Truck Accident Lawyers in Kansas City Missouri
As the number of large trucks traveling on the highway increases, so does the number of semi-truck collisions in Kansas and Missouri. Commercial carriers are focused on turning a profit, and many neglect safety standards. This carelessness often leads to tragedy.
According to government data, there are more than 475,000 semi-accidents across the US each year, with more than 5,000 fatalities and approximately 140,000 injuries. Although these numbers fluctuate year to year, the number of fatal semi-collisions continues to rise.
If you have been involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, it is critical to speak with an experienced attorney right away. The truck accident lawyers at Kendall Law Group have been helping individuals and families put their lives back together for decades and have the skills necessary to aggressively stand up to negligent trucking companies and drivers to obtain maximum compensation for our clients.
Truck Accident Injuries v. Car
Accident Injuries
Semi-truck accidents in Kansas and Missouri are far more likely to result in fatalities or catastrophic injuries than accidents among passenger vehicles. Due to their weight and size, commercial trucks require longer distances to stop and impact with harder force. Enormous size combined with excessive speed is often disastrous. Semi-trucks hauling hazardous material also pose higher risks for fires and explosions. The most common injuries sustained in semi-truck accidents are head and neck trauma, broken bones, burns, cuts and lacerations, internal bleeding and spinal cord injuries. Such catastrophic injuries require extensive medical treatment, resulting in mountains of medical bills, time away from work, and in some cases, permanent disability and/or disfigurement.
Being seriously injured in a semi-truck accident can be physically, mentally, and financially devastating for many individuals and families.
Kansas City Truck Accident Causes
In our experience, many Kansas City semi-truck wrecks have common causation factors. These include excessive speed, distracted driving, driving too fast for conditions and/or traffic levels, fatigued drivers, driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol, and mechanical failures.
Many trucking companies fail when screening new employees, and hire drivers with questionable driving histories, such as repeat traffic violations, histories of alcohol and drug abuse, and those with minimal driving experience. Other companies offer little to no safety training and do not have a functional safety program to prevent or reduce the number of preventable accidents. Other companies fail to properly maintain
their equipment.
In some cases, the truck driver is also a victim and has been taken advantage of by their employer, being pushed past the point of exhaustion to meet unrealistic delivery expectations. A tired and stressed-out driver behind the wheel of a tractor-trailer is clearly unsafe.
Kansas City Truck Accident, Who is Liable?
After a Missouri or Kansas heavy truck accident, if the driver is an independent operator, you may have a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance company. If the operator is employed by a commercial carrier, in some cases, the carrier may also be held liable for their employees’ (drivers’) actions. This is accomplished through the negligent hiring doctrine and respondeat superior.
The negligent hiring doctrine also extends to company employees who intentionally harm someone in circumstances of road rage. For the doctrine to be applicable, the carrier must have known or reasonably should have known that its employee posed a risk of inflicting harm. This comes into play when drivers are hired with a criminal record or a history of traffic violations or drug and alcohol abuse. This doctrine also extends to other commercial vehicles, such as company vans, trucks, buses, and box trucks.
Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me
When it comes to truck accident lawyers, not all firms are created equally. The attorney you choose will be guiding you through one of the most challenging times of your life. The attorneys at Kendall Law Group genuinely care and want to give you back your peace of mind after a serious personal injury. We are compassionate, trustworthy, and persistent.
If you or your loved one has been injured or killed in an accident involving a commercial vehicle in Kansas or Missouri, do not delay, contact Kendall Law Group today at (816) 531-3100.