Gray sits at the crossroads just northwest of Houma, where U.S. 90 and Highways 24 and 311 carry a steady stream of heavy traffic in and out of Terrebonne Parish. Between the oilfield service yards, the industrial traffic feeding the Port of Terrebonne, and the tractor-trailers running the U.S. 90 corridor toward New Orleans and Lafayette, this is a part of the parish where big trucks and everyday drivers share the road every day. When a fully loaded 18-wheeler collides with a passenger vehicle, the people in the smaller vehicle almost always bear the worst of it. Kopfler & Hermann has represented injured people in and around Houma since 1977, and we handle serious truck-accident cases for families in Gray and throughout Terrebonne Parish.
A crash with a commercial truck is not just a bigger car wreck. A loaded tractor-trailer can weigh twenty to thirty times what a car weighs, so the forces involved are enormous and the injuries are often catastrophic. Just as important, trucking is a regulated industry. Motor carriers and drivers must follow federal safety rules covering hours of service, driver qualification, vehicle inspection and maintenance, and cargo securement. When those rules are broken — a fatigued driver who stayed behind the wheel too long, a company that skipped maintenance, an overloaded or poorly secured trailer — that violation can be powerful evidence of fault.
These cases also involve more evidence and more moving parts than an ordinary car accident. Trucks carry electronic logging devices and engine data that can show speed, braking, and hours driven. There are inspection records, maintenance logs, driver files, and dispatch records. And there is often more than one responsible party — the driver, the trucking company, a separate company that loaded the trailer, or a maintenance contractor. Much of this evidence can be lost or overwritten if it is not preserved quickly, which is one reason it helps to involve a lawyer early.
Depending on the facts, an injured person or their family may be entitled to recover for:
In Louisiana, the prescriptive period for most car and truck accident injury claims is two years for incidents on or after July 1, 2024. That is the outside limit to file suit — but you should act well before then. Critical trucking evidence such as electronic logs and engine data can be lost as records cycle out, so a formal request to preserve it often needs to go out within days or weeks, not years. The sooner the evidence is locked down, the stronger the case.
Call 911 and make sure a police report is made. Get medical attention even if you feel “okay” at first — serious injuries can take time to show. If you are able, photograph the vehicles, the trucking company’s name and markings, the trailer, the scene, and any skid marks, and get the names and numbers of witnesses. Do not admit fault or agree to a quick settlement at the scene. Be cautious with the trucking company’s insurer — adjusters often call quickly, and early recorded statements are used to reduce what they pay. Talk to a lawyer before signing anything.
We represent people hurt in and around Gray in tractor-trailer and 18-wheeler collisions, oilfield and tanker-truck crashes, dump-truck and gravel-hauler accidents, rear-end and underride collisions, jackknife and rollover wrecks, unsafe-lane-change and blind-spot crashes, and fatal truck accidents. We handle cases involving fatigued and distracted drivers, improperly loaded or overweight trailers, poorly maintained trucks, and unqualified drivers.
Gray, Schriever, Bayou Cane, and the U.S. 90 corridor through Terrebonne Parish are roads we know well. From our office in Houma we represent injured people and grieving families throughout Terrebonne, Lafourche, and the surrounding parishes. We come to you when injuries make travel difficult, and we handle truck-accident cases on a contingency basis.
The trucking company’s insurer already called me. Should I give a statement?
Be careful. You are not required to give the other side’s insurer a recorded statement, and what you say can be used to reduce your claim. It is reasonable to decline and speak with a lawyer first.
What if I was partly at fault?
Louisiana follows a comparative-fault rule, which means you may still recover even if you share some responsibility, with your recovery reduced by your percentage of fault. Do not assume you have no case — have the facts reviewed.
What does it cost to hire Kopfler & Hermann?
Nothing up front. We handle truck-accident cases on a contingency fee, so there is no fee unless we recover for you.
If you or someone you love was hurt in a truck crash near Gray, call Kopfler & Hermann at (985) 851-3311 for a free, confidential consultation. There is no fee unless we win your case. Our office is at 306 Grinage Street, Houma, LA 70360 — helping Houma since 1977.
We also help injured drivers and families in nearby communities, including Schriever, Gibson, Raceland, Mathews, and Kraemer. Gray truck-accident cases connect to our broader Houma injury practice.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and is not legal advice. Reading this page or contacting Kopfler & Hermann does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. For advice about your specific situation, please speak with a licensed Louisiana attorney.
