Investigators into a multi-car trucking accident on Highway 40 say the truck driver was using a cell phone at the time of the wreck, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported. According to the paper, the driver admitted to investigators that he was reaching for and opening his phone before his truck hit a line of vehicles at the junction with Interstate 270. He may also have told a witness that he was using the phone and apologized, the paper reported.
The investigations are not yet complete, but a spokeswoman for he Missouri Highway Patrol said the investigation has already found “several violations.” The truck driver may be criminally charged when the Missouri Highway Patrol turns the case over to the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office. The crash killed three people and left 15 others injured, some quite seriously. At least five Missouri truck accident lawsuits have already been filed, along with another trucking accident claim in southern Illinois. The article starts with a story of one of the survivors of the crash, a man who suffered severe brain trauma when his Toyota Camry was crushed by the tractor-trailer. The man, 53, now lives in a nursing home and depends on a feeding tube to survive.
Unfortunately, this kind of horrific injury is not an unusual outcome for a serious commercial truck accident. As we have mentioned before on this blog, trucking accidents can be very serious because the much greater weight of the truck can literally crush a car, pickup or SUV. This can cause very serious injuries to the vehicle’s occupants, including serious brain injuries like this one, paralysis, severe burns and even wrongful deaths. And that means everyone on the road runs serious risks when truck drivers (and trucking companies) make even one serious lapse in judgment. Government agencies set strict rules for the trucking industry because they understand those dangers. But all too often, trucking companies and truckers break those laws to save a little money, make their deliveries on time or just to make a phone call.
When carelessness or law-breaking by truckers leads to deaths and serious injuries, the victims can and should hold them responsible by filing a legal claim. In a St. Louis trucking accident lawsuit, victims can win payment of their medical bills and other financial outlays caused by the accident; make up for a lost income; and win compensation for a premature death or lifelong disability. At the Lowe Law Firm, we represent truck accident clients in both Missouri and southern Illinois. If you would like to speak with our experienced trucking accident lawyers about your case at a free consultation, please contact us online as soon as possible.
