Cape Girardeau Delivery Truck Accidents

Motor vehicle collisions involving delivery trucks can take many forms and occur for a variety of reasons. For instance, let us say that you are driving on Perryville Road to Cape Jaycee Municipal Golf Course, which is located at 3280 Perryville Road, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701. A delivery truck driver approaching in the lane of oncoming traffic is preoccupied with his GPS and does not realize he is veering into your lane. As a result, the delivery truck collides with you head-on and causes you to suffer serious injuries.

Your injuries, as well as their nature and severity, play a big role in determining the amount and types of compensation you may be awarded. Many plaintiffs are awarded compensatory damages, which can be categorized into two types of damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. If you went to a medical facility like Southeast Missouri Hospital – located at 1701 Lacey Street, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701 – for medical attention regarding your injuries after the collision, you can be may be entitled to economic damages, which are awarded for monetary losses stemming from the accident, such as lost wages, medical bills, and lost earning capacity. Loss of consortium, pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of enjoyment of life, and other intangible losses can be compensated for via non-economic damages.

Of course, damages cannot be the main focus of your case until liability has been established, so in order to do that, you will need to establish the truck driver’s negligence by proving that the defendant owed you a duty of reasonable care, but breached that duty, which caused you to become injured. An attorney can aid you in substantiating your claim, not to mention deal with the trucking company on your behalf in order to maximize your recovery.

In Missouri, employers are typically responsible for the negligence of their employees committed within the course and scope of their employment. However, vicarious liability may not apply if the employee deviated from his job responsibilities. In the context of a delivery truck accident, the company will likely be liable if the driver was traveling on an authorized route, but if the delivery driver had taken a detour to run a personal errand, the company may not be responsible. Some companies choose to classify delivery truck drivers as independent contractors in order to reduce their liability in case an accident takes place. Your lawyer will be able to analyze situations like this while guiding you through the legal process.