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If you were injured in a truck accident in Kansas City, you have specific rights under Missouri law to pursue payment for the harm you’ve suffered.
This process involves a deep dive into state and federal trucking regulations, a thorough investigation into the crash, and a clear-eyed assessment of what your recovery will truly cost.
These are not simple claims, and they frequently involve trucking companies and insurers with vast resources dedicated to minimizing their financial exposure.
Our team at Walner Law is here to provide clear answers. For a no-cost conversation about your case, call us at (312) 410-8496.
Since 1961, Walner Law has focused on personal injury cases. Our decades of experience give us a clear understanding of the strategies used in high-stakes injury claims, especially those involving commercial trucking corporations across the country.
We believe in a direct, personal approach to every case. When you work with us, you should expect:
The purpose of a legal claim is to secure compensation that covers the full scope of these losses—not just the bills in your mailbox today, but the ones that will arrive for months, or even years, to come.
Trucking companies and their insurers are businesses. They must balance paying claims with protecting their profitability. Our job is to build a detailed and undeniable case for all the damages you are legally entitled to pursue under Missouri law.
These are the specific, calculable financial losses that stem directly from the accident.
These damages are for the real, but less tangible, ways the accident has rewritten your life.
Missouri law follows a “pure comparative fault” system. It’s a legal concept that means your final compensation award is reduced by your percentage of blame for the accident. For example, if a jury determines you were 10% at fault, your total recovery would be reduced by 10%. Unlike in some states, you can still recover damages even if you are found to be 99% at fault.
Insurance companies understand this rule well. Their investigators will search for any piece of evidence they can use to argue you were partially to blame, as every percentage point of fault shifted to you reduces the amount they have to pay. Our role is to build a case that counters these arguments and minimizes any unfair allocation of fault.
As a major transportation hub, Kansas City’s highways are constantly buzzing with commercial trucks. This unending flow of traffic unfortunately makes certain areas prone to serious accidents.
Data and reports show that some of our major arteries are particularly hazardous:
Between 2012 and 2022, fatalities in Missouri from crashes involving large trucks shot up by nearly 59%.
A collision with a semi-truck introduces a level of legal and factual inquiry that simply doesn’t exist in a standard car accident case. The investigation goes far beyond the drivers involved.
In a typical car crash, you’re usually dealing with one at-fault driver. In a truck accident, the net of responsibility is cast much wider. Our investigation examines the potential liability of several parties:
Commercial trucks are required to carry a host of electronic and paper records that can provide a clear picture of what happened. Preserving this evidence immediately is a top priority.
The trucking industry is governed by a dense set of safety regulations from the FMCSA. A key part of any truck accident investigation is determining if any of these rules were violated.
A prime example is the Hours of Service (HOS) regulations. To combat driver fatigue, these rules strictly limit driving time. For property-carrying drivers, the main limits are:
The immense force generated in a truck collision often results in severe and life-altering injuries. While any part of the body is vulnerable, some injuries appear more frequently in these types of crashes:
Soon after the accident, you will likely receive a call from an insurance adjuster representing the trucking company.
Know that the adjuster is a professional whose job is to investigate the claim and protect their company’s financial interests. This means they must balance paying valid claims with their duty to the company’s bottom line.
Here is what to keep in mind:
While your legal team manages the investigation and negotiations, there are practical things you can do to strengthen your case.
In most situations, the statute of limitations for filing a personal injury claim in Missouri is five years from the date of the accident. However, certain circumstances change this deadline, so it is important to act quickly and consult a lawyer.
Commercial trucks have large blind spots, often called “no-zones,” but truck drivers receive training on how to monitor them. A driver who makes an unsafe lane change or turn cannot simply blame a blind spot to escape responsibility for a collision.
No. Because the accident happened in Kansas City, your claim will be governed by Missouri law. The out-of-state trucking company is still subject to all federal regulations and must answer for the crash here.
It is generally unwise to accept an early settlement offer. These offers are typically made before you and your doctors know the full extent of your injuries and what future medical treatment you might need. Once you accept a settlement, you cannot ask for more compensation later.
If a dangerous road condition, like a deep pothole or a poorly designed intersection, played a part in causing the accident, it may be possible to file a claim against the government entity responsible for maintaining that road. These claims have very different rules and much shorter deadlines under the Missouri Tort Claims Act, so this possibility must be investigated immediately.
You do not have to sort through this alone. Let our team at Walner Law provide the clarity and guidance you need.
For a free, confidential discussion about your truck accident case, call us now at (312) 410-8496.
