Truck accidents may lead to major destruction of property. And, owing to their large size, trucks cause greater injuries on impact as opposed to cars or other vehicles. Louisiana authorities have time and again initiated various awareness programs about the dangers associated with truck accidents and the need for safe driving.
One of the major causes of truck accidents may be linked to the fact that trucks take a longer time to stop than cars. Speeding over the legal limit is illegal for all automobiles and it can be aggravated in case of trucks. Truck drivers are also mostly commercial drivers and under Louisiana law are subjected to a more stringent drunk driving law. While non-commercial car drivers have a blood alcohol limit of 0.08 percent, truck drivers must have a BAC level of 0.04 percent or less.
Truck accidents with related fatalities amounted to 3,514 last year. With this staggering amount of death and injury each year, the authorities have become even stricter regarding truck driver liability for traffic laws violation.
Truck crashes may often lead to multiple vehicle and rollover car accidents. Other vehicle occupants, pedestrians, bicyclists or other people on the street may suffer from various grave injuries due to truck accidents. Such accidents may result in expensive medical bills and years of treatments, recuperation and physical therapy.
Grave injuries resulting in permanent impairment can also lead to psychological trauma and depression. Many Louisiana residents die due to truck accidents every year. Victims as well as their dependents and relatives may consider initiating personal injury lawsuits or even wrongful death lawsuits in such cases.
Source: IIHS.org, “Large trucks,” Accessed on Dec. 18, 2014