Louisville Truck Accident Lawyer

As Kentucky’s largest city, sitting at the intersection of multiple interstate highways, Louisville is a hotspot for long-haul truckers. Commercial truck accidents only account for 5 percent of overall motor vehicle crashes in Kentucky but cause nearly eight percent of accident fatalities. They also result in over 1,000 serious injuries annually, often due to poor vehicle maintenance and driver error.

Most truck accidents occur on Louisville’s state routes, US routes, and busy commercial roadways, resulting in devastating chain-reaction crashes. If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a tractor-trailer collision near Louisville, you need the dedicated Louisville truck accident lawyers at Gray & White. Our experienced personal injury litigators have recovered over $150 million for Kentucky truck accident victims. With these proven results and no upfront legal fees or costs, contact our Louisville truck crash team for a no-risk case consultation today by calling (502) 210-8942 or connecting with us online.

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Louisville Truck Accident Guide

Dangerous Roadways for Truckers in Louisville
Common Causes of Large Truck Accidents
Type of Serious Louisville Tractor-Trailer Crashes
Life-Altering Injuries Caused by 18-Wheeler Crashes
Federal Regulations Applicable to Semi-Truck Drivers
Get Results After Your Louisville Truck Accident with Gray & White

Dangerous Roadways for Truckers in Louisville

Firm Image Long-haul commercial truck drivers crossing the United States often travel on one of Louisville’s major highways, including Route 65, I-64, and I-264. However, some truckers must leave these major roadways to make deliveries to Kentucky’s most populous city. Truck accidents can occur anywhere, but the following locations are truck accident hotspots in Louisville:

Spaghetti Junction (Route 65)
I-264
Bardstown Road and Grinstead Drive
Dixie Highway
Preston Highway
Outer loop
Blue Grass Parkway
I-71
Second Street and Broadway

You should retain a Louisville law firm, as local attorneys understand the common causes of truck crashes at these locations, including dangerously designed intersections and overpasses. We might immediately identify the likely legal violations that contributed to the accident, such as speeding or failure to yield, and hold all negligent parties liable for your injuries.

Common Causes of Large Truck Accidents

Truck drivers need special commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to operate 18-wheelers, as they pose unique dangers to drivers and require dedicated maintenance. Factors contributing to large truck accidents in Louisville include the following.

Maintenance and Equipment Failures

Kentucky identified vehicle equipment and maintenance failures as a leading cause of large truck accidents. Tractor trailers require airbrakes and generally have multiple axles and commercial-grade tires. Drivers must periodically check all tires, and large trucks require continued maintenance due to the substantial miles driven and cargo weight. In Louisville, the following equipment failures and defects have contributed to serious large truck crashes:

Tire failure
Defective brakes
Steering failures
Tow hitch failure
Lighting defects
Defective headlights

Although employers (trucking companies) are indirectly liable for the negligence of their employees (truck drivers), accidents resulting from equipment failures may support direct liability claims. At Gray & White, our Louisville large truck injury attorneys might hold manufacturers liable for product liability. We can also sue the trucking company for failing to perform required maintenance and the mechanic responsible for any defective repairs.

Cargo Loading Errors

Unloaded semi-trucks weigh approximately 30,000 pounds, while fully loaded tractor-trailers can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Cargo loaders cannot negligently load and unload cargo, as this completely changes the truck’s weight differential. Overloading, improper loading, and failing to secure loads all contribute to serious truck accident injuries in Louisville. If cargo is not evenly loaded and reorganized on delivery, this often results in rollover accidents on highway exits and entrance ramps. Poorly secured cargo, especially on open-bed trucks transporting construction materials, might also spill onto the roadway, causing dangerous pile-up accidents. Our truck accident attorneys might hold the parties responsible for loading and securing cargo directly liable for your injuries.

Truck Driver Fatigue

Long-haul truck drivers are subject to significant hours of service (HOS) regulations to prevent drowsy driving, a leading cause of fatal semi-truck accidents. Driving commercial motor vehicles requires intense focus and long hours on the road. It also necessitates nighttime driving when traffic conditions are clearer, and truck drivers must often sleep in uncomfortable sleeper berths. All these factors contribute to fatigued driving, which can be just as dangerous as drunk driving. Truckers may drift or fall asleep behind the wheel, causing devastating accidents. At Gray & White, our truck accident attorneys will thoroughly review the driver’s hours of service logs to determine if he followed federal regulations. In some cases, drivers admit that their employers pressured them to violate regulations to make more deliveries.

Driving Under the Influence (DUI)

Truck drivers often suffer from health issues due to unhealthy eating habits on the road and the cumulative back pain caused by years of driving diesel vehicles. These conditions can result in prescription drug and alcohol abuse, which may cause fatal 18-wheeler crashes in Louisville. Our attorneys will review any relevant blood work and prior mandatory employer testing to determine if drug or alcohol abuse contributed to the accident.

Vehicle and Traffic Violations

Traffic violations, such as speeding, failing to yield, and failing to check blind spots, are common causes of Kentucky large truck crashes. Truck driver errors may support general negligence claims against the trucker and trucking company, which our personal injury professionals at Gray & White might settle with liable commercial insurance companies.

Type of Serious Louisville Tractor-Trailer Crashes

Large truck accidents have a disproportionally high fatality and serious injury rate because of the unique accidents commercial vehicles cause. Common semi-truck accidents in Louisville include the following:

Rear-End: Tractor-trailers almost universally require airbrakes because of the force necessary to stop these heavy vehicles. When brakes fail or truck drivers do not keep a safe stopping distance between vehicles, large trucks may rear-end and crush smaller forward vehicles.
Jackknife: Cargo loading errors, speeding, and wet roadways may trigger jackknife accidents, which occur when the truck’s tractor and trailer fall out of alignment. The trailer folds into an ‘L’ or ‘V’ shape, often hitting drivers in other lanes and blocking multiple lanes of traffic.
Undercarriage/Underride: Often occurring immediately after trucks jackknife, smaller vehicles may get stuck under the trailer. This often crushes the vehicle’s front end, resulting in severe and fatal crushing injuries.
Rollover: Unevenly loaded cargo combined with speeding around turns often results in rollover accidents, which occur when the trailer tips on its side. This may spill cargo and suddenly block traffic lanes. In these cases, truck drivers cannot control or move the vehicle, and rollovers frequently cause devastating chain-reaction crashes on Louisville’s interstate highways.
Merging/Sideswipe: Not all tractor-trailers are equipped with the latest technology. Large trucks have significant blind spots behind and next to the trailer, often resulting in smaller vehicles and motorcycles getting caught in blind spots.
Cargo Loss: When flatbed cargo is not properly secured, it may fly off as drivers accelerate and wind resistance increases. Trucking companies are still liable for accident injuries resulting from cargo loss even if the truck left the scene.

If you suffered an injury in one of the above serious truck accidents, call our Louisville personal injury attorneys immediately to discuss recovering financial compensation.

Life-Altering Injuries Caused by 18-Wheeler Crashes

The weight differential between large trucks and smaller vehicles causes significant truck accident injuries due to the increased crash force. Our truck accident lawyers at Gray & White might help injured claimants obtain damages for the medical bills, lost earnings, and pain caused by the following significant injuries.

Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)

Fatal brain injuries often occur when large trucks hit innocent drivers from behind. The crash force propels the front driver’s head forward, fatally damaging the brain stem. These serious brain injuries might also result in comas, brain death, persistent vegetative states, and significant disabilities. Many victims require lifelong care. Even seemingly minor concussions might result in difficulties concentrating, irritability, and memory loss, impacting your work and home life. Our experienced attorneys in Louisville might help your family recover damages for needed therapies and lost earnings if a truck accident caused a TBI.

Paralysis

When the crash force travels through the spine, it might permanently damage your central nervous system. It prevents brain signals from reaching your body below the damaged area, resulting in complete or partial paralysis. Paraplegia and quadriplegia are life-long disabilities estimated to cost claimants $1,000,000 in the first year of treatment. If you suffered from permanent spinal cord damage in a Louisville semi-truck accident, contact our attorneys immediately to begin the insurance claims and litigation process.

Slipped/Herniated Discs & Neck Strains (Whiplash)

Even low-speed truck accidents may result in painful slipped discs and neck strains. When the discs between your vertebra slip out of alignment, they put pressure on nearby nerves. This pressure results in pain, tingling, numbness, and weakness in the associated limbs. Victims suffering from back pain and neck strains often struggle with activities of daily living such as walking, sitting, or standing for extended periods. These limitations might impact their ability to earn a living. Back pain is the most common motor vehicle accident injury and often occurs in addition to other serious trauma.

Fractures, Dislocations, and Amputations

Because large truck accidents often crush smaller vehicles, passengers may suffer from significant fractures necessitating surgeries and amputations. Drivers may also experience shoulder dislocations from seatbelts and facial fractures after airbags deploy. Our experienced truck accident lawyers might help obtain compensation for missed work and cosmetic procedures necessary to restore your appearance.

Third-Degree Burns

When large trucks T-bone passenger vehicles, it may rupture the gas tank. It often causes sudden car fires, resulting in fatalities or severe burn injuries. Intersection accidents such as these have the highest accident fatality rate. Burns are extremely painful and often require claimants to undergo multiple skin grafts and cosmetic surgeries. Many patients also struggle with frequent infections and require long-term hospital care.

Our dedicated Louisville catastrophic injury lawyers might help truck accident victims and their families recover damages for their medical bills, lost earnings, and pain and suffering.

Federal Regulations Applicable to Semi-Truck Drivers

The federal government regulates and monitors the commercial motor vehicle industry through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Many preventable commercial truck crashes result from FMCSA violations. Our legal professionals might thoroughly review your case to determine whether a legal violation contributed to the accident. If so, this might allow our personal injury lawyers to request faster and higher commercial insurance settlements. Common FMCSA violations resulting in Louisville 18-wheeler collisions include the following:

Hours of Service (HOS): Truck drivers are subject to specific HOS regulations preventing them from driving for more than 11 hours in a 14-hour period. They must also take certain mandatory rest and sleep breaks.
Drug and Alcohol Testing: Employers are responsible for testing and monitoring their drivers for drug and alcohol abuse.
Tire Checks: Truck drivers must stop and inspect tires after a certain number of miles and, if necessary, inflate or replace worn ones.
Equipment Requirements: Semi-trucks must be kept in good working order, and tires must be commercial grade and free from defects.

Additionally, federal regulations require trucking companies to carry mandatory minimum commercial liability insurance. Depending on the cargo transported, policies may range from $750,000 to $5,000,000 per accident. Our experienced Louisville truck accident lawyers might help injured claimants immediately demand high insurance payouts if truck drivers violated FMCSA regulations. It includes obtaining damages to cover all past and future medical expenses, lost earnings and benefits, and compensation for the physical pain, emotional suffering, frustration, inconvenience, and lost enjoyment of life associated with your serious injuries.

Get Results After Your Louisville Truck Accident with Gray & White

We don’t just talk about obtaining truck accident damages at Gray & White—we get them. Our dedicated Louisville personal injury attorneys have successfully recovered millions to compensate clients injured in tractor-trailer crashes. We obtained $2.75 million for a client rear-ended by a large truck, $17 million after a fatal semi-truck accident, and $163.9 million after a heavy truck wreck.

Importantly, we accept most truck accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means we don’t get paid unless we recover your compensation after an 18-wheeler crash in Louisville. There’s no risk associated with confidentially contacting our dedicated truck accident lawyers 24/7 to schedule a free case evaluation. Call our personal injury professionals today at (502)210-8942 or connect with our Louisville office online.