Sharing the interstate and highways around New Orleans with large trucks can put you at an increased risk of serious car accidents. These large trucks use our interstates and highways to transport goods from all over the United States. Therefore, you can see commercial trucks each day on I-10, I-610, and I-310 and Highway 90 and Highway 61.
While it is necessary to share the roads with these very large vehicles, it does make traveling on interstates and highways in Louisiana a bit more dangerous for drivers and passengers in other vehicles. Over 70 percent of the injuries and deaths in large truck accidents are sustained by drivers and passengers in other vehicles. This includes large trucks such as big rigs, 18-wheelers, semi-trucks, and tractor trailers.
Why Are Accidents With Commercial Trucks So Dangerous?
The main reason an accident involving a commercial truck is dangerous for others using the road is the size and weight difference between a large truck and a passenger vehicle. Most commercial trucks can weigh up to 80,000 pounds while the average car weighs about 5,000 pounds.
A passenger vehicle simply is not built to withstand the impact of a collision with an 80,000-pound truck. Therefore, truck drivers do not sustain the clear majority of injuries and deaths because they have greater protection than the other occupants of a truck vs. car accident.
Another factor in interstate truck accidents is speed. The faster these large vehicles travel, the longer it takes them to stop and the greater damage they do in a truck accident. Unfortunately, trucking companies often set unrealistic deadlines for their truck drivers knowing the only way to meet the delivery date is to exceed the speed limit and drive more hours than allowed by law without a break. This combination of a drowsy or fatigued truck driver and excessive speed is a dangerous mix that can result in a catastrophic interstate truck accident.
Other causes of interstate truck accidents include:
- Heavy or stop-and-go traffic
- Road conditions and adverse weather conditions
- Drunk and drugged driving
- Improperly loaded cargo and overweight cargo
- Defective equipment or faulty repairs
- Improper maintenance and inspections
- Tire blowouts
- Poor trained and/or inexperienced drivers
- Reckless driving and aggressive driving
In the event of a truck accident, the victim and the victim’s family need to contact an experienced New Orleans truck accident case as soon as possible. Trucking companies and their insurance companies fight truck accident claims because these claims tend to reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars due to the severity of the injuries.
An experienced New Orleans truck accident attorney understands the complex nature of an interstate truck accident. In addition, the attorney is familiar with the laws and regulations governing the trucking industry and how to use those laws and regulations to obtain evidence that can help prove who is at fault for the interstate truck accident.
Call a New Orleans Interstate Truck Accident Attorney for Help
If you are injured in a truck accident, we want to help you hold the party or parties responsible for the accident liable for your damages. For a free legal consultation with an experienced Louisiana truck accident lawyer, call Attorney Fred Olinde of The Olinde Firm. You can contact our office by calling (504) 587-1440 or 1-800-587-1889 to ask questions about truck accident claims or to request your free appointment with one of our attorneys. We look forward to hearing from you and explaining how our attorneys can help you recover compensation for your financial and non-financial losses.