Federal hours-of-service rules exist to keep drowsy drivers off the road, but they are frequently violated. Fatigued driving is one of the leading causes of serious 18-wheeler accidents. When a driver or company falsifies logbooks or pressures drivers to push past legal limits, they bear responsibility for the consequences.

A fully loaded semi truck traveling at highway speed can take the length of two football fields to stop. When a driver is speeding, tailgating, or changing lanes aggressively, the risk of a catastrophic crash multiplies. Louisiana’s highways and the I-10 and I-12 corridors through Baton Rouge are frequent sites of serious truck accidents.

Commercial drivers are prohibited from using handheld devices while driving, but violations are common. A driver looking at a phone, GPS, or other device for even a few seconds at highway speed can travel hundreds of feet without any awareness of changing conditions ahead.

Overloaded or improperly secured cargo can cause a truck to roll over, jackknife, or shed debris onto other vehicles. Liability in these cases may extend beyond the driver to the company responsible for loading the freight, and in some cases to the shipper or freight broker.

Federal regulations require trucking companies to maintain their fleets and document inspections. Brake failures, tire blowouts, and steering defects caused by deferred maintenance put every driver on the road at risk. When a preventable mechanical failure causes a crash, the trucking company can be held accountable.

Sometimes the cause of a crash traces back to a defective component — faulty brakes, a defective tire, or a malfunctioning safety system. In these situations, the equipment manufacturer may share liability alongside the trucking company and driver.

Commercial drivers are held to a stricter legal limit of 0.04% BAC, half the standard limit for passenger vehicle drivers. Drug use is also a significant issue in the trucking industry. When a truck driver causes a crash while impaired, both the driver and their employer may face serious liability.

You generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana. However, critical evidence — including the truck’s black box data and driver logs — may be overwritten or destroyed within weeks. The sooner you contact an attorney, the better protected you are.

Trucking companies frequently attempt to avoid liability by classifying drivers as independent contractors rather than employees. Louisiana courts look at the actual nature of the working relationship — not just the label. If the company controlled how and when the driver worked, exercised authority over the route or load, or required use of their equipment, the company may still be liable. Our attorneys dig into these arrangements to hold the right parties accountable.

Truck accident cases are significantly more complex. They involve federal trucking regulations, multiple potentially liable parties, commercial insurance policies with higher limits, and evidence — like black box data and electronic logging device records — that must be preserved quickly. The injuries are also typically more severe, meaning damages are higher and the stakes of getting the case right are greater.

You can still recover compensation. Louisiana follows pure comparative fault, so your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault but not eliminated. Trucking companies and their insurers routinely try to shift blame onto the other driver to reduce their payout — our attorneys fight back against those tactics.

No. Do not give a recorded statement or sign anything before speaking with an attorney. Insurance companies for trucking carriers are experienced at using early statements to minimize claims. Let us handle all communication from the start so nothing is used against you later.