Shreveport Truck Accident Lawyer

Trusted Truck Accident Attorney in Shreveport, LA

A truck accident can change your life forever. You may suddenly face a long and painful recovery, have little or no income, and the life you had may seem like a distant memory. Working with a Shreveport truck accident lawyer to seek compensation for your injuries can help you overcome these hurdles.

At Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates, in Shreveport, we help victims of tractor trailer accidents and their families rebuild their lives. We are compassionate counselors who care about our clients and their families. We are also strong advocates with a record of success in truck accident, car accident and other personal injury cases. When tragedy strikes on the road, a Shreveport Truck Accident Lawyer can help you recover what you’ve lost.

Commercial Truck Accidents Are Different From Regular Car Crashes

In 2024, 120,724 large trucks were in accidents that resulted in an injury, and 5,218 of those accidents resulted in a fatality. Truck accident cases require a different legal approach from ordinary car crashes for several reasons:

• FMCSA regulations. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has strict regulations in place governing things like hours of service, the weight limits for trucks, how maintenance logs are kept, and how frequently companies must drug test their employees. Violations of these regulations may provide proof of negligence per se.
• Multiple liable parties. In car accidents, the negligent driver is usually held liable for paying for damages. In truck accidents, additional parties may hold partial liability, including trucking companies, truck manufacturers, mechanics, and cargo loaders. Your Shreveport truck accident attorney can help you determine who is at fault for the accident so you know who to file an action against.
• Commercial insurance policies. Commercial trucking companies must carry more significant minimum liability coverage than regular passenger car owners. Minimum liability coverage starts at $750,000 and can reach up to $5 million for trucks carrying hazardous cargo. Accident victims need to hire a truck accident lawyer right away. Insurers assign defense teams immediately following crashes to minimize settlements.
• ELD data. Commercial trucks are outfitted with Electronic Logging Devices, or ELDs. They are similar to airplane black boxes in that they record all of the crucial information required to explain how crashes happen. Trucking companies destroy this data after a short window, despite the fact that it’s legally required to be preserved, so you should act fast to hire a lawyer who can obtain ELD data.
• Fatalities.5,340 people died in truck accidents in 2024. Of those, seventeen percent were truck occupants, and 62% were in a car or other motor vehicle. If your loved one was killed in a truck crash, our team can help you file a wrongful death action.

If you’ve been in an accident involving a large commercial vehicle, you need to work with a lawyer who understands the nuances of truck accident laws and FMCSA regulations. The team here at Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates has extensive experience working with clients who were injured in truck accidents and helping them get the compensation they deserve in Premises Liability cases.

Common FMCSA Violations in Shreveport-Area Truck Accidents

Shreveport is home to many major commercial routes, including I-20, I-49, and US-71. The truckers who take these routes, and the companies that employ them, often violate FMCSA regulations in these ways:

• Hours of service violations. Truckers are legally limited to 11 hours of driving time per 14-hour duty window. Hours of service violations are common, as is log falsification, which can lead to driver fatigue. Fatigued drivers are acting negligently and may be held liable for any accidents they cause.
• Overweight loads. There are two checkpoints in the Shreveport area. One is located on Highway 80, and the other can be found on I-20. Despite this fact, overweight trucks still routinely travel the area’s highways and interstates, causing unnecessary road damage and increasing the chances of an accident due to the greater stopping distances they require.
• Inadequate vehicle maintenance. Brake failures and tire blowouts are two of the most common results of inadequate vehicle maintenance. The FMCSA requires trucking companies to maintain regular inspection logs, but not all of them follow these regulations. If inadequate maintenance contributed to your crash, you may be able to hold the trucking company, the fleet maintenance company, or the responsible mechanic liable.
• Improper cargo securement. Shifting loads can lead to accidents, including severe rollover accidents, and falling loads on I-49 can become a direct cause of multi-vehicle pileups. If improper cargo securement was a contributing factor in your accident, your lawyer can help you collect the evidence required to hold the cargo loaders responsible for the role they played in causing it.
• Unlicensed or undertrained drivers. All trucker operators are required to have commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and adequate training. However, trucking companies may not provide their drivers with sufficient training, which can lead to accidents. Even if the truck driver who caused your accident had a CDL, the trucking company can be held partially liable if they were not provided with adequate training.

Jacqueline Scott can subpoena driver logs, maintenance records, and ELD data to provide you with the evidence you need to prove your truck accident case.

Claims Against the Trucking Company Itself

Our Shreveport truck accident attorney could pursue a trucking company by utilizing several liability theories. Under La. C.C. art. 2320, vicarious liability could apply when a driver causes a crash while acting within the scope of employment.

Federal law also recognizes certain independent contractors as employees when they’re operating commercial motor vehicles under 49 C.F.R. § 390.5. That means that calling a driver an independent contractor doesn’t automatically end a truck accident claim.

A carrier could also face direct negligence claims involving:

• Negligent hiring or retention
• Negligent training or supervision
• Negligent entrustment
• Negligent maintenance

These claims require company records, including driver qualifications, safety history, training materials, policies, and maintenance records in order to establish the evidence needed. Examining each theory separately can help establish how the carrier contributed to the crash under the applicable truck accident laws.

The Carrier Records That Can Support a Truck Accident Claim

Unfortunately, the trucking records that could be important in your case won’t always be available. This is because federal regulations establish different retention periods depending on the type of record, including:

• Duty-status records and supporting documents are generally retained for six months under 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k)(1).
• Driver vehicle inspection reports and repair certifications are kept for three months under 49 C.F.R. § 396.11(a)(4).
• Inspection and maintenance records are generally kept for one year under 49 C.F.R. § 396.3(c).
• Driver qualification files are retained through the driver’s employment and for three years afterward under 49 C.F.R. § 391.51(c).
• Positive drug-test records are generally kept for five years under 49 C.F.R. § 382.401(b), and negative drug-test results are generally retained for one year.

Those deadlines make early evidence preservation important. Our Shreveport truck accident attorney can send a preservation letter as soon as you reach out so that we can obtain the evidence you need.

Claims Involving Brokers and Shippers

A truck accident claim could also involve a broker, shipper, or another company when its own conduct contributed to the collision. Not every broker or shipper is responsible for an accident, but the circumstances could justify investigating its role. Evidence can help determine:

• Who selected or hired the carrier
• What safety requirements were communicated
• Who controlled loading operations
• Whether cargo was loaded or secured properly
• Whether accurate information about the cargo was provided
• What responsibilities were assigned under the contracts

Relevant records can include carrier agreements, dispatch communications, bills of lading, loading documents, and other business records. Reviewing those materials can help determine whether additional parties may have responsibility under applicable truck accident laws.

Layered Commercial Insurance Coverage

Commercial trucking accidents can involve more than one insurance policy. Depending on the company’s structure and the equipment involved, potential coverage could come from the motor carrier, a leased vehicle arrangement, a trailer owner, or another commercial entity.

Identifying the potentially applicable policies early can affect how a truck accident claim is evaluated. Our Shreveport truck accident attorney can review available information concerning:

• Policy limits
• Additional insureds
• Named insureds
• Leased equipment
• Ownership of the truck or trailer
• Contractual relationships between the companies

Understanding who was insured, who owned the equipment, and who was responsible for different aspects of the operation can help clarify the available sources of coverage.

Filing Deadline and Fault Rule

Louisiana generally allows two years from the date of the accident within which to file a claim under La. C.C. art. 3493.1. In addition, Louisiana’s comparative-fault rule can bar recovery when the injured person is 51% or more at fault. If the injured person is 50% or less at fault, then their compensation is reduced by the percentage of blame assigned to them.

Our team can evaluate deadlines, preserve evidence, and determine how truck accident laws could affect your truck accident claim.

What to Do if a Commercial Truck Hits You in Shreveport

There are several steps you need to take immediately after an accident involving a large commercial vehicle if you want to both protect your health and preserve your right to file a delictual action against the trucking company. You should:

1. Call 911. You’ll need a copy of the police report generated by this call, which should include the commercial carrier’s DOT number and insurance information.
2. Take photographs. Get photos of the truck’s DOT number, trailer number, and license plate before it leaves the scene. You can also photograph the accident scene itself, including any vehicles involved and the surrounding road conditions and street signs.
3. Seek medical care immediately. Head to Willis-Knighton or Ochsner LSU Health to seek an immediate medical evaluation, even if you’re not sure you’ve sustained serious injuries. Internal injuries are common in high-impact collisions, and they don’t always show immediate symptoms.
4. Avoid insurance adjusters. Don’t speak to the trucking company’s insurance adjuster before consulting an experienced truck accident attorney. Remember that they work for the trucking company. They are not on your side.
5. Contact Jacqueline A. Scott & Associates. Reach out to our team as soon as you are medically stabilized. You can benefit from hiring a lawyer before the trucking company’s attorneys begin their investigation. Evidence preservation must start immediately, and we want to hear from you while the memories of the crash are still fresh in your mind.

If you’ve been in a truck accident, contact our team to schedule a consultation right away.

Getting The Medical Treatment You Need

At Jacqueline Scott & Associates, we are dedicated to providing aggressive legal representation for victims of severe brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and devastating car wrecks. Our highest priority is verifying that you receive the medical treatment and rehabilitation services necessary for your recovery.

Over the years, we have built a trusted network of medical specialists, including head and neck injury practitioners, orthopedic surgeons, chiropractors, and other healthcare providers. These professionals not only help identify the care and treatment you need but also provide compelling testimony to support your case. This experience can be especially valuable in Product Liability, Defective Drug, and Defective Medical Device claims.

In addition to securing the right medical care, we conduct a thorough investigation, analyzing how it happened, determining fault, and assessing the full extent of your losses, pain, and suffering. Our approach can also help when pursuing claims involving Medical Malpractice, Nursing Home Neglect & Abuse, or Wrongful & Missed Diagnosis.

Attorney Jacqueline Scott is committed to building a strong, evidence-backed case to verify that you receive fair compensation. Whether you are facing long-term disability, financial hardships, or emotional distress, our firm is dedicated to advocating for you.

Helping You Rebuild Your Life

At Jacqueline Scott & Associates, our mission is to help you rebuild your life—medically, financially, and emotionally. With a focus on catastrophic injury actions, we are committed to securing the medical treatment and rehabilitation services necessary for your full recovery. We can make sure you receive the care you deserve and help you recover to the fullest extent possible.

Hire an Honest Truck Accident Lawyer in Shreveport Today

At Jacqueline Scott & Associates, our mission is to help you rebuild your life. With a focus on catastrophic injury actions, we’re committed to securing the medical treatment and rehabilitation services necessary for your recovery.

Whether your injury was caused by an 18-wheeler accident, a tanker truck collision, a local delivery van, or any other commercial vehicle, we handle complex cases involving serious injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and more.

Attorney Jacqueline Scott can stand by you throughout the entire legal process, from investigating the accident to securing fair compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and emotional distress.

Your future is our priority, and our proven track record in personal injury law means your case is handled with the utmost care and dedication.*

We serve clients in the greater Shreveport/Bossier City area and across Northwest Louisiana. Contact us to schedule an initial consultation today.

*Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and must be evaluated on its own merits.

Shreveport, LA Truck Accident Resources

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• The three biggest mistakes you can make in a truck accident case
• How truck drivers cause truck accidents
• Consider this before accepting a truck crash settlement