Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer Blog

A man from Desoto, Missouri was injured in a Jefferson County Missouri trucking accident on December 17, 2011 at 2:51pm. The Jefferson County Missouri truck accident occurred when a 2005 International truck attempted a left turn from Montauk Drive onto southbound Highway 67.

The International truck turned into the path of a 1999 Pontiac Firebird driven by accident victim Jeffery C. Christopher of Desoto. Christopher swerved to avoid the large commercial motor vehicle and began skidding. The right side of Christopher’s vehicle crashed into the left side of a 2004 Dodge Neon, which was driven by Caleb M. Douglas of Festus, Missouri. Christopher’s Pontiac then drove off the right side of the road.

Christopher was the only injured person in the Jefferson County Missouri truck accident. Joachim Plattin Ambulance transported him to Jefferson Regional Medical Center for medical treatment. The Pontiac and the Dodge both sustained damage in the Jefferson County Missouri semi-truck accident, while the International did not sustain any damage.

Truck drivers have a duty to prudently make left turns, since left turns are a maneuver that may create a serious risk for a Missouri tractor trailer accident. Unlike right turns, left turns generally involve crossing lanes that direct opposing traffic. Crossing the lanes of opposing traffic greatly increases the risk for a collision. For comparison, 319 people died in a car accident that involved a right hand turn. 2,398 people died in a car accident that involved a left hand turn, more than seven times the number of right hand turns deaths.

Federal, state, and local government agencies create strict regulations governing the conduct of truck drivers. When truck drivers negligently cause truck accidents, their conduct often violates multiple safety statutes. Statute violations may help an accident victim show that the truck driver was negligent, which in turn may help the accident victim recover compensation for injuries sustained.