On this page
- Car Accidents in Bastrop
- Rural Highway Accidents
- Head-On Collisions
- 18-Wheeler Accidents
- Truck Driver Fatigue
- Distracted Truck Driving
- Truck Maintenance and Mechanical Failure
- Logging and Forestry Truck Accidents
- Agricultural Vehicle Accidents
- Who Can Be Responsible for a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
- Company Vehicle Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Catastrophic Injury Claims
- Medical Evidence and Causation
- Future Medical Care
- Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity
- What Compensation May Be Available?
- Louisiana's 51% Comparative Fault Rule
- Louisiana's General Two-Year Filing Period
- Preserve Evidence Early
- Wrongful Death in Bastrop
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Contact a Bastrop Personal Injury Lawyer
Drivers in Bastrop and Morehouse Parish travel city streets and regional highways that may carry passenger traffic alongside commercial, agricultural, and forestry vehicles. When a business vehicle is involved in a serious collision, the investigation may extend beyond the driver to employers, motor carriers, vehicle owners, maintenance providers, and other companies.
If another driver, trucking company, employer, contractor, or business caused your injuries, Louisiana law may allow you to pursue compensation.
Jacqueline Scott & Associates represents accident victims in Bastrop, Morehouse Parish, and throughout Louisiana.
Our personal injury practice includes:
- car accidents;
- 18-wheeler wrecks;
- commercial vehicle accidents;
- logging-truck accidents;
- agricultural vehicle accidents;
- rural highway accidents;
- company-vehicle accidents;
- motorcycle accidents;
- catastrophic injuries;
- wrongful death; and
- other serious personal injury claims.
Call (318) 746-5997.
Make ’Em Pay.
Car Accidents in Bastrop
Potential causes include:
- distracted driving;
- texting;
- speeding;
- following too closely;
- failure to yield;
- unsafe passing;
- unsafe lane changes;
- improper turns;
- impaired driving;
- fatigue; and
- failure to maintain control.
Potential evidence may include photographs, police documentation, witness accounts, surveillance footage, dashcam video, vehicle damage, electronic vehicle information, and cellphone evidence when legally obtainable.
Rural Highway Accidents
Accidents outside urban areas can present unique risks and investigation challenges.
Potential factors include:
- highway speeds;
- two-lane roads;
- unsafe passing;
- limited lighting;
- narrow shoulders;
- curves;
- commercial trucks;
- agricultural equipment;
- forestry vehicles; and
- fewer nearby surveillance cameras.
Head-On Collisions
Head-on crashes can cause catastrophic or fatal injuries.
Potential causes include:
- crossing the centerline;
- unsafe passing;
- distraction;
- fatigue;
- impairment;
- excessive speed; and
- loss of control.
Potential evidence may include roadway marks, debris, vehicle resting positions, damage patterns, photographs, witness accounts, and electronic vehicle information.
18-Wheeler Accidents
Commercial truck accident investigations can involve specialized evidence.
Potential evidence includes:
- electronic logging information;
- GPS;
- telematics;
- dashcam footage;
- driver-facing cameras;
- dispatch communications;
- driver qualification records;
- inspection documents;
- maintenance records; and
- cargo information.
Truck Driver Fatigue
Covered commercial drivers are subject to federal hours-of-service requirements.
When fatigue may have contributed to a collision, investigators may compare electronic logs with:
- GPS;
- dispatch records;
- fuel transactions;
- delivery records; and
- other time-stamped information.
Distracted Truck Driving
Potential distractions can include:
- cellphones;
- messages;
- navigation devices;
- dispatch equipment;
- paperwork;
- food; and
- other activities.
Legally obtainable electronic evidence may help determine whether distraction contributed to the collision.
Truck Maintenance and Mechanical Failure
Potential mechanical problems can involve:
- brakes;
- tires;
- steering;
- lighting;
- suspension; and
- coupling equipment.
When mechanical failure is suspected, preservation and inspection of the vehicle can become important.
Logging and Forestry Truck Accidents
Commercial forestry operations may involve log trucks, trailers, equipment-hauling vehicles, and work pickups.
Potential issues can include:
- cargo securement;
- loading;
- truck and trailer condition;
- driver fatigue;
- visibility;
- braking;
- vehicle ownership; and
- company responsibility.
Agricultural Vehicle Accidents
Passenger vehicles may share roadways with tractors, farm equipment, trailers, and other slower-moving vehicles.
Potential evidence may include:
- lighting;
- reflective markings;
- vehicle visibility;
- roadway position;
- vehicle condition;
- speed; and
- driver conduct.
Who Can Be Responsible for a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
Potential defendants can include:
- driver;
- employer;
- motor carrier;
- vehicle owner;
- trailer owner;
- maintenance provider;
- cargo-loading business; and
- another negligent entity.
Each party's actual role must be established.
Company Vehicle Accidents
Potential company vehicles include:
- work pickups;
- contractor trucks;
- delivery vehicles;
- service vans;
- utility vehicles; and
- equipment-hauling vehicles.
Important questions can include who employed the driver, who owned the vehicle, what the driver was doing, who maintained the vehicle, and what insurance applies.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcyclists can suffer serious injuries when another driver fails to yield, turns across their path, passes unsafely, changes lanes improperly, follows too closely, or drives distracted.
Catastrophic Injury Claims
Potential catastrophic injuries include:
- traumatic brain injury;
- spinal cord injury;
- paralysis;
- amputations;
- severe burns;
- crush injuries;
- multiple fractures;
- internal organ damage; and
- permanent neurological impairment.
Medical Evidence and Causation
Potential evidence may include:
- ambulance records;
- emergency treatment;
- diagnostic imaging;
- specialist evaluations;
- surgical records;
- rehabilitation;
- physician opinions;
- medical restrictions; and
- relevant prior medical records.
Future Medical Care
Potential future needs can include surgery, rehabilitation, therapy, medication, injections, prosthetics, medical equipment, attendant care, and home modifications.
Lost Wages and Diminished Earning Capacity
A serious injury may prevent someone from returning to the same job or performing physically demanding work.
Potential evidence can include:
- payroll records;
- tax documents;
- employment history;
- medical restrictions;
- vocational evidence; and
- economic analysis.
What Compensation May Be Available?
Depending on Louisiana law and the evidence, potential damages may include:
- past medical expenses;
- future medical expenses;
- rehabilitation;
- lost wages;
- diminished earning capacity;
- property damage;
- physical pain;
- mental anguish;
- disability;
- loss of enjoyment of life; and
- other legally recoverable damages.
Louisiana's 51% Comparative Fault Rule
For claims governed by Louisiana Civil Code Article 2323 as amended effective January 1, 2026, a claimant found 51% or more negligent cannot recover damages.
When claimant negligence is below 51%, damages are reduced according to the assigned percentage.
Louisiana's General Two-Year Filing Period
Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.1 generally provides a two-year prescriptive period for delictual actions beginning when injury or damage is sustained.
The legislation establishing the period became effective July 1, 2024.
Older accidents and specialized claims may involve different deadlines.
Preserve Evidence Early
Potential evidence can disappear long before the legal filing deadline.
Important evidence may include:
- roadway photographs;
- dashcam footage;
- electronic trucking data;
- vehicle condition;
- cargo information;
- maintenance documents; and
- witness recollections.
Wrongful Death in Bastrop
Fatal car, truck, logging-vehicle, agricultural-vehicle, motorcycle, and rural-highway accidents may potentially create survival and wrongful-death actions under Louisiana law.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have after a Bastrop accident?
Louisiana's current general rule provides two years for delictual actions. Accident dates and specialized claims may affect the deadline.
What if a logging truck caused my accident?
The investigation may involve the driver, motor carrier, logging company, truck owner, trailer owner, cargo loader, maintenance provider, and other businesses.
What if farm equipment caused the collision?
Lighting, visibility, reflective markings, roadway position, vehicle condition, driver conduct, ownership, and insurance may become relevant.
What if my accident happened on a rural road?
Photographs, roadway evidence, witnesses, vehicle damage, electronic information, and reconstruction can become especially important.
Can I recover if I was partially responsible?
For claims governed by current Article 2323, claimant negligence below 51% may reduce damages without necessarily barring recovery.
What if I cannot return to physical work?
Diminished earning capacity may potentially be recoverable when supported by appropriate medical, employment, vocational, and economic evidence.
Contact a Bastrop Personal Injury Lawyer
If you were seriously injured in Bastrop or elsewhere in Morehouse Parish, contact:
Jacqueline Scott & Associates
(318) 746-5997
Make ’Em Pay.
Every case is different. Results depend on the specific facts and circumstances of each individual matter. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This article provides general educational information and is not legal advice.
This article is general information about Louisiana law and is not legal advice. Laws and deadlines can change, and every case depends on its own facts. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.
