as little as 90 days.
Skilled Truck Accident Injury Law Firm in St. Louis, Missouri
When a truck accident happens, the companies behind the driver are quick to protect themselves. Their insurance carriers often send investigators to the crash site right away, gathering statements and looking for ways to reduce what they might owe.
By the time you are focused on medical care, the other side is already working to limit their responsibility. This imbalance can leave injured victims at a disadvantage if they don’t act quickly.
Our experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyers understand how these cases are handled and know the strategies trucking companies rely on. Our team works to build strong claims, uncover evidence, and make sure your voice is heard.
If you or a family member has been injured in a truck accident, we encourage you to reach out to us without delay. Contact us today for a free consultation to discuss your case and your options.
Locations in and around St. Louis which our truck accident law firm serves include Florissant, O’Fallon, Maplewood, Richmond Heights, Wellston, Jennings, Jefferson City, Independence, and more.