Who Is At Fault in a Truck Accident in Kansas City?

Commercial Trucks and Vans Operating in Kansas City, MO

In Kansas City and throughout Kansas and Missouri, there are thousands of commercial vans and trucks on the road at any given time.  Just think about all the different kinds of commercial trucks and vans you see every day, including:

• UPS trucks and FedEx delivery vans,
• Delivery trucks and vans for Amazon.com,
• Semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, tanker trucks, or eighteen-wheelers used for delivering large cargo and freight,  
• Large trucks for various business use, such as construction, utilities, construction, or landscaping or garbage removal,  
• City buses and school buses,
• Food or restaurant delivery cars including those for online services like Ubereats or Instacart,
• Uber and Lyft vans or other large ridesharing vehicles. 
• Taxicabs or other rental vans and trucks.

If you consider these along with all the unmarked business vehicles on the road, it becomes clear how prevalent commercial vans and trucks are on our roads.

Causes of Kansas City Truck Accidents

Car accidents with commercial trucks and vans can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

• driver distraction,
• driver impairment
• driver fatigue,
• failure to maintain the truck,
• a truck design or manufacturing defect, or
• driver negligence. 

Regardless the reason, collisions with commercial vans and trucks can cause serious injury and damage.  This is primarily due to the heavier weight and larger size of many commercial vans and trucks.

Legal Issues in Commercial Truck & Van Accidents in Missouri & Kansas

However, the greater damage caused by commercial trucks and vans is just one of several differences between commercial truck crashes and passenger cars collisions.  Another obvious difference is that commercial truck is being driving for business purposes.  This adds a layer of legal complexity to commercial truck cases and truck crashes.  A number of legal issues arise in commercial van and truck cases, including:

• who is at fault (the employer, employee, manufacturer or a combination of these parties);
• what laws or regulations govern the transportation business and were they violated; and
• which insurance policies should pay for your damages. 

These issues make it difficult to handle these commercial van and truck accident cases without an experienced personal injury attorney.

As a result, if you were injured in a crash with a commercial van or truck, you should contact our Kansas City personal injury lawyer as soon as possible to determine who may be at fault and to get the legal process for your recovery started right.  

Who is at Fault for a Truck Accident in Kansas City, MO?

When you’re in a car accident with a commercial truck or van, determining who is at fault or liable for the accident can be complicated. A variety of persons or business could have some amount of responsibility in causing the wreck.

Parties who could be at fault include:

• driver of the commercial truck;
• employer of the driver that owns the truck;
• vehicle manufacturer or designer, if defects of the vehicle played a part in the collision; and
• distributors or retailers of vehicle parts, if those parts contributed to the crash.

To determine who is at fault in your specific case, you should contact our Kansas City personal injury attorney. He will investigate the circumstances of the crash and determine who is responsible for paying for the damages and injuries you sustained.

Increase Your Chances of Success

After being in a car accident with a commercial vehicle, you will likely be contacted by the driver’s or company’s insurance representative. You should be careful in speaking with the insurance adjuster for a variety of reasons, and we generally recommend that you hold off on speaking with them until after you talk with an attorney.

The reason for caution is that the goal of the insurer for the at-fault party is simple:  to minimize your claim and ultimately pay you the least amount possible.  Anything you say could be twisted against you and used to minimize compensation owed to you.

Specifically, you should:

• If you did not cause the accident, you should not admit or imply any kind of fault.
• Refuse to give a recorded statement. These can be used against you later in the claims process. We recommend that you speak to your lawyer before giving a recorded. statement
• Avoid signing anything or verbally agreeing to any settlement. Again, consult an attorney first.
• Keep it short. Don’t offer more details than necessary and just answer the questions that are asked.

Contact Our Truck Accident Lawyer in Kansas City, MO

If you were injured in a commercial van or truck accident in Kansas or Missouri (whether with a UPS truck, FedEx van, semi-truck/tractor-trailer), you should consult with a Kansas City personal injury attorney before speaking with any insurance adjuster.  Our Kansas City truck accident attorney can help you prepare a statement, gather evidence, determine crash liability, and ensure you get the compensation you deserve.

You can learn more about crash liability in a car accident with a commercial van or truck by downloading our free book, Crash Course: An Insider's Guide to Accident & Injury Law in Missouri & Kansas. If you have specific questions about your case, call our Kansas City law firm today and ask at to speak with our personal injury attorney in Kansas City at 816-203-0143.  We would be happy to provide a free, no-obligation consultation.