Iberville Parish is located along popular trucking routes, with major highways connecting Baton Rouge to other large cities. Due to the traffic and vehicles that travel along these routes, jackknife commercial vehicle wrecks and other collisions are a common risk. They can cause significant harm to those involved in one.
When you or a loved one were injured in a jackknife truck accident in Iberville Parish, you deserve to have an experienced legal advocate on your side. The knowledgeable 18-wheeler collision attorneys at Tomeny | Best could help you seek just compensation for your injuries. We could use our years of litigation experience to help you obtain damages for your injuries and guide you through the legal process.
What Are Jackknife Truck Accidents?
A jackknife semi-truck collision occurs when the truck’s head shifts to the left or right, but the trailer does not follow. Instead, it continues forward and causes the truck to fold at an angle resembling a partially opened pocketknife. The danger of jackknife truck accidents is that the driver has little control over the vehicle, placing it at risk of colliding with other vehicles or toppling over and causing injury to people in Iberville Parish.
Some circumstances that could contribute to the cause of a jackknife truck accident may include:
- Speeding
- Sharp turns
- Mechanical failures
- Poorly loaded cargo
- Hazardous weather conditions
Additionally, a jackknife accident could happen because the driver loses control of the truck. Driving a truck while tired, distracted, or intoxicated are all factors that could increase the risk of a jackknife truck accident.
Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit for Damages
In Iberville Parish, a person injured in a jackknife commercial vehicle accident may have a claim for damages against the responsible party. This could be a negligent truck driver, their employer, a truck manufacturer, or another party whose misconduct caused the collision. The attorneys at Tomeny | Best could use their resources and experience to review the events leading up to the wreck and determine who may be liable for damages.
Resources that may be relevant in this process include a truck’s black box data, traffic camera footage, police reports, and other witness testimony. Using this information, our team could file a lawsuit to assert the legal basis for the liability and the amount of damages requested. If a person was injured in an accident after July 1, 2024, they have two years from the date of the accident, per the statute of limitations in Louisiana to bring a personal injury lawsuit. If it happened before this time, a person only has one year to file a claim for damages.
What Happens if Multiple Parties Have Fault?
Depending on the circumstances of the collision, multiple parties can be found at fault. Louisiana’s comparative fault rule applies when the injured party is found negligent in the collision. The rule reduces the damages an injured person could recover against others in proportion to their percentage of fault for the accident. If an injured person holds 30 percent of the fault for the collision, they may only recover 70 percent of their awarded damages at trial.
Contact an Iberville Parish Attorney for Help With Your Jackknife Truck Accident Claim Today
Compensation may be available to you or a loved one who sustained harm from a jackknife truck accident in Iberville Parish. Let our well-versed lawyers at Tomeny | Best use their experience to pursue justice for you and your family.
Call our firm today to schedule a free consultation. We would be happy to discuss your legal options further and evaluate your potential case at your convenience.