Last reviewed: September 26, 2026 Sources checked: September 28, 2026 A collision with an 18-wheeler can leave evidence in several places at once: on the roadway, inside the vehicles, at a towing yard, in a carrier’s computer systems, and with outside vendors. An injured person does not need to investigate all of that at…
Last reviewed: September 26, 2026 A serious truck crash produces two timelines at once. The injured person begins medical treatment and recovery, while the motor carrier, insurers, police, towing companies, and other businesses begin creating records about the collision. A sound Louisiana claim brings those timelines together without asking an injured person to sacrifice…
Last reviewed: September 26, 2026 A tractor-trailer may weigh about 35,000 pounds when empty and as much as 80,000 pounds when legally loaded for ordinary Interstate travel, but neither number is universal. The tractor, trailer, fuel, cargo, axle spacing, route, and any permit all affect the lawful and actual weight. That distinction matters after…
Last reviewed: September 26, 2026 An 18-wheeler has four main blind-spot areas: directly in front of the cab, directly behind the trailer, along the driver’s side, and along the much larger passenger side. These areas are often called No-Zones because a passenger vehicle can disappear from the truck driver’s view even when the truck…
A commercial driver’s license answers one question: did the driver satisfy the licensing requirements that applied at the time? It does not answer whether the driver was prepared for the tractor, trailer, route, cargo, weather, or traffic conditions involved in a particular crash. That distinction matters after a serious Louisiana truck wreck. The useful…
A delivery truck crash can look like an ordinary traffic collision, but the proof may sit in several places at once. The driver may have an employer, a contractor, a vehicle owner, a dispatch platform and more than one insurer. Camera footage, route records and vehicle data may also be overwritten while an injured…
Archive note: This article was first published in 2019 and discusses an initial account of a fatal Whiskey Bay crash. The cited news reports describe what authorities said during the early investigation. They do not supply the investigation’s final findings or establish civil responsibility. Shortly before 7:30 a.m. on October 21, 2019, Louisiana State…
A trucking company may be responsible when its driver causes a crash while impaired, but the claim requires more than proof that the driver worked for the company. The driver’s role, purpose of the trip and conduct at the time of the collision all matter. The company’s own hiring, supervision and safety decisions may…
No. A truck driver’s commercial license and the size of the tractor-trailer do not make the driver automatically responsible for a collision. Fault depends on what each person did and how that conduct contributed to the crash. One driver may be wholly responsible, several people may share fault, or evidence may point to a…
The driver is the most visible person after a truck crash, but the investigation cannot stop there. A motor carrier may have controlled the trip. A separate company may have loaded the trailer, maintained the brakes, owned the equipment, or manufactured a failed part. Each role requires its own evidence. The practical question is…
A sugarcane truck pulling out of a field may be moving much more slowly than the traffic approaching it. Mud or loose cane near the entrance can create another problem before a driver even reaches the truck. During harvest, watching the field access points and leaving room to respond matters as much as watching…
A log-truck crash can leave two very different sets of evidence: the collision itself and the load as it existed before anyone moved it. Once a crew unloads the trailer, replaces a chain, or straightens a damaged stake, it may be harder to work out whether the cargo caused the crash or moved because…