A collision with a commercial truck is a different experience than a typical fender-bender. These are 80,000-pound vehicles, and the damage they cause can be life-altering.
What most people don’t realize is that within hours of a serious truck crash, the trucking company is already working to protect itself. Investigators may be dispatched to the scene. Evidence starts getting collected. Decisions are being made before you’ve even had time to process what happened.
We see this all the time.
If you or someone you care about has been hurt in a truck crash in St. Louis — whether on I-64, I-44, I-270 or I-70, or anywhere in the region — the steps you take next matter more than most people think.
1. Get to Safety and Call 911
If the vehicles are drivable and it is safe to do so, move them out of traffic. Then call 911 immediately. A police report is not just useful; it may be required to file a claim under Missouri law. Officers will document the scene, note any violations, and create an official record that can be critical to your case later.
2. Seek Medical Attention Right Away
Even if you feel fine, get checked out. Injuries like traumatic brain injuries, internal bleeding, and spinal damage often have delayed symptoms. Seeing a doctor creates a medical record that directly connects your injuries to the crash — something we see insurance companies often try to dispute. Do not wait.
3. Document the Scene Thoroughly
If you are physically able, gather as much evidence as possible before anything is moved or cleaned up. Take photos and videos of:
• All vehicles involved, including the truck’s DOT number and license plate
• Road conditions, skid marks, debris, and traffic signals
• Your visible injuries
• Any road signs, nearby cameras, or witnesses
Trucking companies often send investigators to accident scenes within hours — sometimes before vehicles are even cleared.
4. Get Information from Everyone Involved
Collect the truck driver’s name, license number, commercial driver’s license (CDL) details, employer name, and insurance information. Also get the contact details of any witnesses. The trucking company and their insurer will have legal teams working immediately, so you need a complete record too.
5. Report the Accident but Watch What You Say
You are required to report the accident to your own insurance company, but be careful about giving detailed statements, especially to the truck driver’s insurance carrier. Adjusters are trained to minimize payouts. Stick to the basics and avoid speculating about fault or injuries before you have spoken with a lawyer.
6. Understand Missouri Truck Accident Laws
Missouri follows a pure comparative fault system, which means you can recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the crash. However, your award is reduced by your percentage of fault. Missouri also has a five-year statute of limitations for personal injury claims, but do not let that window give you a false sense of comfort. Evidence disappears, witnesses forget details, and truck companies are not required to keep driver logs or black box data indefinitely.
Under federal FMCSA regulations, commercial carriers must follow strict rules around driver hours, vehicle maintenance, load securement, and more. Violations of these rules can be powerful evidence of truck driver negligence or trucking company liability. Learn more about commercial truck rules and how they apply to your case. In serious cases, these regulations — especially violations involving driver fatigue or maintenance failures — can become central to proving liability.
7. Preserve All Evidence
Send a written preservation request to the trucking company as soon as possible. This puts them on notice to retain the truck’s electronic logging device (ELD) data, GPS records, maintenance logs, and any dashcam footage. Failure to preserve this evidence after notice can be used against them in court. An attorney can help you send this request correctly and quickly. In many cases, this step is where claims are won or lost. Once critical data is gone, it is extremely difficult to recover.
We routinely move quickly on preservation because trucking companies know exactly what matters — and how long they are required to keep it.
Curious about how ELD data affects truck accident cases? Our blog on electronic logging devices breaks it down.
8. Keep Track of All Your Losses
Start a written log of everything related to the accident: medical bills, prescriptions, therapy appointments, lost wages, and how your injuries affect your daily life. Photographs of your recovery can also be compelling evidence. Pain and suffering damages, lost earning capacity, and long-term care costs are all potentially recoverable, but only if they are documented.
Our resource on what the average truck accident settlement looks like in Missouri can give you a sense of what factors affect compensation.
9. Watch Out for Early Settlement Offers
It is not unusual for a trucking company’s insurer to approach injured victims quickly with a settlement offer. These early offers are almost always designed to resolve the case before the full extent of your injuries — and the value of your claim — is clear. They are designed to close things out before you understand the full extent of your injuries or legal rights. Do not sign anything without speaking to a St. Louis truck accident lawyer first.
10. Talk to an Experienced St. Louis Truck Accident Lawyer
Truck accident cases are not handled the same way as standard car crashes. They involve multiple parties, federal regulations, and often aggressive defense teams working to limit exposure from the start.
At Eason Law, we approach these cases with the assumption that they may need to be tried. That changes how the case is built, how evidence is preserved, and how insurance companies respond.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident in St. Louis, we’re happy to talk through your situation and help you understand your options.
Related Reading
• I’ve Been Hurt in a Truck Accident — Do I Need a Lawyer?
• How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer in St. Louis?
• Should I Hire a Lawyer After a Minor Truck Accident in Missouri?
• Truck Drivers Violating Federal Regulations: What You Need to Know
• What Are the Risks of an Overloaded Truck?
• Trucking Companies Not Following the Rules: What You Need to Know
FAQ
How long do I have to file a truck accident claim in Missouri?
Missouri’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is five years from the date of the accident. However, critical evidence like ELD data and dashcam footage may not be preserved that long. Acting promptly — ideally within days or weeks — protects your ability to build a strong case.
Who can be held liable in a St. Louis truck accident?
Liability can fall on the truck driver, the trucking company, a cargo loading company, a vehicle manufacturer, or a maintenance provider — sometimes all of them. Missouri law allows multiple parties to share fault, and your attorney will investigate every potential avenue of compensation.
What if the truck driver was following all the rules — can I still recover?
Possibly. Even when a driver was not violating traffic laws, the trucking company may have been negligent in hiring, training, or vehicle maintenance. An investigation of the full chain of events is essential.
Does Eason Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers offer free consultations for truck accident cases?
Yes. Eason Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers offers free consultations with no obligation, and we work on a contingency fee basis — meaning you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
What evidence is most important after a truck accident?
The truck’s electronic logging device (ELD) data, black box information, dashcam footage, driver logs, maintenance records, and police reports are among the most valuable pieces of evidence. Many of these are time-sensitive and can be lost if not preserved quickly.