Underride Accidents Proudly serving you throughout the great state of Louisiana. At Cossé Injury Law, we treat EVERY case like it's our ONLY case.

$5,000,000 $5,000,000
Our client suffered from several injuries after being rear-ended at 50 mph by another driver.
$3,000,000 $3,000,000
Our client experienced a severe car accident due to a defective tire.
$2,600,000 $2,600,000
Our client faced a brain injury and severe spinal injuries after being rear-ended at a high speed while working as a mechanic.

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New Orleans Underride Accident Lawyers

Trial-Ready Representation When a Vehicle Slides Beneath a Truck Trailer

An underride crash can force part of a passenger vehicle beneath a commercial trailer, exposing occupants to severe vehicle intrusion, catastrophic injury, or death. In the aftermath, injured occupants and their families may face emergency treatment, lost income, vehicle destruction, and pressure from trucking-company insurers.

We represent people across Louisiana in 18-wheeler and commercial truck collision cases. Our attorneys examine the guard, lighting, visibility, vehicle damage, driver conduct, and other factors that distinguish an underride claim from a typical rear-end collision. We also act quickly to identify evidence that could be repaired, moved, overwritten, or lost.

Call (504) 438-2342 for a free evaluation of your New Orleans underride accident claim.

How Rear & Side Underride Crashes Occur

A rear underride collision occurs when a passenger vehicle strikes the back of a trailer and travels beneath it rather than stopping against its rear structure. Because commercial trailers sit higher than many passenger vehicles, the point of impact may reach the passenger compartment.

A side underride crash can occur when a vehicle strikes a trailer during a turn, merge, lane change, or crossing movement. Determining how the collision happened may require examining the trailer’s position and movement, along with its lighting, reflective markings, and visibility.

Federal rules address rear underride protection on qualifying trailers, but federal law doesn’t universally require side guards. Side-impact claims therefore call for a fact-specific review of the vehicles, roadway, driver conduct, and safety equipment involved.

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Rear Underride Guard Standards & Trailer Condition

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards Nos. 223 and 224 address rear impact guards and rear impact protection for most trailers and semitrailers weighing more than 10,000 pounds. These guards are designed to limit passenger-vehicle intrusion and absorb crash energy during qualifying rear impacts.

The governing requirements may depend on the trailer’s weight, design, manufacture date, use, and any regulatory exception. An inspection may determine whether the applicable guard was present, properly positioned, maintained, damaged, or compliant with the standard in effect for that trailer.

Investigators may also evaluate deformation, impact marks, vehicle crush patterns, lights, reflective materials, brakes, and maintenance records. Together, these details can show how the collision unfolded, although no single condition determines fault.

Who May Be Responsible for an Underride Collision?

Potentially responsible parties may include the driver, trucking company or freight carrier, trailer owner, cargo loader, maintenance provider, or manufacturer of a defective component. The crash description alone can’t establish legal responsibility. Liability depends on the evidence and each party’s role.

Relevant evidence may include:

Crash-scene photographs, surveillance footage, witness accounts, and roadway measurements
Inspections of the passenger vehicle, truck, rear underride guard, lights, and reflective markings
Electronic logging device records, event data recorder information, dispatch communications, and driver records
Ownership documents, maintenance files, cargo records, and applicable safety materials

We investigate the full chain of potential negligence and gather time-sensitive evidence in commercial truck cases. The findings may support claims involving unsafe driving, inadequate supervision, poor maintenance, defective equipment, improper loading, or another contributing factor.

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Catastrophic Injuries & Losses After an Underride Crash

Underride collisions can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal injuries, paralysis, amputations, permanent disabilities, disfigurement, and death. Survivors may need emergency treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, long-term care, and modifications to their homes or vehicles.

Depending on the facts and Louisiana law, recoverable damages may include medical expenses, lost wages, reduced future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and emotional trauma. A wrongful death claim may address eligible family members’ financial losses and the consequences of losing a loved one. Available compensation depends on liability, medical evidence, prognosis, insurance coverage, and other case-specific factors.

What to Do When Trucking Insurers Contact You

Trucking companies and their insurers may send investigators to the scene before an injured person leaves the hospital. Requests for recorded statements, broad medical authorizations, vehicle access, or an early settlement require careful review because your response could affect the claim.

Physical and electronic evidence can change quickly if a truck is repaired, a vehicle is destroyed, or stored data is overwritten. We develop these claims with litigation in mind, evaluating the evidence, damages, and potential defendants as though the case will proceed to trial.

Louisiana Filing Deadlines & Practical Next Steps

Louisiana prescription sets the deadline for filing a legal action. Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.1 generally provides a two-year prescriptive period for qualifying delictual actions arising on or after July 1, 2024, subject to the law’s terms and exceptions.

The correct deadline may vary with the crash date, claim type, defendant, injured person’s status, and other circumstances. You shouldn’t rely on a general deadline without legal advice about your case.

After an underride truck accident, practical steps may include:

Obtain appropriate medical care and follow your treatment instructions.
Preserve photographs, videos, vehicle information, medical documents, and records of missed work.
Avoid destructive repairs or disposal of the vehicle before a potential inspection when possible.
Keep insurer communications, correspondence, and settlement documents for legal review.

We can assess liability, available insurance, damages, prescription, and whether the evidence warrants investigating product, maintenance, cargo, or carrier-related claims.

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Protect the Evidence Behind Your Underride Claim

Our trial-ready approach combines experience in commercial truck cases with individualized attention to your injuries and losses. Contact us promptly for a free case evaluation after a serious collision in New Orleans or elsewhere in Louisiana. An early review can allow us to identify physical and electronic evidence before its condition changes.

We’re available by phone 24/7, and Spanish-language assistance is available. You won’t pay attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Call (504) 438-2342 to discuss your case with Cossé Injury Law.

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139 North Theard St.
Covington, LA 70433
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New Orleans
1515 Poydras St.
Suite 900
New Orleans, LA 70112
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