Truck accidents can result in painful injuries, serious vehicle damage, and a number of different financial losses. Unfortunately, since trucks are such large and often bulky vehicles, the injuries they cause in wrecks can be severe and, in some cases, life-threatening.
The Lake Charles truck accident lawyers at Laborde Earles have over 350 years of combined experience and have recovered over $1 billion for clients. Some of our notable truck crash settlements include $410,000 for a client hit by a commercial truck and $375,000 for a truck collision victim who suffered a serious back injury.
If you were injured due to the negligent actions of a truck driver or company, you can rest assured that a Lake Charles personal injury lawyer from our law firm has what it takes to fight for fair compensation.
Our Lawyers Have Won Several Multi-Million-Dollar Settlements
Our lawyers have a combined experience of over 350 years and are ready to work for you.
We have secured numerous multi-million-dollar settlements for our clients, as demonstrated in the table below:
| Type of Accident | Type of Financial Recovery | Amount |
| Injured 18-wheeler driver | Judgment | $7 million |
| Commercial truck accident victim | Settlement | $2.7 million |
| Semi-truck operator | Settlement | $1.8 million |
| Commercial vehicle accident victim | Trial Verdict | $1.75 million |
| Truck accident claim victim | Settlement | $1 million |
Many personal injury cases settle out of court, but we are prepared to take your case to trial if a fair agreement cannot be reached. No one should bear the costs of someone else’s negligence. If your life has been disrupted by a truck accident, our attorneys are here to help.
Laborde Earles injury was great for me they took care of me very fast and professional. If for any reason I need legal help they will be who I use.
ClientDamages a Lake Charles Truck Accident Attorney Can Help You Recover
If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident, you may be entitled to civil damages based on the losses you sustained. Even if you’ve suffered catastrophic injuries or long-term impairments, a truck accident attorney in Lake Charles can help you recover a wide range of losses, including:
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses might be recoverable if you had to undergo medical treatment for the injuries you sustained in the semi-truck accident. Medical bills for ambulance transportation, surgery, medical equipment, rehabilitation, and hospital stays are the most common medical losses we help clients recover.
Loss of Wages
You might find that your accident-related injury requires an extended hospital stay, multiple medical appointments, or significant rest to heal. Some conditions may also cause pain or disability to the extent that an individual must take time off work.
Whether you’ve had to stay home from work to rest or miss workdays to attend medical appointments, our Lake Charles truck accident attorneys can help you recover lost wages by filing a personal injury claim.
Property Damage
After a truck accident, your vehicle may be severely damaged or in need of replacement. Fortunately, property damage expenses are also recoverable in a truck accident claim. Our team can demand the financial compensation you need to repair or replace your damaged or totaled vehicle.
Pain and Suffering
You can also recover compensation for the pain and agony the crash caused you. Although placing an objective monetary value on intangible emotional pain is difficult, it can be an important aspect of a personal injury claim.
The compensation you’re eligible to recover depends on the severity of your crash and injuries. The greater the impact the crash had on your life, the more damages you’ll be eligible to recover. A truck accident lawyer in Lake Charles, LA, can determine how much you’re owed.
I thank God for Digger & David. I don’t know what we would have done if it hadn’t have been for them.
Rick Smith | ClientTypes of Truck Crashes We Handle
Truck drivers have a duty to operate their vehicles safely. Likewise, trucking companies are responsible for ensuring truck drivers are properly trained and that the parts on commercial trucks work properly.
Commercial truck accidents may occur when a company fails to train its drivers or maintain its trucks properly. Our attorneys have experience filing claims for wrecks caused by drivers and their employers.
We can help you seek damages for a crash caused by any of the following factors:
- Driver error
- Driver fatigue
- Speeding
- Reckless driving
- Cargo mismanagement
- Equipment failure
- Impairment due to drugs or alcohol
- Impairment due to a health condition
- Distracted driving
When one or more of the above factors are in play, serious incidents can occur. Our truck accident lawyers include:
- Lake Charles semi-truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles U-Haul truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles construction truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles UPS truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles cargo truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles fuel truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles concrete truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles FedEx truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles delivery truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles dump truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles tow truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles Penske truck accident lawyers
- Lake Charles 18-wheeler accident lawyers
The reassurance from Digger and his staff gave me that renewed hope that it’s going to be okay down the road.
ClientCommon Types of Truck Accident Injuries
A commercial vehicle’s size and weight can make devastating accident injuries more likely to occur. Our firm has worked with clients suffering from various injuries and long-term conditions. We can help you get the financial support you need to treat any of the following injuries:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):A violent blow or jolt to the head can cause traumatic brain injuries ranging from concussions to life-threatening hemorrhages and tissue damage. TBIs are a leading cause of death and disability after car crashes.
- Internal Bleeding: The intense force of a collision can cause internal organs to bruise or rupture, leading to internal hemorrhaging.
- Organ Damage: Abdominal trauma during a car accident can result in severe damage to internal organs like the liver, kidneys, spleen, or bowels.
- Broken Bones: The blunt force in vehicle impacts frequently causes broken bones, especially in the arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, and facial areas.
- Burn Injuries: Burn injuries are common in auto accidents, especially those involving fires, explosions, or spilled hot liquids/chemicals.
- Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI): Damage to the spinal cord can lead to partial or complete loss of sensation and mobility below the injury site, known as paraplegia (leg paralysis) or tetraplegia (all four limbs paralyzed).
These are just some examples of the devastating types of injuries that emphasize the vital importance of skilled legal representation after a serious auto accident caused by negligence.
An experienced truck accident lawyer can fight for the compensation needed to cover the monumental medical costs, long-term care expenses, lost income, and non-economic damages associated with such life-altering injuries.
After suffering injuries, you should seek medical care as soon as possible. You may have injuries that aren’t showing symptoms yet and could worsen later. Even if you aren’t in pain, you should still see a doctor and get the treatment you need to stay safe.
They treated us like no other people would. Whenever we needed something they were there for us. I put my trust in them and I don’t regret it.
ClientOther Parties Could Be to Blame for Your Collision and Injuries
Our truck accident lawyers in Lake Charles generally file lawsuits against individual drivers and their employers. This is because, under Louisiana law, employers are vicariously liable for the actions of their workers in the vast majority of circumstances.
Trucking companies and other large corporations often have larger liability policies than any individual trucker might carry. This larger liability can help when your injuries are severe, and your losses are adding up quickly. That said, the following parties may also be liable for damages:
Mechanic
Commercial trucks have many moving parts that need regular maintenance to function properly. Unfortunately, some trucks receive ineffective maintenance or no maintenance at all, resulting in serious issues and collisions.
If our personal injury lawyers discover the mechanic performed ineffective repair work or failed to fix the truck’s issues, causing a crash, we can help you file a claim against the mechanic.
Another Driver
Our legal team may also hold another driver liable for the pain and losses you’ve suffered due to the incident. If another motorist cut the truck off or swerved into its lane, causing it to collide with your vehicle, we may choose to file a lawsuit against them or a claim with their insurer.
If we determine that filing an insurance claim is the best option, your lawyer will deal with the driver’s insurance company and negotiate to reach a fair settlement. If a lawsuit is necessary, our team of attorneys will fight to recover compensation from the responsible party in court.
Evidence We Can Use to Prove Your Case and Win Compensation
Since the trucking industry is highly regulated, many additional forms of evidence, like event recorder data and driving logs, may be available. However, trucking companies may attempt to destroy certain forms of evidence to protect themselves from liability.
Luckily, we can act quickly to send a spoliation letter to the trucking company or other liable party to preserve any evidence they have. That way, our team will be able to use the following forms of evidence to build a winning claim on your behalf:
- Truck logs showing when the driver last rested
- Data from the truck’s onboard computer
- Maintenance logs
- Post-accident drug and alcohol tests
- Any previous history of accidents
- Dashcam footage, if the truck was equipped with a camera
- Information about the tractor, trailer, and cargo
Other Evidence Our Law Firm Will Use to Prove Negligence
There are many other forms of evidence that an experienced truck accident lawyer can gather and analyze to build the strongest case possible. They’ll collect the following forms of evidence to make your claim as successful as it can be:
- Police and crash reports
- Eyewitness statements
- Video or photos of the collision
- A survey of the accident scene
- Accident reconstruction
- Relevant medical records
- Expert testimony
- Documentation of financial damages and other losses
Our Accident Attorneys Can Deal With the Insurance Company
If you’ve filed a personal injury claim in the past, you probably know how difficult it can be to get the insurance company to agree to a fair settlement. Since insurers are always trying to protect their bottom line and avoid liability, the at-fault party’s insurer may deny your claim or offer you a payment that doesn’t even begin to cover your losses.
Our lawyers are familiar with all the tactics insurers use to avoid paying you what you’re owed. We can negotiate with insurers and fight for a settlement that meets your needs. If insurers continue to reject your claim or offer lowball settlements, we’ll have no problem fighting for maximum compensation in court.
What Is the Deadline to Sue Liable Parties in Louisiana?
Louisiana gives truck accident victims a short timeframe to develop a case, attempt to reach an out-of-court settlement, and take further legal action against the at-fault party if a settlement is impossible. Therefore, we need to act quickly to help you recover sufficient compensation.
According to CC Art. 3492, you only have two years from the crash date to file a personal injury claim. That means you must act fast and get in touch with a truck accident lawyer. If you reach out to a lawyer soon, they’ll be able to get an early start on your case and have your suit filed in no time.
No Fee Unless We Win Your Case
A serious truck crash can leave you with a handful of expenses and financial pressures. As a result, you might be hesitant to hire an attorney. Instead, you might be tempted to represent yourself to save money. This is inadvisable, as going into insurance negotiations or a court case without a skilled lawyer can have disastrous results.
It’s also not necessary, as our firm offers advice and advocacy on a contingency fee basis. In other words, we don’t charge for the representation we provide. Instead of taking an upfront payment, we’ll take a portion of the winnings you receive from your case. If we are unable to obtain compensation on your behalf, we won’t charge you a cent.
How Common Are Truck Wrecks in Louisiana?
Due to the high concentration of commercial businesses and the fact that the city is positioned in an area of Louisiana with a major freight corridor, truck wrecks are a fairly common occurrence.
According to 2021 crash data from Louisiana State University’s Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety (CARTS) department, there were 306 truck crashes in Lake Charles’ Calcasieu Parish in 2021.
Out of these 306 crashes, eight were fatal, while 137 resulted in severe injuries for the drivers involved. About 17% of all crashes occurred on interstates, and 20% occurred on U.S. Highways. With such a high possibility of getting in a truck wreck, you’ll want to have a trusted attorney on speed dial.
Contact a Lake Charles Truck Accident Law Firm Today
If another party’s negligence caused you to sustain injuries in a truck accident, you should not have to shoulder the burden of your injuries and losses alone. Whether your injury is minor or severe, a Lake Charles truck accident lawyer from Laborde Earles can guide you through the legal process and seek fair compensation.
Our team handles motor vehicle accident claims from our Lafayette office and offers free case reviews for injury victims like yourself. Contact us today to schedule and learn more about your right to financial recovery in a free initial consultation.
