Bossier City & Shreveport Semi Truck Accident Lawyer
PRACTICE AREAS
Experienced Semi-Truck Accident Law Firm in Shreveport-Bossier City, LA
The almost two million semi trucks in use in the United States are vital links in the distribution network, contributing to the economy by distributing consumer goods. Because of their size and the time it takes to come to a complete stop, however, it’s easy to see how a passenger vehicle driver could be severely injured by a tractor-trailer accident.
Unfortunately, poor visibility and slow braking abilities, along with the sheer size and weight of the average semi-truck, mean accidents are more likely to end in disastrous outcomes than other types of automobile accidents. For those involved in a wreck with commercial vehicles like semi-trucks and 18-wheelers, seeking the help of an experienced Louisiana car accident attorney can be necessary to ensure justice is served and appropriate compensation is recovered.
As a reliable Bossier City & Shreveport truck accident attorney serving all of Northwest Louisiana, Michael J. Vergis can guide you through the legal process following your commercial vehicle accident and fight for your right to maximum compensation from all responsible parties. To schedule a free consultation regarding your case, call our Shreveport-Bossier law firm at (318) 698-3724 or fill out our convenient online intake form today.
What are the Most Common Causes of Semi Truck Accidents?
Just as there are a number of potential causes of auto accidents in general, several different scenarios can lead to a semi truck or 18-wheeler accident. The most frequent causes of traffic accidents involving commercial trucks include fatigued drivers and mechanical failures, such as brake defects and tire blowouts. These factors contribute to severe crashes, including rear-end collisions, broadside collisions, lane departures, and rollover accidents.
Truck drivers often drive faster and work longer hours because of how they are paid. Hours of Service standards limit the number of hours a truck driver may spend behind the wheel in one stretch. However, many still work long hours and travel great distances despite these regulations. When a truck driver operates under unsafe conditions to meet a deadline, fatigue and lack of sleep increase the risk of errors and crashes.
Mechanical failure also plays a major role in serious truck accidents. Inadequate inspections, lack of maintenance, moisture, or overheating can all lead to brake failure. Trucking companies and drivers are required by the federal government to monitor brake conditions at all times. As a result, multiple parties may be accountable for brake failure, including designers and manufacturers. Tire blowouts can also stem from design defects, poor maintenance, or a lack of proper inspection, each of which can cause significant damage on the roadway.
Other common cases our Louisiana 18-wheeler accident attorneys see include:
- Speeding
- Distracted driving
- Blind spots
- Impaired driving (driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol)
- Overloaded or improperly secured cargo
- Poor weather or road conditions
- Lack of driving training or driver inexperience
Common Injuries Suffered By Semi Truck Accident Victims
Motor vehicle accidents of any kind can be devastating, but it is not uncommon for large truck crashes to result in extreme, often debilitating injuries compared to the average passenger vehicle car wreck. This, of course, is due to the sheer size and force of commercial vehicles.
Here are some of the most common injuries that we see in the semi-truck accident claims we handle:
Traumatic Brain Injuries
Traumatic brain injuries can occur in any serious car accident involving a commercial truck. These injuries are often caused by blunt force trauma from the impact and range from mild concussions to severe brain injuries, potentially leading to long-term cognitive, emotional, and/or physical challenges. Shreveport TBI attorney Michael J. Vergis is dedicated to supporting truck accident victims with traumatic brain or head injuries and is here to help explain your legal options moving forward.
Spinal Cord Injuries
Spinal cord injuries often appear in crashes involving large trucks due to the extreme force involved. These injuries can cause partial or complete paralysis, affecting mobility, independence, and daily functioning. Spinal cord injuries are among the most common truck accident injuries, and securing strong medical care and legal support for your Louisiana spinal cord injury claim is essential for long-term recovery.
Whiplash and Neck Injuries
Whiplash and neck injuries occur when the head is forced forward and backward during impact. This can lead to pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. Even in a lower-speed car accident, the sudden movement can damage nerves, muscles, and soft tissues in the neck.
Broken Bones / Fractures
Broken bones are frequent in truck crashes because of the weight and power of an 18-wheeler. Fractures can occur in the arms, legs, ribs, pelvis, or other areas of the body. Recovery may require surgery, immobilization, or long-term rehabilitation.
Internal Injuries
Internal organ damage can occur when the body absorbs significant force during a collision. Injuries to the liver, spleen, kidneys, or lungs often require surgery and intensive medical care. These injuries are not always visible immediately, making prompt medical attention critical.
Severe Cuts, Bruises, and Lacerations
Cuts and lacerations typically result from shattered glass, twisted metal, or debris at the crash site. These injuries can lead to blood loss, infection, and scarring. Some wounds may require stitches or reconstructive treatment.
Burn Injuries
Burn injuries may occur when a truck collision causes a fire or explosion. Burns can lead to long-term scarring, skin grafts, and extended medical treatment. These injuries can also affect a victim’s comfort, mobility, and emotional well-being. This makes it especially important that victims and their families seek the help of a knowledgeable Shreveport burn injury lawyer who can help them understand their legal options and pursue the compensation needed for medical care and recovery.
Amputation Injuries
Amputations can happen immediately at the scene or later if doctors must remove a limb due to severe or incurable damage. Pursuing an amputation injury claim in Louisiana can help victims recover compensation for medical care, long-term disability, and rehabilitation.
Soft Tissue Injuries
Soft tissue injuries involve damage to muscles, ligaments, and tendons. These injuries may cause swelling, pain, and reduced strength. They can affect the ability to work or perform daily tasks.
Facial Injuries
Facial injuries can occur due to impact with the steering wheel, dashboard, seat belt, or airbag. These may include fractures, cuts, bruising, or dental injuries. Some victims require reconstructive procedures to restore function or appearance. Seat belt injuries may also contribute to bruising or impact-related trauma in the face and upper body.
The Psychological Impact of a Semi Truck Accident
Aside from the physical injuries suffered, victims of large trucking accidents also often experience serious psychological injuries following the crash. This includes both emotional and psychological trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression. A Shreveport truck accident lawyer can help ensure that every injury, both physical and mental, is accounted for and appropriately compensated.
When Semi Truck Accidents Lead to Catastrophic Injuries Or Death
A collision with a large commercial truck can leave victims facing life-threatening injuries that require extensive medical care and long-term recovery. Truck accident injuries like traumatic brain damage, spinal cord trauma, severe burns, or amputations can change every part of a person’s life. When fatal crashes occur, families are left grieving while also managing sudden financial strain.
When injuries reach this level, filing a truck accident lawsuit may be necessary to pursue financial compensation for medical bills, lost income, and future care needs. These cases demand close attention to evidence, expert testimony, and federal trucking regulations to ensure accountability for the harm caused. As your Bossier City/Shreveport catastrophic injury lawyer, Mike Vergis provides aggressive legal representation to help protect your rights while you focus on seeking medical treatment and stabilizing your life.
What To Do After a Semi Truck Accident
If you are involved in a commercial car crash, you’ll likely be dazed and not thinking clearly in the aftermath. However, this is a critical time, and it’s important to keep a few things in mind that can help keep you safe and also assist you with a future personal injury claim.
Seek Medical Attention
Even if you are not in any immediate pain or don’t see any visible injuries, anyone involved in an 18-wheeler accident should seek medical assistance as soon as possible, as many injuries may not be readily apparent, and pain can be masked by the adrenaline surging through your body after the crash.
Call Police
It’s critical to make contact with the police as soon as possible after a catastrophic truck accident. This will ensure that help is provided to you, your passengers, and anybody else who may require assistance following the accident. You will also need to file a police report, which is a crucial aspect of your future claim.
Gather Evidence
If you are physically able, take photos of the accident scene, including all vehicles involved in the wreck and from all angles. Accident scene photos should also be taken by the officers dispatched to the scene.
Collect Contact Information
Be sure to gather important info such as the truck driver’s name, driver’s license number, and insurance information. Also, get the contact details from any eyewitnesses, if possible.
Reach Out to an Attorney
Next, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in your local area. This is one of the most important things you can do following a wreck with a semi-truck, whether you believe the other driver is at fault or not. Commercial truck accident cases entail a variety of legal issues, and you will need the assistance of an experienced commercial vehicle accident attorney to help sort through these and stand up against the big trucking companies and their legal teams.
Inform Your Insurance Provider
You’ll also need to let your insurance company know about the wreck. If the trucking company’s insurance carrier reaches out to you, however, remember that you don’t have to and shouldn’t speak with them. Instead, tell them to contact your own insurance carrier or your attorney.
Who is Responsible for a Semi Truck Accident?
The reason commercial vehicle accident cases can be so difficult to handle is due to the issue of determining fault. Multiple parties could be (and often are) to blame in these types of cases; they include the driver, the trucking company, the truck manufacturer, and the manufacturers of defective truck parts, among others.
There are also those accidents that are caused by outside forces, such as poorly maintained roads and highways, or a combination of bad roads, bad weather, and vehicle malfunctions. Accidents can also be caused by other passenger vehicles driving in an unsafe or negligent manner around semi-trucks.
Truck Drivers
According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), truck drivers are responsible for nearly 88% of truck-related crashes. Truck drivers can make a variety of errors, ranging from careless driving to distracted driving to substance use and driver fatigue.
Trucking Company
Commercial trucking companies can also be held liable for various reasons. For instance, if the company fails to maintain the truck properly, violates federal trucking regulations by encouraging drivers to exceed hours-of-service limits, provides inadequate training, or hires unqualified drivers, it may be liable for any resulting accidents and personal injuries.
Truck Manufacturers or Maintenance Providers
If a truck manufacturer produced a vehicle with defective parts, such as faulty brakes or steering components, they could be held responsible for accidents caused by these failures. Similarly, if a vehicle maintenance provider performed substandard repairs or neglected to identify and fix critical issues during routine maintenance checks, they could hold partial or even full responsibility in a personal injury lawsuit.
Shipping or Cargo Loaders
Overloading a truck or failing to secure cargo properly can lead to shifts in weight distribution, making the truck unstable and difficult to control. If cargo falls off the truck or causes the vehicle to tip over and this causes an accident, the loaders may be held responsible.
Other Drivers
Other drivers on the road might hold liability in a semi truck crash if their actions directly contributed to the collision. Reckless driving behaviors, such as cutting off a truck, abrupt lane changes, or sudden stops, can cause the truck driver to react in ways that lead to an accident.
Additionally, drivers of passenger vehicles who are distracted, impaired, or speeding may create hazardous situations that result in a potentially catastrophic commercial truck accident.
Government Entities
In some truck accident cases, government entities might even hold some liability. For example, if a local government agency fails to maintain roads properly, leading to hazards such as potholes, uneven surfaces, or lack of proper signage, they could be held responsible for accidents that occur as a result.
How Long Does it Take to Settle a Semi Truck Accident Claim?
We know that those dealing with personal injury cases often wish to see their case closed and paid out as soon as possible, but it’s never a good idea to rush through this process, as settling too early could result in a settlement offer that’s lower than you deserve.
The truth is, each trucking accident claim is unique, which means there is no predetermined time frame in which it will settle. The severity of your injuries is one of the many factors that can impact the length of time it takes to obtain a settlement. The process of gathering evidence, determining liability, demonstrating the truck driver’s negligence, and the court’s availability are additional factors that influence the settlement time frame. Not only that, but because more than one at-fault party may be found during the investigation, achieving compensation can take a long time.
Serious injuries are not a prerequisite for filing a claim for compensation. However, this type of injury may require long-term care or recovery time and necessitate considerable damages. As a result, the presence of severe injuries can significantly lengthen the amount of time it takes to obtain a settlement. Keeping track of all your accident-related medical expenses, as well as projected medical bills for future care, can help speed the process along.
How Much Can You Get From a Semi Truck Accident Settlement?
Due to the frequency and severity of truck accidents, the law requires trucking companies to carry much more insurance than those driving smaller, private automobiles. In addition, various entities may be at fault. Due to this, a commercial truck accident can be worth a lot more than your standard car accident claim.
Having said that, no personal injury case is alike. The amount of compensation for each individual personal injury case varies depending on the associated medical treatment and resulting expenses, lost wages, lost income potential, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other expenses.
It’s also important to note that in Louisiana, a policy of comparative negligence comes into play in any accident claim. This means that whatever damages you receive can be reduced if you share fault in the accident.
This, along with the many other challenges that often arise in claims involving truck accidents, makes the counsel of an experienced Shreveport personal injury attorney like Michael J. Vergis imperative to ensure you receive a fair settlement or court award.
Wrongful Death Truck Accident Claims
In the unfortunate cases of fatal injuries resulting from a motor vehicle accident, family members of the deceased victim may also seek compensation from the responsible party or parties through a wrongful death claim. These claims can help compensate grieving loved ones for things like:
- Any medical treatment obtained before passing
- Funeral/burial expenses
- Loss of income
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of services
- Loss of companionship
- And more
If you have lost a member of your family due to the negligence of a truck driver, trucking company, or other party or entity, a Shreveport wrongful death attorney at The Law Office of Michael J. Vergis can help you ease the financial burden unfairly placed on you.
Call right away for compassionate representation for your wrongful death case.
Why Do I Need a Semi Truck Accident Attorney?
One of the most critical aspects of any truck accident case is determining fault or liability. This is where having an experienced attorney on your side is absolutely crucial. Truck accident lawyers can work on behalf of their clients to gather essential evidence and assist you in determining who is responsible for the losses you’ve suffered.
Remember, multiple cars may be involved in an 18-wheeler accident, which can result in multiple fatalities or significant injuries. In addition, there are many potential causes behind the wreck. Every possible responsible party must be identified.
In addition to establishing liability, your semi-truck accident attorney can negotiate with the driver’s insurance company to recover a fair settlement on your behalf or take your case to court and fight for proper compensation there, all while protecting your legal rights and guiding you through the legal process from start to finish.
Why Choose Michael Vergis as Your Shreveport Semi-Truck Accident Lawyer?
Working with an experienced Shreveport truck accident lawyer like Michael J. Vergis gives you the critical guidance and assistance you need during what is undoubtedly a difficult time. He will investigate every detail of the crash, including driver logs, maintenance records, and evidence that may point to a negligent party. His proven track record reflects years of handling complex trucking cases and securing comprehensive compensation for clients who face lost wages, medical bills, and long-term recovery needs.
Attorney Vergis manages all legal proceedings from start to finish so you can focus on healing. Our firm also works on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not owe legal fees unless compensation is recovered on your behalf. This structure ensures that every injured victim has access to quality legal support.
If you need help after a semi-truck accident in Shreveport, Bossier City, or the surrounding area, schedule a free consultation with The Law Office of Michael J. Vergis right away to learn how we can help protect your rights and pursue the financial recovery you deserve.
Get Help Filing Your Shreveport Truck Accident Claim
We understand that you may be ready to settle your claim quickly to help address the financial hardships associated with a semi-truck accident. However, this is what the negligent party’s insurance adjusters want you to do in order to avoid paying you what you actually deserve.
It is almost always a bad idea to settle your claim before hiring an experienced truck accident lawyer who can obtain fair compensation for you. Otherwise, you may settle quicker, but for far less compensation than you would with a skilled legal counsel at your side.
If you or someone you love has been seriously or fatally injured in a semi-truck, 18-wheeler, or tractor-trailer accident, Shreveport-Bossier City auto accident attorney Michael Vergis is here to help. He will make sure that every avenue for compensation is explored, all liable parties are identified and held accountable, and all technical aspects of your case are properly handled.
Statute of Limitations for Truck Accident Cases in Louisiana
According to Louisiana’s statute of limitations for personal injury cases, accident victims and/or their families only have one year from the date of the accident to file a claim and obtain compensation for their injuries. So don’t wait – the sooner you reach out to The Law Office of Michael J. Vergis, the better. Call today!
Call the Bossier City-Shreveport Truck Accident Lawyers at The Law Office of Michael J. Vergis Today
Experienced Shreveport-Bossier City personal injury attorney Michael J. Vergis is dedicated to ensuring that you receive the maximum amount of compensation possible for your semi-truck accident claim. With years of experience handling truck accident cases and other motor vehicle accidents across Northwest Louisiana, he understands the challenges involved in these cases and fights tirelessly on behalf of his clients.
Attorney Vergis proudly operates on a contingency basis, meaning he won’t charge you until you’ve successfully obtained compensation in your case.
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