ST. JOSEPH, Missouri—Kevin Owens, 22, suffered severe injuries after the semi-truck he was driving overturned when he swerved to avoid colliding with another car. The accident occurred around 1:00 p.m. on Interstate 29 near St. Joseph, Missouri.
Owens was reportedly driving a 2019 Peterbilt semi-truck in the southbound lane of I-29 when another vehicle came to a quick stop ahead of Owens to enter the emergency crossover. Owens swerved to avoid a collision, and the semi-truck rolled over, coming to a rest with the driver’s side on the ground.
A 1993 International truck, driven by a 70-year-old Illinois man, was also subject to the crash as the truck ran off the road to the west and traveled down an embankment.
Owens was transported to Mosaic Medical Center for the treatment of severe injuries. The condition of the driver of the 1993 International truck is unknown at this time.
The accident remains under investigation. No other information about the crash was made immediately available.
Mr. Owens may be entitled to compensation from his employer, the negligent driver, and the manufacturer of the semi-truck
While many semi-truck drivers often fail to avoid accidents in time, Owens made a great effort to avoid colliding with the car in front of him. Unfortunately, Owens suffered serious injuries because of this effort, but that should not serve to dissuade other semi-truck drivers from taking evasive action to prevent collisions. In fact, Owens’s injuries might have been worsened by the way cargo was loaded into his semi-trailer, and Owens could have a potential worker’s compensation claim for injuries he sustained on the job if he was hauling for a commercial trucking company.
Even though Owens swerved to avoid colliding with another car, the semi-truck’s propensity to roll over may have been increased by the way cargo was loaded into the trailer. Cargo must be carefully loaded into semi-trailers to ensure equal weight distribution and to minimize the shifting objects undergo while in the trailer, even when the semi-truck makes sharp turns and stops suddenly. If the cargo was, in fact, loaded into Owens’s semi-trailer improperly, Owens might have a legal claim against the shipment facility or whoever loaded the semi—even his employer.
Additionally, because Owens was injured while performing his job duties, he would likely be successful in bringing a worker’s compensation claim against his employer. Worker’s compensation is designed to handle the medical bills and other costs associated with injuries while on the job.
To pursue different avenues of legal remedy, Owens would benefit from consulting an experienced attorney to guide him through the complexities of the legal system. Aside from offering excellent representation and advice, our firm specializes in ensuring that victims of crashes get the remedy they deserve. Our attorneys provide legal strategies focused on obtaining discovery about the cause of the accident to then inform the decisions we make moving forward in the court system. As Owens and those impacted by this accident heal, we encourage them not to hesitate to seek legal counsel to ensure they receive the compensation they need to move forward.
