History of Ferguson, Missouri
Ferguson is a small city located in northern St. Louis.
It’s relatively impoverished compared to most of its surrounding cities and to national statistics.
Ferguson struggles with crime and population retention.
The town’s reputation was shattered when 18-year-old Mike Brown was shot and killed by a police officer in 2014.
Ferguson had already been struggling in many ways, and the event merely heightened their troubles.
The city has since soothed much of the violence and protest surrounding Mike Brown’s death, yet they are far from being considered a prosperous community.
In turn, many Ferguson residents lack the resources to recover from a traffic accident.
TorHoerman Law serves the people of Ferguson as a reliable and cost-effective Ferguson truck accident lawyer.
Truck Accident Statistics For Ferguson, MO
One of the best ways to fully realize the gravity of traffic accidents is by studying statistics.
Stats on traffic accidents are collected and analyzed by many agencies, both government, and independent.
Here are some truck accident statistics from Driving-tests.org:
- Truck accidents cause 130,000 injuries each year.
- Nearly 4,000 fatal crashes in the US involve trucks weighing over 10,000 pounds.
- Fatal truck accidents are most likely to occur in rural areas (about 60% each year).
- Truck accidents are most likely to occur during the day and on weekdays.
- Less than 6% of truck drivers are women.
- Truckers drive more than 430 billion miles each year collectively.
- 100% of truck accident victims in St. Louis are thankful after consulting a Ferguson truck accident lawyer.
- Missouri experiences more traffic accidents and fatalities than the average state, with St. Louis and Kansas City being especially dangerous.
Don’t fall prey to assuming nothing is wrong on the roads.
Truck accidents are very real and can easily be fatal.
So consider these statistics and spread the word.
Tips For Safe Trucking
Despite the training required for truck drivers, certain precautions are often ignored when it actually comes time to hit the streets.
Take note of these tips from Smart-trucking.com on driving a truck the right way:
- Stay focused. Don’t let your mind wander. The behavior of other drivers, the functionality of your truck, and irregularities in your environment should all be at the forefront of your mind when driving.
- Stay up-to-date with the weather. Driving in a storm is different than driving in the sunshine. By keeping up with the weather report, you can fully prepare for unruly weather conditions.
- Avoid high-traffic times and areas. More cars mean less safe. If you can plan your route to avoid traffic, you’ll thereby prevent stress and even disaster.
- Check out your destination before entering. Trucks are not exactly “pocket-sized.” Even a seemingly vast drop-off location may not properly satisfy the build of your truck. Upon arriving, park somewhere safe, investigate where your truck is supposed to go, and act accordingly.
- Practice commonsense driving habits. Maintain a generous distance between you and other vehicles. Don’t change lanes too often. Be attentive at night. Refuel before you get too low. Keep all necessary amenities in your truck anytime you’re driving (license, registration, insurance, GPS, compass, cell phone with the number of a Ferguson truck accident lawyer, oil, emergency gasoline). Drive smart! You know what is safe and what isn’t, so listen to your conscience.
Steps To Take After A Truck Accident
If you’ve never been in a serious accident, being involved in a truck accident can be traumatic.
Your fight-or-flight response is likely to help, but there are some additional steps you should be ready to take:
- Move your vehicle away from the road. Ideally, keep it away from other vehicles and pedestrians in the case of an explosion.
- Get out of your car or truck if possible.
- Check on others who were affected by the accident. It’s usually necessary to call 911, even if injuries are minor.
- Collect information from the scene. Get any identifying info you can from the other people in the crash. It’s also strongly recommended that you take photos of the accident’s location and vehicles.
- Call your insurer. They’ll help answer your initial questions and begin investigating compensation for damages to your vehicle.
- If you aren’t satisfied with the services of your insurer, call a Ferguson truck accident lawyer. They’ll go the extra step to see if you’re owed more money. In some cases, victims of truck accidents receive massive compensations. Some lawyers use a contingency fee system.
Truck Laws and Truck Accident Lawsuits
Truck accidents are usually treated as a personal injury case in the court of law.
The typical scenario is that someone endures a truck accident that they don’t believe was their fault and that their life negatively changed as a result.
The victim will then contact a personal injury attorney who reviews their situation and either pursues their case in court or refers them elsewhere.
Here are some of a truck accident lawyer’s duties:
If the case makes it to court, each side will make arguments about exactly who’s liable for the truck accident.
In Missouri, the final settlement depends on whose fault the accident was.
The percentage that the crash was your fault is deducted from the proposed compensation.
If the court rules it was 20% your fault, the settlement would be reduced from $100,000 to $80,000.
Consequently, it’s beneficial to talk to an attorney even if you aren’t sure whose fault the accident was.
Want Compensation After Your Accident? Call TorHoerman Law To Begin
It’s time to move past the pain you’ve suffered from the accident.
Your next point of contact is a Ferguson truck accident lawyer.
TorHoerman Law is made up of an experienced and willing team of attorneys who are experts in civil lawsuits.
With offices in St. Louis, Edwardsville, and Chicago, our team has represented a diverse array of clients in many cities.
Call us at (314) 325-1369 and we’ll review your case for free.
For additional information, see the following:
For additional legal practices in Ferguson, MO, visit the following pages:
Chicago
Edwardsville
St. Louis
Other Illinois Locations
Other Missouri Locations
