Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog
Each year, thousands of people are injured, and more than 100 killed, in vehicle accidents involving semi trucks. A late December accident near Shreveport was just another example of this, with two people dying in a DeSoto Parish crash. Any accident involving a semi truck is potentially extremely dangerous or even catastrophic, given that a fully loaded semi truck can weigh 75,000 pounds or more, as compared to a 5,000-pound passenger vehicle. If you’ve been hit by a semi truck, you may have suffered serious and possibly life-altering injuries. It is important to act promptly to protect your rights, including retaining experienced Louisiana truck accident counsel to advocate for your rights and a proper recovery under the law.
The DeSoto Parish crash took place three days before Christmas. The 24-year-old Hudson was driving his pickup truck across Interstate 49 at around 7:00 pm when he encountered a semi truck driven by a 59-year-old Shreveport man named Charles. Hudson rear-ended Charles’ big rig. After those two vehicles collided, another semi truck, driven by a 34-year-old Texas man, rear-ended Hudson’s pickup, which caused those two vehicles to burst into flames. The accident killed Hudson and the second commercial truck driver, thetowntalk.com reported. Reports indicated that police did not know why Hudson rear-ended Charles’ truck, and the reports also did not indicate what exactly caused the pickup and second semi to burst into flames.
When you are injured, or a loved one is killed, in a crash involving a semi truck, it is important to take the steps necessary to protect your rights. When you are hurt by a driver of a passenger vehicle, you can seek recovery from that driver and his or her insurance company. When a crash involves a semi truck, the issues can be more complex. Depending on the facts of your case, the law may give you the opportunity to hold multiple commercial entities responsible for the harm you suffered. In addition to the driver, these commercial defendants may include the owner of the commercial truck and the business that employed the truck driver, among others. These issues can become even more complex and may involve claims against even more people and companies when, as was the case in this DeSoto Parish crash, multiple commercial trucks are involved.
In this Interstate 49 accident, Hudson rear-ended the truck in front of him for reasons not readily known by investigators. While, in many situations, a driver who rear-ends another vehicle is considered by the law to be at fault for that crash, this is not always true. If, for example, the vehicle in front was improperly stopped on the roadway, that might create a possibility that the front driver was responsible.
Even if the trucker in front was operating his vehicle properly, that is not the only relevant fact to consider. The law may assign responsibility for a crash to multiple parties, especially in cases of multiple-vehicle or chain-reaction accidents. Even if the pickup driver was to blame for the initial crash, the family of that driver might still have a case in court against the owner of the second semi and the employer of the second trucker. If, for example, the second trucker was not operating his vehicle safely when he crashed into the pickup, or if his vehicle was not properly maintained and that contributed to the vehicles erupting into flames, that might possibly create liability and an opportunity for recovery by the family of the pickup driver.
Crashes involving semi trucks can often inflict catastrophic or even fatal injuries. They may forever alter the lives of those involved and their loved ones. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a semi truck accident, contact the diligent and determined Louisiana truck accident attorneys at the Cardone Law Firm. Our hardworking lawyers have spent many years fighting for injured people and are here to go to work for you.
For your confidential consultation, contact us online or phone Cardone at 504-522-3333.
More Blog Posts:
Keep Caution: Five Safety Tips For Driving Alongside Big Rigs That Can Save Your Life, Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog, Jan. 10, 2018
Louisiana Court of Appeal Upholds $30M Damages Award for a Man Paralyzed in a Collision with an 18-Wheeler, Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog, Dec. 26, 2017