Destrehan Truck Accident Lawyer

Truck Accident Lawyer Destrehan, LA

If you were injured in a collision with a commercial truck or 18-wheeler in Destrehan, you’re up against more than just an insurance company. You’re up against a trucking company with lawyers, adjusters, and accident investigators who were likely on the scene before you even left the hospital. These cases move fast on the defense side, and the victims who fare best are the ones who get experienced legal representation just as quickly. Our Destrehan, LA truck accident lawyer at Kiefer & Kiefer has been handling commercial vehicle cases across Louisiana for over 40 years. Contact us today for a free consultation.

Why Choose Kiefer & Kiefer for Truck Accidents in Destrehan, LA?

We Know How the Defense Thinks

Most personal injury firms learn truck accident defense the hard way, by fighting against it. We learned it from the inside. Before representing injured victims, our attorneys worked for insurance companies defending commercial truck and 18-wheeler accident cases. We know exactly how trucking companies and their insurers build a defense, what evidence they look for, what arguments they make to reduce liability, and what they do in the hours and days immediately following a crash to protect their interests. That experience shapes every truck accident case our personal injury lawyer in Destrehan, LA takes.

Megan Kiefer is a partner at the firm and one of Louisiana’s most recognized personal injury attorneys. She earned her J.D. from Tulane University Law School in 2009 and holds advanced training in mediation and negotiation from Humboldt University of Berlin. She is a multi-year Super Lawyers honoree, recognized in 2022, 2023, and 2024, a Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum inductee, and a two-time recipient of the New Orleans City Business Leadership in Law award. New Orleans Magazine has named her a top personal injury lawyer, and she currently serves as an adjunct instructor at Tulane University Law School’s trial advocacy program.

Nat Kiefer Jr. has been practicing Louisiana personal injury law for over 40 years. He graduated from Tulane University Law School in 1982 with honors, was inducted into the Order of the Coif, and received the Walter Sutton Award. He served on the Moot Court Board and has spent decades as an adjunct instructor at Loyola University Law School. His depth of trial experience in Louisiana courts is something few attorneys in this state can match.

Chris Short is a partner who graduated magna cum laude from Tulane University Law School and is licensed in both Louisiana and Florida. His precise, methodical approach to building truck accident cases has produced consistent results for seriously injured clients across Louisiana.

The firm has been featured on Fox, WWLTV, WDSU, and CBS, and our attorneys are recognized by Super Lawyers across multiple years.

Multiple Seven-Figure Results in Truck Accident Cases

Kiefer & Kiefer has recovered well over $100 million for injured clients across Louisiana, including multiple seven-figure results specifically in truck and commercial vehicle cases. In 2025 alone, we recovered $1 million for a client injured in an 18-wheeler accident involving neck and shoulder injuries. In 2024, we secured $1.4 million for a commercial vehicle accident requiring back surgery and $765,000 for a truck accident requiring shoulder surgeries. In 2019, we recovered $1.3 million for an 18-wheeler collision involving multiple surgeries and disc herniations.

Those results come directly from the work we put in before a case ever reaches a negotiating table. Preservation of black box data. Driver logs. Maintenance records. Hours of service violations. We know what to look for because we spent years on the other side looking for it.

Aggressive Investigation From Day One

Trucking companies send accident response teams to crash scenes immediately. By the time a victim is discharged from the hospital, the defense has already begun building its case. We respond with the same urgency. We move to preserve evidence, issue spoliation letters to prevent the destruction of records, retain accident reconstruction specialists, and begin building the factual foundation of your case before critical evidence disappears.

No Fees Unless We Win

Every truck accident case we handle is taken on a contingency fee basis. No upfront costs, no fees unless we recover compensation for you.

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“Everyone here is friendly and easy to work with. Thank you Megan. I would absolutely use again” — Alan S.

Read more reviews on our Google Business Profile.

Types of Truck Accident Cases We Handle in Destrehan

Commercial vehicle accidents take many forms, and the legal issues involved vary depending on the type of truck, the circumstances of the crash, and the parties responsible. We handle all of the following across Destrehan and St. Charles Parish.

• 18-wheeler and semi-truck accidents. These are the cases we know most deeply, having spent years on the defense side of exactly these claims. When a fully loaded tractor-trailer hits a passenger vehicle, the damage is severe. Driver fatigue, hours of service violations, improperly loaded cargo, and equipment failures are all common causes we investigate.
• Delivery truck accidents. Amazon, FedEx, UPS, and other delivery drivers operate under significant time pressure, and that pressure leads to dangerous decisions. Our team handles delivery vehicle cases involving both driver negligence and corporate liability.
• Garbage and municipal truck accidents. These vehicles make frequent stops and operate in areas with heavy pedestrian and bicycle traffic. When their drivers are inattentive or their equipment fails, serious injuries follow.
• Tanker and hazardous materials trucks. Crashes involving tanker trucks can result in spills, fires, and chemical exposure in addition to the impact injuries. These cases involve additional layers of liability and regulatory requirements.
• Truck accidents involving motorcyclists and cyclists. Vulnerable road users face catastrophic consequences when struck by commercial vehicles. Blind spots and wide turns are among the most common causes in these crashes.
• Truck accidents involving pedestrians. A pedestrian struck by a commercial vehicle rarely escapes without life-altering injuries. We pursue every available avenue of recovery in these cases, including both the driver and the company.
• Fatal truck accidents. When a commercial vehicle collision causes a death, surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim against multiple parties. We handle these cases with the thoroughness and sensitivity they require.

Louisiana Legal Requirements for Truck Accident Cases

Commercial trucks operating in Louisiana and across state lines are subject to both federal and state regulations, and violations of those regulations are often central to a truck accident case.

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration sets hours of service rules that limit how long a commercial driver can operate without rest. These rules exist because driver fatigue is one of the leading causes of serious truck accidents. Under 49 C.F.R. Part 395, truck drivers are required to maintain detailed logs of their driving hours, and violations of those limits can establish negligence directly. We obtain and analyze those logs in every case.

Louisiana also requires commercial vehicles to carry significantly higher insurance minimums than passenger vehicles. Under La. R.S. § 32:900, commercial vehicles must carry liability coverage sufficient to compensate victims of serious accidents. For large commercial trucks operating interstate, federal minimums under 49 C.F.R. Part 387 apply, with coverage requirements ranging from $750,000 to $5 million depending on the cargo carried.

Louisiana’s comparative fault rules under La. C.C. Art. 2323 apply to truck accident cases as they do to all personal injury claims. Defense attorneys routinely attempt to assign fault to the injured party to reduce the recovery. We anticipate those arguments and build cases designed to counter them.

The statute of limitations for personal injury claims in Louisiana is one year from the date of the accident under La. C.C. Art. 3492. In cases involving government-owned vehicles, notice requirements may shorten that window further. Do not wait to speak with an attorney.

What Damages Are Recoverable in a Destrehan Truck Accident?

Truck accident injuries are frequently catastrophic. The size and weight of commercial vehicles mean that collisions with passenger cars, motorcycles, and pedestrians cause damage that is fundamentally different from a typical car accident. The damages available reflect that reality.

Economic damages cover the direct financial impact of your injuries. Medical expenses, including emergency care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and long-term treatment. Lost wages from time missed at work. Reduced earning capacity if your injuries have permanently limited what you can do. In serious cases, we work with life care planners and forensic economists to project future medical costs and lost income with precision. We have handled cases involving clients who were completely disabled from work, and we know exactly how to document and present those losses.

Non-economic damages address what doesn’t appear on a bill but is just as real. Pain and suffering. Emotional distress. Loss of enjoyment of life. The impact of permanent injuries on your relationships and daily activities. Louisiana law allows full recovery for these losses, and in catastrophic truck accident cases they can represent the largest portion of the total damages. How those losses are presented to a jury or an insurance company matters enormously, and it is something we pay close attention to in every case we handle.

Punitive damages are not commonly available in Louisiana personal injury cases, but where a truck driver was intoxicated at the time of the crash, Louisiana law allows for enhanced recovery under La. R.S. § 32:1502. We evaluate that possibility in every case involving an impaired driver. Beyond that, trucking company negligence in hiring, training, or supervision can open additional avenues of liability that affect the total recovery available to you.

Contact Kiefer & Kiefer

If you were hurt in a truck accident in Destrehan, contact us before you speak with any insurance adjuster or sign anything. Trucking companies move fast after a crash, and so do we. Evidence that exists today may not exist tomorrow. We offer free consultations and handle every truck accident case on a contingency basis. No fees unless we win. Contact us today to get started with a free consultation.