Houma Truck Accident Attorneys

Common Causes of Truck Accidents

Most truck accidents can be traced back to negligence, either by the driver, the trucking company, or others responsible for maintaining the vehicle or loading the cargo. 

In Louisiana, some of the most common causes of large truck accidents include:

• Driver Fatigue: Long hours behind the wheel can lead to exhaustion, slow reaction times, and poor judgment.
• Distracted Driving: Cell phone use, navigation systems, or paperwork can take a driver’s attention off the road for just seconds, often with deadly consequences.
• Speeding or Aggressive Driving: Pressure to meet delivery deadlines often pushes truckers to drive faster or recklessly.
• Poor Vehicle Maintenance: Worn brakes, defective tires, and faulty lights can make a large truck more likely to be involved in an accident. 
• Improperly Loaded Cargo: Shifting loads can cause a truck to tip over or jackknife, blocking roadways and causing widespread damage.
• Driving Under the Influence: Even small amounts of alcohol, prescription medication, or illegal drugs can impair judgment and coordination.
• Inadequate Training: Drivers who aren’t properly trained to handle large rigs or hazardous cargo create serious risks for everyone around them.

Our Houma truck accident lawyers carefully investigate these incidents to determine what happened and whether it was the driver, the equipment, or the system that allowed unsafe practices to continue. This allows us to prove liability and seek maximum compensation for our clients. 

Common Types of Truck Accidents

Not all truck accidents are alike, but many follow similar patterns with equally devastating outcomes. 

Some of the most frequent types include:

• Jackknife Accidents: When a truck’s trailer swings out at an angle to the cab, often caused by sudden braking or slick roads.
• Rear-End Collisions: A fully loaded semi needs far more distance to stop than a car; failure to maintain space often results in severe impacts.
• Underride Crashes: Smaller vehicles can slide beneath a trailer during a collision, often leading to fatal injuries.
• Rollover Accidents: High centers of gravity and shifting loads can cause trucks to roll over, especially on curves or during evasive maneuvers.
• Wide-Turn Collisions: Trucks require extra space to turn and misjudging that space can crush nearby vehicles.
• Lost Load Incidents: When improperly secured cargo spills onto the roadway, it can cause chain-reaction crashes.

Each of these scenarios can cause severe injuries or fatalities, especially for those in smaller vehicles. 

The Impact of a Truck Accident

The physical, emotional, and financial toll of a truck accident can be overwhelming. 

Victims often suffer catastrophic injuries such as:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord damage and paralysis
• Amputations
• Severe burns
• Internal organ injuries
• Multiple fractures and orthopedic damage

Beyond the physical harm, victims and their families must also contend with lost income, long-term medical care, and emotional trauma. In tragic cases, families must cope with the loss of a loved one—and the uncertainty of how to move forward.

Who Can Be Held Liable in a Truck Accident?

Determining liability in a truck accident is often far more complex than in a typical car crash. This is due, in large part, to the severity of these incidents and the complicated nature of trucking regulations.

After a truck accident, multiple parties may share responsibility, including:

• The Truck Driver: For negligent driving behavior such as speeding, distracted driving, or fatigue
• The Trucking Company: For unsafe scheduling, hiring unqualified drivers, or failing to maintain vehicles
• Cargo Loaders: For improperly securing or balancing loads, or for overloading cargo 
• Maintenance Contractors: For negligent inspection or repair work
• Truck and Part Manufacturers: For defective components like tires, brakes, or steering systems

An experienced truck accident attorney from Waitz & Downer can identify every party involved and build a case aimed at holding them accountable for the harm they caused.

How Waitz & Downer Can Help After a Truck Accident

At Waitz & Downer, we know how to take on powerful trucking companies, manufacturers, and their insurance providers. These entities have teams of lawyers and adjusters working to limit what they pay out after a crash. Our job is to level the playing field and fight for the fair compensation our clients deserve. 

As your Houma truck accident lawyers, we can: 

• Conduct a thorough investigation of the crash scene, vehicle data, and driver records
• Obtain black box data, maintenance logs, and employment files to uncover safety violations
• Work with accident reconstruction experts to determine exactly what happened and why
• Handle all communication and negotiation with insurance companies
• Pursue full compensation for medical costs, lost wages, property damage, pain and suffering, and future care needs

We also represent families in wrongful death claims when truck accidents result in the loss of a loved one. No matter your situation, our team is here to provide the compassionate support and tireless advocacy you need during this difficult time.