Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog
If you’ve been injured in a crash involving a commercial truck in Louisiana, you may be wondering who’s responsible and how your medical bills or other damages will be covered. Thankfully, Louisiana law requires all commercial truck drivers and companies to carry proper truck liability coverage. This insurance is meant to protect you, the victim, by covering things like property damage and other costs after a serious truck accident.
Keep reading to learn about Louisiana truck liability coverage requirements and what’s covered under a commercial truck insurance policy.
Key Takeaways
- Primary liability coverage covers damages and injuries caused by a truck driver in an accident.
- If you’ve been involved in an accident caused by a trucker or trucking company, you may be owed compensation for medical payments, physical damage, and pain and suffering.
- Trucking companies, truck manufacturers, truck maintenance crews, and truckers themselves may each be held liable for accidents, impacting the insurance burden.
What Is Primary Liability Coverage?
At its most basic, insurance is a form of risk control service meant to alleviate issues caused by accidents. Primary liability coverage, also known as commercial truck insurance, is a mandatory policy required by law for all trucking companies and independent drivers. This type of commercial auto policy provides coverage for property damage and bodily injury when a truck driver is at fault in an accident.
This is part of the trucker or trucking company’s commercial vehicle insurance package and helps protect injury victims who may be hurt or suffer property damage in a crash involving a commercial truck or an 18-wheeler. Under federal law, truck liability coverage is legally required for any trucking company that operates on public roads. This typically includes property damage coverage and collision coverage, but not comprehensive coverage, meaning it may not cover all types of damage or accidents.
Louisiana Truck Insurance Requirements
A person driving a personal truck for non-commercial use is generally required to carry the same personal auto insurance as any other Louisiana driver. However, Louisiana truck insurance is subject to stricter regulations.
Whether the trucker operates a trucking business or works as an owner-operator, they must meet both state and federal insurance requirements before operating on public roads. Below are the Louisiana truck insurance requirements motor carriers must meet:
- Trucks that weigh less than 10,000 pounds and carry regular non-hazardous cargo are required to have at least $300,000 in insurance.
- If a truck weighs 10,000 pounds or more and carries regular cargo, the minimum required cargo insurance is $750,000.
- For trucks that transport oil and weigh 10,000 pounds or more, the minimum trucking insurance required is $1,000,000.
- If a truck weighing 10,000 pounds or more carries certain hazardous materials, such as chemicals listed in federal regulations, it needs at least $5,000,000 in insurance coverage.
Other Coverage Requirements
Of course, in addition to collision insurance, trucking companies are also required to carry other policies, potentially including general liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance, to cover accidents sustained during normal operations.
Truck insurance rates can be considerable, and trucking companies may seek a range of truck insurance quotes to try to save money. With that in mind, your claim as a victim of a truck accident could be affected if a company chooses a subpar provider.
If you’ve been involved in an accident with a truck driver, our New Orleans truck accident attorneys can help you determine how much you may be owed through the at-fault party’s insurance. Be sure to contact an attorney before contacting your insurance agent to protect your claim.
What Compensation May Be Covered by Commercial Truck Liability Coverage?
Getting into a truck accident can lead to serious injuries and financial stress. That’s why it’s necessary to understand how truck insurance works and the types of compensation it covers. Here are the expenses that are covered:
Economic Damages
Economic damages refer to the financial losses you experience because of someone else’s careless or reckless actions. These are measurable expenses tied directly to your injury or property damage. With documentation like medical records and receipts, your injury attorney can clearly show how much you’ve lost. Some common examples of economic damages include:
- Property damage
- Reduced ability to earn money
- Medical bills
- Future medical expenses
- Lost wages from time missed at work
- Legal fees
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are personal losses that don’t come with a set price tag. They represent the emotional, mental, and physical toll the accident has taken on your life. While they’re not as easy to calculate as economic damages, they’re important, especially in serious truck accident cases. Common types of non-economic damages include:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of intimacy or support
- Emotional distress or trauma
- Loss of companionship or guidance
- Disfigurement or permanent scarring
Who’s Liable for Louisiana Truck Accidents?
Liability in truck accidents isn’t always straightforward. Depending on the situation, more than one party could be responsible for the crash. That’s why understanding who’s legally at fault and how their liability insurance applies is an important part of any truck accident claim. Some of the parties who may be held liable for the accident include:
- The trucking company
- The trucker
- The truck manufacturer
- The maintenance personnel responsible for servicing the truck
Speak With a New Orleans Personal Injury Lawyer After a Truck Accident
Dealing with truck liability coverage after a serious accident can be confusing, especially when there are multiple parties involved. That’s why it’s important to talk to a New Orleans personal injury lawyer from Cardone Law Firm.
A New Orleans truck accident attorney will go over the details of the incident, look into what caused the crash, and do what they can to protect your rights. If you were hurt in a truck accident, don’t wait. Reach out to us today and let our legal team guide you every step of the way.