Experienced Advocacy For Victims Of Truck Accidents In Louisiana

Last updated on February 18, 2025

After a serious truck accident, the injured person and their family may be burdened by medical expenses, property damage and lost wages. The families of victims killed in collisions with trucks are left without the care and companionship of their loved one, and likewise face financial hardships from the lost income.

I am a Shreveport personal injury attorney with over 20 years of experience defending the rights of truck accident victims. I will work to recover the compensation you deserve to cover your losses and get your life back on track. Contact my firm, the Law Office of Alan Stegall, at 318-386-4371.

Louisiana Trucking Accidents

A large commercial vehicle colliding with a much smaller car or pickup at high speeds commonly results in severe injuries and even wrongful death, plus the total loss of the family vehicle. Unfortunately, in truck accident claims, the victims usually must go up against a corporate trucking company in order to collect damages. These companies have abundant resources and will often try to minimize the settlement they offer or deny liability altogether. It can be difficult to determine fault in these complex crash scenes, which is why an experienced legal advocate is so important in trucking accident claims.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations

Trucking companies are not required to pay their employees overtime, but still often demand that they work over 50, 60 or hours a week. Additionally, truck drivers are most likely paid by the load or mile rather than by the hour. This means that truck drivers must be quick during long hours in order to be profitable. The stressful nature of trucking often leads to driver fatigue, which in turn leads to accidents. The Federal Motor Safety Regulations (FMCSR) are a set of rules devised by the federal government in order to protect commercial trucks as well as passenger cars on the road.

The FMCSR dictates the minimum commercial driver’s license requirements for truck drivers as well as the minimum levels of insurance coverage truck drivers must carry. Additionally, the FMCSR has put in place the number of on-duty, off-duty and sleeping hours truckers must adhere to and the physical qualifications for all drivers. If a trucking company fails to comply with the FMCSR and one of their trucks is involved in an accident, they may be liable for damages.

Common causes of trucking accidents include:

• Driver fatigue – Drivers become too tired to operate their trucks properly or fall asleep at the wheel.
• Improperly loaded trucks – Uneven loads can cause rollover accidents.
• Driver distraction – Drivers engaged in activities that take their attention away from the road, such as adjusting the radio, talking on a cell phone, or texting.
• Defective truck design or manufacture – Flaws in a truck’s design or build can lead to accidents.
• Failure to comply with federal standards – Non-compliance with the FMCSR can leave a trucking company liable for damages in accidents.
• Reckless or negligent driving – Speeding, weaving or general inattentiveness can cause catastrophic accidents.
• Hazardous road conditions – Poorly designed or constructed roads or failure to drive safely in inclement weather can lead to accidents.

Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Crashes

I believe that knowledge is power, so I try to help my clients understand as much as possible about truck accident claims. Here are the answers to some important questions:

What should I do immediately after being involved in a truck accident?

The aftermath of a truck accident can be confusing – but prioritize your safety. First, move to a safe location (if possible), and check yourself and your passengers for obvious injuries. Call 911 to report the accident to the police and request immediate medical assistance. This will protect your health and make sure that the police arrive on the scene as soon as possible to begin documenting the crash and facilitate the exchange of information.

If you (or someone with you) can, document the scene as well as possible. Take photos of all the vehicles involved, their relative positions to each other, the road conditions, skid marks or debris in the road, and anything else that you think might be important. Collect the contact information of everybody involved in the wreck, along with the contact information of any witnesses.

Why is it important to hire a lawyer with experience in truck accident cases?

Truck accidents are vastly more complicated than ordinary car crashes. By their size and weight alone, truck accidents are likely to result in severe injuries with long-term implications and costs. Because truck accidents often involve “nuclear payouts” that can be quite costly, trucking companies and their insurers typically have aggressive defense teams. That makes it important to have someone on your side.

What challenges might I face when pursuing a claim against a trucking company?

There also may be complicated liability issues since responsible parties may include the driver, the trucking company, vehicle maintenance crews and even manufacturers. “Blame-shifting” is a common issue. Preservation of evidence, such as driver logs, maintenance records and black box data, is also crucial and must be done quickly. Finally, placing an accurate value on a claim can be difficult since future estimated medical costs and financial losses must often be estimated.

Can I still pursue a claim if I was partially at fault for the accident?

Louisiana’s “pure comparative negligence” rule says that you can still recover damages even if you are 99% at fault for the accident, although your compensation will be reduced according to your share of the liability.

Holding Truckers And Trucking Companies Accountable

The Law Office of Alan Stegall handles cases involving tractor-trailers, freight trucks, package delivery trucks and other commercial vehicles. I serve Shreveport and surrounding counties. I can also handle truck wrecks statewide in Louisiana and adjacent counties of Texas. Call me for a free consultation at 318-386-4371 or reach out online.