On this page
- What Is a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
- What Should I Do If a Company Vehicle Hit Me in Louisiana?
- Who Can Be Responsible for a Commercial Vehicle Wreck?
- Does the Company’s Insurance Cover the Accident?
- What If I Wasn’t at Fault?
- Serious Injuries Can Change the Value and Complexity of a Claim
- How Jacqueline Scott & Associates Investigates Commercial Vehicle Accidents
- Hit by a Commercial Vehicle in Louisiana?
For someone who was not at fault, identifying every potentially responsible party and every source of available insurance coverage can be an important part of pursuing compensation after a serious commercial vehicle accident.
Jacqueline Scott & Associates represents injured people in Louisiana and investigates commercial vehicle accidents to determine how the crash occurred, who may be responsible, and what insurance coverage may apply.
What Is a Commercial Vehicle Accident?
A commercial vehicle accident generally involves a vehicle being used for business or work-related purposes.
Commercial vehicles can include:
- 18-wheelers and tractor-trailers
- Company pickup trucks
- Delivery trucks and vans
- Fleet vehicles
- Construction vehicles
- Utility trucks
- Box trucks
- Dump trucks
- Service vehicles
- Company cars
- Work vans
- Commercial buses
A vehicle does not necessarily have to be an 18-wheeler to create a commercial accident claim.
A plumber driving a company van, an employee driving a company pickup, a delivery driver making deliveries, or a construction worker operating a company truck could potentially be involved in a commercial vehicle claim.
What Should I Do If a Company Vehicle Hit Me in Louisiana?
If a company vehicle caused your accident, your first priority should be your health and safety. Seek appropriate medical attention and report the accident to law enforcement.
When possible, preserve information about the commercial vehicle.
Photograph the company name or logo, vehicle markings, license plate, DOT numbers if present, damage to the vehicles, roadway, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, and your injuries.
You should also obtain contact information from witnesses.
Commercial cases can involve evidence that an ordinary driver may never think to request. Depending on the type of vehicle and business involved, evidence could include electronic vehicle information, GPS records, driver logs, maintenance records, employment information, dispatch records, safety records, video footage, and company communications.
Preserving evidence early can become important.
Who Can Be Responsible for a Commercial Vehicle Wreck?
One of the biggest differences between a commercial accident and an ordinary passenger-car collision is the possibility of multiple responsible parties.
The commercial driver may be responsible for negligent driving.
However, the investigation should not necessarily end with the driver.
Depending on the facts, potentially responsible parties could include:
- The driver’s employer
- A trucking company
- The commercial vehicle owner
- A company that hired or contracted with the driver
- A maintenance provider
- Another business involved in the vehicle’s operation
- Other negligent drivers
The relationships between these parties can be complicated.
An attorney investigating a commercial wreck may need to determine who employed the driver, who controlled the work, who owned the vehicle, why the vehicle was being operated, and what the driver was doing immediately before the collision.
Does the Company’s Insurance Cover the Accident?
Commercial vehicles are often insured differently from ordinary passenger vehicles.
The existence and amount of coverage depend on the particular vehicle, company, policy, and circumstances.
There may also be situations involving more than one potentially applicable insurance policy.
That is why an investigation should not automatically stop after obtaining the insurance information handed over at the accident scene.
The identity of the employer, vehicle owner, contracting businesses, and other involved companies may affect the insurance investigation.
For someone suffering serious injuries, identifying potentially available coverage can be especially important.
What If I Wasn’t at Fault?
If another driver caused your accident, evidence establishing how the collision happened can become extremely important.
Evidence may include:
- Police reports
- Witness statements
- Photographs
- Surveillance footage
- Dash-camera footage
- Vehicle data
- Commercial records
- Driver records
- Electronic logging information
- Cellphone evidence where legally obtainable
- Accident reconstruction evidence
Commercial defendants and insurance companies may conduct their own investigations quickly after a serious collision.
An injured person should consider protecting evidence on their side as well.
Serious Injuries Can Change the Value and Complexity of a Claim
Commercial vehicles can be larger and heavier than passenger vehicles, and some collisions result in significant injuries.
Serious injuries may include traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, fractures, internal injuries, nerve damage, permanent impairment, or injuries requiring surgery.
A serious injury claim may involve more than the medical bills already incurred.
Depending on the facts and applicable law, damages could potentially involve future medical treatment, lost income, diminished earning capacity, pain and suffering, disability, and other losses.
Understanding the long-term impact of an injury before resolving a claim can be important.
How Jacqueline Scott & Associates Investigates Commercial Vehicle Accidents
A commercial vehicle case requires looking beyond the damage to the cars.
The investigation may involve determining:
- Who caused the collision?
- Who owned the commercial vehicle?
- Who employed the driver?
- Was the driver working when the accident occurred?
- Were other companies involved?
- Was the vehicle properly maintained?
- What evidence exists?
- What insurance policies potentially apply?
- How serious are the injuries?
- What future losses may result from the accident?
The answers can affect how a claim is pursued.
Hit by a Commercial Vehicle in Louisiana?
If you were seriously injured by an 18-wheeler, company truck, delivery vehicle, fleet vehicle, work van, or other commercial vehicle and believe the other driver caused the accident, Jacqueline Scott & Associates can evaluate the circumstances of your case.
Commercial wrecks can involve companies, employers, corporate defendants, and insurance issues that are not present in a typical passenger-vehicle claim.
The sooner the circumstances are investigated, the sooner potentially important evidence and responsible parties can be identified.
Contact Jacqueline Scott & Associates to discuss your Louisiana commercial vehicle accident.
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 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.
