New Orleans, Louisiana Truck Accident Lawyer | Charbonnet Law

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How Can Charbonnet Law Help Me Recover Compensation for My Truck Accident?

Truck accidents can be a traumatic event, leaving physical and emotional scars for life. Navigating the legal process can only add to the stress, making it hard to move forward. That’s why the Charbonnet Law Firm in New Orleans is here to help you fight for the compensation you deserve. Even if your injuries seem minor, seeking the help of a truck accident attorney is crucial to ensure that your condition is properly diagnosed and treated.

With over 50 years of legal experience, Charbonnet Law Firm is a trusted and respected name in the New Orleans area and surrounding Louisiana communities. We pride ourselves on providing personalized legal services tailored to each client’s individual needs. Our dedicated legal team offers a free initial consultation to discuss your options and provide well-researched legal advice. Trust us to work tirelessly to protect your rights and achieve the best possible outcome for your case.

Our lawyers specialize in complex injury cases and have a track record of success in handling them. We take a collective team approach, utilizing thorough research and medical experts when necessary. Our lawyers are prepared for trial should a case need to be litigated. In addition to injury cases, our team also provides legal services for estate planning, drafting wills, and handling successions. With a focus on helping our clients through difficult times, Charbonnet Law Firm is your partner in the fight for justice.

Get the justice you deserve, call Charbonnet Law Firm today for a free consultation.

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Real Results For Truck Accident Claims

We have recovered millions of dollars in settlements for clients over the years. With three generations representing injured people in New Orleans, our team would be happy to fight for you.

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Why Charbonnet Law Firm is the Best Choice for Truck Accident Legal Assistance?

At Charbonnet Law Firm, our team of attorneys are not only experienced but also have deep roots in the New Orleans area. This gives them a unique understanding of local truck accident laws and the community. With more than 50 years of combined legal experience serving families in the New Orleans area and surrounding Louisiana communities, our team is well-connected and respected within the community. We pride ourselves on providing personalized legal services tailored to each client’s individual needs.

Our focus on complex truck injury cases is a testament to our commitment to providing the best possible outcome for our clients. We take a collective team approach when handling these cases, which requires thorough research and medical expertise. By combining the experience of multiple attorneys, we are better prepared for trial should a case need to be litigated. But it’s not just truck injury cases that we handle, our team also represents families that need other legal services, such as probate services such as drafting wills, handling successions, and estate planning, we are here to help you in every step of the way.

Why Charbonnet Law Firm is the Best Choice for Truck Accident Legal Assistance?

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Additional Truck Accident Resources

Legal Process for Truck Accident Cases in New Orleans

The below illustrates the general steps involved in the legal process for truck accident cases in Louisiana

As you can see, the process typically begins with a consultation with an attorney, followed by an investigation of the accident and the gathering of evidence. The attorney will then negotiate with the insurance company on your behalf, and if a settlement cannot be reached, they may file a lawsuit. The case will then proceed to litigation, which may involve settlement negotiations, discovery, and possibly a trial.

Aata-certified Truck Accident Attorneys in New Orleans

Aata-certified Truck Accident Attorneys in New Orleans

Did you know there are special laws set up by the federal government that apply only to 18-Wheelers and big trucks? The attorneys at Charbonnet Law Firm are members of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. We are specifically trained to represent those injured by 18-Wheelers and big box trucks. We know that we may need to recover black box data from the truck and obtain evidence from the scene of the wreck, which is why it’s so important that you contact an attorney as soon as possible after an 18-Wheeler accident.

In addition to the specific legal knowledge required for handling 18-Wheeler and big truck accidents, the Charbonnet Law Firm also understands the unique challenges and complexities involved in these cases. Our attorneys are adept at navigating the intricate regulations and standards that govern the trucking industry. We recognize the critical importance of acting swiftly to preserve evidence, interview witnesses, and consult with industry experts.

Experience Winning Results With Charbonnet Law - Reputed Attorneys You Can Trust

Get the justice you deserve, call Charbonnet Law Firm today for a free consultation.

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Real-life Success Stories With Charbonnet Law’s Truck Accident Attorneys

Rather than have us tell you about ourselves. listen to what real clients have to say

“I walked in as a client and walked out as a friend. If you are good at what you do, you will never need expensive ads to prove it. Good outshines the rest and in volatile times such as now always go for the good and at Charbonnet Law Firm you will be treated as humans and not just a case file. It’s my word of mouth endorsement and I approve this message.”

A. Bajaj

Client
“It’s easy to get caught up in lies. These days it’s hard to weed out good from bad. The best endorsement is what comes from people, not the lawyers’ own endorsements, paid celebrity endorsements or actors telling you they made millions. Charbonnet law firm has no expensive ads because they have happy clients. I am one of them!”

J. Kelly

Client
“If I had to sum it up in short Charbonnet Law Firm has a team that treats everyone with respect and esteem. Kindness is apparent as soon as you walk into the office, don’t be just a case number! I am not just saying it I am a client too!”

B. Smith

Client

Truck Accident Statistics in New Orleans

Large commercial trucks are the lifeblood of Louisiana commerce. They transport everything from the food and clothing we buy to construction equipment for our road and crude oil to Louisiana refineries. Sadly, motor vehicle accidents involving large trucks occur every day in Louisiana. These crashes can be very dangerous and often deadly.

On average, 100 people are killed and 3,0000 people are injured each year in Louisiana in large truck and bus accidents, according to data compiled by the Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation at Louisiana State University. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA), 4,761 people were killed in crashes involving large trucks in 2017. Four out of five people killed in a crash involving a large truck are the drivers or occupants of the other vehicles involved, pedestrians, and bicyclists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Liable in a Truck Accident?

While typically the driver of a vehicle is liable for the damages they cause in an auto accident in Louisiana, there can be special circumstances when a commercial truck is involved. It is important to understand your rights if you’ve been injured in a crash with a large truck. A skilled attorney with experience winning Louisiana truck accident cases can help you navigate the process to ensure the best possible compensation for your injuries.

Liability Under Louisiana Law

Because of the inherent risks of large trucks, especially to other motor vehicle operators, truck drivers have a duty to other drivers to use “reasonable care” in operating vehicles. Essentially, an injured party seeks damages based on a truck driver’s negligence that caused the accident.

Damages under Louisiana Law

When a trucker causes an accident, that duty is breached and injured parties hold him or her liable for failing to use such care. Injured parties may seek compensation for medical expenses incident to the accident, lost wages, pain and suffering, as well as future treatment and rehabilitation expenses.

Comparative Negligence

Louisiana car accident judgments are subject to comparative negligence law. This means that a court can find you, the victim, partially at fault for your car accident. You can not recover damages for your case. But the court will reduce your award by the percentage that it decides you were at fault. So, if you would have received a $100,000 award and you are found to be 20% at fault for the car accident, your award would be reduced by 20% to $80,000. An insurance claims adjuster will use the same logic in determining what it will offer as a settlement.

Obviously, there is no empirical measure of fault, so any assignment of liability is really a judgment call that is subject to your ability to negotiate with insurers or persuade a judge or jury. A skilled, experienced attorney with knowledge of past awards and how “fault” is determined can be invaluable in helping you through this process.

Statute of Limitations Under Louisiana Law

The statute of limitations to bring a civil suit for damages in Louisiana is one year from the date of the accident.

Commercial Truckers Insurance Requirements

Under current state and federal laws, commercial large truck drivers are required to have minimum liability coverage from $300,000 (up to 10,000 lbs) and $750,000 (over 10,000 lbs), rising to $5 million for certain hazardous cargoes.

Facts About Large Truck Crashes
According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA):
- A third of all fatal crashes that involve a large truck are head-on collisions.
- Another 30 percent involve the front of the truck hitting the back or side of another vehicle.
- More than one in four fatal large-truck crashes occurred on interstate highways.
- Nearly 60 percent of truck accidents occurred in rural areas.
- Deadly crashes involving large trucks typically happen on weekdays during daylight hours.
- More than 21 percent of all large-truck drivers involved in fatal crashes had at least one prior speeding conviction, roughly the same as drivers of passenger cars involved in fatal crashes.
A comprehensive study of the causes of large-truck crashes that involved injury or death by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration found that in 55 percent of crashes the large truck was the “critical reason” or the cause of the accident event. Nine out of ten of these critical reasons involved driver error on the part of the large truck operator.

The most common factors involved in truck driver error that led to a crash were:
- Traveling too fast for conditions (23% of crashes)
- Unfamiliar with the roadway (22% of crashes)
- Over-the-counter drug use (17% of crashes)
- Inadequate surveillance (14% of crashes)
- Driver Fatigue (13% of crashes)
An average semi-truck weighs 40 tons, compared to 1.5 tons for a typical compact car. This weight difference makes semi-trucks the most hazardous vehicles on the road. Semi-trucks require more stopping and merging distance, and they have large blind spots at their front and sides. They often carry massive loads long distances across a variety of road types and conditions.

Louisiana Law When The Truck Driver Is An Employee

Louisiana law holds employers responsible for wrongful acts, including negligent driving, when they are committed by an employee while the employee is performing job duties. When two parties have a certain relationship with one another, the law can hold one party liable for the misconduct of another. For example, if an employee runs a red light and hits another car while driving a company truck during work hours, the employer could be responsible for the damages caused by the employee.

Louisiana Law and Truck Fleet Owners and Operators

Truck drivers are often classified (and sometimes misclassified) as independent contractors by the companies that employ them. This allows a company to shift costs onto truck drivers and avoid federal labor standards like overtime pay and workers’ compensation. This does not nullify the company’s responsibility as a fleet owner or operator when a victim is injured by a driver under their employ.

Damages suffered by victims of a truck accident can quickly exceed a truck driver’s insurance policy limits. Because of this, federal regulations require that trucking companies carry a minimum of $750,000 in liability insurance.

Call the Charbonnet Law Firm Today

If you or a loved one has been injured in a commercial truck-involved crash in Louisiana, you owe it to yourself to find a strong legal advocate. Insurance and trucking companies will always work to protect their bottom line. That can mean pressuring accident victims to settle quickly for less than the compensation they need and deserve for their injuries.

Call today for a free consultation. Let our team of experienced, trusted attorneys at the Charbonnet Law Firm evaluate your case and help you decide the best possible course of action to take. If you decide to work with our firm, we collect nothing unless we prevail, and we will fight tirelessly to ensure the best possible outcome of your case, so you can focus on healing.

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Get the justice you deserve, call Charbonnet Law Firm today for a free consultation.

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