New Orleans Truck Accident Lawyer
If you were involved in a truck accident in New Orleans, LA, our team at Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers is here to fight for you. Contact an experienced New Orleans truck accident lawyer and truck accident attorney today at (504) 294-3804. We can help you fight to recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Our lawyers have years of experience representing clients in complex personal injury cases. We’re ready to stand up to the insurance companies and negligent drivers when you need help the most.
When a huge tractor-trailer, semi-truck, or 18-wheeler crashes into a smaller passenger vehicle, it’s the occupants in the car that suffer the most. Don’t wait to get the help you deserve and contact our law office in New Orleans, Louisiana, to schedule a free consultation today.
How Common Are Truck Accidents in Louisiana?
According to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) preliminary data, nationwide, 167,584 large trucks were involved in car accidents in 2023. 4,823 people died, and another 72,673 injuries were reported that year.
In the state of Louisiana alone, 3,496 accidents involving large trucks were reported in 2023. 2,164 people were injured, and 94 people were killed in those truck wrecks.
What Is My New Orleans Trucking Accident Case Worth?
Your case value depends heavily on the circumstances. When our lawyers are calculating your case value, we’ll ask detailed questions and evaluate all evidence. This approach helps us to understand the big picture so we can demand full compensation.
There are many important factors to consider, including:
- The type of injuries you sustained
- Whether you’re expected to make a full physical recovery
- The types of pain and suffering you have endured after the wreck
- Whether you will suffer a long-term or permanent disability
- How any long-term disability will impact your future earnings, education, or quality of life
- Whether your own negligence played any role in the crash
- Your medical treatment and vehicle repair costs
It’s important to evaluate all the ways the injury has changed your life. As the victim, you deserve to be fully compensated for these losses.
All personal injury cases are different, so it’s important to discuss your situation with an experienced New Orleans truck accident attorney. Call Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers and schedule a free case review with one of our experienced lawyers today.
What Kinds of Compensation Are Available to Truck Accident Victims in New Orleans?
Louisiana personal injury laws allow victims to seek compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Our lawyers in New Orleans will fight to recover full compensation for:
- Current medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages and employee benefits
- Lost earning potential
- Rehabilitation and specialized therapies
- Nursing care
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Mental health issues, including depression, anxiety and PTSD
- Reduced quality of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
In rare cases, accident victims can seek compensation for punitive damages. Punitive damages punish defendants for intentional or extremely reckless actions.
What Happens if the Other Driver Blames Me for Causing a Truck Accident in Louisiana?
Louisiana follows a pure comparative negligence law. You won’t lose your right to damages if you share some fault for the crash. Your compensation will be reduced according to your share of fault.
Common Examples of Truck Accident Injuries
At Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers, we represent clients in all types of injury cases, including those involving:
- Broken bones
- Nerve injuries
- Burns
- Whiplash injuries
- Chest injuries
- Soft tissue damage
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Head and neck injuries
- Concussions
- Back injuries
- Organ damage
- Crushing injuries
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death of a loved one
You don’t have to wait until you’ve completed your recovery to call a lawyer. Our team can start investigating your crash and start the insurance claims process even while you continue to recover. Just call our law firm to schedule your free case evaluation.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Truck Accidents in New Orleans?
Most large truck accidents are entirely preventable. Truck drivers in Louisiana must pass special tests and obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) before they can operate a commercial vehicle. Trucking companies are also heavily regulated by the FMCSA and the state of Louisiana.
Unfortunately, trucking accidents happen far too often.
Some of the most common causes of commercial truck crashes include:
- Distracted driving
- Speeding
- Drunk driving
- Truck driver fatigue or ignoring FMCSA hours-of-service regulations
- Failure to yield the right-of-way
- Tailgating
- Aggressive driving
- Illegal or dangerous turns and U-turns
- Failing to use turn signals
- Failure to check the vehicle’s blind spots
- Ignoring traffic lights and street signs
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Failure to properly maintain the semi-truck
- Failure to perform pre-and-post trip inspections
Multiple factors may have contributed to the cause of your crash. Our lawyers will help you identify any factor that played a role–and work to hold all responsible parties liable for your damages.
FMCSA Violations That Commonly Cause Truck Accidents
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations govern nearly every aspect of commercial trucking — driver qualifications, hours behind the wheel, vehicle maintenance, and cargo securement. When a trucking company or driver violates these regulations, it becomes powerful evidence of negligence in a New Orleans truck accident attorney’s case.
Hours of Service Violations
FMCSA Hours of Service rules limit drivers to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, with a 14-hour daily on-duty limit. Drowsy and fatigued driving from violating these limits is one of the most common causes of serious truck crashes. Electronic logging devices (ELDs) create records of a driver’s hours, but this data must be obtained quickly — trucking companies are not required to preserve it indefinitely.
Black Box and Electronic Data Preservation
Commercial trucks are typically equipped with event data recorders (“black boxes”) that capture speed, braking, and other data in the moments before a crash. This data is often overwritten or deleted within days unless an attorney sends a formal preservation letter — sometimes called a spoliation letter — to the trucking company immediately after the crash. Failing to act quickly can mean losing some of the most valuable evidence in your case.
Carrier Liability for Driver Negligence
Under federal law, trucking companies are frequently liable for their drivers’ negligence regardless of whether the driver is classified as an employee or an independent contractor. Companies can also be independently liable for negligent hiring, inadequate training, improper vehicle maintenance, or pressuring drivers to violate Hours of Service rules to meet delivery deadlines. A thorough investigation often reveals more than one liable party.
What Do I Have to Prove to Recover Damages After a Truck Accident in Louisiana?
Negligence is the legal theory involved in most truck accident claims. Negligence is a failure to exercise the proper level of caution under the circumstances.
In legal terms, negligence means:
- The at-fault driver owed you a duty of care
- The at-fault driver breached their legal duty of care
- That breach of duty directly caused your accident
- As the victim, you suffered damages
When our lawyers investigate, we will:
- Analyze the accident scene
- Interview eyewitnesses
- Locate the truck’s black box recording device, video footage, and other hard evidence
- Obtain the truck driver’s hours-of-service logs
- Evaluate the trucking company’s inspection and maintenance reports
- Look into the truck company’s hiring practices and the driver’s qualifications
- Analyze police reports and medical records
- Work with accident reconstruction specialists in particularly complex cases
We’ll work to gather the strongest evidence possible. You can trust that we’ll be well-prepared to face off against the trucking company’s insurance companies and defense teams.
Frequently Asked Questions: New Orleans Truck Accident Attorney
What should I do immediately after a truck accident in New Orleans?
Call 911, seek medical attention even if you feel okay, and document the scene with photos. Get the truck driver’s name, carrier information, and insurance details if possible. Do not give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer before speaking with a New Orleans truck accident attorney. Evidence in truck accident cases — including black box data and driver logs — can be lost or overwritten within days.
How is a truck accident claim different from a car accident claim in New Orleans?
Truck accident claims involve federal FMCSA regulations, multiple potentially liable parties — the driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, the maintenance contractor — and commercial insurance policies with much higher limits than standard auto policies. An experienced New Orleans truck accident attorney knows how to obtain carrier records before they are lost and identify every responsible party.
Who can be held liable after a truck accident in New Orleans?
Liability can extend beyond the driver to the trucking company for negligent hiring, training, or supervision, the cargo company for improper loading, the maintenance contractor for mechanical failures, and the truck manufacturer for defective parts. Identifying every liable party is one of the most important early steps a New Orleans truck accident attorney takes in building your case.
How much does it cost to hire a truck accident attorney in New Orleans?
Most truck accident attorneys, including Mansfield Melancon, work on a contingency fee basis. Attorney fees come from an agreed-upon percentage of your compensation award, and if your attorney does not recover a fair settlement or verdict, you owe no attorney fees. This keeps legal representation accessible after a serious injury.
How long do I have to file a truck accident lawsuit in Louisiana?
For crashes on or after July 1, 2024, you usually have two years to file a personal injury lawsuit under Louisiana law. For crashes before that date, the prior one-year rule may apply. Contact a New Orleans truck accident attorney as soon as possible — truck accident evidence is especially time-sensitive, and delay can significantly weaken your claim.
How Can Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers Help After a Truck Accident in New Orleans?
The stakes are often high in truck accident cases. When compared with other motor vehicle crashes, the injuries tend to be more severe. Commercial insurance policies often have higher limits. That means settlements and verdicts tend to be higher.
While that may seem like good news for the victim, it’s also true that insurance companies will fight much harder to avoid paying fair settlements. You may have a settlement offer on the table before you even call a lawyer. That’s a strong sign that the insurance company is working to avoid paying what’s fair.
An experienced New Orleans personal injury lawyer at Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers can help you fight for the maximum compensation you deserve.
When you hire us, our New Orleans truck accident lawyers will:
- Conduct our own investigation to find out what happened
- Consult with respected trucking industry experts and specialists
- Protect you from victim-blaming tactics designed to reduce your settlement
- Determine how much your personal injury claim is really worth
- Negotiate with the insurance companies for every dollar you deserve
To learn more about this area of law and creating an attorney-client relationship in New Orleans, LA, call for a free consultation with our New Orleans personal injury attorneys today.
Call a New Orleans Truck Accident Lawyer for a Free Consultation
If you or a family member were injured in a truck accident in New Orleans, LA, contact Mansfield Melancon Injury Lawyers or visit our New Orleans, LA office today. Your first legal consultation is always free, so there’s no risk in learning more about how an experienced New Orleans truck accident lawyer can help put your mind at ease.