Lake Charles Truck Accident Lawyer

Multiple parties can carry responsibility in a truck accident. You can pursue compensation even if you’re partly at fault for the truck accident. However, under Louisiana’s pure comparative fault law, your damages will drop in proportion to your responsibility. For example, suppose you are 40 percent at fault for the accident and will receive $10,000 in damages. Since you are partially to blame for the accident, your awarded damages will drop to $6,000.

Louisiana has a “no pay, no pay” law, which restricts compensation for uninsured and underinsured drivers. This law, Louisiana Revised Statute 32:861, provides that underinsured victims of another driver’s negligence cannot collect the first $25,000 of property damages and the first $15,000 of bodily injury damages.

This means that uninsured and underinsured drivers injured in a truck accident must cover the first $25,000 in property damage, such as car repairs, and the first $15,000 in bodily injury damages, including medical bills.

Tractor-trailer accidents can stem from various causes, including the following:

• Speeding
• Improperly loaded cargo
• Aggressive driving
• Distracted driving
• Trucker fatigue
• Equipment failure
• Poor vehicle maintenance
• Inexperienced drivers or lack of training
• Poor weather conditions
• Driving while intoxicated

Given the size of trucks compared to most other vehicles on the road, injuries resulting from truck wrecks can be severe, including:

• Burns
• Lacerations
• Seat belt injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Head injuries
• Internal injuries
• Broken bones
• Crush injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Amputations
• Spinal cord injuries

If you’re involved in a truck accident, follow these steps:

1. Stay calm: These accidents are stressful, but do your best to remain calm until help arrives. If possible, pull your vehicle to the side of the road and turn on your hazards.
2. Call 911: Call 911 immediately to get emergency services on the scene.
3. Seek medical help: When emergency services arrive, get medical attention. This is an important step, even if you don’t feel seriously injured, as the shock of the accident may conceal some injuries or symptoms.
4. Gather information: If possible, gather as much information about the accident as possible. Take photos and videos of the scene, exchange information with other drivers, document the scene, and collect witness statements and contact information.
5. Be cautious of what you say: When talking to emergency personnel, drivers, or other individuals on the scene, avoid making statements alluding to guilt, fault, or the severity of your injuries. These statements could be used against you in court, so be mindful of what you say.
6. Talk to a lawyer: Call an experienced Lake Charles truck accident attorney as soon as possible for personalized legal guidance. Your lawyer can outline your legal options and the next steps.

Truck accidents in Lake Charles can happen almost anywhere. Tight alleyways and city streets can prove tricky for truck drivers to navigate, leading to wide turns and potential accidents. However, while accidents can occur at nearly any intersection or snug street throughout the city, some roads prove more dangerous than others. Interstate 10 and Highway 90 are frequent accident scenes, ranking among the most dangerous roadways in Lake Charles.