Louisiana Trucking Accident Attorneys

Zealously Representing Louisiana Trucking Accident Victims for Almost 3 Decades

Commercial trucking provides a vital service transporting goods and services throughout Louisiana and the U.S.  However, massive tractor-trailers (i.e. big rigs, semi-trucks, 18-wheelers) pose an unequaled danger to other drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.  Fully loaded commercial tractor-trailers can weigh as much as 80,000, which is as much as 26 times the weight of a passenger car.  The weight of these massive vehicles often results in catastrophic injuries and all too frequently fatalities for the occupants of the other vehicle.  While many commercial trucking drivers are dedicated professionals, sometimes the pressure to deliver their load faster can entice a commercial truck driver to speed, drive when fatigued or otherwise engage in dangerous patterns of behavior.  All too often these negligent driving practice are not only tacitly or expressly encouraged but covered up by commercial trucking companies.

At Koederitz Law Firm, LLC, we have devoted our law practice to the rewarding goal of representing injury victims and families that have lost a loved one to wrongful death.  While we provide legal expertise and the high quality legal services you would expect from an attorney with almost three decades of experience, we offer something very different from the big law firm practice of handling clients like a round of musical chairs where you are passed off to associates or staff members.  We provide personal service based on respect and commitment to the individualized needs and goals of our clients.  While our office has been conveniently located in Baton Rouge for over 30 years, we have developed a reputation for results and personal attention that reaches to the farthest corners of Louisiana.

Louisiana trucking accidents are often the avoidable consequence of pressure to produce more profits faster and cheaper.  The most common causes of a Louisiana truck accident include:

  • Fatigued drivers who exceed hours of service (HOS) rules regarding maximum hours on the road and required rest periods
  • Poorly maintained big rigs
  • Drug or alcohol use by truck drivers
  • Commercial truck drivers that speed or drive too fast for road conditions
  • Trucking companies that set unrealistic delivery schedules
  • Drivers and trucking companies that do not obey restrictions regarding safe routes
  • Truck drivers who are inexperienced or lack adequate training

Tractor-trailer accidents are unique, although less experienced personal injury attorneys sometimes handle them as if they were akin to a “car accident with bigger vehicles”.  This is absolutely the wrong approach to effective litigation strategy in handling a Louisiana commercial trucking accident.  Because tractor-trailer accidents pose a unique risk to others with whom they share the roadway, the trucking industry is subject to strict regulations.  Trucking accidents also pose special challenges in terms of preserving evidence for a trucking accident lawsuit.  For example, many large trucks are equipped with devices which record information such as the speed of the vehicle prior to an accident, the point at which brakes are applied, etc.  These devices are known as Event Data Recorders (EDR), or commonly referred to as “black boxes.”  It is often important to obtain the information from the “black box” of a truck following an accident, and to have that information preserved. 

Additionally, many, if not most, Louisiana trucking accidents involve a Louisiana resident and a trucker from another state.  When a suit is filed, the trucking company and its insurer typically remove the suit from a Louisiana state court to a Louisiana federal court.  This process is based upon federal law commonly referred to as “diversity of citizenship”, 28 U.S. § 1332.  Gary P. Koederitz, Koederitz Law Firm, has represented many injured individuals in all three federal court districts in Louisiana, the Eastern District, Middle District, and Western District.  If you are asserting a claim against a trucking company, it is important in almost every case that your attorney be familiar with the rules of the federal courts, which are often substantially different than those which apply in the state courts. 

Trucking accident litigation is complex, highly specialized and requires a unique mix of experience and skill including:

  • Comprehensive knowledge of the matrix of federal and state trucking laws and regulations.
  • Understanding of trucking industry pattern of altering and destroying trucking accident evidence
  • Extensive experience and specialized training in trucking accident litigation
  • Thorough knowledge of trucking industry customs and practices
  • Regular working relationships with trucking accident experts

Trucking accident fatalities account for approximately twelve percent of all motor vehicle fatalities with occupants in the other vehicle being the fatality victim a shocking 98 percent of the time.  If you or someone you love is involved in a trucking accident, your or your loved one may have a right to seek compensation for your injuries or the loss of a loved one.  Gary P. Koederitz, an attorney with significant experience representing individuals injured in trucking accidents, or the family of those killed in trucking accidents, is committed to obtaining compensation for all clients. 

Our law firm does not defend insurance companies or corporations; we fight for individuals who are injured by careless truck drivers and indifferent trucking companies.  Our law firm, with extensive trucking accident experience, offers a free initial consultation with an attorney or experienced staff, so if you need to discuss a Louisiana trucking accident, call us today at (225) 295-9494 to see how we can help.