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Collisions involving 18-wheelers, tractor-trailers, and commercial trucks are some of the most devastating crashes on Louisiana roads, often far more severe than typical car accidents. When a vehicle weighing up to 80,000 pounds collides with a passenger car, the injuries are often catastrophic—or fatal.
At Brandt & Sherman Injury Attorneys, our Lafayette truck accident lawyers represent people whose lives have been permanently changed by trucking company negligence. We understand the complexity of these cases and how aggressively insurers fight them—and we know how to fight back.
Truck accidents are far more destructive than typical car wrecks because of the massive size and weight of commercial vehicles. When an 18-wheeler collides with a passenger car, the force involved often leads to catastrophic injuries, permanent disabilities, or death. Victims are frequently left facing long-term medical care, lost income, and life-altering consequences.
These crashes are rarely unavoidable. Most truck accidents happen because of preventable safety failures within the trucking industry, including:
Many of these causes are uncovered through black-box data, driver logs, maintenance records, and violations of federal trucking regulations. Unfortunately, trucking companies and insurers often act quickly to control or conceal this evidence—making early legal intervention critical.
When companies prioritize profits over safety, Louisiana families pay the price.
You may have a valid truck accident claim if:
Liability in truck accident cases is rarely limited to just the driver. These cases often involve multiple liable parties, which can significantly affect the value of a claim:
Louisiana’s comparative fault rules mean you may still recover compensation even if you were partially blamed for the crash.
After a serious truck crash, trucking companies and their insurers often deploy rapid-response teams within hours. These teams are not there to protect injured victims—they are there to protect the company’s financial interests. Their early actions may include securing or repairing vehicles before full inspections can occur, downloading black-box and dash-cam data, and shaping early narratives about fault that favor the trucking company. This is why early legal representation matters. Acting quickly helps preserve critical evidence before it is altered, lost, or used against you.
If you’re able, take these steps as soon as possible:
Early action allows your attorney to send preservation letters and begin a full investigation.
Because of the force involved, truck crashes often result in catastrophic injuries, including:
If your injuries are life-altering, our team can coordinate closely with your medical providers and may also involve our Lafayette catastrophic injury lawyers for cases involving permanent or life-altering harm.
Every case is different, but truck accident victims may seek compensation for:
We work with medical and financial experts to understand the true cost of your injuries before demanding a settlement.
Filing deadlines depend on when the accident occurred:
Wrongful death and other claims may have different timelines. These deadlines are strict and missing them can permanently bar your claim, so speaking with an attorney early is critical.
When you hire Brandt & Sherman, you work directly with experienced attorneys who have spent more than 50 years combined fighting for injured Louisiana families. We don’t hand your case off to case managers or treat it like a volume file. Instead, we take the time to investigate aggressively, prepare every case as if it’s going to trial, and leverage our deep knowledge of Louisiana courts and insurance company tactics to protect your rights. Best of all, you pay nothing upfront—absolutely no fees unless we win. We don’t run billboard cases. We build strong cases and fight insurance Goliaths head-on.
Yes! An experienced truck accident attorney is familiar with state and federal laws surrounding trucking regulations that the average person might not be aware of. The trucking company and the insurance company will waste no expense to fight your claim, no matter how outright it may seem. In their attempt to bury the facts, many who choose to forego representation are left without substantial evidence to prove their case. Information may be withheld, vehicles involved in the accident may be quickly and discreetly repaired, and the victims are left with their injuries and mounting medical expenses.
No! These companies may try to force false statements or present misleading questions to you without your knowledge to steer the story in their favor. Most companies use recording devices for all phone calls, and it will be used against you in court. Let your truck accident attorney handle these conversations, however, you are free to be present if you are able.
This answer varies from state-to-state, however in Louisiana lawsuits must be filed within two years of the accident. Contact a truck accident lawyer at Brandt & Sherman to discuss your situation.
Every case is different, and the length of time needed to resolve your case will vary. Some may settle quickly while others will drag out over the course of several years.
Stop! Do not leave the scene. If you must, remove yourself, your vehicle, and passengers from travel lanes.
Call emergency services immediately.
Quickly assess injuries to yourself and others at the scene, including passengers and other drivers.
If you’re able, take photos and video to formally document everything involved in the accident prior to the arrival of emergency services. This includes pictures/videos of the scene, each vehicle with different angles, injuries to yourself or others, and take note of skid-marks or debris on or near the road, without putting yourself in further danger.
Gather names, contact information, insurance information, and witness accounts. These facts will help to support your case.
Accept emergency services to assess for injury. You may not immediately realize you are injured due to a post-crash adrenaline rush, and serious complications may arise from unseen problems.
Allowing medical staff to treat you also helps to establish a paper trail to ensure that you have proof of your injuries.
Do not sign anything without having it reviewed by your truck accident attorney!
Avoid discussing the details with others outside your immediate circle and/or your truck accident attorney’s office. This helps to prevent these statements from being used against you to diminish the severity of your injuries.
There are several things that you and your truck accident attorney can use to corroborate your injury claim. Evidence includes but is not limited to witness statements, traffic camera footage, your own personal documentation of the scene, skid-mark analysis, medical records or bills, and police reports.
Driver negligence – from both parties – is a critical factor in many vehicle accidents. A skilled truck accident lawyer can help in identifying and addressing these issues:
Truck driver negligence, a key focus for truck accident lawyers, can include:
In accidents involving 18-wheelers, determining liability can be complex due to the variety of potential responsible parties. Each party's involvement in the incident must be meticulously examined to establish who holds legal responsibility.
Truck Drivers
Trucking Companies
Truck Manufacturers
Third Parties
Comprehensive Investigation: Understanding all the factors leading up to the accident is essential. This requires experts who can dissect every aspect of the crash and identify all liable parties.
Legal Expertise Required: Engaging a law firm with experience in such cases ensures thorough investigation. Legal specialists will help pinpoint every responsible party and aid in pursuing the right claims to secure rightful compensation.
Evaluating liability in an 18-wheeler accident involves unraveling a web of responsibilities and ensuring every potential cause is scrutinized. By working with knowledgeable and resourceful legal professionals, victims can uncover the full extent of accountability.
Experiencing a traumatic brain injury (TBI) after a collision with an 18-wheeler can present numerous subtle yet significant symptoms. Early identification of these signs can be crucial for effective treatment. Here's what you should look out for:
Memory Issues: Difficulty remembering recent events or forgetting information shortly after receiving it may occur.
Decreased Concentration: You may find it challenging to focus on tasks or maintain attention over time.
Confusion and Disorientation: Feeling confused or having trouble understanding your surroundings can be a key indicator.
Personality Shifts: Noticeable changes in mood or behavior, such as increased irritability, may be observed.
Sensory Changes: Some individuals may experience a reduced ability to taste or smell, which can be overlooked.
These symptoms might be subtle initially but can become more prominent with time. Seeking proper medical attention promptly is crucial to managing and potentially alleviating these issues as part of the recovery process.
In the high-stakes world of trucking, quick action following an accident is critical. Many major trucking companies, along with their insurance providers, deploy specialized rapid response teams minutes after a crash occurs. These teams are strategic assets designed to influence the outcome of accident investigations.
Rapid response teams are composed of carefully selected professionals, including crash investigators and forensic experts, who rush to the scene of an 18-wheeler accident. Their mission? To gather and protect evidence that could sway legal and financial accountability in favor of the trucking company.
Evidence Collection: Rapid response teams secure vital evidence quickly, often arriving before local law enforcement completes their initial work. They document the scene, gather physical evidence, and extract data from on-board computers or video recorders in the truck—information that can be pivotal in court.
Scene Control: By taking charge of the situation early, these teams ensure that potentially damaging evidence is preserved or framed to support the company’s narrative of the incident.
The data and evidence collected by these teams are employed to reduce the trucking company's liability. By crafting a defense early on, these teams work to minimize compensation payouts for injuries or fatalities resulting from the accident. This proactive approach can significantly alter the trajectory of legal proceedings, often before victims have a chance to advocate for themselves.
Victims of 18-wheeler accidents can level the playing field by deploying their own experts. Engaging accident reconstructionists, private investigators, and legal counsel early can help ensure crucial evidence is not overlooked or lost. This parallel strategy is essential for protecting one’s rights and pursuing rightful compensation.
In summary, rapid response teams wield significant influence by shaping investigations in their favor quickly and efficiently. Victims must act with equal urgency to safeguard their interests and seek justice.
Understanding the various types of accidents involving 18-wheelers helps in recognizing the potential dangers these massive vehicles pose on the road. Here’s a breakdown of the most frequent types:
In jackknife incidents, the trailer skids out of alignment with the cab, creating an L or V shape, akin to a folding knife. This loss of control often results in severe accidents, potentially dragging other vehicles along. Typically, these events account for a notable percentage of fatal trucking accidents.
These occur when a truck tips over onto its side or roof, often due to high speeds, abrupt braking, or navigating turns too quickly. Given their high center of gravity, 18-wheelers are particularly prone to rollovers, posing serious risks to nearby vehicles, especially smaller ones.
A tire blowout can unexpectedly thrust an 18-wheeler into another lane, endangering every vehicle close by. These are frequently a result of poor maintenance, underscoring the importance of regular tire checks and replacements as per safety regulations.
18-wheelers need significantly more distance to come to a full stop compared to passenger cars. If a truck driver fails to maintain a safe following distance, misjudges speed, or is distracted, rear-end collisions can happen, often causing severe damage to the vehicle ahead.
These serious accidents occur when a smaller vehicle slides beneath the trailer of an 18-wheeler. Trucks are required to have underride guards to prevent such incidents, but when these are absent or faulty, the consequences can be catastrophic, involving severe injuries or fatalities.
When a truck hits the side of another vehicle, typically at intersections where a truck might run a red light or fail to yield, a T-bone accident takes place. The size and force of an 18-wheeler make these accidents particularly devastating for the occupants of the impacted vehicles.
Each of these accidents highlights the importance of vigilance, proper maintenance, and adherence to safety regulations to ensure road safety for all drivers.
Yes—truck accident claims are far more complex than car accident cases. These cases often involve federal trucking regulations, multiple liable parties, and aggressive insurance defense teams that begin working immediately. A lawyer can preserve evidence like black-box data and driver logs before it disappears and ensure you are not unfairly blamed for the crash.
No—doing so can seriously harm your claim. Trucking insurers are trained to ask questions that shift fault or minimize injuries, and calls are often recorded. Even seemingly harmless statements can be used later to reduce compensation, which is why all communication should go through your attorney.
Truck accident cases often take longer than standard injury claims. Severe injuries, multiple defendants, and disputes over liability can extend the timeline. While some cases settle within months, others require extensive investigation or litigation to reach a fair result.
Truck accident cases rely on specialized evidence that does not exist in most car crashes. This includes electronic logging devices (ELDs), black-box data, maintenance and inspection records, cargo loading documents, and federal compliance histories. Accessing and interpreting this evidence typically requires legal and technical expertise.
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