St. Tammany Parish Truck Accident Lawyer
Given their size, weight, and importance to the Louisiana state economy, it should come as no surprise that commercial trucks and their drivers are subject to many specialized rules and regulations under federal and state laws. However, these laws can complicate matters when an accident occurs, making an already difficult situation for victims even harder.
If you were harmed in an accident involving a tractor-trailer, moving van, or another commercial cargo vehicle, you may benefit from talking to a St. Tammany Parish truck accident lawyer. A personal injury attorney with experience handling these types of cases may be just the ally you need to achieve a just resolution.
Common Causes of Truck Crashes Cases
There are a variety of grounds that a person injured in a truck crash could use to file a lawsuit and seek civil compensation, but all of them center around a finding of fault among one or more involved parties. More specifically, someone must have been careless, reckless, or deliberate in such a way that they directly caused an accident and the resulting injuries to occur.
Often, the person driving a truck involved in an accident is the party most likely to bear civil liability. However, if a truck driver is an employee of a larger trucking company, the doctrine of respondeat superior may place primary liability on that company rather than the individual driver.
Additionally, some types of negligence are specifically attributable to trucking companies over their employees. For example, if a company forces their drivers to violate federal regulations on driving hours per day in order to save money, that company could be considered more liable for a wreck caused by driver fatigue.
Sometimes, even third parties may be liable, such as a mechanic who incorrectly installed a component which then failed while a truck was in operation. St. Tammany Parish truck accident attorneys could work with individual plaintiffs to determine who should bear responsibility in the lawsuit.
Types of Recoverable Damages
Once liability is established, the focus of a truck accident case in St. Tammany Parish turns to showing what damages a plaintiff suffered as a direct result and demanding fair financial restitution for them. These damages may have objective economic values, or they may be more subjective non-economic losses that do not have a specific monetary value.
Economic damages that a truck wreck lawyer could pursue on behalf of a plaintiff in St. Tammany Parish may include bills for medical treatment, lost wages, repair and replacement costs for damaged vehicles, and loss of future earning capacity. Recoverable non-economic damages typically center around unreasonable pain and suffering but might also include loss of consortium with family members, loss of enjoyment of life, and the inconvenience of having to deal with a newfound permanent disability.
Learn More by Consulting a St. Tammany Parish Truck Accident Attorney
Like any type of civil case, claims based on truck crashes have many steps to follow and lots of places where small mistakes can add up to a poor result for an injured plaintiff. Before trying to go through this complex process by yourself, consider talking to a St. Tammany Parish truck accident lawyer about the best strategy for your unique situation. Call today to schedule an initial meeting.