Large trucks present a unique danger on the Louisiana roadways. They can get into accidents more easily in light of the fact that they are difficult to maneuver and can likewise cause more damage because of their size. Truck accidents can even cause such serious injuries that those involved ultimately are unable to walk away from the incident.
A recent early morning trucking accident on Interstate 20 sadly had such consequences. The police investigation remains ongoing, but it appears that the deadly accident resulted from the collision of a Dodge truck with an International truck. The 58-year-old driver of the Dodge truck did not survive — he was pronounced dead at the scene. The 26-year-old truck driver appears to have sustained only minor injuries.
Too often truck accidents result in serious injuries, like permanent disability, or even death. Before even assessing all of the damage that has resulted from the accident, it is important to identify the possible cause of the incident. Only with causation can an individual seeking to recover from the accident ultimately obtain damages.
Pursuant to Louisiana law, all drivers — whether car or truck drivers — owe a duty to each other on the roads. This means that they must each be aware of the other driver’s limitations. For example, drivers of automobiles should recognize that trucks have significant blind spots and cannot stop quickly. Thus, they should avoid driving in these blind spots or stopping abruptly. If car drivers fail to exercise such caution, their conduct may not be considered reasonable under the law. And, it will be difficult for them to recover damages resulting from a trucking accident in which they claim that the truck driver was negligent.
To succeed with a claim, a driver of an automobile will need to focus on the truck driver’s negligence. A trucker’s negligence can include inadequate training, as well as truck driver fatigue or other variables or distractions.
There are clearly many minute aspects to a successful legal claim for damages. Focusing on each of them will help to identify possible strengths and weaknesses, like those related to causation.
Source: thenewsstar.com, “Two killed, one injured in separate wrecks,” Nov. 22, 2013