Kenny Habetz Injury Law | July 2, 2026 | Truck Accidents
Legally reviewed by Kenny Habetz, Founding Attorney, Kenny Habetz Injury Law. Last updated: July 2, 2026
What Should I Do After a Truck Accident in Louisiana?
After a truck accident in Louisiana: call 911 and stay at the scene until police arrive, get medical care the same day even if you feel fine, document the scene with photos and witness information, avoid giving a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer, and contact a truck accident attorney before signing anything. Louisiana’s comparative fault law, updated July 1, 2024, and its one-year filing deadline both make early legal involvement critical to preserving evidence and protecting your claim.
Truck accidents are rarely like ordinary car crashes. An 18-wheeler can weigh 20 to 30 times more than a passenger vehicle, and the injuries that result are often catastrophic. If you or a loved one has been hurt in a collision with a commercial truck in Louisiana, the steps you take in the hours and days that follow can directly affect your health, your case, and your ability to recover fair compensation.
What Should I Do at the Scene of a Truck Accident?
If you’re able to move, get out of the roadway and to a safe location. Call 911 immediately, even if injuries seem minor. A police report creates an official record of the crash and is one of the most important pieces of evidence in a truck accident claim. Louisiana law also requires drivers to report any accident involving injury, death, or significant property damage.
Do not leave the scene until law enforcement has arrived and released you, and never admit fault or apologize at the scene. Fault in a truck accident is often more complicated than it first appears, and it may involve the driver, the trucking company, a cargo loader, or even a parts manufacturer.
Once law enforcement clears the scene, you’ll want a copy of the official report for your records. Here’s a quick FAQ on requesting car accident reports in Louisiana.
Should I See a Doctor Even If I Feel Fine?
Yes. Some injuries, like internal bleeding, traumatic brain injuries, and soft tissue damage, don’t show symptoms immediately. Get evaluated by a medical professional the same day, even if you feel “fine.” This protects your health and creates a medical record that ties your injuries directly to the crash, which insurance companies will scrutinize closely if you wait.
What Evidence Should I Collect After a Truck Accident?
If you’re physically able to, gather as much information as possible:
- Photos and video of both vehicles, the roadway, skid marks, road signage, and visible injuries
- The truck’s license plate, DOT number, and any company name or logo on the vehicle
- The truck driver’s name, license number, and insurance information
- Contact information for any witnesses
- The responding officer’s name and badge number, and the police report number
Commercial trucks are often equipped with dash cams, electronic logging devices (ELDs), and black box data recorders. This data can be critical to proving fault, but trucking companies are not obligated to preserve it indefinitely. The sooner an attorney is involved, the sooner a spoliation letter can be sent to legally require the company to preserve this evidence.
Should I Talk to the Trucking Company’s Insurance Adjuster?
Be careful. Trucking companies carry commercial insurance policies, and their insurers move fast, often reaching out within 24 to 48 hours of a crash. Their goal is to minimize the payout, not to look out for your interests. Avoid giving a recorded statement, signing any documents, or accepting a settlement offer before speaking with an attorney.
Early settlement offers are almost always far below what a claim is actually worth once the full extent of injuries, lost wages, and long-term care needs are known. If you want to see how insurance companies often mislead injured people during this stage, read our breakdown of personal injury settlement myths vs. reality.
How Does Louisiana’s Comparative Fault Law Affect My Claim?
Louisiana follows a comparative fault system, and this area of law changed significantly on July 1, 2024. Under the updated law, an injured person can still recover damages even if they are partially at fault for the accident, but their compensation is reduced by their percentage of fault, and there is now a modified threshold that can affect recovery depending on how fault is allocated between the parties involved.
Because trucking accidents frequently involve multiple potentially liable parties, from the driver to the trucking company to third-party maintenance contractors, how fault gets allocated has a direct impact on your final recovery. Read more about how Louisiana’s comparative fault system works. This is one of the most important reasons to have an attorney review the details of your crash rather than relying on an insurance adjuster’s initial fault determination.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Truck Accident in Louisiana?
Unlike a typical car accident, a truck accident claim can involve several liable parties:
- The truck driver, for negligent or reckless driving, fatigue, distraction, or violation of federal hours-of-service rules
- The trucking company, for negligent hiring, inadequate training, poor vehicle maintenance, or pressuring drivers to violate safety regulations. Some carriers have far worse safety records than others; see our list of the most dangerous trucking companies in the U.S.
- A cargo loading company, if improperly secured or overloaded cargo contributed to the crash
- A parts manufacturer, if a mechanical failure such as brake or tire failure played a role
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regulations layer additional standards on top of Louisiana law, and violations of these federal rules can be powerful evidence of negligence. Our commercial vehicle accident practice page breaks down how these liability layers work in more detail.
How Common Are Fatal Truck Accidents in Louisiana?
Louisiana’s roads see a significant number of fatal crashes each year. In 2024, the state recorded 699 traffic fatalities across 652 fatal crashes statewide, with Lafayette Parish alone accounting for 31 of those fatalities. Preliminary 2025 data shows 371 fatalities and 58,997 injury crashes reported so far, though these figures are subject to revision as final numbers are released. You can dig further into the full crash statistics for the Lafayette area.
Commercial trucks are involved in a disproportionate share of the most severe crashes on Louisiana highways, particularly along high-traffic corridors like I-10, I-49, and I-12.
How Long Do I Have to File a Truck Accident Lawsuit in Louisiana?
Louisiana has a one-year prescriptive period (the state’s version of a statute of limitations) for most personal injury claims, including truck accidents. However, certain changes to Louisiana’s statute of limitations rules can affect specific case types. That may sound like a long time, but truck accident cases require extensive investigation, evidence preservation, and often the involvement of accident reconstruction experts, which takes time to do properly.
The earlier an attorney is involved, the earlier evidence can be preserved, the trucking company’s insurer can be dealt with directly, and a full picture of your damages, medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term impact can be built.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a lawyer if the trucking company already admitted fault? Yes. Even when fault seems clear, trucking company insurers still work to minimize the payout. An attorney ensures the settlement reflects the true value of your medical costs, lost wages, and long-term impact rather than the insurer’s first offer.
What if I was partially at fault for the truck accident? You can generally still recover compensation under Louisiana’s comparative fault system, though your percentage of fault reduces your award. How fault gets allocated among multiple parties can significantly affect your final recovery, which is why an attorney’s review matters.
How much does it cost to hire a truck accident lawyer in Louisiana? Most personal injury attorneys, including Kenny Habetz Injury Law, work on contingency, meaning you pay nothing upfront and no fee unless you recover compensation.
What should I avoid doing after a truck accident? Don’t apologize or admit fault at the scene, don’t give a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer, don’t sign any documents from the insurer, and don’t accept an early settlement offer before speaking with an attorney.
Injured in a Truck Accident? Kenny Habetz Injury Law Can Help
At Kenny Habetz Injury Law, we’ve helped injured Louisianans go up against trucking companies and their insurers and win. We know how these companies operate, how to preserve critical evidence before it disappears, and how to build a case that reflects the true cost of what you’ve been through. Visit our Lafayette truck accident lawyer page to learn more about how we handle these cases.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a truck accident, don’t go up against a trucking company’s legal team alone.
Call Kenny Habetz Injury Law today for a free consultation.
Serving Lafayette, Crowley, Metairie, and communities throughout Louisiana.
Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different, and the outcome of your case depends on its specific facts. Contact Kenny Habetz Injury Law directly to discuss your situation.
