St. Louis Blind Spot Truck Accidents
If you were involved in a blind spot accident, the repercussions can be severe, often leaving you with broken bones, deep lacerations, and a significant amount of recovery time. However, if these blind spot accidents involve a commercial truck, the results can be devastating or even deadly. If a victim can survive this horrifying crash, they’ll likely have to endure debilitating or permanent injuries, excruciating pain, and extensive medical expenses that can forever impact their financial security.
If you suffered severe injuries in a St. Louis blind spot trucking accident, you need legal help you can count on. At NST Law, we’re ready to provide you with the legal support you require to help you recover financially and physically.
Our St. Louis truck accident attorneys can help you file an insurance claim or initiate a civil lawsuit to fight for the justice and monetary damages you deserve.
What are a large commercial truck's blind spots?
A truck’s blind spot, often referred to as a “No Zone,” is the area around the massive commercial vehicle where a car is no longer visible to the truck driver. As a result, when you’re in a truck’s blind spots, you have a much greater risk of getting into a deadly collision and suffering serious injuries.
A truck’s blind spots include the areas directly behind the truck, directly in front of the truck, and along each side of the truck, especially on the right side. If you cannot see the truck driver in their mirrors, you’re in the truck’s blind spot, and they are unable to see you.
It’s not a good idea to linger in these designated blind spot areas for lengthy times. Instead, get out of a truck’s blind spots as quickly as possible to avoid dangerous situations.
Why are blind spots dangerous?
Blind spots tend to be dangerous because they hinder a motorist’s view of another vehicle, individuals, and other obstacles directly behind them, in front of them, or to their sides. Consequently, these visual impairments not only pose a threat to the driver, but other passengers, motorists, motorcyclists, and even pedestrians on the road, resulting in severe and often fatal injuries.
What types of accidents are caused by blind spots?
When a truck driver fails to check their blind spots when changing lanes or merging, it can result in a dangerous crash. The most common types of accidents resulting from blind spots include:
- Side collisions
- Rollover crashes
- T-bone crashes
- Rear-end accidents
Where are blind-spot truck accidents likely to happen in St. Louis?
Blind spot collisions typically occur when a truck changes lanes, especially when driving on high-speed roadways, highways, interstates, or roundabouts. As a result, in St. Louis, these accidents are likely to happen on:
City Highways
St. Louis is home to some of the most dangerous highways in the U.S., including Interstate 44, Interstate 55, Interstate 70, and Interstate 64. Consequently, because of the high speeds and congested traffic on these roadways, blind spot truck accidents are frequent, often resulting in severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, and death.
City Roundabouts
Although roundabouts offer numerous benefits to drivers, they’re also a significant factor in devastating blind spot accidents because they reduce visibility, increasing the risk of blind spot collisions. As a result, passenger vehicles in St. Louis need to pay extra attention when traveling through roundabouts, such as those located at Route 141 and Woods Mill Road, to ensure they stay out of a truck driver’s blind spots.
Staying Out of a Truck's Blind Spots
If a passenger vehicle is driving next to large trucks on the road, there are several things they can do to avoid being in the commercial vehicle’s blind spots, including:
- Not following the truck too closely
- Not lingering in the trucker’s blind spots
- Giving big rigs plenty of room when in front of them
- Keeping a safe distance from the sides of the truck
- Avoiding passing the truck on the right side
In addition, it’s vital to stay alert at all times while driving. Don’t use your cell phone on the roadways, and watch out for the trucker’s behavior, including driver fatigue resulting in erratic driving. Lastly, always make sure the trucker can see you in their rearview mirror.
Who's liable for a blind spot truck accident in St. Louis?
Generally, the driver with the blind spot is liable for the accident because it’s inferred that a motorist should be responsible when behind the wheel, including being aware of blind spots. Drivers should check their blind spots by turning their heads or double-checking their mirrors before switching lanes or making any sudden maneuvers.
Consequently, if a driver doesn’t check their mirrors or make added efforts, such as turning their heads, to ensure a clear path and an accident results, the injured party can argue that the driver was negligent and thereby responsible for the blind spot collision. However, there are often exceptions to this liability, and ultimately fault will depend on which driver violated the local traffic laws. A thorough investigation by a St. Louis truck accident attorney can help determine the liable party.
Am I partially at fault for a truck accident if I'm in a truck driver's blind spot?
In a truck collision, the defendants may argue that the accident victim was at fault for the crash because they were driving in the truck’s blind spot. However, riding in a truck’s blind spot doesn’t necessarily make you responsible for the collision. For instance, if the truck driver was negligent in maneuvering, they can still be liable for causing the crash, even if you were in their blind spot.
It’s important to note that Missouri is a comparative fault state, meaning multiple parties may be liable for the same accident based on their contributing degrees of blame. As a result, if you’re found partially at fault for the collision because you were in the truck’s blind spot, you may share a percentage of liability for the crash, which can essentially lower the compensation you can receive. A St. Louis truck accident attorney can evaluate your case to determine any contributing fault that can potentially affect your claim’s worth.
Can I receive compensation if I'm injured in a blind spot truck accident in St. Louis?
If you suffer injuries in a blind spot truck accident in St. Louis because of another person’s wrongful or negligent actions, you may be entitled to compensation for your losses. This compensation often includes:
- Medical bills, including emergency services, hospital stays, doctors’ appointments, surgeries, prescription medications, and future or ongoing medical treatments
- Lost wages from missed work because of hospitalization or recovery time
- Lost earning capacity if you were temporarily, partially, or permanently disabled
- Personal property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, scarring, and other non-economic damages stemming from your injuries incurred by the other person’s negligence
In some instances, the court may also award punitive damages depending on the circumstances of the accident. These damages are intended to punish a driver whose actions were grossly negligent or intentionally harmful, such as drinking and driving.
Can I sue if my loved one died in a blind spot truck accident?
In St. Louis, if your family member dies in a blind spot truck accident because of another person’s negligent or wrongful actions, you can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the responsible parties. However, to prove your loved one‘s wrongful death, you will need to show that the fatal accident was the direct result of the defendant’s actions. You must work with a St. Louis wrongful death lawyer who can determine if you’re eligible to file a wrongful death suit and secure the evidence needed to successfully prove and assert the elements of your wrongful death claim.
How can a St. Louis personal injury attorney at NST Law help me after a blind spot truck accident?
Proving fault in a blind spot truck accident isn’t always an easy task. It often requires relevant evidence showing guilt and damages, and you must have solid legal arguments to help establish and support your claims. However, following a devastating accident of this magnitude, securing the necessary proof is usually a daunting undertaking. Fortunately, with a blind spot truck accident lawyer on your side, you won’t have to tackle the legal portion of your recovery alone.
Once retained, our personal injury attorneys at NST Law can:
- Go over your blind spot truck accident in detail, verify whether you have a valid claim, and determine the legal options that might work best for you, providing you with the most successful outcome
- Answer your questions and address your concerns, and give you legal advice to help you make quick and prudent decisions
- Investigate your truck accident and secure the evidence needed to show liability and damages, including the police report, medical records, and witness statements or depositions
- Handle negotiations with the other party, their counsel, and the insurance companies to pursue a fair settlement on your behalf
- Take your case to trial when needed and advocate for your right to compensation for your injuries and damages
If a blind spot truck accident disrupted your life or took the life of your loved one prematurely, contact NST Law today for a free initial consultation. Our legal team can provide you with the information you need to prove your claim and get you fair compensation to assist in your healing.