You are not alone if you are wary when passing an enormous truck on the road. If the drivers of these mammoth vehicles are not exercising the utmost caution, they could trigger a devastating crash that can cause life-changing injuries. Unfortunately, truck accidents can and do happen, and victims of these collisions deserve just compensation.
Our Gonzales personal injury lawyers at Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys are driven by our strong Christian values and our deep, personal commitment to each of our clients. We make it our mission to help truck accident victims exercise their rights and seek the damages they need to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other injury-related losses.
Our truck accident attorneys in Gonzales have successfully secured billions of dollars across thousands of cases, so we are confident we have what it takes to prevail. When you come to us for help, we will work closely with you to investigate what happened, determine liability, and build the robust case needed to maximize your recovery.
Our legal professionals take these cases on a contingency basis, so you do not owe us a dollar unless we win.
Why You Should Choose Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys For Your Gonzales Truck Accident Injury Claim
- Decades of experience handling complex truck accident cases.
- Over $10 billion recovered for our clients.
- Our deep understanding of federal and state trucking laws.
- Our dedication to helping each client get the justice and compensation they deserve.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents
You would hope that truck drivers would realize the potential consequences of failing to operate their vehicles safely. While many truckers do act responsibly, others do not always follow the rules of the road. In some cases, a truck accident may not even be the truck driver’s fault and could be the result of other extenuating circumstances.
Our Gonzales truck accident attorneys can represent you in cases involving:
- Fatigued driving. Truck drivers are required by law to take breaks, drive for only a set number of consecutive hours, and get a certain amount of rest between shifts. In an effort to meet demanding quotas, some truck drivers will violate these rules and push their bodies past their limits. A fatigued truck driver is more likely to doze off or be unable to quickly respond to road hazards.
- Distracted driving. An overconfident truck driver may decide they are capable of texting while driving or eating while driving. These activities can impair a driver’s ability to give their full attention to the road ahead of them.
- Driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. An intoxicated driver is bound to drive more recklessly, but most professional truck drivers know better than to get behind the wheel after a few alcoholic drinks. However, some professional truck drivers will rely on drugs to fight fatigue and stay alert, which can also have adverse effects and impair their driving ability.
- Speeding. Some truck drivers will speed or otherwise operate their vehicles recklessly to cover more ground and meet their quotas. If you were injured in a crash involving a speeding driver, our Gonzales car accident attorneys can help you recover the compensation you deserve.
- Negligent hiring by a trucking company. Trucking companies should sufficiently screen the drivers they hire to ensure they are qualified and trustworthy. If a trucking company fails to appropriately evaluate job candidates, it could be putting someone incapable behind the wheel of a massive vehicle.
- Negligent training by a trucking company. Trucking companies must also ensure their drivers understand how to safely operate their vehicles, including how to navigate potentially dangerous turns. A lack of training could leave drivers ill-equipped to handle a variety of scenarios, raising the likelihood of a collision.
- Failures to maintain or load trucks. If a truck is not properly maintained or loaded, an avoidable maintenance issue or cargo imbalance could cause an accident.
Determining Liability For Truck Accidents
Like any other motorist, truckers owe a duty of care to other drivers whenever they get behind the wheel. They breach that duty of care when they behave recklessly or violate the rules of the road. However, the truck driver is not always the exclusive liable party in an accident. Other parties may also be responsible for your injuries.
Depending on the circumstances, any of the following parties may be liable for truck accident injuries:
- The truck driver. The driver is likely liable if they broke any Louisiana trucking regulations (such as exceeding the permitted number of consecutive driving hours or failing to take mandatory breaks) or any other traffic laws.
- The trucking company. The truck driver’s employer could also be liable if they knowingly hired an underqualified driver, failed to train the driver, or encouraged or incentivized the driver to break the state’s trucking laws. If you were injured in a trucking accident while on the job, you may also have a workers’ compensation claim to recover additional benefits beyond a personal injury lawsuit.
- The truck’s maintenance team. If the accident was caused by a maintenance problem, the truck’s repair crew could be liable if it can be shown they negligently failed to catch or fix the issue.
- The truck’s cargo loaders. When a truck crash occurs due to imbalanced or improperly secured cargo, the cargo loaders may be responsible for any resulting injuries.
- The truck manufacturer. Some truck collisions occur because of a defective vehicle component. In these instances, the manufacturer of the defective element may be liable.
What is the Statute of Limitations in a Gonzales Truck Accident Injury Claim?
A statute of limitations sets the deadline for filing a claim. If you miss your deadline, you will be barred from filing a claim to recover damages.
Louisiana recently expanded the statute of limitations for most personal injury cases to two years, effective July 1, 2024.
This means the statute of limitations for a personal injury claim caused by a truck accident that occurs in Louisiana on or after July 1, 2024, is two years. The statute of limitations for a personal injury claim caused by a truck accident that occurred before July 1, 2024, is one year.
This new two-year deadline does not apply to wrongful death and survival actions in Louisiana. Those claims still only have a one-year deadline. So, you must file a wrongful death or survival claim within one year of the death of an injured person.
There are exceptions to the statute of limitations. In some cases, it may be paused, and you may have more time to file a claim. In other cases, you may have a much shorter deadline.
You must consult an experienced Gonzales truck accident attorney quickly to determine your filing deadline.
Damages You Can Recover In A Louisiana Truck Accident Lawsuit
In a Louisiana truck accident lawsuit, you can potentially recover compensation for monetary and non-monetary damages, including:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages and earning potential
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of consortium
How Will You Prove My Claim?
All Louisiana personal injury cases require us to prove four elements to be successful. They are:
- The defendant owed you a duty. All drivers owe a duty of care to take reasonable action to avoid causing harm to others.
- The defendant breached their duty by their negligent, reckless, or intentional actions or inactions.
- The defendant’s breach of duty caused your injury.
- You suffered actual damages.
When our truck accident attorneys in Gonzales take a case, we carefully examine each accident to determine all possible causes and all potentially liable parties.
We take fast action to identify and recover essential evidence to help prove causation, liability, and the full value of your damages.
What If I Am Partially At Fault?
First, remember that insurance companies and defense attorneys will try to get you to admit fault or to say something that minimizes their client’s liability. Just because they try to blame you does not mean you are at fault.
Ideally, you should not speak to an insurance representative until you have consulted an attorney. Once you hire an attorney, let them handle all communications with insurance companies and defense attorneys.
However, if you are partially at fault, all is not lost. Louisiana follows a pure comparative fault model set forth in Louisiana Civil Code Article 2323.
This means that if you are partially at fault, you may still be able to recover compensation for your damages from the other at-fault parties.
However, your compensation will be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to you.
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, we work hard to avoid any assignment of fault to you and to maximize your recovery.
How A Truck Accident Attorney Can Help
Truck accident injuries are often catastrophic, meaning your life will be radically altered. You may be forced to spend the majority of your time focusing on getting better, but that does not mean you should not attempt to recover compensation. Our Gonzales truck accident lawyers can walk you through your rights and provide the support you need to hold liable parties accountable for their negligence.
One of our attorneys will investigate your accident, gather evidence, and ascertain liability. We will then determine the fair value of your claim and negotiate with the defendant(s) on a settlement, meaning we may be able to avoid a drawn-out trial.
Our team at Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys will handle all communications with the insurance company and other involved parties, so you will not need to worry about the day-to-day stress and minutiae of the legal process.
If a negotiated settlement is not practical, we will aggressively represent your interests in court. Our goal is to maximize your compensation and get you the money you need as quickly as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions About Truck Accidents In Louisiana
What Information Do I Need To Collect From The Truck Driver After An Accident?
Like any other accident, you will need to exchange information with the truck driver. Be insistent and do not let the driver leave the scene without getting what you need.
You must get the following information from the truck driver after an accident:
- The truck driver’s name
- The truck driver’s phone number
- The truck driver’s address
- The truck driver’s commercial driver’s license number
- The truck driver’s insurance information
- The name, phone number, and address of the truck driver’s employer
What Should I Do Immediately After A Truck Accident?
If you or anyone involved in the accident has suffered critical injuries, call 9-1-1 and summon an ambulance. Your health and safety come first, so do not hesitate to leave the scene if you need immediate medical care.
If you are well enough to remain at the scene, call the police. In Louisiana, you are required to call and wait for law enforcement whenever a vehicular crash causes an injury.
Take photos and videos of your injuries, damage to your vehicle, and the road and weather conditions. Collect contact information from the truck driver and any witnesses who saw the accident (if possible).
Say as little as possible to the other driver and avoid implying or admitting fault. Anything you say at the scene of the crash could be used against you in a legal proceeding.
After leaving the scene, see a doctor as soon as possible, even if you feel relatively okay. Some injuries have delayed symptoms, and a medical professional must perform a full evaluation. Then, discuss your case with an attorney. A lawyer will help protect your interests and guide you through the personal injury process.
Contact an Experienced Gonzales Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in a Gonzalez truck accident that was not your fault, you deserve to be compensated for your damages.
Big truck companies and insurance providers will fight hard to avoid liability and minimize your claim. You need an experienced Gonzales truck accident injury attorney to protect your rights and hold the at-fault parties responsible for paying your damages.
At Chris Corzo Injury Attorneys, our truck accident lawyers in Gonzales have protected truck accident injury victims for decades and have recovered over $10 billion for our clients. We want to help you get the maximum compensation you are entitled to.
Call (225) 999-1111 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation. We will listen to you, answer your questions, and explain your rights. If we represent you, we will fight tirelessly to get you the justice and financial relief you need.