A truck accident is a collision involving a large commercial vehicle, the kind of heavy rig built to haul freight rather than an ordinary passenger car or pickup. The distinction matters from the first phone call. A wreck with a tractor-trailer often pulls in a corporate owner, a commercial insurer, and several other companies, none of which appear in a routine two-car fender bender.
This section covers crashes with commercial trucks in Louisiana and Texas, which involve different rules, insurers and evidence than a crash between two cars. The causes pages cover fatigue, defective parts and the failures behind truck crashes. The fault pages explain who can be responsible beyond the driver. The insurance pages cover each state’s coverage requirements, the process pages walk through the claim, and the types pages cover the trucks, highways and weight classes involved.
causes1 page
Fatigue, defective parts and the other failures behind commercial truck crashes.
fault1 page
Who can be responsible beyond the driver: carriers, owners, loaders and maintenance contractors.
insurance1 page
Louisiana and Texas coverage requirements for commercial trucks.
process2 pages
What to do after a truck crash, how the claim moves, and how long a truck case takes.
How Long Does a Truck Accident Lawsuit Take?
Learn about the factors affecting a truck accident lawsuit timeline, from filing to settlement or trial, and what to expect at each stage.What Is the Truck Accident Claims Process?
Get medical care first, preserve what the scene can tell you, and say as little as possible about who caused the wreck. A passenger vehicle stands no chance against the weight and force of a loaded tractor-trailer, so injuries are often serious and not always obvious in the moment.
types4 pages
The trucks, highways and weight classes involved, and answers to common 18-wheeler questions.
Frequently Asked Questions on 18-Wheeler Accidents on I-12
Interstate 12 spans over 85 miles connecting Baton Rouge with I-10 and I-59 in Slidell. As one of the main thoroughfares in Louisiana, this highway helps commuters and visitors alike traverse the Bayou State. Unfortunately, many accidents occur on this road, with car accidents, bus accidents, motorcycle accidents, and truck accidents occurring regularly. In particular, 18-wheeler accidents can be […]Frequently Asked Questions on 18-Wheeler Accidents on I-49
Interstate 49 is the main north-south highway in Louisiana. As such, it sees a high volume of 18-wheelers making their way through the state to facilitate commerce, which can make driving on I-49 more dangerous than on other Louisiana roads. Here are answers to frequently asked questions about 18-wheeler accidents on I-49. How Many 18-wheeler […]The Most Dangerous Highways for Truck Accidents in Louisiana and Texas
Texas leads the nation in truck accidents, recording 38,909 truck crashes and 620 fatalities in 2023, about a quarter of all U.S. truck crashes. Louisiana recorded 3,785 truck accidents the same year, with roughly a third occurring on interstates. Heavy freight traffic, congestion, speeding, and driver fatigue make corridors in both states particularly hazardous for truck collisions.Types of Commercial Truck Accidents: Definitions, Causes, and Liability Factors
Most truck crashes fall into a recognizable set of patterns: jackknifes, rollovers, underride and override collisions, rear-end and head-on impacts, T-bone angle strikes, sideswipes, blind-spot collisions, wide-turn squeeze plays, lost-load spills, and tire or mechanical failures. Each type has its own physics, its own typical cause, and its own evidence trail.
general33 pages
3 Surprising Causes of Truck Accidents Revealed
This page describes three less-obvious causes of truck accidents. Tire blowouts can cause sudden loss of control and send heavy tire fragments (often 50-100 pounds) flying into traffic. High winds can knock over trailers because of their large surface area, leading many drivers to stay off roads above 60 mph. The article frames these alongside more common causes like rear-endings and poor merging, and suggests increasing following distance near trucks.7 Safety Tips: Driving with Commercial Trucks
This page offers safety tips for driving near commercial trucks and 18-wheelers, which carry unique risks due to their size and weight. It explains the truck's "no zones" or blind spots, which extend to the front, rear, and both sides and are far larger than a car's, advising drivers to stay where they can see the trucker or the truck's mirrors. It also covers leaving plenty of space around tractor-trailers.Are Truck Drivers Overworked?
Rising shipping demand and an ongoing driver shortage are pushing truck drivers toward longer hours. Federal Hours of Service rules cap driving at 11 hours after a 10-hour break, 14 worked hours in a 24-hour period, and 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8. Pressure to exceed those limits leads to fatigue at the wheel.Big Trucks on I-20 are Breaking the Law
Since December 2023, Louisiana Revised Statute 32:237 has banned 18-wheelers from the I-20 construction zone through Shreveport and Bossier, where narrow lanes raise the risk of scrapes and multi-car crashes. Despite digital signage, many truckers ignore the detour; police issued more than 300 tickets in early 2024. This page explains the ban and why violations endanger nearby drivers.Blind Spots on a Commercial Vehicle
Learn about the blind spots on large commercial vehicles like trucks and 18-wheelers.Driving an 18-Wheeler: Safety Tips and Legal Insights
18-wheeler crashes are often catastrophic, especially in collisions with smaller vehicles. This page reviews common causes, including poor vehicle maintenance, improper cargo securement, overloading, and driver fatigue, and explains FMCSA standards such as cargo-securement rules and Hours of Service limits. It offers safety practices and a basic overview of legal rights for those involved in a truck accident.How Is Liability Determined in a Delivery Truck Accident?
Liability in a delivery truck accident turns on who breached a duty of care and whether the driver was acting within the scope of employment. Fault can fall on the driver, the delivery company, the truck's owner, or a third party. The driver's status — employee versus independent contractor — often decides whether the company can be held responsible.How Many Hours Can a Truck Driver Work?
Learn about the rules and regulations regarding how many hours a truck driver can drive or work for.How Much Longer Do Commercial Vehicles Take to Stop?
Learn how factors like weight, speed, and road conditions affect the stopping distance of large vehicles. Stay safe on the road!How to Pass a Semi-Truck
Passing a semi-truck is riskier than it looks because trucks have large blind spots, known as the no-zone, where the driver cannot see nearby vehicles. This page explains those visibility limits, including blind areas in front of the cab, behind the trailer, and along the passenger side, and outlines safe passing technique so drivers can overtake without putting themselves at risk.Lift Truck Accidents: Most Common Type and How to Prevent It
Forklift rollovers are the most common type of lift truck accident; OSHA attributes about 25% of forklift accidents to overturns. Other frequent types include pedestrian impacts, falling loads, tip-overs, dock accidents, and collisions with fixed objects. Most are preventable through operator training and certification, load-capacity compliance, maintained travel surfaces, pedestrian separation, and dock communication procedures.SCOTUS: Freight Brokers Can Be Sued for Picking Unsafe Trucking Companies
On May 14, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II that the FAAAA's safety exception (49 U.S.C. 14501(c)(2)(A)) preserves state negligent-hiring claims against freight brokers, ending a common preemption defense. A broker that arranged a load along a Louisiana or east Texas corridor like I-10, I-20, or I-49 can now be named as a defendant for picking an unsafe carrier.The Hidden Dangers of Turning Trucks: Understanding Wide Turn Accidents
Every day, 18-wheelers navigate turns at intersections across Louisiana and Texas, each maneuver requiring precision and space that passenger vehicles don’t need. These turning movements create invisible danger zones where devastating accidents occur in seconds. Understanding why trucks turn differently, recognizing the hazards, and knowing your rights after an accident can save lives and protect […]The Impact of Speeding in Truck Accidents: Risks and Consequences
Learn about the speeding consequences, legal implications, and steps to reduce speeding related collisions.Top Commercial Driving Safety Tips: Protect Yourself on the Road
Commercial driving poses challenges for truck operators and everyone sharing the road. This page compiles practical safety tips: prioritize rest, hydration, and healthy food; wear a seat belt at all times; and plan trips in advance to avoid distraction and unsafe routes. It notes that, per NHTSA, about half of vehicle occupants killed each year are unrestrained, underscoring why buckling up matters.Top Distracted Driving Tips for Truck Drivers
Distracted driving causes hundreds of fatal truck crashes each year. This page explains the three main distraction types facing truck drivers: manual (hands off the wheel, such as texting, eating, or adjusting controls), cognitive, and visual. It outlines why each is dangerous for large trucks and offers tips to help drivers stay focused and reduce collision risk.Truck Accident Regulations
Truck accident regulations are the body of safety and operating rules that govern commercial trucks, the drivers who operate them, and the companies that put them on the road. They cover how long a driver can stay behind the wheel, how a truck must be maintained, what a driver must be qualified to do, and how cargo must be loaded and secured.Truck Accidents Corridors
A truck accident corridor is a continuous stretch of highway where large-truck crashes cluster at a higher rate than surrounding roads. The term describes a pattern across a length of road, not a single point. Researchers study these stretches because the contributing causes repeat along the whole segment, which is why work like the Truck Corridor Crash Severity Index treats the corridor, not the individual crash, as the unit of analysis.Truck Drivers and Impaired Driving: What You Need to Know
Sharing the road with big rigs and semis is dangerous enough. They are massive vehicles with huge blind spots and long stopping times even in the best of circumstances. Add drinking, substance abuse, and distracted driving to the mix, and they can become lethal. If you are struck by truck driver who has been drinking […]What Are No Zones?
No Zones Are Blind Spots for 18-Wheelers. Here’s How to Identify & Avoid Them. Blind spots are hidden dangers for any vehicle. With tractor-trailers, those blind spots can be like the Bermuda Triangle, hiding multiple cars from truckers’ view and greatly increasing the risks of crashes. No matter where or when you share the roads with big […]What Causes Oil-Field Trucking Accidents?
Many common causes of oilfield trucking accidents can lead to severe injuries. Learn more about these dangerous accidents and their causes.What Does an Elephant Race Mean for Truck Drivers?
An “elephant race” is what happens when a truck driver merges into the passing lane in an attempt to pass another truck. The unintended consequence is that the passing truck driver may block both lanes for several minutes, and if frustrated drivers don’t realize what’s happening, they could inadvertently cause a crash. To help explain […]What is a Mansfield Bar and Why Do Big Trucks Have Them?
You’ve probably seen that horizontal metal bar stretching across the back of truck trailers while driving on Louisiana or Texas highways. This T-shaped steel barrier serves a critical safety function most drivers don’t fully understand. Its fascinating origin story involves Hollywood tragedy and life-saving federal regulations that continue protecting families today. These rear underride guards, […]What Is a Runaway Truck?
Whether you’re driving across the country or through any mountainous region, you may have seen a dirt road at the end of a steep decline that says “runaway trucks ramp.” But what exactly is a runaway truck, and how often are these ramps used? Let’s find out. Runaway Truck A runaway truck describes when either […]What is Commercial Vehicle Jackknifing?
Jackknife Truck Accidents Are Some of the Worst Big Rig Wrecks. Here’s Why & What Causes Them Jackknifing happens when an 18-wheeler’s trailer swings out from behind the cab, closing towards it like a pocket knife would close. Often horrific, jackknife truck accidents tend to involve multiple vehicles, catastrophic injuries, and death. In some cases, […]What is included in a Truck Inspection?
Learn about the regulatory bodies and the different levels of roadside truck inspections.What to Do After a Commercial Vehicle Accident
Learn the essential steps to take after a commercial vehicle accident to protect your rights, seek compensation, and ensure a smooth legal process.What to Do If You See a Semi-Truck Driving Poorly
Semi-trucks are among the most dangerous vehicles on the highway because of their weight and speed, and reckless operation can cause severe injuries. This page explains how to recognize poor truck driving, such as lane weaving, unpredictable braking, aggressive driving, and missed blind-spot checks, and outlines safety steps, starting with giving the truck plenty of space.What You Should Know About Truck Driver DUIs
There’s a silent problem in the trucking industry. Drivers are using alcohol and prohibited drugs while on the job, and the crisis is getting worse. Tens of thousands of truck drivers have been suspended, yet many more remain on the roads. To help illustrate this crisis, we need to look at why truck drivers need […]Why Fall Means More Truck Crashes
Truck accidents tend to rise in the final months of the year. The article points to several contributing factors: winter weather and high winds that make trucks prone to hydroplaning or jackknifing, holiday delivery pressure that pushes drivers toward longer hours and fatigue, and demands from management that lead some drivers to speed or bend hours-of-service limits. It explains why fall and the holiday season correlate with more truck crashes.Why Hire an Attorney for a Commercial Vehicle Accident Claim
After a truck accident injury you may be entitled to compensation, though the law does not require you to hire an attorney. This article explains why commercial vehicle claims are more complex than ordinary car accidents: multiple parties may share liability, including the driver, the vehicle owner, cargo loaders, maintenance companies, and parts manufacturers, and strict federal and state regulations such as the FMCSA's hours-of-service, drug-testing, inspection, and training rules apply.Why Truck Accidents Are More Common Now
Truck accidents have increased over the past five years, and this article ties the rise to changes in driver training. As experienced drivers retire and a shortage grows, trucking companies have pushed to reduce training requirements and put less-experienced drivers on the road. It outlines the prior licensing standards, including classroom and behind-the-wheel hours plus written and driving tests, and explains how the shortage drives the trend.Will Fewer Truck Drivers Mean More Truck Accidents?
As more truck drivers retire, the industry faces a shortage in the tens of thousands, yet fatal truck accidents have risen. This article explains the paradox: experienced older drivers who could spot hazards are leaving, and in response the industry successfully argued to relax minimum training-hour requirements so drivers could reach the road sooner. It outlines the prior licensing standards and how reduced training contributes to more crashes.