Loaded semis can top 80,000 pounds. A regular car weighs about 4,000. In a crash, basic physics do not favor the people in the car .In a truck wreck, Missouri law helps make balance more even than most states do. In Missouri drivers must use the highest degree of care, not just ordinary care. In 2025, the Missouri Supreme Court also made an important ruling for truck accident cases. It ruled that a truck driver who breaks the rules in the Commercial Drivers License (CDL) manual can be shown to be negligent. That can support extra damages too.
Attorney Lawrence Flick has handled truck crash cases since 1993. He is licensed in Missouri and can handle trucking cases statewide, from Kansas City to St. Louis, Springfield, and Columbia. He knows Missouri truck law.
With Flick Truck Accident Law, you pay no fees until we win for you. Call us today at (816) 221-0501.
Missouri Holds Drivers to the Highest Degree of Care
This is a significant factor that matters in almost every truck crash case in Missouri. In most states, a driver only has to exercise ordinary care on the road. That means doing what a reasonably careful person would do. Missouri sets the bar higher. Under Missouri Revised Statutes (RSMo) Section 304.012, every driver must use the highest degree of care. The law says drivers must operate their vehicle in a careful and prudent way so they do not put others at risk.
Missouri courts define this clearly. Under Missouri Approved Instruction (MAI) 11.03, the highest degree of care means the care that a very careful person would use in the same situation. Compare that to the ordinary care standard in MAI 11.02, which only asks what an ordinarily careful person would do.
| Most States | Missouri |
| Ordinary care. Did the driver act like an ordinarily careful person would? | Highest degree of care. Did the driver act like a very careful person would? |
This higher standard means a smaller mistake can count as negligence. When the at-fault driver is a professional behind the wheel of a massive truck, that higher duty can be a powerful tool. Part of your lawyer’s job is to show the jury exactly where the driver fell short of it.
The Schultz Ruling: CDL Rules Are the Law
On February 11, 2025, the Missouri Supreme Court decided a case that is important for every truck crash victim in Missouri.
| MISSOURI SUPREME COURT · 2025 Schultz v. Great Plains Trucking, Inc. A Great Plains truck driver was on eastbound I-70 near Wentzville in the dark and rain. He kept his cruise control set at 70 mph through a curve with a 60 mph advisory limit. His truck struck a car and a young man died. A jury awarded the family $10 million in compensatory damages and $10 million in aggravating circumstances damages against the trucking company. The Missouri Supreme Court upheld the verdict. |
Here is why the ruling matters. The driver had a commercial driver license (CDL). That meant he had to follow the Missouri CDL manual. The manual tells professional drivers to slow down for curves, traffic, rain, and poor visibility. The courts found that the defendant broke those rules. The court agreed that his repeated CDL manual violations, and the company’s acceptance of his conduct, showed a conscious disregard for the safety of others.
In plain terms: breaking the rules in the CDL manual can be used as proof of negligence, and it can support punitive damages.
Attorney Lawrence Flick knows the CDL manual, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and can hold drivers and companies to the exact rules they were required to follow. That is the kind of evidence that moves cases.
Missouri Is a Crossroads for Trucks
Missouri sits in the middle of the country. Freight from every direction rolls through it. That traffic brings jobs, and it brings crashes.
Interstate 70 runs about 250 miles across the state, linking Kansas City and St. Louis. It is one of the busiest freight routes in the nation. These are the corridors where many Missouri truck crashes happen:
- I-70 – The main east-west route between Kansas City and St. Louis, heavy with long-haul trucks day and night
- I-44 – The diagonal route from St. Louis through Springfield toward Oklahoma, a major trucking lane
- I-35 and I-29 – North-south freight routes through the Kansas City area
- I-55 and I-57 – Key southeast Missouri corridors near St. Louis and the BootheelI-64 and I-49 – Busy routes serving St. Louis and southwest Missouri
- City interchanges – Tight, high-volume spots like the I-70/I-470 and I-35/I-635 areas around Kansas City and the I-70/I-64 split near St. Louis.
Kansas City is also one of the largest rail and trucking hubs in the country. More trucks on the road means more chances for a tired, rushed, or careless driver to cause harm.
Missouri Truck Crash Statistics
The numbers from state agencies tell the story. Commercial vehicle crashes are not getting safer in Missouri. They are getting worse.
2,570+Injury and fatal crashes involving trucks in 2023 (MSHP data) | 1.30CMV death rate per 100M miles in 2024, up from 1.13 (MoDOT) | +22More CMV deaths in 2024 than 2023 (MoDOT) |
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) set a goal of 125 or fewer commercial vehicle deaths for 2024. The state missed that goal. Data from the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) also show that single-unit tractor-trailers caused the most truck crash deaths and injuries in the state in 2023.
Behind each number is a person and a family. If you are one of them, you deserve a full and honest accounting of what happened.
Truck Wrecks vs. Car Wrecks: What Changes
Handling a truck case well is not the same as handling a car case. Some ways they differ are:
The rules are stricter. Most trucking companies and drivers fall under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, a thick set of standards for training, hiring, driver hours, and safety. Attorney Lawrence Flick earned U.S. Department of Transportation training on these rules and on how to investigate a truck crash.
The evidence is bigger and more fragile. Think black box data, driver logs, dashcam video, and inspection records. It can disappear before you know it. Flick steps in early to protect it.
The court is often different. Trucking companies frequently move cases to federal court, and many stay there. Your lawyer has to be ready for both state and federal court. Flick is admitted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri and the 8th Circuit. He has tried injury cases in state and federal court for more than 25 years.
Why Choose Flick Truck Accident Law
Flick Truck Accident Law does one thing: it represents people hurt in truck crashes. That focus shows in the results.
- Truck cases since 1995 and millions recovered for truck crash victims.
- Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer named by the Trucking Trial Lawyers Association.
- Top 100 Trial Lawyer and a perfect 10.0 Superb rating on Avvo.
- U.S. DOT trained on Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and crash investigation.
- Medical training at the University of Kansas Medical School to understand your injuries.
- You work with the lawyer, not a paralegal. You get direct access to your attorney.
Flick is based in the Kansas City metro and can handle cases across Missouri. If your crash happened in the Kansas City area, you can also read about the firm’s work as a Kansas City truck accident lawyer.
Deadlines to File in Missouri
Missouri gives you a limited time to act. In most cases, you have five years to file a personal injury lawsuit and three years for a wrongful death lawsuit. These limits can change based on the facts of your case. Waiting can let key evidence slip away. The sooner you call, the more a lawyer can do to protect your claim.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Missouri truck accident law different?
Missouri holds every driver to the highest degree of care under RSMo 304.012. Most states only require ordinary care. This higher standard, defined as the care a very careful person would use, can make it easier to prove a truck driver was negligent.
What is the highest degree of care standard?
It is the legal duty Missouri places on every driver. Under Missouri Approved Instruction 11.03, it means the degree of care a very careful person would use in the same situation. A driver who falls short can be held liable for a crash.
How does the Schultz ruling affect my case?
In Schultz v. Great Plains Trucking (2025), the Missouri Supreme Court upheld a verdict over $20 million. The court agreed that a driver’s repeated violations of the Missouri CDL manual showed conscious disregard for safety. It confirms that CDL manual rules can be used to prove negligence and support punitive damages.
What is the time limit to file a claim?
Missouri usually allows five years for a personal injury claim and three years for a wrongful death lawsuit. Deadlines can change based on the facts, so talk to a lawyer quickly.
What does it cost to hire a Missouri truck accident lawyer?
Flick Truck Accident Law handles truck crash cases on a contingency fee. You pay no attorney fee unless money is recovered for you.
Talk to a Missouri Truck Accident Lawyer
Contact us at Flick Truck Accident Law. The call is free and there is no fee unless you win. Tell us what happened and we will tell you where you stand.
Call (816) 221-0501
Missouri Office: 107 West 9th Street #216, Kansas City, MO 64105 · By appointment only