Covington's trusted 18 wheeler and truck accident lawyer.

After a wreck with a big truck, a representative of the truck’s insurance company may call you about the accident. They may tell you that they are investigating the accident and would like to take your recorded statement. You should not give a statement to the other person’s insurance company. Louisiana law does not require you to give a statement to the other person’s insurance company. In most cases, one of the goals of the insurance adjuster is to get you on a recording saying that your injuries are not that bad. Insurance adjusters receive lots of training on how to interview victims of truck accidents. They use leading questions and oftentimes ask you to agree with them that you are not injured or that your injuries are not significant.

When we take on a case, we tell our clients that the only thing they have to tell the insurance adjuster is to call us!

After a wreck with a big truck, a representative of the truck’s insurance company may call you about the accident. They may tell you that they are investigating the accident and would like to take your recorded statement.  You should not give a statement to the other person’s insurance company.  

Louisiana law does not require you to give a statement to the other person’s insurance company.  In most cases, one of the goals of the insurance adjuster is to get you on a recording saying that your injuries are not that bad.  Insurance adjusters receive lots of training on how to interview victims of truck accidents.  They use leading questions and oftentimes ask you to agree with them that you are not injured or that your injuries are not significant.  

Truck accidents can have devastating effects, not just in terms of injuries, but also with regard to medical and other bills.  Sadly, even if someone is so injured that they can’t go to work anymore, that doesn’t mean that bills stop coming.  

Unfortunately, in Louisiana, the at-fault insurance company is not required to pay your medical bills “as you go.”  Instead, medical bills are included in any resolution, at the end of your case.  In the meantime, there may be several solutions, such as using your own health insurance to cover medical bills.  In some cases, people may even have “medical payment coverage” as part of their own vehicle insurance, which may provide them with funds to pay medical bills.

Part of our job is working with our clients to find solutions to problems like this.

The answer to this question depends on many factors, the most significant being the seriousness of one’s injuries.  Other factors we consider in assessing the value of a claim include the length of medical treatment, the amount of medical bills, future limitations or disabilities, and lost wages.  

The value of a truck accident claim may also grow over time if a person is continuing to suffer or treat for their injuries.  We take great pride in explaining our valuation process to our clients throughout the course of their case.

Big trucking companies and their insurance carriers often fight very hard against accident claims.  This is because truck accidents often result in significant injuries.  At our firm, we use several techniques to hold trucking companies responsible for accidents.

First, we make sure that the trucking company is put on notice that they should preserve any evidence which may be important to the case, including “black box” data, photographs of damage, toxicology reports, and driving records.  Tracking down the appropriate insurance company for the truck company can also be difficult.  

Second, we make sure the truck company and their insurance carrier are kept up to date as to the severity of our client’s injuries and their progress or lack of progress during recovery.  

If the truck company is not accepting responsibility for the wreck, we file a lawsuit against them, uncover more evidence, take depositions, and prepare our client’s case for trial.  

Big truck accident cases are often complex.  Having an experienced truck accident attorney on your side is important to the outcome of your case.  Call us today for a free and confidential consultation.  

It is important to understand the difference between “criminal” cases and “civil” cases when it comes to truck accidents or any accident.  Criminal charges are typically brought by the District Attorney against the at-fault individual when it is determined that they violated a law and caused harm.  Finding someone guilty in a criminal case results in fines or imprisonment for that person, depending on the case.  

We handle civil cases involving truck accidents.  That means we seek compensation (money) for our clients as a result of the injuries and damages they suffer.  Winning a lawsuit or settling with an insurance company in a civil case results in the payment of money, but does not subject the at-fault person to fines or imprisonment.  

Sometimes, a truck accident can result in both criminal and civil cases.  An example is when a truck driver was intoxicated and severely injures or kills someone in a crash.  In that case, the truck driver would be subject to criminal charges and could be sued for civil damages.  

The process of investigating truck accidents varies from case to case and is sometimes similar to investigations of car accident claims.  However, there are several things we may do during an investigation, unique to truck accidents.  

First, a lot of big trucks, like 18-wheelers, contain electronic logging devices, similar to the “black box” we often hear about.  These devices can track the truck’s speed, locations, and critical events, like braking.  We sometimes have accident reconstruction experts assist us in inspecting the truck and downloading data from its electronic logging devices.

Second, in the event of big trucks hauling loads or making deliveries, it may be important to obtain evidence as to the driver’s activity on the day of the accident or the days leading up to the accident.  Evidence such as driving logs and whether the driver took required breaks can be important in a truck case to show driver fatigue.  

Another topic of investigation in big truck accident cases is the driver’s personnel records.  Does he have a history of accidents?  Did his company conduct a background investigation before putting him on the road?  In some cases, showing that the trucking company knew or should have known that their driver was unsafe, is important for holding the company liable.

While each big truck accident is different, it is important to collect evidence immediately after an accident.  As soon as we are hired on a big truck case, we skillfully tailor our investigation around the unique aspects of the case.  

If you have been involved in a wreck with a big truck, chances are that the truck company or their insurance company will look to blame you for the accident.  

Common defenses to a big truck accident include the following:

• Blaming the other driver for coming to a sudden stop in front of the truck.

• Blaming the other driver for being in the truck’s “blind spot.”

• Blaming the other driver for “scooting” in front of the truck at the last second.

Oftentimes, these defenses can be refuted with evidence from the accident scene, including photos of tire tracks, analyzing vehicle damage, and even accident reconstruction.  Sometimes, we will collect the truck’s “black box” data, which includes information on the truck’s speed and braking just before impact.

Big truck accidents can get complicated quickly.  

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The length of time it takes to resolve a truck accident case depends on many factors.  First, we never want to settle a truck accident claim until our client has fully recovered from his or her injuries or is in a position where he or she knows what the future holds for them in terms of their medical wellbeing.  

Once our client is in a position to resolve their claim, a second factor that determines how long it takes to resolve a truck accident case is whether the at-fault insurance company is taking responsibility for the truck accident.  

Finally, even if an insurance company is accepting 100% liability for a truck accident, that does not mean that they will value your claim fairly.  If an insurance company is not willing to offer a fair settlement, this may lead to filing a lawsuit against them, which does take time.  

Don’t feel bad if you already gave the insurance company a recorded statement following a truck accident.  About half of our clients unwittingly give recorded statements prior to hiring us, only to later discover that the law doesn’t require them to do so.  

The number 1 reason we typically do not allow our clients to give recorded statements following a truck accident is because they are unnecessary.  If the insurance company has the police report, can speak with their own insured, or can otherwise obtain facts indicating that their insured was at-fault for causing the accident, why do they need your statement?  The reason is because they want to have a free chance at you saying the wrong thing or stating that you are “ok” following an accident.  They want a clip of your own voice to use against you later.  That’s it.  

If you do hire a personal injury attorney, it is important to tell them whether you have given a recorded statement so that they can ask for that statement from the insurance company.  If you regret giving a recorded statement, don’t beat yourself up about it.  Call us instead.