New Orleans
An override accident is, in a sense, the reverse of an underride crash. Instead of a car sliding under a truck, the truck itself climbs up and over a smaller vehicle in front of it.
When an 80,000-pound rig fails to stop in time, the results are almost always catastrophic.
The Voorhies Law Firm represents victims and families affected by these crashes.
An override accident happens when a truck, typically the striking vehicle in a rear-end collision, fails to stop in time and drives up and over the smaller vehicle in front of it.
This differs from underride in a key way:
Because an override crash almost always stems directly from the truck’s own failure to stop in time, the question of fault tends to point more clearly at the truck driver and carrier than in some other truck accident categories.
Override cases generally come down to why an 80,000-pound vehicle didn’t stop before striking the vehicle ahead of it.
Louisiana law requires drivers to maintain a reasonable and prudent following distance under R.S. 32:81, and a loaded truck needs significantly more stopping distance than a passenger car at the same speed.
A driver who follows too closely, given the truck’s actual stopping capability, has failed to account for exactly the risk that leads to an override crash.
Override crashes frequently trace back to driver fatigue, distraction, excessive speed, or brake failure, any of which can prevent a truck from stopping in time.
Because the truck is the striking vehicle, evidence like the truck’s black box data, brake maintenance records, and the driver’s hours-of-service logs are often central to establishing exactly what went wrong.
The general framework carries over from other truck accident claims: two years to file under article 3493.1 for crashes on or after July 1, 2024, and a 51% comparative fault bar under article 2323 for crashes on or after January 1, 2026.
STEP 1
Free consultation.
We know this is a hard call to make, and we’ll treat it that way from the start.
STEP 2
This is custom heading element
We move immediately to secure the truck’s black box data, brake maintenance records, and driver logs.
STEP 3
Cause investigation.
We work with accident reconstruction experts to determine why the truck failed to stop in time.
STEP 4
Carrier investigation.
We examine the trucking company’s maintenance practices and the driver’s history.
STEP 5
Damage calculation.
We account for medical costs, funeral expenses where applicable, and everything else this has cost your family.
STEP 6
Demand and negotiation.
We pursue every available source of compensation.
STEP 7
Filing suit, if needed.
We file before your deadline if the carrier won’t make it right.
STEP 8
Resolution.
Your case is resolved, either by settlement or by verdict.
We handle override accident claims involving:
Override cases often mean the worst possible outcome for a family, and we approach them accordingly. Our job is to establish exactly why an 80,000-pound vehicle didn’t stop in time.
The Voorhies Law Firm’s recoveries for clients now top $100 million across every kind of case we take on.
Given how severe override crashes typically are, results vary enormously from case to case.
Because the truck is the striking vehicle in an override crash, the evidence, black box data, brake records, driver logs, tends to sit entirely with the trucking company.
Richard P. Voorhies III and the team at The Voorhies Law Firm move immediately to secure it before it disappears.
We’re recognized by Super Lawyers and other legal organizations, but in a case this serious, what matters most is securing the black box and brake records fast, before they disappear.
We handle these cases on contingency, so you can focus on what matters to you and your recovery.
Fault typically points strongly toward the truck driver and carrier, since the truck is the vehicle that failed to stop in time, but a full investigation still matters to establish exactly why, whether it’s fatigue, distraction, speed, or a brake failure, since that affects who else may share responsibility.
The truck’s black box data, brake maintenance records, and the driver’s hours-of-service logs are often central, since they can establish speed, braking, and whether fatigue or a mechanical issue contributed to the crash.
Louisiana law gives certain family members a path to pursue a wrongful death claim, and we treat cases like this with the seriousness they deserve from the first conversation.
The general rule is two years from the crash date for incidents on or after July 1, 2024, under article 3493.1.
No. The consultation costs nothing, and we only get paid if we recover compensation for you.
