New Orleans
The driver is rarely the only party who owes you something after a commercial truck crash.
The company that hired them, the contractor who maintained the rig, and sometimes even the broker who arranged the load can all share responsibility.
The Voorhies Law Firm maps out that whole network before we ever send a demand letter.
A commercial truck accident claim covers crashes involving any vehicle operated for business purposes under FMCSA authority, not just full-size 18-wheelers.
This includes:
What makes these cases different from an ordinary crash isn’t just the size of the vehicle, it’s the layers of corporate and contractual relationships behind the driver, each of which can be a separate source of liability and insurance coverage policies.
Commercial truck claims often come down to figuring out exactly who, beyond the driver, bears legal responsibility.
Under the doctrine of respondeat superior, a trucking company is generally responsible for a driver’s negligence if the driver was acting within the scope of employment at the time of the crash.
This is often the most direct path to the company’s much larger insurance policy, rather than relying solely on the driver’s own limited resources.
Separate from vicarious liability, a company can be directly liable if it hired a driver it knew or should have known was unfit, failed to train them properly, or kept them on the road after red flags emerged. Anything from a prior DUI to a pattern of hours-of-service violations, or a history of crashes, these red flags should have been addressed and handled appropriately by the company.
This theory can matter even when the company admits the driver was its employee, particularly where punitive-style damages or additional insurance coverage are at stake.
When a freight broker arranges a load, it can bear responsibility for negligently selecting a carrier with a poor safety record, an unsatisfactory FMCSA safety rating, or a documented history of violations.
This is a developing and sometimes contested area of law, since brokers often argue federal law shields them from this kind of claim, but where it applies, it can open up an entirely separate source of recovery for the victim of the accident.
Federal law requires most motor carriers to maintain at least $750,000 in liability coverage, rising to $5,000,000 for hazardous materials.
The general two-year filing deadline under Civil Code article 3493.1 applies for crashes on or after July 1, 2024.
STEP 1
Free consultation.
Tell us what happened and, if you know it, who the driver was working for. We’ll give you an honest, no-cost assessment.
STEP 2
Corporate structure investigation.
We identify the carrier, any broker involved, and every entity in the chain of responsibility.
STEP 3
Safety history review.
We pull FMCSA safety ratings, prior violations, and inspection history for every potentially responsible party.
STEP 4
Medical documentation.
We connect your treatment record to the crash and the parties responsible for it.
STEP 5
Damage calculation.
We calculate medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and any long-term impact.
STEP 6
Demand and negotiation.
We pursue claims against every party whose insurance may apply.
STEP 7
Filing suit, if needed.
We name every responsible party and file before your deadline.
STEP 8
Resolution.
You get what’s owed to you, whether through settlement or a verdict.
We handle commercial truck accident claims involving:
Behind every commercial truck case is a company that would rather you believe the driver was on their own out there. We build the case to show exactly who else knew, or should have known, what that driver and that rig were capable of.
The Voorhies Law Firm has recovered over $100 million for clients across every kind of case we take on.
Results may vary, and every commercial truck case depends on the specific parties and facts involved.
Finding every liable party in a commercial trucking case takes real investigative work that includes gathering corporate filings, safety ratings, broker contracts, and maintenance logs.
Richard P. Voorhies III and the team at The Voorhies Law Firm do that work before the trucking company’s own lawyers can control the narrative.
We’re recognized by Super Lawyers and other legal organizations, but our clients care more about direct access to their attorney, and nothing owed upfront.
We handle commercial truck accident cases on contingency, so you can focus on what matters.
In most cases, both. Under respondeat superior, a company is generally responsible for a driver’s on-the-job negligence, which gives you access to the company’s much larger insurance policy rather than relying solely on the driver.
That label doesn’t automatically shield the company. Courts look at the actual working relationship and level of control, and federal trucking regulations often impose responsibility on the carrier regardless of how the driver is classified on paper.
Potentially, if the broker negligently selected a carrier with a known poor safety record. This is an evolving area of law, and whether it applies depends heavily on the specific facts of how the load was arranged.
Two years from the crash date is the general rule for incidents on or after July 1, 2024, per Civil Code article 3493.1.
Nothing to start. Reaching out costs nothing, and we’re only paid out of what we recover for you.
