On the Most Common Types of Louisiana Truck Accidents and Legal Action
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the most common types of truck accidents in Louisiana and throughout the United States are caused by:
- A large truck traveling outside of its lane or off the roadway
- Loss of vehicle control due to speeding, shifting cargo, bad road conditions, and vehicle systems failure
- Rear-end collisions in the truck’s lane of travel
Other Common Truck Accidents in Louisiana and the U.S.
Data reports from the Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety (CARTS) at Louisiana State University (LSU) found there were 89 fatalities and more than 2,400 injuries from crashes involving large trucks and buses in the state in 2020.
In addition to rear-end collisions, other common large-truck accidents include:
- Head-on collisions
- Jackknife collisions
- Rollover accidents
- Side impact collisions
- Underride guard accidents
- Accidents caused by blown truck tires
- Accidents involving hazardous or flammable materials
What Causes Large Truck Accidents?
Various factors cause truck accidents, including driver error, vehicle defects, and dangerous cargo. Our truck accident attorneys can help you prove another party’s negligent actions caused your crash.
Liable parties may include the truck driver and/or the trucking company that employs them. Liability may also rest with:
- The owner of the truck (if it is not the driver or the trucking company)
- The packer and/or shipper of the cargo
- The manufacturer of the truck
Examples of negligence on the part of these parties include:
- Reckless or dangerous driving, such as speeding, driving while intoxicated, driving drowsy, or disobeying traffic laws
- Failing to regularly maintain trucks and their required safety features
- Failure to vet and train drivers
- Failure to test drivers for alcohol and drug use
- Failure to obey truck cargo size and weight limits.
- Failure to securely pack cargo
- Manufacturing a defective or unsafe vehicle or vehicle part
We Can Help You Seek Awards for Your Physical Injuries and Losses
No matter what type of truck accident caused your injuries, if your crash was not your fault, you should not get saddled with financially devastating medical bills and other costs. The party that caused your accident should compensate you for your medical care.
Our truck accident attorneys can help you seek awards to pay for your past and future medical treatment. This includes:
- Emergency room services
- Hospital stays
- Long-term nursing care
- Medications
- Medical equipment
- Surgical procedures
- Rehabilitation services
These treatments could add up to thousands of dollars or more. Severe injuries can also have far-ranging physical, mental, and emotional consequences.
We can help you seek pain and suffering damages to compensate for your physical pain and mental and emotional anguish. This may include awards for conditions like:
- Insomnia
- Depression
- Chronic pain
- Loss of mobility
- Permanent physical and cognitive disabilities
Serious injuries may necessitate an extended leave of absence from work while you heal. If you cannot work for weeks or months, we can help you recover your lost wages.
If your accident left you with a disability that prevents you from working or returning to your previous job, you could win compensation for your loss of future earning potential. You can also recover the cost of your damaged vehicle.
We Can Help You Take Action for the Loss of Your Loved One
If a truck accident resulted in your loved one’s death, you can seek awards for expenses related to their final injury, including funeral and burial costs. You may also pursue awards for their pain and suffering and your loss of their care and guidance.
How We Help Our Clients Take Legal Action After a Truck Accident
Our truck accident attorneys can help you pursue an insurance settlement. We will:
- File your claims
- Review your settlement offers
- Negotiate for the highest claims payout available to you
- Handle communications on your behalf
Our team will prove another party is financially responsible for your accident. While you focus on your recovery and your family, we will focus on building your case. We can look at any evidence you have. We will also obtain accident reports, eyewitness and expert testimony, crash site information, and photographs and video proving another party’s negligence caused your crash.
It is important to talk to an attorney before the statute of limitations on your case expires. You generally have only two years to file a personal injury case under CC Art. 3492. You also have two years to pursue a wrongful death action, according to CC Art. 2315.2.
Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Our personal injury attorneys have helped clients across Louisiana win multimillion-dollar truck accident settlements and verdicts. Our lawyers have more than 350 years of combined legal experience to put behind your insurance claim or lawsuit.
Call us today at (337) 777-7777 for a free, no-obligation case evaluation.
