Did you get into an accident with a semi-truck or commercial truck in Baton Rouge, LA? If so, a Baton Rouge truck accident lawyer can help you recover compensation. You might be entitled to money to help pay for medical bills, lost wages, and emotional suffering.
Since 2018, Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers have helped people who are hurt in accidents around Baton Rouge, Louisiana. This includes people involved in truck crashes.
Call our Baton Rouge truck accident attorneys to schedule a free consultation and learn more about your legal rights or call at (225) 263-4787.
How Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Truck Accident in Baton Rouge
Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help you recover money after a truck accident in Baton Rouge, LA.
Our Baton Rouge truck accident lawyers are dedicated to helping clients stand up to commercial trucking companies and their insurers. We know that many people are strong-armed to accept less than they deserve.
If you hire a Baton Rouge personal injury attorney, they can do the following for your case:
- Conduct an investigation
- Discuss your rights and options
- Evaluate your damages
- Obtain relevant evidence
- Work with experts
- Handle communications with insurance companies
- Negotiate for a fair settlement
- Provide courtroom representation when needed
We can discuss the best strategy for your case during our free initial consultation. Call us to schedule a free consultation with our Baton Rouge personal injury attorney.
How Common Are Truck Accidents in East Baton Rouge Parish, LA?
In 2023, there were 453 truck crashes in East Baton Rouge Parish. There were 3,415 across the entire state of Louisiana. The crashes in East Baton Rouge Parish caused 102 injuries.
It makes sense that there were a significant number of truck accidents in Baton Rouge. I-110 and I-10 run through the city. Many commercial vehicles use these highways to travel to Baton Rouge and across Louisiana every day.
What Is My Truck Accident Case Worth?
Many truck accident cases are worth a lot of money. That’s because truck accidents tend to be serious. People usually have catastrophic and life-altering injuries. In some cases, truck accidents can be fatal.
Many factors will impact your case value, including the following:
- The severity and permanency of your injuries
- Whether you are expected to recover
- The type of medical treatment you have undergone and will undergo
- The cost of your medical bills and future medical bills
- Whether your injury has prevented you from working or earning income
- The injury’s affect on your overall quality of life
- Your physical pain and suffering
- Your emotional suffering
- Whether or not you are partially at fault
During your initial consultation, our Baton Rouge truck accident lawyers will calculate your case value. This is simply an estimate. You may recover more or less money at the end of your case. Our goal is always to recover every dollar that you deserve.
What Kinds of Damages Are Available To Truck Accident Victims?
Baton Rouge truck accident victims can recover compensatory damages. Compensatory damages pay a victim for their actual and anticipated losses. These losses can be economic or non-economic.
Economic losses may include:
- Past and future medical bills
- Rehabilitation and physical therapy
- Property damage
- Past and future lost wages
- Lost future earning capacity
- Alternative transportation costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
On the other hand, non-economic losses are:
- Pain and suffering
- Reduced quality of life
- PTSD, anxiety, depression
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Emotional distress
Compensatory damages are different from punitive damages. These damages are meant to punish defendants for their behavior and deter them from acting the same in the future.
In general, punitive damages are rarely allowed in Louisiana truck accident cases. A limited exception is if the truck driver was drunk when they caused the crash.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Truck Accident Lawyer?
Truck accident lawyers in Baton Rouge charge contingency fees. Contingency fee arrangements usually benefit plaintiffs in personal injury cases.
With a contingency fee, you won’t pay your lawyer unless they win the case. After receiving a settlement, you will pay them a percentage. You will agree on the percentage at the beginning of the representation. If your lawyer loses the case, you aren’t obligated to pay them anything.
With a contingency fee, your lawyer is always motivated to work hard on your case. It also means that you won’t have to worry about coming up with the money to pay your attorney. After all, the fee is directly proportional to the money recovered.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for a Truck Accident in Louisiana?
Louisiana is a pure comparative negligence state that allows accident victims to recover compensation even if they’re partially to blame for the accident. However, damages are reduced in proportion to your share of the fault.
For example, if you are 25% responsible for the truck accident, then you can recover 75% of your damages. That’s because the defendant is 75% responsible. However, if the defendant was also injured, you could be responsible for 25% of the damages.
You should never admit fault after a truck accident, especially without speaking with a lawyer. Defendants and their insurance companies will try to turn your admission in a way to reduce their liability. You can protect yourself by hiring an attorney right after the crash and asking for advice.
We’ll Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Truck Accident Injuries
Truck and 18-wheeler accidents can cause life-altering injuries.
We can help you recover compensation for any type of injury, including:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Skull fractures
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Nerve damage
- Severe burns
- Loss of eyesight or hearing
- Broken bones
- Amputations
- Crush injuries
- Internal organ damage
Our lawyers will review your medical records and consult with your doctors and medical experts when necessary. All of this information will help your legal team fully understand your injuries. After we understand your injury’s impact and prognosis, we can effectively pursue full compensation.
What Causes Most Truck Accidents in Baton Rouge, LA?
There are many different causes of truck accidents in Baton Rouge, LA.
Some of the most common causes are:
- Distracted driving
- Fatigued driving
- Aggressive driving
- Improper cargo loading
- Cargo shifting
- Road hazards
- Inclement weather and poor visibility
- Inadequate vehicle maintenance
- Blind spots
- Lack of driver training
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Running red lights or stop signs
- Unsafe lane changes
- Blind spots
Our legal team will investigate the truck accident. This investigation will give us the information that we need to pursue damages. It will help us identify who is responsible and effectively negotiate with insurance companies and the defendant.
How Do I Prove Negligence After a Truck Accident in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a fault-based insurance system. This means that after a truck accident in Louisiana, you need to prove that the truck driver or their employer was negligent. If they weren’t negligent, then you cannot recover damages.
Negligence has a unique legal meaning. To prove that the defendant was negligent, you must prove four elements.
The elements are:
- The defendant owed the plaintiff a duty of care
- The defendant breached that duty of care
- The breach caused the accident and the plaintiff’s injuries
- The plaintiff incurred damages
You need enough evidence to prove each element by a preponderance of the evidence. This means that it is more likely than not.
The easiest way to understand negligence law is to talk about the duty of care. Truck drivers and commercial trucking companies owe other drivers on the road a duty of care. The duty is to take reasonable precautions to avoid crashes.
For example, it is important to make sure that a truck driver gets enough sleep, is well-trained, and is properly maintained. When a truck driver or their company breaches this duty and causes an accident, they are responsible for their damages.
Just because you got into a truck crash doesn’t mean that the truck driver was negligent. Sometimes, truck accidents are just that, purely an accident. However, more often than not, the crash is avoidable.
Our Baton Rouge truck accident attorneys can explain and help you prove negligence.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Truck Accident in Louisiana?
You don’t have much time to waste after a truck accident. As of 7/01/2024, you will typically have two years to file a lawsuit, or you will lose your legal right to recover compensation. However, if your 18-wheeler collision happened before 7/01/2024, you may have just one year to initiate your case.
An experienced Baton Rouge truck accident attorney can ensure that you comply with applicable deadlines.
Contact Our Baton Rouge Truck Accident Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Call Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with a Baton Rouge truck accident lawyer. There’s no downside to getting more information about your legal options after a truck accident in Baton Rouge, LA.
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Visit Our Personal Injury Law Office in Baton Rouge, LA
Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
404 Europe Street, Baton Rouge, LA, 70802
(225) 263-4787
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