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After an 18-wheeler crash, it can be easy to focus solely on the driver and their role in the wreck.
But, in many truck accident cases, the trucking company’s decisions may also need to be reviewed. Did the company hire a driver with a poor safety record? Did it ignore maintenance problems? Did dispatch push an unsafe schedule? Did the company fail to follow trucking safety rules?
At Irpino, Avin & Hawkins, we are an independent New Orleans law firm. That means we answer to our clients. Since 1996, our attorneys, paralegals, and staff have worked together to help injured people and families understand their options, deal with insurance companies, and pursue fair compensation.
When Can the Trucking Company Be Responsible?
A trucking company may be responsible when its own actions helped cause the crash. This can include hiring a driver who should not have been behind the wheel, failing to train the driver properly, ignoring safety violations, skipping inspections, or allowing a truck to stay on the road when it needed repairs.
The company may also be responsible for the driver’s conduct if the driver was working at the time of the crash. For example, if the driver was making a delivery for the company and caused a collision, the company may share legal responsibility.
That matters because trucking companies and their insurers often have more resources than an individual driver. It also matters because serious truck accidents can lead to major medical bills, lost income, long-term pain, and property damage.
What Evidence Can Show Company Fault?
Truck accident cases often involve evidence that does not exist in a regular car accident case. A New Orleans truck accident lawyer may look at:
- Driver logs
- Maintenance records
- Hiring and training files
- Inspection reports
- Electronic control module data
- Dash camera footage
- Dispatch records
- Cargo loading records
- Company safety policies
This evidence can help show whether the crash was caused by one bad decision on the road or a larger pattern of unsafe company practices.
What If More Than One Party Caused the Crash?
Many 18-wheeler cases involve more than one responsible party. The driver may have made a mistake. The trucking company may have failed to maintain the vehicle. A third-party maintenance company may have missed a serious problem. A cargo loading company may have loaded the trailer improperly.
Louisiana follows comparative fault, which means responsibility can be divided among multiple people or companies. If the injured person is found partly at fault, their recovery may be reduced by their percentage of fault. That is why a full investigation matters.
Why Trucking Company Claims Are Different
Trucking companies and their insurers often begin investigating quickly after a serious crash. They may send people to the scene, review truck data, speak with the driver, collect records, and start preparing their defense.
Injured people are often dealing with the opposite. They may be in pain, missing work, arranging transportation, trying to repair or replace a vehicle, and figuring out what medical care they need.
Irpino, Avin & Hawkins works to give clients a voice in that process. Our team provides professional, respectful representation and close support while helping clients understand what is happening and what comes next.
How Long Do You Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Louisiana?
Louisiana recently changed the deadline for many personal injury claims. For accidents that happen on or after July 1, 2024, many personal injury lawsuits generally have a two-year prescriptive period. Accidents before that date may be subject to the prior one-year deadline.
Because deadlines can depend on the date and facts of the crash, it is better to ask questions early.
Talk With a New Orleans Truck Accident Lawyer Today
If you were injured in an 18-wheeler crash in New Orleans or elsewhere in Louisiana, the question is not only what the truck driver did. The trucking company’s choices may also matter.
Irpino, Avin & Hawkins has deep roots in New Orleans and a team built around client-focused representation. Our office is in the Garden District, and we serve clients throughout Louisiana.
Contact Irpino, Avin & Hawkins today to speak with a New Orleans truck accident lawyer about your case.
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