Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog

A news story from late May, as reported by the New Orleans Advocate, described a tragic scene arising from a scenario that occurs all too often. Whether due to sleepiness, distractions, controlled substance use, or defective vehicles, too many truck drivers operate under less-than-ideal driving conditions, leading them to do things like failing to notice obviously slowed or stopped traffic ahead of them and crashing into those stopped or nearly stopped vehicles. Because of the sheer force that commercial trucks moving at 55, 65, or 70 mph have, their crash impacts are often massive. The harm inflicted can be life-altering or life-ending. If you have been injured (or a loved one killed) due to the negligence of a truck driver, you may be entitled to compensation from the driver, his employer, or both. It is important to reach out promptly to a knowledgeable New Orleans truck accident attorney to make sure that the proper steps are taken in a timely manner.

In the crash from May, the eastbound traffic on Interstate 12 was stopped or slowing to a stop near the La. 21 overpass due to congestion. According to the Advocate report, one semi truck (hauling a load of avocados) did not stop, however. The 18-wheeler proceeded ahead at full speed, crashing into the stopped traffic and triggering a chain-reaction accident that involved nine vehicles, in addition to the truck itself. The semi jackknifed and caught fire. Three other vehicles caught fire too.

In the first impact, the commercial truck slammed into a Lexus sedan. Both people inside the Lexus, a mother-and-son pair from Baton Rouge, died at the scene. The semi also went on to hit a Toyota SUV. The driver of the Toyota, a grandmother of six from Mandeville, died at a hospital. The truck driver was the fourth fatality in the crash. The accident also injured several other people.

Sometimes, an auto accident case may involve a driver who was clearly negligent in almost every meaningful way. Perhaps the driver was going 20 mph over the speed limit and ran a red light prior to the accident. In that scenario, establishing negligence might not necessarily be difficult. However, what if an accident occurred after a driver checked his mirrors, used his turn signal, and attempted to make a safe lane change? Even when all of these things are true, that driver may still be negligent, and you may still be entitled to compensation if you were hurt in such an accident. Regardless of the specifics of your auto accident case, make sure that you talk to a skilled Louisiana auto accident attorney promptly to protect your rights and maintain your options.

In some situations, even incidents and court cases that originate outside Louisiana can have very real significance for Louisianans. That was the case for one auto accident lawsuit that started with a San Antonio crash. The case, while starting in Texas, was eventually decided by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, whose rulings directly affect not only Texas federal courts but federal courts in Louisiana and Mississippi as well.

The collision took place along a stretch of Interstate 410 in San Antonio. Elizabeth was driving in the left lane, while Darrell’s truck was in the right lane. At some point, Darrell decided to change lanes. He checked his mirrors. He put on his turn signal. He then began changing lanes and crashed into Elizabeth.