Truck Accident Lawyer New Orleans, LA
You may have been involved in a car accident before, but if you’ve been involved in something a lot bigger, you should reach out to a New Orleans, LA truck accident attorney to get the legal assistance you need.
At Scott Vicknair, we know that you deserve care and compensation after an accident, and a truck accident is no different. You may have been involved in a serious collision, so it’s all the more reason you get in touch with our professional truck accident lawyers to get some much-needed financial assistance.
Read on to learn more about truck accidents, and reach out to us for a free consultation.
Truck accidents should be approached like car accidents.
If you’re reading this, odds are your truck accident happened a while ago. Otherwise, we recommend getting in touch with emergency services immediately.
Truck accidents may seem hugely different on the surface, but in the immediate aftermath, they should be handled similarly to car accidents. Everyone needs to pull over to a safe place (if possible), the injury needs to be reported to the police, insurance information should be exchanged, and photos, notes, and witness testimony should all be gathered up.
If you didn’t get a chance to take photos of everything, you can get in touch with a New Orleans truck accident lawyer who can investigate your crash and fill in the gaps.
Some trucks have different insurance policies.
Just like an ordinary car accident, truck drivers are required to have insurance. However, the type of insurance can differ depending on the type of truck. Some truck operators are independent contractors, and they have their own insurance. However, if a truck is part of a corporate fleet, odds are they’ll be on the company’s insurance policy.
You’ll need a lawyer to get your money.
Insurance doesn’t always pay you on time, and insurance doesn’t always pay you what you need. When you get in touch with a truck accident lawyer, you’re getting a valuable ally who can fight on your behalf with your insurance provider to ensure you get the money you need, when you need it.
Of course, if your truck accident was caused by a negligent driver, you definitely shouldn’t be footing the bill by yourself. Fortunately, a New Orleans truck accident attorney can hold the responsible party accountable for his or her negligence, so you can get a sizable payout that will help you pay off those medical bills.
Get in Touch with Scott Vicknair Today
When you contact Scott Vicknair, you’re getting a legal team that’s as dedicated to your case as you are. Truck accidents have the potential to change your life, and the injuries sustained in a truck accident can far exceed the type of injury you may experience in an ordinary car accident. We know how expensive, frustrating, and overwhelming the aftermath of a truck accident can be, and we’re here to help.
Get in touch with us today for a free consultation, and see how a New Orleans truck accident attorney from our office can help you move forward with your case.
Types of Truck Accidents
A New Orleans, LA truck accident lawyer knows that the number of truck accidents that occur every year – 450,000 – are responsible for the killing of more than 4,000 people every year. Another 310,000 victims are left with serious to severe injuries that often leave them with long-term or permanent disabilities. At Scott Vicknair, LLC, we are dedicated to getting injured victims and their families the financial justice they may be entitled to for all of the losses their injuries have caused. The following are some of the more common types of truck accidents that we see in the cases we handle.
Jackknife Truck Accidents
A jackknife truck accident occurs when the trailer of the truck swings out and travels in front of the cab of the truck, forming a 90-degree angle, just like an opened jackknife. One of the most frequent causes of jackknife accidents is when the truck driver hits the vehicle’s brakes suddenly or too hard. Any other vehicles or people in the area of the moving trailer are often left with fatal injuries.
Falling Cargo Truck Accidents
If a trucking or freight company fails to properly secure the cargo the truck will be transporting, this cargo can shift and cause the truck driver to lose control of the truck and crash. If the cargo is on a flatbed or other similar vehicle, unsecured pieces can fall onto other vehicles or on the road into the path of vehicles, again causing deadly accidents.
Rear-End Truck Accidents
A New Orleans truck accident lawyer understands that because of the types of brakes large commercial trucks have, they need a longer distance to come to a complete stop than passenger vehicles do. A fully loaded truck needs even more time to stop. If a truck driver is distracted or speeding and does not see stopped traffic ahead of them in time, the destruction when it slams into smaller vehicles is catastrophic.
Rollover Truck Accidents
Rollover accidents are also common types of crashes that occur and usually happen when a truck driver is operating too fast and ends up overcorrecting the vehicle, especially inexperienced truck drivers. Imagine the horrific injuries and deaths that result when a huge tractor-trailer flips over on top of a smaller passenger vehicle.
Tire Blowout Truck Accidents
Any vehicle that sustains a tire blowout while driving can be deadly to any other vehicles in their wake, but when that vehicle is a tractor-trailer or other large commercial truck, barreling out of control down the road, the number of potential victims and injuries can be horrific. As a New Orleans truck accident lawyer knows, many of these types of accidents are caused by defective tires.
Wide Turn Truck Accidents
Operating a large 18-wheeler or tractor-trailer takes a lot of training – and a lot of room, particularly when taking turns. It is not uncommon for a turning truck to be forced to make that turn from a lane that is not closest to the area they are turning into as a passenger vehicle does. Any vehicles or pedestrians in the area could be killed or seriously injured if they are in one of the truck’s blind spots and the truck driver does not see them.
Who Is At Fault for a Truck Accident?
If you have been injured in a commercial truck accident, a New Orleans, LA truck accident lawyer can help you get the financial compensation you may be entitled to for the losses you have suffered. While any type of vehicle accident can cause physical, emotional, and financial burdens for victims, truck accidents are especially overwhelming for families because the injuries sustained are often catastrophic, causing severe injuries that leave victims with permanent disabilities. Many injuries are so severe, victims are unable to survive. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, call Scott Vicknair, LLC for legal help.
Establishing Fault for a Truck Accident
In any truck accident case, the victim’s lawyer needs to prove liability – or fault – for the accident. The party or parties who are at fault for the crash will be held legally responsible for the damages the victim suffers. The following are some of the more common liable parties that each New Orleans truck accident lawyer finds in the cases we handle at our firm. In many cases, there can be more than one liable party included in the lawsuit:
- Truck driver – One of the more common causes of truck accidents is negligence or recklessness of the truck driver. Failure to obey traffic laws is especially common, including adhering to posted speed limits and avoiding distracted driving behaviors. Many truck drivers are under pressure from their employers to meet almost unrealistic delivery schedules and this can lead to aggressive driving behaviors or driving fatigued because they ignore federal regulations regarding how many hours they are allowed to operate their vehicle. Truck drivers who are under the influence of drugs and alcohol are another serious factor in truck accidents.
- Trucking company – When the truck driver is at fault, the law says their employer is also at fault. Some of the factors frequently cited in truck accident cases is the failure of the truck company to ensure their drivers are fully trained and experienced. They may also have failed to conduct random drug and alcohol tests on their drivers or go ahead and hire drivers who have questionable driving records. Truck companies are also responsible for making sure their vehicles are properly maintained and making timely repairs on any potential mechanical issues. Trucking and/or freight companies can be held liable if the crash was caused by an improperly loaded or overweight truck.
Contact Our Personal Injury Law Firm Today
If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, make sure you have an aggressive and committed New Orleans truck accident lawyer fighting for you. At Scott Vicknair, LLC, we are dedicated to obtaining injured clients the financial compensation Louisiana law says they are entitled to for medical expenses, loss of income, pain and suffering, mental anguish, permanent disability, disfigurement, and more. Call our office to schedule a free case evaluation and find out what legal recourse you may have for your losses.
