Semi Truck Accidents in St. Louis

A semi truck or semi-trailer truck is an articulated commercial vehicle having a separate tractor with a cab for the driver which pulls a trailer attached to the tractor. The semi trailer has no front axle, due to the fact that the front part of the trailer is the part that is coupled to the tractor.

Unlike a small truck, a semi truck is a large, heavy and complex piece of equipment and requires special attention and maintenance. Improper semi truck maintenance can be the cause of an accident on the roads and highways in St. Louis such as I-70, I-170, I-64, I-44, I-55, U.S. 40, MO-30, MO-115 and MO-100.

St. Louis Semi Truck Maintenance

Trucking companies operating in St. Louis, Missouri are required by law to properly maintain their semi truck fleet. A St. Louis trucking company or any company that uses vehicles to transport passengers or property along major St. Louis highways, such as I-70, I-170, I-64, I-44, I-55, U.S. 40, MO-30, MO-115 or MO-100, should have a maintenance program in place. Improper maintenance is often a major cause of accidents in St. Louis and St. Louis County and both the driver and trucking company have a duty to ensure the safety of their vehicles.

Why You Need To Hire a St. Louis Semi Truck Accident Lawyer

In many cases, St. Louis 18-wheeler accident attorneys must retain the services of scientific and medical experts to prove both the cause of the accident and the cause of your injuries. Additionally, a qualified semi truck accident lawyer will obtain all kinds of evidence concerning the scene of the crash, truck logs, and other important information to be used against the trucker, trucking company, or the company’s insurer. Arranging expert witness testimony and preparing important physical and documentary evidence is just one of many ways a St. Louis tractor trailer injury lawyer can help you after you’ve suffered a truck accident injury from a major 18-wheeler truck wreck.

If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious box truck wreck, semi crash or big rig accident, hiring a lawyer is the farthest thing from your mind when tragedy such as this strikes you, a family member, or a friend. However, this is when you need a St. Louis truck accident lawyer most. Do yourself a favor by calling one of the qualified St. Louis truck accident lawyers listed on this page. Hire a qualified St. Louis tractor trailer accident lawyer to help protect your rights.

St. Louis Owner-Operator Semi Truck Maintenance

Not all semi trucks are operated by trucking companies. St. Louis semi truck owner-operators are also required by law to properly maintain their semi trucks and keep them in good working condition. Travelers who become involved in an auto accident driving in a passenger vehicle on a St. Louis interstate such as I-70, I-170, I-64, I-44, I-55, U.S. 40, MO-30, MO-115 and MO-100 can easily become a multiple vehicle car accident or pileup due to the sheer volume of traffic in the Greater St. Louis area. Unfortunately, this can often occur due to improperly maintained semi trucks owned by small businesses. For example, improper maintenance is often found in St. Louis owner-operator situations where one driver owns his or her own semi truck. An owner-operator may let the condition of their semi truck slip and still able to get the job done because the owner-operator is running a small business and may not have the time or money to properly maintenance and inspect their commercial vehicle. Regardless of the size of the company, this is an unacceptable situation. Despite the fact that a semi truck is owned and operated by the trucker, if poor maintenance is found to be the cause of an accident, the vehicle owner will be liable for failing to properly maintain it. The following is a list of semi truck maintenance repair shops in St. Louis:

Longer Vehicle Combinations (LVCs)

A semi truck can pull more than a single trailer. A Longer Vehicle Combination (LVC) is a semi trailer configuration where a truck tractor would haul up to 3 trailers. The sheer size and weight of an LVC makes it even more likely that an accident can occur. An LVC requires more diligence on the part of the trucker and the trucking company to maintain the truck, avoid bad loads and drive safely.

Additionally, entering and exiting St. Louis requires careful navigation on many on and off ramps and LVCs have to be especially careful when negotiating these turns present on these on and off ramps.

Following are some LVC combinations that although are capable of hauling greater loads, nevertheless present challenges for driving in downtown St. Louis:

• Doubles - Two trailers being pulled by a truck tractor with the use of a draw bar to support the second trailer.
• Triples - Three trailers being pulled by a truck tractor with the use of two draw bars to support the second and third trailers.

In LVC combinations, the first cargo unit being pulled by the truck tractor is a “semi-trailer” (having no front axle) and the second or third cargo unit is a “trailer” or “pup” (having a front and a rear axle).

The maximum legal gross vehicle weight of a longer vehicle combination to operate on a U.S. interstate highway is 80,000 pounds.

Semi Truck Accident Attorneys Serve St. Louis and Surrounding Cities

Serving clients throughout Eastern Missouri, including Affton, Alton, Ballwin, Belleville, Cape Girardeau, Carbondale, Charleston, Chesterfield, Collinsville, Columbia, Dardenne, East St. Louis, Edwardsville, Ellisville, Eureka, Ferguson, Florissant, Granite City, Jefferson City, Kirkwood, Lake St. Louis, Maryland Heights, Mehlville, Murphy, Oakville, O'Fallon, Quincy, Spanish Lake, Springfield, St. Ann, St. John, St. Louis, St. Peters, Troy, University City, Waterloo, Webster Grove, Weldon Spring, Wildwood, areas in the vicinity of BNSF-St. Louis, Boeing, CSX-East St. Louis, Ford Motor Assembly Plant, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, NS-St. Louis, Scott Air Force Base, Spirit of St. Louis Airport, UP-St. Louis, and other communities in Greater St. Louis.

St. Louis Semi Truck accident attorneys are experienced in handling serious injury truck collision cases and can help you fight the trucking company or its insurer in order to get you the compensation you deserve. Contact a St. Louis 18 wheeler accident lawyer today for a FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION.