According to Missouri transportation officials, Missouri fatal accidents involving commercial vehicles and trucks have dropped 50 percent in the last five years, according to KansasCity.com.
In 2005, Missouri had 173 accidents involving commercial vehicles that resulted in fatal injuries to at least one vehicle occupant. By 2009, that number decreased to 88 accidents. The number of deaths resulting from accidents involving commercial vehicles also dropped – from 205 deaths in 2005 to 89 in 2009.
Officials cite four reasons for the decrease in Missouri commercial truck accidents. First, there have been fewer crossover accidents on divided highways. Also, “rumble strips” have been installed on many Missouri highways, which help drivers to stay within their lanes. Emergency response times have improved in both St. Louis and Kansas City. Finally, officials say that fewer commercial vehicles, as well as passenger vehicles, are on the roads due to the economy.
Although Missouri wrongful death truck accidents are declining, still far too many people are injured or killed each year from commercial truck crashes. Statistics show that large trucks are much more likely to be involved in a fatal multi-car vehicle collision than a passenger car. Two reasons for this are size and speed of the vehicle – about 27 percent of all commercial truck drivers involved in a fatal crash had at least one prior speeding conviction.
Have you been injured in a Missouri accident that involved a commercial truck? If so, you may be able to collect compensation for your injuries from the trucking company. Contact the St. Louis trucking accident attorneys at Page Law for a free consultation on your case at 314-322-8515 today.
A recent St. Louis Post-Dispatch story emphasizes the serious risk of commercial truck driver inattention. After one truck driver took his focus off of the highway along Interstate 55, he crashed into one vehicle, and then collided with another, dragging it for approximately 100 yards before stopping.
Based on the story, the truck driver told officers that he took his attention away from the road to look to his right. When he looked back at the road, he noticed that traffic had come to a halt. Unfortunately, a 52-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman were killed as a consequence of the tractor trailer being unable to stop in time.
The Jefferson County chain-reaction accident involved eight vehicles and is currently being further examined through reconstruction investigation. When truck accidents are caused by truck driver negligence or trucking company oversight and result in serious injury, and especially in fatality, responsible parties may face criminal charges in addition to civil liability.
Overconfidence, fatigue, distraction, and various forms of reckless and negligent behavior have individually and collectively contributed to a handful of Missouri tractor trailer crashes as well as other accidents throughout our nation. Truck accidents can lead to wide range of calamities such as head trauma, spinal cord injury, broken bones, lacerations, and even wrongful death. These truck accident consequences often do not affect the truck driver; instead, pedestrians as well as drivers and passengers of smaller vehicles and motorcycles are typically the ones who suffer.
State and Federal trucking rules and regulations are intended to help keep roads and highways safe by setting truck inspection, maintenance, repair, and driving laws for truck drivers and trucking companies to follow. If an accident results from these regulations being broken or another form of negligence, injured individuals and family members of wrongful death victims may seek compensation. Contact the aggressive and skilled St. Louis tractor trailer collision attorneys at Page Law to learn more about your legal rights and options. Call 314-322-8515 for a free consultation today.
