At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we understand that recovering from a truck accident is a long and difficult journey. Your life may never return to normal, especially if you lost a loved one as a result of the accident. Monetary compensation can help you pay bills and make up for lost income.
If you or a loved one was injured in a truck accident in Louisiana, a New Orleans semi-truck accident lawyer at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers might make the legal process much easier for you. We can help you learn what legal options you have to pursue compensation for your damages.
Semi-Truck Accidents Can Stem From Driver, Vehicle, or Environmental Errors
After an accident, you might be wondering how such a thing could happen. Even if you have a clear recollection of the accident, you might not have the complete picture. Investigations by the police and your attorney, should you choose to retain one from our firm, may uncover the accident’s true causes.
A major causal factor for semi-truck accidents is driver error. Examples of driver errors include:
- Distracted driving: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports that distracted driving was responsible for 400,000 injuries in 2018 and over 3,100 deaths occurred in 2019 alone. While distractions can take many forms, some of the most pervasive distractions are cellphones and other electronic devices. Per RS 32:300.5, it is illegal to use any device to text or check social media while driving.
- Drowsy driving: As outlined by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), truck drivers must follow a strict set of guidelines that regulate their working hours and break times. Ignoring these rules, whether by the driver’s own volition or from being under the pressure of an employer, can leave a driver too tired to operate safely.
- Disregarding driving laws: Because of a truck’s large size and heavy load, it is crucial for truck drivers to obey all road rules, including following speed limits and obeying traffic signals.
Other forms of driver errors can involve serious offenses, such as driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Our legal team can review the crash report from your accident and investigate further to identify whether the semi-truck driver’s negligence caused the accident.
Other Causes May Include Vehicle and Environmental Factors
Other reasons why truck accidents occur include:
- Poor maintenance: The company that was employed to maintain and repair the truck missed a critical flaw, either by accident or through negligence.
- Poor manufacturing: One of the semi-truck’s parts was defective and malfunctioned at the time of the accident.
- The environment: A dangerous object was on the roadway, or the weather was bad enough to inhibit visibility.
Truck accidents can have many causes. Regardless of how your accident happened, Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation. Our New Orleans office is ready and willing to take your call. We charge you no attorney’s fees unless we win compensation for you.
For a free legal consultation with a semi-truck accident lawyer serving New Orleans, call (504) 777-7777
Pursuing Compensation May Help Cover Your Losses
How many ways has the semi-truck accident affected your life? To make sure you get the compensation you need, you can sit down with our legal team and create a list of the physical, mental, and financial damages you suffered related to the accident. One of our New Orleans truck accident lawyers may then work with you to assign a dollar amount to each of your losses.
Your personal injury damages may fall under separate categories, such as:
Physical and Emotional Harm
Noneconomic damages reflect the physical and/or mental consequences of the crash. These damages may include:
- Pain and suffering: This damage refers to physical and emotional distress caused by your injuries or the accident itself. This may include chronic pain or inflammation, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other physical and emotional pain.
- Permanent disability: This damage refers to the loss or loss of use of any body part or function, including one’s vision or hearing.
- Scarring and other physical disfigurements: This damage refers to visible or painful marks left by your injuries. This also includes burn marks, amputations, and surgical scars.
- Psychological trauma: Being involved in a semi-truck accident can be traumatic. If you developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and required psychiatric care (e.g., counseling, medications) to cope with your trauma, you may claim this type of damage.
- Diminished quality of life: This damage refers to significant changes in your lifestyle, relationships, and independence due to your injuries. For example, if you now require caregiver services to dress and bathe yourself, this shows the negative impact the accident had on your physical independence. If you cannot participate in former hobbies and activities, you can factor in those losses as well.
Non-economic damages can vary by individual, so our team may suggest other damages not listed here after listening to how your accident affected you personally.
Financial Harm
Economic damages reflect the financial losses you incurred because of the crash. These damages may include:
- Repair expenses: These expenses include money you spent fixing your vehicle. If your vehicle was totaled in the accident, you may factor in the cash value of your vehicle to replace it.
- Medical expenses: These expenses refer to money you spent on medical treatments for your accident injuries. This may include costs for hospitalization, doctor’s appointments, surgeries, physical therapy, and even prescription medicines.
- Loss of wages: This damage refers to the salary you could not earn while you were convalescing. You can also factor in future wages you expect to lose if you are still recovering from your injuries or are expected to never recover.
- Reduced earning capacity: If your injuries allow you to work, but only at a reduced capacity, in a lower-paying position, or in a different industry, you may factor in the difference in salary. You can also factor in job opportunities and promotions you missed because of your injuries.
If you had other expenses because of the accident or your injuries, such as domestic care services while you were incapable of doing household or childcare tasks yourself, then we will factor these costs into your compensation total, as well.
Wrongful Death
Unfortunately, some families must face the trauma of losing their loved ones in truck accidents. If you lost someone in a semi-truck accident in New Orleans, you may qualify for wrongful death damages, such as:
- Loss of companionship: This damage may apply if you are struggling to cope without your deceased loved one’s presence and support.
- Loss of financial support: This damage refers to the salary your loved one would have earned throughout their career had they lived.
- Funeral expenses: This damage refers to the costs of all funeral arrangements, including costs for burial or cremation.
- Loss of parental guidance: This damage may apply if you are the decedent’s surviving child.
Our law firm understands that balancing a legal case while grieving a family member can be overwhelming for most people. However, when you work with a lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, you do not have to go through the legal process alone. We can manage your case for you, so you can take the time you need to cope with your loss.
New Orleans Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer Near Me (504) 777-7777
How a New Orleans Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer Can Manage Your Case for You
Bringing a lawsuit is an intimidating prospect, especially if you have not yet recovered from your accident injuries. Instead of struggling through the process alone, consider hiring a New Orleans semi-truck accident lawyer from our firm. They can assume all legal responsibilities in your lawsuit, so you have one less thing to worry about.
Among the tasks Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can accomplish on your behalf are:
- Identifying liable parties: We may investigate your case and find all available proof of the liable party’s guilt. We may even be able to identify more than one liable party who can be held responsible for your damages.
- Calculating damages: We can help you figure out what your damages are and how much you might be entitled to receive because of them.
- Filing forms: While it is not the most exciting legal task, filling out all forms correctly and on time is crucial.
- Communicating with others: If the liable party or their representatives want to speak with you, they can do it through us.
- Fighting for compensation: Our attorneys can work toward reaching a satisfactory settlement with the insurance company on your behalf. However, if necessary, we can also prepare to go to trial and convince a jury to award you damages. Either way, we are ready and willing to fight to the end.
Also, when you hire a personal injury lawyer from our firm, you do not have to pay any attorney’s fees right away. We work on a contingency-fee basis, so our payment will come out of any compensation we help you recover.
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Hire Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for Legal Help With Your Truck Accident Case
A New Orleans semi-truck accident lawyer from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can help you at every stage of your lawsuit. We work hard to cater to our clients’ interests and respect the grievances they have been suffering since their semi-truck accident occurred. We understand these vehicle accidents can turn your life upside down, and we want to help you get back on your feet.
As soon as you are able, call us at (504) 777-7777. The sooner you call, the sooner we can begin fighting for your rights.
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