Truck Accidents Caused by Eating or Drinking While Driving in St. Louis

Eating and drinking behind the wheel is unsafe no matter who does it, but it is particularly dangerous when the person doing so is in charge of a multi-ton commercial truck.

If you have been hurt because a truck driver was too distracted by food or beverages to pay attention to the road, you could be entitled to financial compensation in a personal injury claim. An experienced truck accident lawyer with Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC can help you demand it.

Dangers of Eating and Drinking While Driving a Commercial Truck

Driving a commercial truck is a hard job. A fully loaded semi-truck can weigh up to 80,000 pounds, about 20 times the weight of the average passenger vehicle. They take considerable care and attention to operate safely, as they have large blind spots, long stopping distances, and poor maneuverability.

Anything that distracts truck drivers from their job jeopardizes their ability to provide the necessary care and attention. Few things are more distracting than having a meal behind the wheel.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recognizes three forms of driving distractions:

Manual distractions, which take a driver’s hands off the wheel
Visual distractions, which take a driver’s eyes off the road
Cognitive distractions, which take a driver’s mind off the task at hand

Eating and drinking while driving combine all three of these distractions, significantly increasing the risk that a driver might fail to see an impending hazard, determine a course of action, or react to it in time.

Who Can Be Held Liable if a Truck Driver Causes a Crash While Distracted?

The truck driver who made the dangerous decision to eat or drink behind the wheel instead of paying attention to the road is the individual most clearly responsible for the resulting collision. However, the commercial driver is not the only person who could be liable for the accident.

The trucking company could be vicariously liable for the on-the-job actions of its employee driver under the legal theory of respondeat superior. The trucking company itself could be directly liable if its negligence caused the crash, such as pressuring the driver to meet tight deadlines that required eating at the wheel, or if the carrier failed to monitor the driver’s safety record.

Other road users might also be partially or primarily to blame. Our experienced attorneys can independently investigate the accident to identify all potentially liable parties.

How Can You Tell if a Truck Accident Was Caused by Eating or Drinking?

If the truck driver does not admit that they were eating or drinking behind the wheel, you may need to prove that they were. Doing so could require evidence like the following:

Videos from in-cab monitoring systems
Food scraps and wrappers found in the cab
Eyewitness accounts
Credit card receipts
Traffic or security camera footage

Many of these items are the property of the truck driver, the trucking company, or other businesses, which may not be eager to turn them over. That is one reason why it is so important to have our experienced attorneys on your side. We can draft spoliation letters advising these parties that they cannot alter or destroy crucial evidence.

Can I Get Compensation if a Distracted Truck Driver Caused My Injuries?

Yes, if a distracted truck driver caused your injuries, they or the trucking company they work for may owe you compensation for what you suffered. That could include money for your:

Past and future medical bills
Lost income and diminished earning potential
Pain and suffering
Reduced quality of life
Damaged property

Are There Safety Regulations About Eating and Drinking While Driving Trucks?

Neither Missouri nor federal laws specifically prohibit truck drivers from eating or drinking while driving. However, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) discourages commercial drivers from engaging in the potentially dangerous activity, citing a study that found that eating behind the wheel was riskier than conversing on a cell phone.

The FMCSA further notes that almost three-quarters of large truck crashes occurred while the truck driver was not focused on operating their vehicle safely.

What Questions Do People Have About Distracted Truck Drivers and Accidents?

How Often Do Distracted Truck Drivers Cause Accidents?

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of motor vehicle accidents nationally. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that distracted driving led to nearly 325,000 accidents in just one recent year, resulting in 3,275 fatalities. Furthermore, the FMCSA reports that, in another recent year, seven fatal truck accidents were caused by a commercial driver who was eating or drinking behind the wheel.

Can I Still Recover Compensation If I Was Also to Blame?

Yes, you could still be entitled to compensation even if you were partially at fault for an accident. Missouri follows a modified comparative negligence rule. Under the rule, you can still recover compensation at trial so long as you were not more at fault for the accident than the distracted truck driver. However, your compensation would be reduced in proportion to your share of fault.

Why Choose Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC?

The aftermath of a serious truck accident is likely to be one of the most challenging times of your life. You are probably in considerable pain, worried about making ends meet, and wondering what the future will hold.

Your choice in legal representation is one of the most important decisions you can make right now. Make it Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC because of:

Our philosophy – Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC was founded with the goal of helping injured people like you recover fair compensation from the people who hurt them. We only represent accident victims, never the big insurance companies. We treat everyone who walks through our doors with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Our decades of experience – We have been holding negligent truck drivers and trucking carriers accountable for their actions since 1999. We have decades of hard-won legal acumen to put at your disposal.
Our awards and honors – Our peers and fellow attorneys respect us for the successes we have won for our clients. We have received the prestigious Litigator Award, been named among the Best Law Firms by the American Institute of Personal Injury Attorneys, and achieved a Martindale-Hubbell® AV Preeminent® Rating, among other accomplishments.

Contact Our St. Louis Truck Accident Attorneys Today

Do not face the aftermath of a serious truck accident alone. Instead, get the help you need to demand compensation from the careless truck driver who hit you. Let us pursue your case at no upfront cost to you.

Contact Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC today for a free consultation with an experienced truck accident attorney in St. Louis.

(314) 367-2661