Louisiana Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck accidents are extremely serious events. Trucks are monstrously large vehicles that carry heavy loads across long distances and are capable of serious harm in a collision. Many trucks crisscross the State of Louisiana on a daily basis. Because trucks are so dangerously large and heavy, the people employed to drive them must take great care to remain safe on the road. Even minor mistakes could spell disaster for the trucker and the vehicles around them.

Truck accidents can lead to serious physical injuries or even death. Even if you are lucky enough to escape unharmed, your vehicle could be damaged beyond repair. the costs of medical treatment and replacing a vehicle may be astronomical, and many accident victims are unprepared to take on such expensive burdens. You can sue the trucker and the company that hired them for compensation.

After being involved in a truck accident, you should immediately contact the police and emergency personnel for help. A report should also be filed that you can look to later when exploring legal options with our Louisiana truck accident attorneys. Call the offices of Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (225) 269-8930 for a free case evaluation.

Reporting Truck Accidents in Louisiana

After a truck accident, the first thing you should do is contact the police to get help and file a report. In Louisiana, drivers involved in crashes are required by law to contact the authorities to file a report on the matter. According to Louisiana Code § 32:398, if a crash or collision involves property damage of at least $500, injuries, or death, the driver is required to contact emergency services and provide information for a report.

If you are involved in a crash, and nobody bothers to contact the police about making a report, there could be legal penalties. Crash reports are not always made at the scene of the crash. Many drivers, pedestrians, and passengers who sustain injuries are transported to a hospital for emergency medical care before they can speak with the police. However, a report usually must be filed in the days and weeks following a crash.

If you believe no report was filed for your collision with a truck, something might be wrong. Our Louisiana truck accident lawyers can help you contact law enforcement about your accident and discuss any issues regarding your accident report.

Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Louisiana

A variety of factors can cause truck accidents. Perhaps one of the most prevalent causes of trucking accidents is driver error on the truck driver’s part. Truckers bear a lot of responsibility on the road. They are behind the wheel of a large, heavy vehicle that would cause serious harm if anything were to go wrong. Failing to brake in time, speeding, making sharp turns, or driving recklessly for the road conditions are all errors perpetrated by truckers. In such cases, the trucker could be held liable for your injuries.

Sometimes, truck drivers are doing the best they can, but the demands of their job proved too much. Drivers are known to drive for long stretches of time with no breaks, and driver fatigue is a serious issue. If a trucker falls asleep or even closes their eyes for just a few seconds, disaster could strike. After an accident, our Louisiana truck accident lawyers can check driving logs and speak with the driver themselves to figure out if they had been driving for too long without breaks.

Sometimes, the driver is not the one that makes a mistake. Trucks are full of important equipment to assist drivers, and equipment failures could lead to severe accidents. Equipment includes mirrors, lights, brakes, load securing features, underride bars, and more. If any of this equipment were to fail, it could be extremely dangerous. For example, underride bars prevent other cars from accidentally going too far under the truck in case the car rear-ends the truck. Failure of this bar could see the car crushed by the truck.

Poor road conditions may also lead to truck accidents. Wet or icy roads are known to cause crashes and collisions, and drivers and truckers must adjust their driving styles according to road conditions. However, the driver of another car could be just as responsible for causing an accident as a trucker. Our Louisiana truck accident attorneys can help you determine who is liable for your accident.

Insurance Requirements for Trucks and Truck Accidents in Louisiana

Trucks are capable of causing much greater damage than ordinary cars in a crash. As such, the insurance requirements for trucks are greater than for drivers of standard cars. According to Louisiana Code § 32:1503, carriers of hazardous materials, waste, or vehicles carrying freight weighing at least 24,000 pounds must carry minimum insurance coverage of $300,000 in public liability and $200,000 in property damage insurance.

Louisiana is an at-fault state when it comes to insurance. This means that an injured driver must prove the other driver was at fault for the accident if they want to collect compensation from the other driver’s insurance. Since trucks must carry a lot of insurance in case of accidents, pursuing an insurance claim could be a good way to get your damages covered. Our Louisiana truck accident lawyers can help you prove damages and show that the trucker is to blame for the accident.

How to Get Compensation for Injuries from a Louisiana Truck Accident

As mentioned above, one way to get compensation after a truck accident is by filing an insurance claim. This can be a long and difficult process because you must prove that the trucker is responsible for the accident. However, you also have the option of walking away from insurance negotiations and filing a personal injury lawsuit.

Your lawsuit may be against the truck driver in addition to their employer. In many cases, employers are liable for any negligent acts committed by their employees in the line of duty. it is usually more important to sue the trucker’s employer than the trucker themselves because their employer will have deeper pockets and be more capable of offering sufficient financial compensation. Speak with our experienced Louisiana truck accident lawyers about a lawsuit for your accident.

Call Our Louisiana Truck Accident Attorneys

If you were hurt in a truck accident, your injuries and losses might be severe. the negligence of the truck driver and their employer will not go unnoticed. Contact our Louisiana truck accident lawyers about getting fair compensation for your injuries. Call the offices of Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (225) 269-8930 for a free initial case review before getting started.