Loyd J. Bourgeois Injury & Accident Lawyer secured a favorable settlement for a working college student who suffered physical injuries and serious emotional distress after an 18-wheeler made an illegal right turn from the wrong lane on Airline Highway in Louisiana.
Case at a Glance
- Case Type: Commercial truck accident involving an illegal right turn
- Location: Airline Highway, Louisiana
- Client: Working college student injured while waiting to turn right
- Accident Details: An 18-wheeler made a wide right turn from a highway travel lane instead of the designated turn lane, striking and severely damaging the client’s vehicle
- Injuries: Physical injuries and significant emotional distress, including worsening anxiety and past trauma
- Medical Treatment: Months of physical therapy and pain management, along with inpatient treatment for emotional and mental health symptoms
- Key Evidence: Truck driver admitted to authorities that he turned from the wrong lane and failed to see vehicles in the turn lane; he received citations for an illegal turn and careless operation
- Insurance Challenge: The defense disputed the extent of the client’s emotional injuries and argued that her distress resulted from prior trauma
- Final Recovery: Favorable settlement
- Resolution: Lawsuit filed against the truck driver, trucking company, and insurers; resolved after litigation involving both state and federal courts
18-Wheeler Makes Illegal Turn on Airline Highway, Crushing College Student’s Car
18-wheelers can be the bullies of the roadways. Due to their sheer size, their drivers sometimes act as though the normal rules of the road do not apply to them. This case highlights the devastating consequences of that attitude.
Our client was traveling on Airline Highway when she approached the intersection where she needed to turn right. The roadway at this intersection has a designated right-turn lane separate from the main highway. As she had done many times before, she entered the turn lane while vehicles waiting at the red light remained to her left.
As she approached the turn, she yielded as directed by the signage. The traffic signal was green for vehicles turning left across her path, so she waited for them to pass.
Suddenly, she felt a violent impact to the front of her vehicle. An 18-wheeler was making a right turn from the highway travel lane instead of the designated turn lane. Her car was demolished as the massive truck continued turning, jolting her around inside her vehicle.
Eventually, the tractor-trailer driver realized he had crashed into our client’s car and stopped.
Truck Driver Admits to Making an Illegal Turn
The truck driver admitted to authorities that he noticed his turn too late. Because he was operating a big rig, he believed he needed to swing wide and decided to make the turn directly from the highway travel lane.
He also admitted that he never saw our client or the other vehicles in the designated turn lane. Instead, he had focused entirely on the left-turning traffic and was waiting for those vehicles to clear before completing his turn.
Authorities ticketed the truck driver for making an illegal turn and careless operation of a commercial vehicle.
College Student Suffers Physical Injuries and Severe Emotional Distress
Our client, a working college student, was distraught after the crash. She could not stop thinking about how close she had come to losing her life.
The terrifying collision also intensified existing anxieties and past trauma. Her emotional struggles became so severe that she eventually sought inpatient treatment for her mental health.
In addition to the emotional injuries, she suffered physical injuries from the impact. She underwent months of physical therapy and pain management to address her pain and other symptoms.
Although she experienced physical pain, the most significant consequences of this crash were emotional. The collision profoundly affected her mental health and daily life.
Insurance Company Disputes the Emotional Injuries Caused by the Crash
Our team filed a lawsuit against the truck driver, his company, and the insurance companies.
As expected, the defense attorney and insurance company challenged the severity of our client’s emotional distress. They argued that her mental health struggles stemmed from past trauma rather than the terrifying crash.
The litigation also involved significant procedural challenges. The lawsuit began in state court, was removed to federal court, and then remanded back to state court. After almost a year of litigation, the case was removed to federal court a second time.
Despite these challenges, our team continued fighting to demonstrate the impact the collision had on our client’s mental health and to hold the responsible parties accountable.
Ultimately, we negotiated a favorable resolution that allowed our client to bring the matter to a close.
Fighting for Recognition of Emotional Distress After a Louisiana Truck Accident
This case was about much more than physical injuries. It was about recognizing that a terrifying truck accident can cause serious emotional harm, even when the physical injuries are not catastrophic.
Our Louisiana truck accident lawyers and legal team fought to have our client’s emotional injuries recognized and to hold the at-fault truck driver, his company, and the insurers accountable for the harm caused.
Throughout this case, we saw firsthand how difficult it can be to obtain fair compensation for mental health injuries. The defense repeatedly attempted to minimize our client’s emotional distress by pointing to her past experiences rather than acknowledging how the crash affected her.
We refused to let those arguments overshadow the suffering our client experienced. By standing up for her throughout the litigation, we helped her obtain a favorable financial resolution despite the challenges of proving emotional distress.
