St. Charles sits just outside St. Louis on the I-70 corridor. Semi-trucks pass down this major interstate through the town all day long. The odds of getting into a semi-truck accident cannot be ignored when you live here. If you’ve had one crash into you, it’s time to contact Morelli Law.
Our St. Charles truck accident lawyers will help you seek justice against the trucker, their employer, and any other party that contributed to your accident. You may be owed significant compensation, but you can only get it with the help of a lawyer. Find out why we should be yours in a free consultation.
Steps of Investigating Semi-Truck Accident Claims
When you work with a lawyer, one of the first things they’ll do is investigate your claim to see if it’s valid and how much it’s worth. Here are some of the steps we’ll take to do this for your semi-truck accident:
- Collect evidence: Take photos and videos of the crash site, the vehicle damage, debris on the road, etc.
- Examine driving records: Study the driver’s logbooks, their driving record, and personnel file for any signs of negligence
- Find and interview witnesses: We’ll reach out to eye-witnesses, first responders, and anyone else who saw the accident.
- Analyze the truck’s data recorder: Some commercial trucks contain a “black box” that will reveal data about the state of the truck before and during the crash.
- Speak with experts: Testimony from doctors, crash reconstruction experts, and other professionals can strengthen claims about your case.
- Examine the truck: We’ll also check for any equipment defects or failures, or problems with the truck’s mechanical condition.
This evidence will tell us who is responsible for your accident. Once we know which parties are, our semi-truck accident lawyers can take action by filing a claim or a lawsuit against the responsible parties.
Many semi-truck cases have more than one defendant. The driver and their employee are the most obvious parties, but there can be others like the mechanic or the team that loaded the vehicle incorrectly. You need to have someone like Morelli Law that has experience in these cases that knows what to look for when investigating these accidents.
FMCSA Violations Can Prove Liability
Semi-truck drivers and their employers must follow regulations set by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. A violation of these regulations can cause accidents and make semi-truck drivers liable for crashes. Our team can discover if this happened in your case.
One common violation is driving beyond the maximum number of hours allowed in a day or a week. Driving for long periods of time causes fatigue, so there are strict driving limits and mandatory rest breaks so drivers can recover.
However, it’s more profitable for the driver if they drive more miles on the clock, and sometimes employers may encourage a driver to bend the rules to complete a run. These incentives can make them break the law and create great danger for others on the road. It’s just as dangerous to drive tired as it is to drive drunk.
St. Charles Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me 877-751-9800
How Much Could I Get from a Semi-truck Accident Settlement?
The amount in a settlement or award depends on many factors, so it’s impossible to know how much you could get without knowing the facts of your case. Yet we can say a few things about the value of these settlements.
Many semi-truck accident cases have more than one defendant. This means there are multiple paths to compensation and more insurance policies. Also, the insurance policies carried by truck drivers and their employers have higher limits than standard auto policies.
This means that your potential compensation amount is much higher. However, your St. Charles semi-truck accident lawyer will need to prove all of your damages through evidence and negotiate with the insurers to come to a fair settlement.
Will My Semi-truck Accident Case Go to Trial?
You gain the option of suing whoever harmed you when you hire a lawyer, but most cases get settled out of court. There are several reasons why:
More Predictable
Going to trial is uncertain for both sides because it puts the result in the hands of a judge and jury. A lot of things can go wrong for either side. If you lose your case because a jury is unconvinced or a witness says something wrong in the stand, you’ll be left with nothing.
Costs Less
Lawsuits are expensive, especially if you have a complex case involving expert witnesses. A defendant going to trial still has to pay their lawyers even if they win their case, and it’s still very expensive for plaintiffs and their lawyers.
It can be far less expensive for both sides to settle for a large amount of money than fight a case all the way through court.
Saves Time
Lawsuits take a long time to finish. Sometimes it can take years to finish, and you won’t get your compensation until it’s all done. This can be incredibly frustrating and stressful if you need money right away. A settlement lets you get money much faster.
However, sometimes going all the way to trial is in your best interest. When you work with our semi-truck accident lawyers in St. Charles, we can discuss what a fair settlement is in your case, the pros and cons of trial, and whether your case needs to go to trial to achieve justice.
Call Morelli Law for a Free Consultation
If a semi-truck has crashed into you and you need compensation after your accident, it’s time to call the team at Morelli Law. You may have grounds to pursue legal action. Let our lawyers examine the facts of your case and help you decide your best course of action.
To get started, contact our offices for a free case evaluation. Morelli Law has helped our clients win over 1 billion in compensation. Put our expertise to work for you by calling us today. Our lawyers work on contingency, so you will owe us nothing for our services unless you win your case with our help.