Was the Trucker at Fault?

Personal Injury Litigation in Missouri Trucking Accidents

St. Louis is a major crossroads for commercial hauling. If your loved one had the misfortune of tangling with a 40-ton semi truck, we know it likely resulted in devastating injury or fatality.

You need an attorney who understands how the trucking industry works, who knows the federal regulations, and who can hold trucking companies accountable. Personal injury trial lawyer Mr. DeVoto has secured substantial settlements and verdicts, including an award of more than $1 million. He represents truck accident victims in Greater St. Louis, eastern Missouri and statewide.

Prompt Investigation is Critical!
Important evidence disappears quickly. We can get professional investigators to scene to build a case for maximum compensation.

Call us immediately
at 866-961-0330

Gasoline Tanker Explosions

These explosions commonly occur when gasoline is improperly pumped into older holding tanks, particularly above ground tanks. Existing gas vapors in the tanks are displaced by the fuel being offloaded and are then forced out of the tank’s vent stack. If the tractor’s diesel engine begins to ingest the vapor laden atmosphere the engine can over-speed causing a “runaway” where the displaced gas vapor is ignited in the atmosphere. This creates a quick and powerful explosion. The DeVoto Law Firm. has successfully investigated and litigated gas tanker explosion claims, and have recovered millions for injured victims.

Proving Negligence in Trucking Accidents

The experienced team at The  DeVoto Law Firm, knows what to look for at the scene of the truck accident. We document skid marks, positions of the vehicles, and road and weather conditions. We get witness statements while the traumatic events are fresh in their minds.

Inspection of the truck is crucial. The “black box” data recorder yields important evidence about speed and change of velocity at impact to help reconstruct the crash. Were the truck tires bald? Were the brakes bad? Was the 18-wheeler’s freight unbalanced or poorly secured?

Trucking companies act quickly to get the tractor-trailer fixed and back on the road. Sometimes they destroy evidence in the process — off-loading freight or failing to pressurizing the locked-up air brakes to back them off from the wheels and then “cage” them so the settings can be analyzed. Worse yet, they simply “adjust” the brake settings destroying the evidence of the settings at the time of the accident. This is why we need to be first on the scene.

Truckers (often with the consent of their employers) are known to falsify logs to get around federal limits on hours behind the wheel. We work to show the driver was fatigued, speeding, violating traffic laws or otherwise negligent.

Fighting for Full Compensation

Commercial trucks are well-insured, but that doesn’t mean insurance companies won’t fight the claim, especially high payouts for catastrophic injuries or a wrongful death. Mr.  DeVoto assembles every case as if it will go to trial. His thoroughly documented claims and courtroom reputation often brings the trucking company and its insurer to the negotiating table to produce a fair settlement for our clients.

Contact DeVoto & Benbenek 24/7 for aggressive investigation and truck accident representation. We offer a free initial consultation, including home and hospital visits. We take no attorney fees unless we settle your claim or prevail at trial. In the event money is recovered, the client may also be responsible for court costs and expenses incurred in developing the case.

The choice of a lawyer is an important decision and should not be based solely upon advertisements. This disclosure is required by rule of the Supreme Court of Missouri.