What to Do After a Louisiana Car Wreck

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1. Safety and 911. Check everyone for injuries and call 911. Louisiana law requires drivers to stop and render aid. Move vehicles out of travel lanes if it is safe to do so.

2. Get a police report. Ask the responding officer how to obtain the crash report. The report documents drivers, insurance, and the officer's observations about how the wreck happened.

3. Document the scene. Photograph all vehicles from multiple angles, the roadway, skid marks, debris, traffic signals, and any visible injuries. Get names and phone numbers for witnesses before they leave.

4. Seek medical care promptly. Some serious injuries — including concussions, soft-tissue injuries, and internal injuries — may not be obvious immediately. Gaps in treatment are one of the most common things insurers use to dispute claims.

5. Be careful with insurance calls. Report the wreck to your own insurer, but think twice before giving the other driver's insurance company a recorded statement or signing broad medical releases.

6. Keep everything. Bills, records, receipts, repair estimates, pay stubs for missed work, and all correspondence.

Why Truck Accident Claims Are Handled Differently

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The physics alone set truck crashes apart — a loaded commercial truck can weigh many times more than a passenger car, and the injuries that result are often severe. But the legal differences matter just as much:

• Commercial insurance. Trucks used in commerce typically carry policies with higher limits than personal auto policies.
• Company involvement. A trucking or delivery company may be responsible for its driver's negligence, and its own practices — hiring, training, scheduling, maintenance — can be part of the case.
• Regulations. Interstate carriers are subject to Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) rules covering hours of service, inspections, and maintenance.
• Evidence held by the company. Driver logs, maintenance records, and onboard data are usually in the company's hands — not yours — and may need to be formally preserved.

Common Truck Accident Causes

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Truck crashes in Louisiana frequently involve driver fatigue, speeding or following too closely, improper lane changes, distracted driving, inadequate maintenance (especially brakes and tires), improperly loaded or shifting cargo, and inexperienced or poorly trained drivers. Identifying the cause shapes who may be responsible.

Steps to Take After a Truck Crash

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1. Call 911 and get medical attention — truck crash injuries are frequently serious even when adrenaline masks them.
2. Photograph everything: the truck (including company name, DOT number, and license plates), your vehicle, the roadway, and your injuries.
3. Get the truck driver's information and the company's information.
4. Collect witness names and numbers.
5. Do not give recorded statements to the trucking company's insurer before understanding your rights.
6. Talk with an attorney early — evidence preservation matters most in the first days and weeks.

What to Do After a Truck Accident

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18-wheeler wrecks on I-20, I-49, and other Louisiana highways are violent events. If you are able: call 911, get medical care, and document the truck itself — company name, USDOT number, trailer information, and license plates. Everything else can be handled afterward, but your health and the crash report come first.

Potential Responsible Parties

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Unlike a two-car wreck, an 18-wheeler case may involve several parties: the driver, the motor carrier, the owner of the tractor or trailer, the shipper or loader of the cargo, and maintenance providers. Louisiana law also generally holds employers responsible for employees' negligence on the job, which is why the trucking company's own conduct — hiring, training, dispatch pressure, maintenance practices — is often examined.

Trucking Company Involvement & Commercial Insurance

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Interstate carriers are required to carry substantial commercial liability coverage — far more than a personal auto policy. That coverage matters in serious-injury cases, but it also means experienced insurers and rapid-response teams may be involved from day one, sometimes at the crash scene itself.

Truck Maintenance, Driver Logs & Accident Evidence

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Evidence that may exist in an 18-wheeler case includes electronic logging device data, driver qualification files, inspection and maintenance records, post-crash drug and alcohol testing, onboard camera footage, and electronic control module ("black box") data. This evidence is held by the carrier and can be lost or overwritten — formal preservation requests are often one of the first steps an attorney takes.

Serious Injuries & Wrongful Death

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Because of the size disparity, truck crashes disproportionately cause catastrophic injuries — brain and spinal injuries, multiple fractures, internal injuries — and fatalities. Claims must account for long-term medical needs, lost earning capacity, and the full impact on the injured person and their family. When a loved one is lost, Louisiana wrongful death and survival actions allow certain family members to seek accountability.

Commercial Accidents Are Not Ordinary Car Wrecks

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When a commercial vehicle is involved, the claim may involve more than two drivers exchanging insurance cards. There can be an employer, a commercial insurance policy with higher limits, company safety policies, maintenance obligations, and — for larger trucks — federal motor carrier regulations. The company usually knows about the accident quickly and may begin protecting its interests immediately. Injured people benefit from doing the same.

Vehicles That Can Be Involved

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Evidence That May Exist in a Commercial Case

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Depending on the vehicle and company involved, potential evidence can include:

• Driver information, qualifications, and driving history
• Company records, policies, and dispatch information
• Vehicle maintenance and inspection records
• Electronic logging device (ELD) information for regulated trucks
• Onboard camera, dash-cam, or nearby surveillance footage
• Witness statements and the official crash report
• Commercial insurance information

Not all of this evidence exists or is available in every case — but where it does exist, it can be lost or overwritten over time, which is why acting early matters. A preservation letter can put a company on notice to retain relevant records.

Who May Be Responsible?

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Depending on the facts, responsibility in a commercial vehicle case may involve the driver, the driver's employer, a vehicle owner or leasing company, a maintenance provider, or others. Louisiana law generally allows employers to be held responsible for employees' negligence within the course and scope of their work — one reason commercial cases are evaluated differently from the start.

Motorcycle Accidents

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Riders face serious injury risk and, too often, unfair assumptions about fault. Louisiana's comparative fault system means a rider's claim is not barred even if fault is disputed — but thorough evidence (helmet-cam footage, witness accounts, roadway evidence) is especially valuable in motorcycle cases.

Discuss Your Situation

Pedestrian Accidents

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People on foot have the least protection and often suffer the worst injuries. Claims focus on driver behavior — speed, distraction, failure to yield at crosswalks — and can involve UM coverage when the driver is uninsured or flees.

Discuss Your Situation

Slip & Fall Injuries

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Louisiana merchant liability law governs many fall cases in stores and businesses. These claims turn on whether a dangerous condition existed, whether the business created it or should have known about it, and what the evidence — including surveillance footage — shows. Report the fall immediately and request that footage be preserved.

Discuss Your Situation

Workplace Injuries

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Injuries on the job usually involve workers' compensation, which pays medical care and partial wage benefits regardless of fault. But when someone outside your employer caused the injury — a negligent driver, a contractor, a property owner — a separate third-party claim may also exist.

Discuss Your Situation

Dog Bites

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Louisiana holds dog owners responsible for injuries their animals cause when the owner could have prevented the harm. Document the injuries, identify the dog and owner, report the bite, and seek medical care — bite wounds carry high infection risk.

Discuss Your Situation

Help for Shreveport Families After Serious Accidents

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Shreveport is the hub of Northwest Louisiana — and its roads carry heavy commuter, casino, medical-district, and commercial truck traffic every day. Interstate 20 runs through the heart of the city, I-49 connects it to central and south Louisiana, and I-220 loops the north side. Where that much traffic meets, serious wrecks follow.

Jacqueline Scott & Associates helps Shreveport residents understand their rights after car wrecks, commercial vehicle crashes, and other serious injuries. Our office sits minutes away in Bossier City, and we know the roads, the courts, and the community on both sides of the river.

Common Shreveport Accident Types

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Shreveport Highways & Local Roads

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Wrecks in the Shreveport area frequently occur on I-20 (including the downtown corridor and Red River crossings), I-49, the I-220 loop, US-71, US-80 (Greenwood Road / Texas Avenue), and busy surface streets such as Youree Drive, Mansfield Road, Bert Kouns Industrial Loop, and Line Avenue. Interstate crashes are commonly worked by Louisiana State Police, while city streets are typically handled by the Shreveport Police Department.

Medical Care in Shreveport

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Prompt medical care protects both your health and your claim. Shreveport is home to major medical facilities including Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport (the region's Level 1 trauma center), the Willis-Knighton Health System campuses, and CHRISTUS Highland Medical Center. (Hospitals listed for general information only — no affiliation with the firm.)

Courts & Parish Information

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Shreveport is the seat of Caddo Parish. Injury lawsuits are generally filed in the First Judicial District Court, with records maintained by the Caddo Parish Clerk of Court in downtown Shreveport. Crash reports can be requested from the investigating agency — Shreveport Police records division for city wrecks, or Louisiana State Police for interstate crashes.

Louisiana Insurance Claims

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After a Shreveport wreck you may deal with insurance adjusters, recorded statement requests, medical bills, property damage claims, fault disputes, and lost wages. Louisiana's minimum liability limits (15/30/25) are often too low for serious injuries, which makes uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage — and careful evidence preservation, including vehicle photographs and medical documentation — especially important.

Why Choose Jacqueline Scott & Associates?

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• Louisiana-focused practice, rooted in Shreveport–Bossier
• Personal communication — you talk with people who know your case
• Local knowledge of Caddo and Bossier parish roads and courts
• Client-centered service for accident victims and families

Call 318-746-5997

Directions & Office Location

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Office location: Bossier City, Louisiana 71111 — just across the Red River from downtown Shreveport via I-20 or the Texas Street bridge. Areas served include all of Shreveport and Caddo Parish. From most of Shreveport, the office is a short drive east on I-20 into Bossier City.

A Bossier City Firm for Bossier City Families

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This is where our office is. Bossier City's growth — the riverfront district, Barksdale Air Force Base, the casinos, and the retail corridors along Airline Drive and Benton Road — means more traffic every year on I-20, I-220, US-71, and US-80. When wrecks happen, Bossier families deserve straight answers from a firm that actually lives and works here.

Common Bossier City Accident Types

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Bossier City Highways & Local Roads

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Bossier City wrecks frequently occur on I-20 (including the Red River crossing and casino-district exits), the I-220 loop and its interchanges, US-71 / Barksdale Boulevard, US-80 / East Texas Street, Airline Drive, Benton Road, and Old Minden Road. Interstate crashes are often worked by Louisiana State Police Troop G; city streets by the Bossier City Police Department.

Medical Care in Bossier City

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Nearby emergency care includes Willis-Knighton Bossier Health Center and Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport just across the river, the region's Level 1 trauma center. (Listed for general information — no affiliation with the firm.)

Courts & Parish Information

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Bossier City sits in Bossier Parish. Injury suits are generally filed in the 26th Judicial District Court, with the parish courthouse and Clerk of Court located in Benton. Crash reports can be requested from Bossier City Police records, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office, or Louisiana State Police, depending on who investigated.

Louisiana Insurance Claims

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Adjusters, recorded statements, medical bills, property damage, fault disputes, uninsured motorists, lost wages — the claim process starts fast after a Bossier wreck. Preserve your evidence (photos, records, receipts), get consistent medical care, and understand what any release or settlement offer actually covers before signing.

Why Choose Jacqueline Scott & Associates?

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• Located in Bossier City — this is our home community
• Louisiana-focused accident and injury practice
• Direct, personal communication with clients
• Knowledge of Bossier Parish courts, roads, and local agencies

Call 318-746-5997

Office Location & Directions

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Office: Bossier City, Louisiana 71111. Easily reached from anywhere in Bossier City, and a short drive from Benton, Haughton, and Shreveport via I-20, I-220, or Benton Road.

What to Do After a Shreveport Wreck

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Call 911 and let officers document the crash. Photograph the vehicles, the intersection or roadway, and your injuries. Exchange license and insurance information, gather witness contacts, and seek medical care the same day if possible — Shreveport has multiple emergency and urgent care options, including the region's Level 1 trauma center at Ochsner LSU Health.

Louisiana Insurance Claims

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Report the wreck to your insurer promptly. The other driver's insurer may call quickly — you are not required to give them a recorded statement, and quick settlement offers deserve careful review. Louisiana's pure comparative fault system means fault percentages directly affect recovery, so how the wreck is documented matters.

Medical Treatment & Documentation

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Consistent treatment is the backbone of an injury claim. Follow medical advice, keep every record and bill, and don't minimize symptoms to providers — the records they create are the evidence insurers read.

Police Reports & Evidence

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Request your crash report from Shreveport Police records (or Louisiana State Police for interstate wrecks). Preserve photos, dash-cam footage, damaged property, and witness information. For hit-and-run and uninsured motorist crashes, your own UM coverage may be the key source of recovery — and Louisiana's "No Pay, No Play" law can affect drivers who were themselves uninsured.

Passengers & Commercial Vehicles

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Injured passengers may bring claims against any at-fault driver. And if the other vehicle was an 18-wheeler, delivery truck, or company car, the case changes significantly — see our 18-Wheeler Center and Commercial Vehicle Center.

Major Shreveport Roadways

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Shreveport wrecks commonly occur along I-20, I-49, I-220, US-71, US-80, Youree Drive, Mansfield Road, and Bert Kouns Industrial Loop — high-volume corridors where rear-end, intersection, and lane-change collisions are frequent.

How to Contact Jacqueline Scott & Associates

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Call 318-746-5997 or use the consultation form. Our office is minutes from Shreveport in Bossier City, Louisiana 71111. Licensed to Practice Law in Louisiana.

Giving Back

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Attorney Scott's dedication to philanthropy includes raising over $200,000 for police vests, donating more than $50,000 to local schools and universities, and mentoring young lawyers — including her daughter, Lawryn Scott.

How This Website's Content Is Created

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Articles on this site are written for general education about Louisiana accident and injury law, reviewed by the firm, and dated with publication and update dates. Where appropriate, articles reference authoritative sources such as the Louisiana Legislature, the Louisiana Department of Insurance, Louisiana State Police, the Louisiana DOTD, the FMCSA, and NHTSA. Content is informational only and is not legal advice.

Website Disclaimer

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The content on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal information is not the same as legal advice — the application of law depends on the specific facts of each situation, and every legal situation is different. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

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