Nothing can replace the loss of a family member killed by a commercial truck. But Louisiana wrongful death law gives surviving spouses, children, and parents the right to hold the trucking company accountable and recover full damages. Our Houma fatal truck accident lawyers handle these cases with the seriousness they deserve.
At Kopfler & Hermann, our Houma fatal truck accident lawyers have been representing injured Louisiana clients and their families for over 45 years from our office at 306 Grinage Street in downtown Houma. We know how the trucking companies, insurance carriers, oilfield operators, and chemical plants build their defenses — and we know how to dismantle them.
Call (985) 851-3311 for a free consultation with an experienced Houma fatal truck accident lawyer today, or use our online contact form.
Louisiana Civil Code Article 2315.2 sets out who can file wrongful death claims. In order of priority:
1) Surviving spouse and children. 2) Surviving parents if no spouse or children. 3) Surviving siblings if no spouse, children, or parents. 4) Surviving grandparents if no closer relatives.
Our Houma fatal truck accident attorneys handle every category and walk families through the process during an incredibly difficult time.
Louisiana wrongful death damages include:
Survival action — recovers what the deceased suffered before death (pain, mental anguish, lost wages from injury to death).
Wrongful death action — recovers what the family lost: loss of love and affection, loss of services, loss of support, loss of consortium, and the funeral and burial expenses.
For high-earning workers killed in oilfield-truck or commercial truck crashes, the lost support damages can be substantial.
Trucking companies start protecting themselves the moment the accident happens. They send investigators to the scene, contact witnesses, and prepare their litigation defense. We send spoliation letters within 24 hours demanding preservation of:
Driver’s logbook and ELD (electronic logging device) records, hours-of-service compliance documents, post-accident drug and alcohol test results, dash cam and forward-facing camera footage, maintenance records, dispatch records, the truck’s onboard data, and the driver’s qualification file.
Fatal truck cases often involve multiple liable parties: the driver, the trucking company (employer liability), the truck owner if different, the freight broker or shipper, the truck or component manufacturer if equipment failed, and the maintenance contractor. Each adds insurance coverage and potential recovery.
Our Houma fatal truck accident lawyers see the same patterns in case after case:
Our Houma office serves injured clients throughout south Louisiana:
Louisiana has a one-year statute of limitations from the date of death. The clock starts on the date of death, not the date of accident if different.
Yes. Surviving spouses, children, and parents have a wrongful death claim regardless of financial dependency.
Survival action recovers what the deceased suffered before death. Wrongful death recovers what surviving family lost. Both can usually be pursued in the same lawsuit.
No. The civil case proceeds in parallel. Our Houma fatal truck accident attorneys coordinate with the District Attorney to preserve evidence.
Depends on the deceased’s age, earning capacity, dependents, and the strength of liability. Our fatal truck case settlements and verdicts have ranged into seven figures.
The longer you wait, the more evidence disappears and the harder the insurance carriers fight. Call our Houma office at (985) 851-3311 for a free consultation with an experienced Houma fatal truck accident lawyer, or visit us at 306 Grinage Street in downtown Houma.
