If your car breaks down or is disabled through a traffic collision, the last thing you likely expect is for a responding tow truck driver to cause yet another accident instead of helping you get your vehicle to a service station. Nevertheless, tow truck drivers can be negligent behind the wheel just like any other driver can, and that negligence can sometimes lead to severe injuries with long-lasting repercussions.
Personal injury lawsuits over tow truck accidents in Baton Rouge work similarly to other types of truck accident litigation in some ways and very differently in others. If you want to get through your unique case as efficiently as possible and achieve the best resolution from it, you should seek the help of a seasoned truck accident attorney from Tomeny | Best who will treat you like family and fight tenaciously to get you the compensation you deserve.
Possible Grounds for a Tow Truck Injury Lawsuit
Whether a personal injury stems from an auto accident, mishandling of heavy machinery, or any other dangerous situation, any ensuing lawsuit or settlement demand over that injury will likely be built around the legal theory of negligence. Someone is negligent and financially liable for damages if they directly cause another person to sustain an otherwise avoidable injury by doing something reckless, careless, or illegal in violation of a duty of care they owed to that person.
Tow truck drivers in Baton Rouge can violate the duty of care all drivers have to act lawfully and responsibly when driving on public roads by breaking a traffic law, driving while drunk or distracted, or otherwise acting irresponsibly in a way that directly leads to a traffic accident. However, tow truck operators can also act negligently while loading or unloading disabled vehicles onto their trucks, so something like a vehicle falling off a tow truck and striking someone nearby could also potentially serve as grounds for litigation.
Recovering for Both Special and General Damages
Regardless of the exact circumstances leading up to an accident in Baton Rouge involving a tow truck, any person found civilly liable for injuries caused by that wreck can be made to pay financially for every negative impact that incident has on the person injured through it. This can include both special damages with objective financial values like medical bills and lost work income and general damages with subjective financial values like physical pain and psychological distress.
It is also important to note that you can seek compensation for damages that are reasonably expected to occur in the months, years, or even decades following the accident. This includes future medical expenses, ongoing treatment, or long-term impacts that may arise even after the legal process is complete. Representation from skilled legal counsel can be especially important to identifying, accurately valuing, and proactively demanding compensation for future medical expenses, lost working and earning capacity, lost enjoyment of life, and similar long-term damages.
Contact a Baton Rouge Attorney for Help With a Tow Truck Accident Claim
Like anyone else operating a commercial vehicle on public roads, tow truck operators have a legal responsibility to be careful and considerate to minimize their risk of accidentally injuring someone around them. Any tow truck driver who fails to live up to this duty of care may be civilly liable for ensuing damages—if, that is, you as the injured person understand and can effectively enforce your rights under Louisiana civil law.
You have help available from a knowledgeable truck accident lawyer with obtaining the financial compensation you need following a tow truck accident in Baton Rouge. Call today to set up a free consultation.
