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Underride Car Accident Lawyer in New Orleans

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Experienced New Orleans Underride Car Accident Lawyers

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It can happen in a split second on the Pontchartrain Expressway or Chef Menteur Highway. A big rig brakes hard or swings across the lanes, and your car slides beneath the trailer. Few crashes are more frightening, and the people hurt in them deserve real answers.

An underride crash happens when a car goes under part of a large truck. In a rear underride, the car strikes the back of a trailer. In a side underride, it strikes the side, often while the truck is turning or crossing the road. Because a trailer sits higher than a car’s hood, the impact can land on the windshield and roof.

If you were hurt in New Orleans, Metairie, or anywhere in Orleans or Jefferson Parish, you need an underride car accident lawyer in New Orleans who knows how trucking companies defend these claims. At Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, our Louisiana underride accident lawyers look hard at guard failures, driver errors, and skipped maintenance to find every responsible party.

We’ve recovered $3 Billion for Louisiana families, including 230+ Million dollar verdicts and settlements. You pay nothing upfront, and there’s no fee unless we win.

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Types of Underride Accident Injuries Our New Orleans Lawyers Handle

When a trailer rides over a car’s hood, it can strike the windshield and cabin directly. Crumple zones and airbags may not protect you the way they were designed to. People who survive often face brain and head injuries, neck and spine damage, facial injuries, deep cuts, and broken bones. Recovery can take months or years and affect your work, your family, and your future.

New Orleans Underride Car Accident Statistics

Federal safety officials define underride as a crash in which a car slides under the body of a larger vehicle. But a police report may never use the word “underride.” That’s why a car underride accident lawyer digs deeper into how your crash really happened. With port trucks on the Clarence Henry Truckway and Tchoupitoulas Street, and big rigs on I-10 through Metairie and Kenner, these national numbers hit close to home:

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5,936

people died in crashes involving large trucks nationwide in 2022

About 89

people in passenger vehicles die each year, on average, in two-vehicle crashes where their vehicle hits the side of a tractor-trailer and goes under it

80%

is roughly how much higher side underride deaths are estimated to run than federal fatal crash databases show

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Side Underride Protection: Report to Congress, June 2024

Compensation You May Be Entitled To

If a trucking company’s carelessness or a failed guard caused your crash, you could be owed significant compensation. Our team fights for the full value of your claim, including:

Medical bills, past and future, including surgery and rehab
Lost wages and reduced ability to earn
Pain, suffering, and mental anguish
Scarring, disfigurement, or permanent disability
Vehicle repair or replacement
Wrongful death damages for families who lost a loved one

What is an underride injury claim worth? It depends on how badly you were hurt, your future care needs, how the crash affects your ability to work, and how many insurance policies apply. The driver, the carrier, and the trailer owner may each carry separate coverage, which can mean more room to recover.

Want a clear picture of your claim? Gordon McKernan’s New Orleans personal injury team reviews every possible source of payment, so nothing gets left behind.

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Mistakes to Avoid After an Underride Car Accident in New Orleans

After an underride crash, a few missteps can weaken your claim. Avoid these common errors:

Letting your car be scrapped before it’s inspected
Skipping photos of the trailer’s back, sides, guard, and lights (only if it’s safe)
Admitting fault or guessing about what happened
Putting off medical care because you feel “okay”
Giving a recorded statement to the trucking company’s insurer
Signing a release or cashing a quick settlement check
Posting about the crash on social media
Waiting too long to file your claim

Already made one of these mistakes? Don’t panic. An underride truck accident lawyer in New Orleans can still work to protect your rights, so call us now.

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Common Legal Challenges After an Underride Car Accident in New Orleans

Underride claims can get complicated fast. Victims often face:

Police reports that never label the crash as an underride
Trailers repaired, sold, or moved out of state before anyone inspects them
Insurers blaming the car’s driver for speed or following distance
Several companies pointing fingers at each other
Corporate legal teams that move quickly after a crash
A truck that leaves the scene, which may bring your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage into play
Lifelong care costs that are hard to put a number on
Lowball offers or flat denials

Truck cases mix Louisiana injury law with federal trucking rules, and that takes careful work. These roadblocks are stressful, but you don’t have to face them alone. With 679+ years of combined legal experience, our team knows how to push back and build a strong case.

Some underride crashes start as chain reactions involving other cars. When that happens, our New Orleans car accident lawyers can look closely at every driver’s role, too.

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Contact an Underride Car Accident Attorney Near Metairie Today

Injured in an Accident? Find Legal Help Near You

No matter where your crash happened, from Airline Drive in Kenner to Causeway Boulevard in Metairie or Tchoupitoulas Street in New Orleans, Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys is ready to help. You can meet with our team at Gordon McKernan’s New Orleans office on Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie. We offer statewide support with local service, so you’ll never feel like just another case file.

Your consultation is 100% free, and you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. That’s the G Guarantee.

Don’t let a trucking company’s insurer decide what your case is worth. Call 888.501.7888 today and talk with a New Orleans underride truck accident lawyer who’s ready to fight for you. Get Gordon. Get It Done.

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Results may vary depending on the facts and circumstances of each case. Viewing this website or contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.

Injured? Call Now at 888.501.7888

How New Orleans Underride Car Accident Lawyers Handle Your Case

Proof in an underride case can disappear quickly. A damaged trailer may be patched up and back on the road within days, so bringing in a truck underride crash lawyer early matters. From your first call, Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys works to:

Send letters demanding that the trucking company keep the trailer, guard, and records
Photograph and measure the rear guard, reflective tape, and lights before repairs
Work with qualified experts to reconstruct the crash
Pull the trailer’s inspection, maintenance, and repair records
Download truck engine data and electronic driving logs when available
Review the driver’s hours, training, and safety record
Find witnesses and collect traffic camera and nearby business video
Handle every call with the insurance companies
Prepare for trial if a fair offer never comes

Federal rules give us a clear checklist. Most trailers and semitrailers rated at 10,000 pounds or more and built on or after January 26, 1998 must have a rear impact guard no higher than 22 inches off the ground. That guard is part of the required periodic truck inspection. Most trailers 80 inches or wider and built since December 1, 1993 also need reflective sheeting or reflectors so other drivers can see them.

Side guards are another matter. NHTSA stated in April 2025 that no federal safety standard required side underride guards on semi-trailers. That doesn’t close the door on your claim. A side underride accident lawyer can still build a case around lighting, reflectors, and how the driver handled the truck.

More than one party may share the blame. Here’s who we look at:

Truck driver: sudden stops, unsafe turns or lane changes, or parking in the roadway
Trucking company: poor training, rushed schedules, or skipped inspections
Trailer owner or leasing company: sent out a trailer with a damaged guard
Repair shop: missed or botched guard or lighting repairs
Trailer or guard maker: designed or built a guard that failed
Cargo loader: loaded the rig in a way that made it unsafe

Many families ask how long an underride case takes. It depends on your injuries, how many companies are involved, and if the case goes to trial. As your underride accident lawyer in New Orleans, we’ll give you honest updates at every step.

Underride claims build on the same skills our truck accident lawyers in New Orleans use in every big-rig case. You focus on healing. We’ll handle the investigation.

Understanding New Orleans Underride Car Accident Laws

Louisiana is an at-fault state. Under state law, a person whose fault causes harm to someone else is responsible for making it right. Underride cases layer federal trucking rules on top, and a claim against a guard or trailer maker falls under the Louisiana Products Liability Act. Here’s what you need to know.

Statute Of Limitations:

Louisiana calls the filing deadline the “prescriptive period.” If you miss it, you may lose your right to recover.

2 years from the date of injury for crashes on or after July 1, 2024
Crashes before that date fell under the older 1-year deadline
Wrongful death claims follow their own timing rules, so call us right away

Comparative Fault:

Since January 1, 2026, Louisiana has followed a modified comparative fault rule. If you’re found less than 51% at fault, your award is reduced by your share of the blame. At 51% or more, you can’t recover damages. Crashes before 2026 may be handled under the older rule, so let us review your dates and facts.

That matters in underride cases because insurers often claim the car’s driver was speeding or following too close. Proof of a missing guard or an unlit trailer can shift the blame back where it belongs.

Minimum Insurance Requirements:

Federal rules require many trucking companies to carry far more coverage than Louisiana requires for passenger cars:

$750,000 for for-hire trucks hauling general freight across state lines
$1,000,000 for trucks hauling oil or certain hazardous materials
$5,000,000 for trucks hauling certain higher-risk hazardous materials

These amounts are floors, not ceilings. That’s one reason a New Orleans underride accident attorney pushes for the full value of your claim instead of a quick check.

Need help understanding how these rules apply to your case? Contact us today for a free consultation.

Don’t Wait — Talk to a New Orleans Underride Car Accident Lawyer Today

At Gordon Mckernan Injury Attorneys, we understand that emotional and physical recovery come hand and hand after an injury or accident. We also know that you may not have the energy or time to fight with an insurance company and the complexities of your personal injury claim.

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How It Works

Filing a claim with Gordon Mckernan Injury Attorneys is easy!
Simply follow the steps below.

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Fill out our quick and easy form to find out if your case qualifies. Our consultations are free and confidential, and we are here to help whether you hire us or not!

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Once your case has been evaluated and deemed a good fit for our firm, our team will go to work immediately on gathering evidence, building your case, and getting you the compensation that you deserve.

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