All the rules of the road that apply to passenger car drivers in Louisiana apply equally to people driving massive commercial vehicles like tractor-trailers, including the rules regarding when and how to safely change lanes. If a truck driver causes a collision by failing to follow this particular rule, they—and potentially their employer as well—may be civilly liable for all injuries and losses caused by that crash.
As any experienced legal professional can tell you, successfully filing suit over truck accidents caused by unsafe lane changes in Prairieville can be trickier in practice than it might seem on paper. If you want a fair shot at getting a favorable result from this sort of claim, you should make it a priority to contact and retain a skilled truck accident lawyer from Tomeny | Best as early as possible in the case process.
What Qualifies as an Unsafe Lane Change?
Under Louisiana state law, all drivers who intend to change lanes on a multi-lane road must indicate that intention by turning on the appropriate turn signal at least 100 feet before the place where they start merging, and keep their signal on until they have merged completely into their intended lane. Drivers must also use their turn signals in the same way when merging onto a highway from an entrance ramp and when merging off a highway and onto an exit ramp.
Anyone who violates these rules has breached the duty all drivers have to act lawfully and responsibly behind the wheel at all times. Any such breach that directly causes an otherwise preventable crash qualifies as legally actionable negligence. Proving negligence in this way through a preponderance of evidence is one of many things a seasoned legal representative can help with following an unsafe lane change truck accident in Prairieville.
Holding a Trucking Company Liable for a Lane Change Wreck
Of course, the person primarily at fault for injuries caused by a trucker’s unsafe lane change is the trucker who actually committed that traffic violation and was directly involved in the ensuing wreck. In terms of civil liability for truck crashes caused by unsafe lane changes in Prairieville, though, it is often possible to name a negligent trucker’s employer as a co-defendant in this type of civil claim.
In brief, this is possible because of a legal principle called respondeat superior, which allows employers to be held vicariously liable for the negligence of one of their employees under certain circumstances. Taking advantage of this principle can be key to recovering comprehensively for long-term damages like future medical bills, lost earning capacity, and physical pain and suffering, since individual truck drivers rarely have enough insurance coverage or personal assets to cover those kinds of losses all on their own.
A Prairieville Attorney Can Help After a Truck Accident Caused by an Unsafe Lane Change
Because tractor-trailers are so much longer than the typical motor vehicle, it is particularly important for truck drivers to signal before switching lanes and to make absolutely sure an adjacent lane is clear before trying to merge into it. As you may have unfortunately learned, though, not every truck driver is as responsible in this regard as they should be, and that sometimes leads to collisions with devastating repercussions for everyone involved.
Help is available in the wake of a truck accident caused by an unsafe lane change in Prairieville from the capable and compassionate truck accident attorneys at Tomeny | Best. Call today for a free consultation.
