With I-10 and I-49 running directly through Lafayette, our community sees heavy 18-wheeler traffic every day. Whether you were rear-ended by a semi on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, sideswiped at the I-10/I-49 interchange, or struck by a commercial truck near the Evangeline Thruway, the Lafayette truck accident lawyers at Kenny Habetz Injury Law have helped Acadiana families recover millions in compensation from trucking companies and their insurers.
Our founding Lafayette truck accident lawyer, Kenny Habetz, has more than ten years of experience practicing law. In that time, he’s helped his deserving clients recover millions of dollars in compensation for their injuries.
Contact us today to set up a completely free consultation to go over your case. We’re here to take your call 24/7.
How Kenny Habetz Injury Law Can Help With Your Lafayette Truck Accident Claim
Trucks are generally the largest vehicles on the road at any given time; in some ways, they are some of the most prone to accidents. Commercial truck drivers, in particular, are often fatigued or on a time crunch, which can lead to poor decision-making and driving ability. In addition, these trucks have sizable blind spots that make it more challenging for them to notice other vehicles at times.
Regardless of how your accident occurred, Kenny Habetz Injury Law can help you obtain the compensation you need to be made whole again.
When you hire our Lafayette personal injury lawyer to take on your case, you’ll level the playing field with the other party, especially if an insurance company is involved.
Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize the value of your claim; we won’t let them get away with that. We can do the following to assist with your case if you choose our personal injury law firm to represent you:
- Conduct an investigation into your case to identify the liable party or parties, as well as collect the evidence required to prove your claim
- Hire experts to go over your case and increase the strength of your compensation claim
- Negotiate a fair settlement on your behalf and take your case to court if the other side refuses to arrive at an adequate amount
Whether you’re ready to begin forming an attorney-client relationship or just want to learn more about how we can help, contact our law office today in Lafayette, LA. Your initial case review is free of charge, and there are no strings attached.
Louisiana Truck Accident Statistics: Why I-10 and I-49 Are So Dangerous
The Center for Analytics and Research in Transportation Safety (CARTS) at Louisiana State University tracks commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes across the state. The 2024 data reveals both progress and ongoing dangers:
| Statistic | 2024 Data |
| Total Commercial Truck Crashes (Louisiana) | 2,088 |
| Fatal Truck Crashes | 75 fatalities |
| Change from 2023 | 23.47% decrease in fatal crashes |
| Urban vs Rural Crashes | 31,817 urban / 6,173 rural |
| CMV Driver Citation Rate (Fatal Crashes) | 47.27% (up from 33.61% in 2023) |
| Average Cost of Serious Truck Injury | $518,839 |
While 2024 saw a significant decrease in fatal truck crashes—the lowest since 2009—the CMV driver citation rate in fatal crashes increased dramatically. This suggests that when fatal truck accidents do occur, truck driver negligence is increasingly being identified as the cause.
Lafayette Parish specifically sits at the crossroads of two major commercial trucking corridors:
- I-10: The primary east-west route carrying freight between Texas and Florida, including the 18-mile Atchafalaya Basin Bridge
- I-49: A major north-south corridor connecting Lafayette to Shreveport and beyond
This heavy truck traffic makes our local roads particularly vulnerable to 18-wheeler accidents. In October 2025 alone, an 18-wheeler fire following a three-vehicle crash shut down I-10 near the Evangeline Thruway for several hours.
Dangerous Truck Routes in Lafayette and Acadiana
Our Lafayette truck accident lawyers have handled cases from crashes on all of Acadiana’s major trucking routes:
- Interstate 10 (I-10): Heavy commercial traffic through Lafayette, including the Evangeline Thruway interchange. Multiple 18-wheeler crashes annually, including a fatal hit-and-run involving a commercial motor vehicle in October 2024.
- Interstate 49 (I-49): The primary north-south trucking corridor through Acadiana, connecting Lafayette to Opelousas and Shreveport. Frequent jackknife and rollover accidents, particularly in construction zones.
- Atchafalaya Basin Bridge: This 18-mile elevated interstate section has limited shoulders and no safe stopping areas, making truck breakdowns and crashes especially dangerous.
- US-90: Serves Gulf Coast industries with heavy truck traffic between Lafayette and New Iberia.
- Ambassador Caffery Parkway: High-traffic commercial corridor with truck-involved crashes at major intersections.
If you’ve been injured in a truck accident anywhere in Lafayette Parish or the surrounding Acadiana region, contact Kenny Habetz Injury Law for a free case evaluation.
How Valuable Is My Lafayette Truck Accident Case? | Lawyer Insights
The value of your Lafayette truck accident case will hinge on the facts and circumstances involved. Though the cases involving the most catastrophic injuries (or even the wrongful death of a loved one) are usually worth the most, the calculation is more complicated than that. Other factors that could affect how much your case is valued include:
- How old you were at the time of the truck crash
- Whether you’ll make a full medical recovery from your injuries
- How much of the blame you share for the accident
- The amount of evidence available to prove your claim
- The extent to which you’ve missed work due to the accident
Ultimately, the best way to find out your case’s value is to contact a Lafayette truck accident lawyer. An attorney can look at the facts of your case and provide you with a more personalized estimate.
Common Causes of Truck Accidents in Lafayette, LA
Some causes of truck accidents in Lafayette, Louisiana, are more prevalent than others. These include, but are not limited to:
- Fatigued driving
- Distracted driving
- Poor weather or road conditions
- Defective parts or machinery
- Drunk or intoxicated driving
- Negligent hiring practices
- Violating Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations
- Oversized cargo loads
- Speeding
Reach out to Kenny Habetz Injury Law today for legal advice and assistance with your truck accident case, no matter how it was caused.
What Damages Can I Recover from a Truck Accident Claim in Louisiana? | Legal Guidance
After a truck crash in Louisiana, you can recover economic damages as well as non-economic damages.
Economic damages are for your financial losses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Rehabilitation
- Repair costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages are for the other losses you may have experienced, including:
- Emotional anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Scarring and disfigurement
- PTSD, anxiety, and other similar types of conditions
You might also be able to collect punitive damages after a truck accident, but only in rare cases where the at-fault party acted outrageously and was also intoxicated at the time of the crash.
Can I Receive Compensation If I’m Partly at Fault for a Truck Accident in Lafayette? | Lawyer Explanation
Yes – you can. Louisiana follows a pure comparative negligence standard when it comes to the issue of contributory fault.
The way pure comparative negligence works is that each party involved in the case will be assigned a percentage of fault, and your financial award as the victim could be reduced based on your percentage. So if you are awarded $100,000 but are found to be 30% at fault, that amount could be reduced to $70,000.
Because this doctrine can impact the value of your claim so heavily, it’s important that you have a lawyer in your corner. With the help of a skilled Lafayette personal injury attorney, the other side won’t be able to get away with unfairly blaming you for the accident.
How Do I Prove Liability in a Truck Accident Case?
Most truck accident cases require you to prove that the at-fault driver was negligent. You might also be able to hold the trucking company itself liable for negligence under a theory of vicarious liability. There are four legal elements required to establish negligence:
- Duty of Care – Were you owed a duty of care, given the situation? Drivers owe a duty of care to other drivers in terms of obeying the laws of the road, for example.
- Breach of Duty – Did the other driver’s actions or inactions amount to a violation of that duty? Running a red light is an instance where this element is likely satisfied.
- Causation (proximate and factual) – Did the other driver cause the accident, and did they cause it in a foreseeable way?
- Damages – Did you suffer losses as a result of the accident?
Other truck accident cases, such as those based on a defective part, may be based on strict liability instead of negligence. In these instances, you won’t have to prove that the other party was negligent. Primarily, you will just need to demonstrate that the product was defective and that the party had a hand in its production or sale.
As the personal injury victim, you have the burden of proof to supply evidence in support of the elements of negligence (or strict liability). Forms of evidence you can provide include medical records, eyewitness testimony, and pictures and videos of the accident. The standard of proof you must meet is “by a preponderance of the evidence,” meaning you must show it is more likely true than not that each element is met.
Our Lafayette truck accident attorney can help you with your case regardless of the cause of action it entails, and we’ll conduct a comprehensive investigation to collect evidence in support of your case. Call us today for further information.
How Much Time Do I Have To File My Truck Accident Lawsuit in the State of Louisiana?
In Louisiana, per state law, you’ll usually have just two years (effective as of July 1, 2024) from the date of the truck accident to file your lawsuit. All truck accidents prior to July 1, 2024 are subject to a one-year statute of limitations. If you file your lawsuit too late, the court will refuse to hear your case, and you won’t be able to collect compensation.
There are possible exceptions to this deadline; feel free to contact our law office if you’re unsure of whether you still have time to file a lawsuit in your case. We can fill you in during your free consultation.
Schedule a Free Case Review With a Trusted Lafayette Truck Accident Attorney
Experiencing a truck accident is never easy for you and the rest of your family. It might seem like the situation has no end in sight and that you’ll never be able to fully recover.
If you hire Kenny Habetz Injury Law to help with your case, you’ll be able to focus on what’s most important: your health and well-being. In the meantime, we will vigorously fight to hold the at-fault party responsible for their actions. We’ll be able to take care of virtually every aspect related to your claim for compensation.
Call or contact us online today to set up a free consultation with our experienced Lafayette truck accident attorney.
Data Sources
- LSU CARTS 2024 Commercial Vehicle Safety Report
- NHTSA 2023 Traffic Safety Facts
- Louisiana State Police News Releases (2024-2025)
- KATC News Lafayette traffic reports
