Given how many drilling platforms are just offshore of the Bayou State and how many refineries are on land here, tanker trucks are far from an uncommon sight in the Baton Rouge area. However, because these massive machines are both bigger than almost every other vehicle on the road and often loaded full of extremely hazardous materials, they can also be one of the most dangerous things you can encounter on a public Louisiana road. This is especially true if they are operated by someone inexperienced, untrained, or irresponsible behind the wheel.
Tanker truck accidents in Baton Rouge can cause severe injuries and losses even compared to other types of commercial truck crashes, which also makes them difficult to seek fair civil recovery for. Fortunately, you have help available from the knowledgeable truck accident lawyers at Tomeny | Best with understanding and effectively enforcing your rights after being harmed through an incident like this.
Seeking Compensation for Short-Term and Long-Term Losses
Money alone cannot make up entirely for every physical, financial, and psychological form of harm a traffic accident in Baton Rouge involving a tanker truck can cause, especially if the wreck leads to the truck’s cargo igniting and possibly exploding. What civil restitution can do in this kind of situation, though, is minimize the extent to which the accident’s lingering effects negatively impact the lives of the people injured through that accident and maximize their long-term quality of life at the same time.
A comprehensive lawsuit or settlement demand over a traffic collision caused by a negligent tanker truck driver can incorporate both special damages with objective financial values and general damages with subjective financial values, specifically including but not strictly limited to things like:
- Medical bills, including expected future costs of rehabilitative treatment and assistive equipment
- Lost work income, benefits, and/or earning ability
- Expenses related to personal property damage, including car repair/replacement costs
- Disability-related costs for things like home/vehicle modifications
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional trauma and distress
- Lost overall enjoyment of life
Working closely with a qualified truck accident attorney can be key to identifying, fairly assessing the value of, and proactively demanding compensation for all damages stemming from a specific wreck.
Navigating Around Legal and Procedural Roadblocks
Legal counsel can also help ensure that a civil claim based around a tanker truck wreck in Baton Rouge does not get sidetracked by the quirks of Louisiana state law along the way. For example, a skilled lawyer can help ensure that an injured person can file the strongest possible claim within the deadline set by the statute of limitations, which is usually two years past the date on which the accident actually happened if after July 1, 2024.
Furthermore, legal representation can be crucial to fighting allegations of comparative fault made against an injured person—in other words, accusations that the plaintiff was partially at fault for causing their own injuries through their own negligence. Failing to proactively contest claims along these lines could lead to a court proportionately reducing the total amount of money available through a successful case result in accordance with Louisiana Civil Code §2323.
Talk to a Baton Rouge Attorney About a Tanker Truck Accident Lawsuit
The oil and gas industry plays a central and vital role in the Louisiana state economy and in the United States economy as a whole, and tanker trucks are likewise crucial to keeping that industry running smoothly. That said, the fact that tanker trucks are important does not mean their operators are not liable for their own actions while driving this type of vehicle, especially if their negligent driving leads to someone else suffering a serious injury.
You have support available after a tanker truck accident in Baton Rouge from the experienced legal team at Tomeny | Best. Call today to schedule a free consultation.
