Baton Rouge Truck Accident Lawyer

Baton Rouge Truck Accident Attorney

Truck accidents cause significantly more damage than most motor vehicle accidents. When these vehicles are involved in accidents with passenger vehicles, those in the smaller vehicles are likely to suffer catastrophic or fatal injuries. If you or a loved one has been injured in a truck accident, a skilled Baton Rouge truck accident attorney can assist you in determining the cause of the crash and help you recover compensation.

When another party is at fault for the accident, you should not have to bear the responsibility of the financial and emotional costs. A skilled attorney can navigate the process of filing a claim. Rather than having to negotiate and deal with the truck company’s insurance providers, you can relax. These providers do not want to give you the amount your claim is worth, but your attorney knows how to negotiate and get the damage coverage you deserve. Contact our experienced attorney at The Law Firm of Mesa B. Jefferson, LLC, and schedule a free consultation.

Compassionate and Aggressive Truck Accident Claim Support

It’s critical to secure effective legal representation following a trucking accident. These claims are significantly more complicated than most motor vehicle accidents and require care and experience.

The team at The Law Firm of Mesa B. Jefferson, LLC, wants to provide you and your loved ones with the skilled and compassionate legal care that you need in this stressful and difficult time. Our legal support is tailored to what you need, and we advocate aggressively for the recompense you deserve.

For almost 18 years, Mesa Jefferson has practiced law with diligence and integrity. She fights for the needs of injured individuals and families in her community. She has successfully settled many car accident and truck crash settlements, working to get insurance companies to pay her clients what they are owed. Working with a dedicated truck accident attorney gives you a better chance to get the most compensation available from your claim.

How Trucking Accidents Are More Complicated Than Other Collisions

Trucking accidents cause more damage due to the larger size and weight of the vehicles, meaning injuries are more likely to be catastrophic, debilitating, or fatal. The current and future medical costs will likely be more significant, and injured parties may be unable to return to work for some time due to these catastrophic injuries, if ever. All of this severely increases the compensation an individual is owed.

Truck accidents are also more complicated because they involve trucking and shipping companies with significant financial resources, attorneys, and their own high-resource insurance providers. It is much harder to file a claim against these parties without your own resources and attorney. These companies do whatever they can to minimize their financial risk and liability in the accident, and this means they will use whatever they can against you to avoid paying you.

There are also more parties who may be at fault in truck accidents. Most car accidents are the fault of one driver, while truck accident claims may have several liable parties. While this can help in getting the full compensation you deserve, it can also make a claim much harder to file. An attorney can provide the help you need to navigate this process.

What Parties May Be Liable for a Trucking Accident?

In order to determine the liable parties in a trucking accident, an investigation is needed to determine the cause or causes of the crash. An attorney has the experience and the legal resources to investigate a truck accident. Some potentially at-fault parties in a truck accident may include:

• The truck driver, who may have behaved negligently or even illegally. Many truck drivers are responsible and provide a much-needed service. Unfortunately, they are often overworked and required to drive in dangerous conditions. In some cases, these situations are the fault of truck drivers not responding appropriately to the conditions, driving carelessly, or even driving after consuming drugs or alcohol.
• The trucking company, which may be liable for many reasons, including being vicariously liable for an at-fault truck driver. The company may have been negligent by not doing background checks on the drivers they hire or by failing to provide clear and complete training for their drivers. If the trucking company encouraged drivers to speed or provided incentives for faster delivery, this may also mean they are liable.
• The truck driver’s employer, if the trucking company is not directly responsible for hiring the drivers. In that case, the employer is liable if they fail to do background checks or incentivize not taking mandated breaks from driving.
• Other drivers on the road can also be liable for the accident. You may have been involved in an accident with the truck and several other drivers, one of whom was the cause. Another negligent driver may be liable for your injuries.
• Third-party companies, including those who leased the truck cab or trailer, those who maintained or repaired the vehicles, or those who loaded the truck. If the truck company works with third-party companies, those companies may be liable if their negligence led to the accident.

A shipping company may have overloaded the trailer, leading to brake failure or a tire blowout. They may have also improperly loaded it, causing the cargo to shift and the truck to tip over. If maintenance was improperly done and it caused the truck to fail, the party who should have provided the maintenance can be held liable.

• Manufacturers, designers, or distributors when there is a faulty truck or car component. Sometimes, the failure of a truck or vehicle component is not due to improper maintenance but due to an unreasonably dangerous product. Defective car parts may be the fault of its designer, manufacturer, or seller.
• Governmental agencies or private companies are tasked with the upkeep and maintenance of the road. If branches cover stop signs or other signs, if the signs are missing completely, or if the road is incredibly hazardous, these entities could also be liable. Government agencies may also be liable if the accident was caused by bad road design.

Liability may be based on negligence, misconduct, or strict liability. An attorney can help determine the cause of your truck accident and how to recover compensation most effectively.

How Does an Attorney Help With a Truck Accident Claim in Baton Rouge?

There are several benefits to working with an attorney after suffering a catastrophic injury in a truck accident in Baton Rouge. These cases are immensely complicated. Insurance providers do not talk with injured parties the same way that they do with attorneys and often try to offer you as little compensation as possible or try to eliminate your claim’s legitimacy. An attorney can point out the potential problems and help you avoid them. An attorney can also:

• Investigate the accident and find essential evidence to support your claim.
• Determine the parties who may be at fault for the accident.
• Calculate the fair and maximum value of your settlement.
• Determine if you need to file a personal injury claim in addition to an insurance claim.

FAQs

Q: How Much Can a Person Get in a Truck Crash Settlement?

A: Every truck crash settlement is unique and can range widely. Truck crash settlements are likely to be higher in the following situations:

• Injuries are significant and expected to impact the injured party for years or their entire life, leaving them permanently disabled.
• The injured party is unable to return to work full-time for a long time or permanently.
• The injured party is 0% liable for the accident.
• The claim goes to court.
• The court awards punitive damages for extreme recklessness or misconduct.

Q: How Much Time Can It Take to Settle a Claim for a Truck Accident?

A: The time it can take to settle a truck accident claim varies and depends on whether the parties come to a settlement agreement or if the case must go to court. In some cases, it is more important to get compensation efficiently to cover your damages sooner. Taking the claim to court will lengthen the process of receiving compensation but often results in a much more significant settlement value.

Q: What’s the Most a Lawyer Can Take From a Truck Crash Settlement?

A: Generally, a lawyer charges a percentage of a truck crash settlement. Especially complex cases or cases that must be litigated may have higher costs. Make sure that you understand what an attorney will charge you before you sign a contract for representation.

A contingency fee allows individuals who have been injured in truck accidents to have the benefit of an attorney’s counsel without worrying about upfront fees because the attorney is paid only if they are successful.

Q: How Much Time Is There to File a Truck Accident Crash Claim?

A: The time you have to file a truck crash claim in Louisiana can vary by the circumstances. It also depends on whether you’re filing an insurance or personal injury claim. If you do not file within this time period, you lose your right to compensation. Your attorney can explain the appropriate timing for your case.

Protecting Your Physical and Financial Health After a Truck Crash

At The Law Firm of Mesa B. Jefferson, LLC, let us help you recover after a truck crash. Contact our team today and see what we can do for you.