When a large truck causes a collision, those in the smaller passenger vehicle often suffer severe injuries. The costs of these injuries start at the accident scene and can last for months and years afterward. If you or a family member were physically, emotionally, and financially hurt because of a careless truck driver, you should not be stuck paying these expenses.
There are ways to avoid negotiating on your own or accepting a smaller settlement than you deserve based on the facts of your case. For example, you can discuss the details of your accident with the Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers team for free today. One of our Broussard truck accident lawyers may be able to help you seek and secure compensation.
What Our Truck Accident Attorneys Could Do for Your Case
At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we know how to develop a case against a truck driver and trucking company in Louisiana. When we represent you, our services include documenting and calculating any recoverable damages you have and demanding a fair settlement agreement from the insurance company.
You deserve to have someone advocating for you as you heal and tend to your family. Rather than shouldering the stress and responsibility on your own, you can allow our legal team to navigate the personal injury claims process in Broussard on your behalf.
Investigating the Truck Collision
You should notify local police or another law enforcement agency as soon as possible after a crash with injuries or significant property damage. The responding officer will file a police report containing crucial information, which could help you bolster and support your compensation claim later. While it may not be necessary for a minor fender bender, RS 32:398 makes a police report mandatory when:
- Injuries occur
- Fatalities occur
- Costly damage occurs
Our firm can request a copy of the police report to analyze and include in your claim against the driver and their employer. The police report may contain crucial details about the truck driver, as well as the truck’s license number, make, and model. The accident report may also have pictures and video footage of the accident, information about the accident scene, road and weather conditions, and details of your initial injuries and symptoms.
Our attorneys can use this document along with the information you provide during the free consultation to guide our investigation. As we proceed, we will collect evidence that could support your right to financial recovery.
Compiling a File of Your Medical Records, Bills, and Other Documents
As soon as possible, our team will start obtaining copies of your medical records and bills. We will also gather documents that show your other related expenses and losses, such as pay stubs, proof of time away from work, and repair or replacement estimates for your vehicle.
Our attorneys use these documents to identify, prove, and calculate your damages. Without this evidence, you could be at risk of:
- Accepting a lower settlement than your damages warrant
- Leaving critical damages out of your claim and eventually having to pay them out of your own pocket
- Receiving a claim denial or the court dismissing your case
Identifying the Liable Parties
Under CC Art. 2320, Louisiana law allows our attorneys to build cases for clients based on the doctrine of respondeat superior. This means that when a truck driver causes a crash while on the job, we can often hold their employer vicariously liable. In that case, we file our claims based on their corporate liability insurance and sue them in civil court if needed. Doing so allows us to seek just compensation from both parties.
Seeking Compensation After a Truck Collision in Broussard
The injuries you suffer because of a truck collision may require an ambulance, emergency department evaluation, a series of tests and evaluations, hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and more.
Your medical bills start adding up from the ambulance ride and continue until your injuries are fully treated and you have reached maximum medical recovery. With a strong case, the at-fault driver and their employer should cover all these medical bills and expenses. Overall, your potential financial recovery could include:
- Medical bills, current and future
- Care and support costs
- Lost current and future income
- Car repair or replacement
- Pain and suffering
- Other non-economic damages
The severity and long-term effects of your injuries and how you navigate the claims process can play a role in your potential compensation package.
Handling the Insurance Company
After an accident with a large truck, you may want to avoid speaking to the at-fault driver’s insurance company or employer on your own. Doing so could result in a much smaller settlement than you deserve or one that does not fully cover your accident-related expenses.
If they do not agree, we can take them to trial to let the jury determine if negligence occurred and if you are eligible for compensation. Note that you generally only have 1 year to sue in these cases, per CC Art. 3492. However, exceptions exist. When you hire our firm for your truck accident case, we will identify how long you have left to file and guide you through the legal process with this deadline in mind.
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What Causes Truck Crashes in Louisiana?
A collision with a truck can leave you with a totaled car and severe injuries. The specific injuries you suffer in an accident with an 18-wheeler or other large commercial vehicle will vary, as will the severity. No two crashes are the same, although there are a few common ways these crashes occur.
Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers represents clients in scenarios like:
- Head-on collisions
- Left-turn collisions
- Rear-end collisions
- Right-turn collisions
- Sideswipe collisions
We can help you determine what led to the accident and how to hold the truck driver and their employer responsible for your injuries and damages. For example, some causes of these collisions include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Drunk or intoxicated driving
- Violations of traffic laws
- Lack of training or experience with similar vehicles
Our collision lawyers work with accident reconstruction experts, doctors, economists, and others to prove negligence, liability, and case value in these claims.
Drowsiness and Fatigue Often Contribute to Broussard Truck Accidents
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), truck drivers can remain behind the wheel as many as 11 hours at a time, with many knowingly driving more hours than federal regulations allow. Drowsy or fatigued driving can lead to serious accidents, especially while moving heavy cargo in a large commercial vehicle. In fact, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) considers driver fatigue a factor in as many as 13 percent of truck accidents.
Commercial truck drivers might experience fatigue because of a lack of sleep, working too many hours, or engaging in physically taxing or stressful activities. Truck drivers can combat the harmful effects of driving while fatigued in the following ways:
- Getting enough sleep before road trips and taking naps as needed
- Recognizing their personal signs and symptoms of drowsiness
If you believe drowsiness, fatigue, or other types of driver error played a role in your accident, our team is here to help. The attorneys at our Lafayette office can help you gather evidence to prove what caused the accident and who is financially liable for your accident-related expenses.
Get The HelpYou Need(337) 777-7777To Schedule a FREE CONSULTATION
24 hours a day • 7 days a week
Our Team Will Assess Your Broussard Accident Case for Free
A personal injury attorney from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help you hold the liable parties responsible for your injuries and expenses. Our team serving Broussard provides free consultations. Call (337) 777-7777 to speak with us today.
Get The HelpYou Need(337) 777-7777To Schedule a FREE CONSULTATION
24 hours a day • 7 days a week
