Personal Injury Law

Tractor Trailer Crash Injuries Missouri Man

By Ryan Bradley, Esq.

Robert Lord, 27, of Chaffee, Missouri was injured Wednesday night when his 1993 Toyota was rear ended by a tractor trailer on Interstate 55, according the Missouri Highway Patrol.

The investigating officer said the driver of the 2005 Freightliner Truck, Jamal Suleiman, 39, was attempting to change lanes when he struck the back of Lord?s vehicle. Lord?s Toyota was forced of the roadway and into the median.

Lord received treatment for his injuries at St. Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau where he was listed in moderate condition. Suleiman was uninjured, according to the crash report.

This case, like other Missouri truck accidents we have covered on this site, should be investigated to determine if any trucking regulations were violated. Highly competitive trucking companies and overly ambitious drivers will often cheat the regulations by driving their big rigs longer or faster than is safe. This haste can lead to serious crashes and regulation violations are often grounds for punitive damages against a trucking company in these instances.

Dedicated truck accident lawyers have the industry knowledge and know how to handle a trucking violation case. A personal injury attorney should be contacted as soon as possible, though, because evidence of negligence on the part of the trucking company can be lost. Drivers are supposed to keep meticulous records of their driving hours, but the law only requires these records to be kept for a limited time.

Under most circumstances, Missouri law says that the at-fault driver?s negligence is presumed in rear impact car accidents. This is commonly called the ?rear end collision doctrine,? and it is based on the reasoning that all drivers are required to be in control of their vehicles at all times.

If the driver in Wednesday?s crash is found to be negligent, a personal injury lawsuit could follow. At that time, discovery of pertinent documents will shed light on whether there were violations committed by this driver.

The Bradley Law Firm has recovered millions of dollars in trucking accidents for numerous clients over the last thirty years. Feel free to contact us with any questions related to your personal injury case. Consultations are always free.

Full post as published by Missouri Accident Lawyer Blog on July 03, 2008 (boomark / email).