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“The 7 Biggest Mistakes That Will Wreck Your Car Accident Case” By Joshua P. Myers
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Post Date: February 14th, 2011
Missouri truck accident attorneys focus on serious injuries and wrongful deaths that are the result of negligent tractor-trailer driver’s and the companies that hire them. Tractor-trailer drivers and commercial trucking companies have different responsibilities forced on them by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, which are designed for public’s safety. As a Missouri truck accident attorney, I have successfully collected millions of dollars in compensation for victims of negligent tractor-trailer drivers and the commercial trucking companies.
Our experienced truck accident attorneys stay up-to-date on the recent changes in legislation, laws, and regulations that affect the commercial trucking industry. My goal is to educate motorists that commercial trucking companies routinely violates the standards set forth by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. By ignoring the regulations, tractor-trailer drivers and the companies they work for are putting innocent motorist in Missouri in danger.
When a tractor-trailer driver and the commercial trucking companies cut corners, the outcome can be devastating. The people and families affected by a Missouri truck accident are the ones who are left to pick up the pieces. Over time the bills begin to pile up and the incoming wages stop because injury or death prevents victims from working.
If you or someone you love has been injured by the negligence of a truck driver or the company they work for, please call 877.SUE.TRKS for a free consultation and let us help you through this difficult time.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a truck accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
 Tags: accident, attorney, attorneys, collision, crash, federal motor carrier safety regulations, josh, joshua, lawyer, lawyers, missouri, myers, semi, truck, wreck
Posted in Common Truck Accident Questions, Maximizing Truck Accident Settlements, Truck Accident Advice | 1 Comment »
Post Date: February 8th, 2011
 There are a number of ways an accident on the road can happen, so motorists do their best to drive safely. However, the condition of a vehicle is just as important as it is driven. Many people know that they should give their vehicle the proper maintenance, but it doesn’t always get done when it needs to be done. As a Missouri truck accident attorney, I like to warn people of how dangerous old tires can be. A tire separation while traveling at high speeds is dangerous in a passenger vehicle, but how devastating would it be if it were a tractor-trailer?
Regular motorists may not be aware that their tires pose a threat to other drivers because they have not been told how to tell if the tires are too old. Service stations that sold older or used tires sell tires that could lead to tire separation on the road. A general rule is to replace your tires if they are six-years-old and do not buy tires that are older than two-years-old. Every tire is marked with a Department of Transportation (DOT) number, which follows the letters on the side. The last four digits of the number give the week and year the tire was manufactured. You now have the knowledge to buy safer tires.
Commercial trucking companies have had this knowledge for a long time, but still choose to purchase tires that could separate while driving. Buying older tires saves commercial trucking companies a lot of money, but it puts other motorists in danger. Since the size of a tractor-trailer is so massive, serious injury or death could follow a truck accident. If the tire separates on a tractor-trailer, the truck driver could lose control of his or her rig. Although the commercial trucking industry may believe they are saving money, in the end they will pay out millions of dollars for tractor-trailer accidents that seriously injure or kill another motorist.
When a motorist is injured or killed in a tractor-trailer accident, the victim and their family are the ones that have to deal with the immediate consequences. When they hire an experienced St. Louis truck accident lawyer to help them fight the companies that want to limit the amount of compensation paid to the victim. If you are injured a tractor-trailer accident, don’t wait to hire an attorney. If a commercial trucking company did not properly maintain the vehicle, an experienced truck accident attorney will be able to collect the evidence needed to prove it. The longer a tractor-trailer accident victim waits after an accident, the less evidence there can be to prove fault on the commercial trucking company. Call 877.SUE.TRKS to speak to a Missouri truck accident attorney today and we’ll fight for you.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a tractor-trailer accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Tags: accident, attorney, lawyer, missouri, tire, treads, truck
Posted in Missouri Truck Accidents, Unsafe Truck Tires | No Comments »
Post Date: February 3rd, 2011
 The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is doing more to reduce the number of accidents involving tractor-trailers. The Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP) will help commercial trucking industry screen drivers for safety violation and crash history. With the number of serious and fatal tractor-trailer accidents that occur each year, Missouri truck accident attorneys are happy to hear that the new program is now live. As a pre-employment condition, commercial trucking companies should screen all new drivers to assess if a driver will be a safety hazard on the road.
As a part of the program, the commercial trucking companies will have to pay $10 for each driver report, but the fee covers multiple state reports. The FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) is available 24 hours a day through their website (http://www.psp.fmcsa.dot.gov/Pages/default.aspx) to allow trucking companies and individuals to search a tractor-trailer driver’s record when it is convenient. The records that a trucking company purchases through the program will have the last three years of roadside inspection data and the last five years of crash-related data for each driver.
All commercial trucking companies should use the screening program because it will keep negligent tractor-trailer drivers off of the road. The program not only helps protect motorist on the road, but it can save trucking companies a lot of money. In the event of a tractor- trailer accident, the trucking company is liable for the negligence of the driver. If trucking companies use the PSP then they are protecting themselves from hiring drivers that are a higher risk. The program may not eliminate tractor-trailer accidents, but it can reduce the number of accidents that occur each year in Missouri. If you are injured in a tractor-trailer accident, you need an experienced attorney to fight for you. Our Missouri truck accident lawyers are available at 877.SUE.TRKS to discuss your injury claim.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a truck accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Tags: fmcsa, missouri truck accident lawyer, prescreening program, psp, truck drivers
Posted in Truck Accident News | No Comments »
Post Date: January 31st, 2011
 In order to keep motorists safe on the road, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates commercial trucking companies and tractor-trailer drivers. As a Missouri truck accident attorney, I have mentioned many times throughout my blog that some commercial trucking companies and their drivers do not always follow the safety regulations set forth by the FMCSA. In some cases, tractor-trailer drivers falsify the information in their logbooks to look as though the FMCSA regulations are being followed.
Recently a Missouri tractor-trailer driver was brought up on criminal charges in Wisconsin in connection to a fatal truck accident. According to the Sheboygan Press, Curtis Hawkins from Dexter, Missouri, was charged in the death of two individuals and the injuries of two other individuals. Curtis Hawkins is being accused of not watching the road and failing to stop. Hawkins’ neglect caused his tractor-trailer to hit stopped vehicles at 70 mph. The driver faces two counts of felony reckless driving and two counts of homicide by negligent use of a vehicle. Hawkins could face up to 13 years in prison for the deaths of 78-year-old Donald Sherman from Stickney, Illinois, and 80-year-old Mary Parker of Wisconsin. The tractor-trailer driver could also be charged with two felony counts of reckless driving that caused bodily injury.
According to the Wisconsin State Police, Hawkins had already reached the FMCSA time regulations, but falsified his logbook so he could continue driving. Changing a logbook to show driving hours that follow the FMCSA time regulations is common. Unfortunately, meeting deadlines ensures the compensation of the tractor-trailer driver and the commercial trucking company, so drivers may be willing to lie in order to stay on the road. In some cases, the commercial trucking company will encourage their drivers to falsify their logbooks even though it is illegal. The longer a tractor-trailer drivers past the federal hour of service limit means that there is more room for error.
It’s disappointing that the commercial trucking industry is not more concerned with the safety of the public. When a Missouri tractor-trailer accident happens because of negligence, truck accident attorneys can file for compensation for the victims. Compensation for injuries or wrongful death can help the victim or their family pay for past and future medical bills and lost wages. If you have been injured in a Missouri truck accident or you have lost a loved one because of a negligent truck driver, call an experienced truck accident attorney. You need someone fighting for your rights, so call 877.SUE.TRKS for a free consultation to discuss your claim.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. With offices in St. Louis, Missouri and Chicago, Illinois, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a truck accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Tags: accident, attorney, attorneys, curtis hawkins, lawyer, lawyers, semi, tractor-trailer, truck, wisconsin, wrongful death
Posted in Maximizing Truck Accident Settlements, Semi-Truck Accident Injuries | 1 Comment »
Post Date: January 29th, 2011
 As motorists, we want to feel safe on the road especially when it comes to the massive semi-trucks. As a Missouri truck accident attorney, I was glad to hear that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration may be shortening the time semi-truck drivers are allowed to drive at one time. Semi-truck drivers and the commercial trucking companies they work for have different responsibilities imposed on them by federal safety regulations, each designed with the public’s safety in mind.
It is unclear when the FMCSA will change the maximum time semi-truck drivers will be allowed to stay on the road and how much time will be cut from the current hours of service. Currently, semi-truck drivers can only drive a maximum of 11 hours after 10 repeated hours off duty. There are other times and safety regulations semi-truck drivers and the commercial companies that they work for must follow, but that is not what usually happens. Commercial trucking companies routinely violate the FMCSA standards and the impact of the violations affect innocent Missouri motorists. The FMCSA wants to shorten the amount of time a semi-truck driver can stay on the road during one day because they believe that it will lower the truck accident and truck accident fatality rate. Trucking companies will not be happy with the hours of service change, but it is for the good of the public.
What is disappoint is that many commercial trucking companies will ignore the new hours of service like they ignore the current hours of service. If the commercial trucking industry were more concerned for the safety of the public instead of making more money, less people would put in danger. The unfortunate truth is that trucking companies get greedy and victims need to hold them accountable for their negligence. If you have been injured in a Missouri truck accident, call an experienced Missouri truck accident attorney right away. You will need someone who has fought the commercial trucking industry before, so call 888.SUE.TRKS for a free consultation to discuss your rights as a victim.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a truck accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Posted in Fatigued Truck Drivers, Truck Accident News | No Comments »
Post Date: January 24th, 2011
 St. Louis Truck Driver Jason Ross was accused of driving while intoxicated in a truck crash that killed one man and injured two others. As a Missouri truck accident attorney, I was saddened to read about a fatal accident was caused by a Missouri truck driver who was drunk and drove on the wrong side of the road. 9news.com, the local affiliate of NBC in Denver, reported on December 28 about an accident that killed 71-year-old Martin Hernandez and injuring two passengers in his car. Hernandez was driving eastbound on Interstate 70 when he met a Freightliner truck driven by 33-year-old Jason Ross of St. Louis.
Ross was driving west in the eastbound lane when his tractor-trailer collided head-on with Hernandez’s vehicle. The accident also injured 77-year-old Maria Hernandez and unidentified nine-year-old girl who was riding in the backseat. All four people were transferred to local hospitals, but Ross was quickly delivered into the custody of the Colorado State troops, who detained him on several charges.
According to the article, the incident took place around 8 p.m. on December 26. Witnesses to the accident called the Colorado State Patrol to report the tractor-trailer driving on the wrong side of the road without its lights on. Witnesses told the news channel that the tractor-trailer was swerving into the path of nearby vehicles. A Colorado police officer followed the tractor-trailer on the correct side of the road and tried to pull Ross over but was unable to before the tractor-trailer collided with Hernandez.
Martin Hernandez died at the hospital, but Maria Hernandez and the young girl remain in hospital. Ross has been detained for vehicular homicide, vehicular assault, reckless driving, carless driving causing injury, driving on the wrong side of the road, driving without headlights and driving while intoxicated and is held on $100,000 bond. According to the article, Ross’ trucking company, USA Truck Inc., has been cited 13 different times in the last two years for possession of drugs and alcohol.
The unflattering information about USA Truck, Inc., doesn’t stop there. According to the article, the trucking company has had 100 accidents in the last two years that resulted in serious injury or death. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration cited the company more than three times during 2010 for serious maintenance or driver violations. Because the company and the driver have received so many citations in such a short period of time, the Hernandez family will be able to recover financially for their loss in addition to the criminal charges that Ross faces.
After a devastating accident like this, most families don’t think about money. Over time, hospital bills start coming in and the paychecks stop for the injured victim. If you or someone you love has been injured by the negligence of a truck driver or the company they work for, please call 877.SUE.TRKS for a free consultation and let us help you through this difficult time.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a Missouri Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Tags: accident, attorney, attorneys, colorado, crash, fatal, fatally, jason ross, killed, lawyer, lawyers, martin hernandez, missouri, semi, st. louis, tractor-trailer, truck, wreck, wrongful death
Posted in Driving While Intoxicated | No Comments »
Post Date: January 20th, 2011
 A fatal weekend truck accident left the family of a Springfield, Missouri, man mourning his death. In what has been found to be the first fatal truck accident in 2011, 31-year-old Joseph W. Russell drove the westbound lane on I-44 about half a mile west of Springfield when the accident occurred. Russell drove his Ford Edge in the Missouri truck accident, which claimed his life. The collision caused both vehicles to spin into the median and catch on fire. Freightliner driver, 31-year-old Douglas Carmack was unhurt, but Mr. Russell was pronounced dead on when public service members arrived to the scene. The Missouri Highway Patrol reports that both drivers were wearing their seat belts and there are currently no tickets issued while the accident is still under investigation.
Our Missouri truck accident attorneys extend our condolences to the family of Mr. Russell. Although the exact cause of this accident is not yet known, a closer look will reveal the contributing factor. If you or a loved one have been involved in a serious truck accident and you think the accident may have been caused by the driver’s negligence, our experienced Missouri truck accident lawyers are always available for free consultations at 877.SUE.TRKS.
While truck drivers who are too tired to drive represent at least 20 percent of accidents involving large trucks, it is unknown if that was a factor in this accident. However, over 50 percent of tractor-trailer drivers admit to falling asleep at the wheel, so that our truck accident attorneys remind motorists to stay alert when driving especially near large trucks share the road.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a truck accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Tags: accident, crash, fatal, head-on, joseph, joseph russell, josh, joshua, killed, missouri, mo, myers, myers injury law, russell, schultz & myers, semi, springfield, tractor-trailer, truck, wreck
Posted in Missouri Truck Accidents | No Comments »
Post Date: January 14th, 2011
Sometimes in a tractor-trailer accident, the damage is minimal with only minor injuries, but sometimes even minor damage to a vehicle could be potentially catastrophic. As a Missouri truck accident attorney, I became concerned of some design flaws that exist in tractor-trailers carrying liquid. An accident in Sacramento, California, between a diesel cargo truck and a passenger car on December 13, 2010 illustrates just how dangerous this type of tractor-trailer can be.
A passenger car began to pass the tractor-trailer, but brushed up against it. The passenger car driver then struck a SUV that was nearby. No one was injured in the accident and none of the vehicles involved were totaled. The highway patrol had the accident cleaned up within several hours and reopened Interstate 5. Although none of the drivers were injured in the multi-vehicle accident, the tractor-trailer did begin leaking diesel fuel immediately after the passenger car brushed up against it. The small scrape began leaking the fuel onto the highway, but the highway patrol was able to contain the leak with sand and clean up the residue.
The people involved in the accident are very lucky that the tractor-trailer was transporting diesel fuel instead of gasoline. Gasoline is violently combustible and can ignite with the smallest spark or static electricity. The tractor-trailer accident could have been much worse also if the truck was carrying dangerous toxic chemicals, acids, and other volatile material. If the contents of hazardous materials can be exposed with a minor scratch, then the commercial trucking industry needs to address the flaw. Too many people are injured in tractor-trailer accidents because of negligent driving and motorists do not need the added danger of toxic material exposure.
No tractor-trailer accident is the same. Tractor-trailer accidents can happen when a driver is fatigued or makes bad decisions; when a commercial trucking company chooses not maintain their trucks or use faulty equipment; and when they choose to put the public’s safety behind making a profit. If the commercial trucking company has injured you by a negligent truck driver or because of negligent decisions, please contact an experienced Missouri truck accident attorney immediately. The longer a tractor-trailer accident victim waits to hire an attorney, the less evidence that will be available to fight for compensation. Call 888.956.2487 to speak to one of our experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys about your tractor-trailer accident injury claim.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles motor vehicle accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a motor vehicle accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Posted in Truck Accident Advice | No Comments »
Post Date: January 11th, 2011
 Motorists must share the road with tractor-trailer drivers and they want to feel safe. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration helps regulate the trucking industry in an effort to reduce the number of tragic truck accident across the nation. As a Missouri truck accident attorney, I came across a recent South Carolina news report that raised some important questions about how the trucking industry really regulates their drivers’ compliance to safety regulations. According to the news story, a tractor-trailer driver from Gaston, South Carolina, comes clean about truck industry safety practices.
The driver claimed that the shipping trucking company he worked for fired him because he refused to violate FMCSA safety regulations to make a deadline. The driver also accused his former employer of falsifying logbooks to appear to be in compliance with the safety regulations, which he suggested is very common in the industry. The hours of service regulations are guidelines that require tractor-trailer drivers to get a certain number of hours of sleep while they are on the road. The FMCSA put the regulations on trucking companies and the tractor-trailer drivers to prevent truck accidents that are related to fatigue.
The driver from Gaston, S.C. claimed that four hours of sleep between driving long hours is the industry standard. If the allegations are proven correct, there will be a lot of questions. Trucking companies in Missouri and across the country could be audited and charges could be possible. According to the South Carolina news report, one solution that has been proposed is installing a device similar to an aircraft’s black box to record the movement of a tractor-trailer. The device would limit the trucking companies’ ability to forge the tractor-trailer drivers’ logbooks. Trucking industry would be forced to be in compliance to the hours of service regulations and make driving safer for motorists.
It’s disappointing that trucking companies are not more concerned with motorist safety, but truck accident victims can still hold them accountable for their intentional negligence. If you have been injured in a truck accident, speak to an experienced Missouri truck accident attorney. If the trucking companies are not going to follow the safety regulations, then they should be held liable for the serious injuries or wrongful death. Call 877.SUE.TRKS (783-8757) to speak to one of our experienced Missouri truck accident attorneys to schedule a free consultation. We’ll help you understand your rights as a victim and fight for your compensation.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles tractor-trailer accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a truck accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Posted in Fatigued Truck Drivers, Maximizing Truck Accident Settlements, Truck Accident News | No Comments »
Post Date: January 9th, 2011
 If you’ve suffered injuries in a tractor-trailer accident, you may be overwhelmed with medical expenses and ongoing treatment that you may not realize you need to make a decision. Missouri truck accident attorneys understand the emotional rollercoaster that follows a serious tractor-trailer accident, but it is important to see an attorney soon after the crash. Trucking companies have a frontline of professionals they use to defend their money. They will do everything they can to limit the amount of money they pay to tractor-trailer accident victims.
In Missouri, you have up to 5 years to file a lawsuit in a personal injury case, but if you wait too long you could lose important evidence. The sooner you hire an experience Missouri truck accident lawyer, the better chance you have to uncover any violations of FMCSA safety regulations. If a trucking company is in violation to the safety regulations, it could result in compensation for injuries or wrongful death. A Missouri tractor-trailer accident lawsuit usually includes a claim of negligence on the tractor-trailer driver and the employer’s behalf.
Trucking companies that operate under the authority of the Department of Transportation are responsible for screening and training their truck drivers. When a bad tractor-trailer driver slips through the cracks and causes a Missouri truck accident, the company is negligent. The Eastern District Federal Court of Missouri has decided that trucking companies, who are in breach of safety regulations, offer evidence that they knowingly had no regard for the safety of motorists on the road. If the evidence has been established in a civil court, the victims of the tractor-trailer accident could receive compensation.
Although the decision by the court offers tractor-trailer accident victims more rights in the courtroom, the injured should contact an experienced Missouri truck accident law firm immediately. The trucking companies send out investigators to collect evidence immediately after the accident. If the trucking and insurance companies do not receive a “preservation of evidence” letter, then they could dispose of evidence that is crucial to the personal injury claim. Call 877.SUE.TRKS to speak to an experienced Missouri truck accident attorney and let us be on your side.
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Joshua P. Myers is the owner and President of Myers Injury Law, LLC and a founding partner of Schultz & Myers, LLC. Based in St. Louis, Missouri, his personal injury law firm routinely handles semi-truck accidents that result in personal injury or death throughout the Midwest. If you have been hurt or have lost a loved one due to the negligence of another driver, please contact a truck accident attorney to learn your rights. It is always free to discuss your case and there are never any attorney’s fees until we recover on your behalf.
Posted in Maximizing Truck Accident Settlements, Missouri Truck Accidents, Truck Accident Advice | No Comments »
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