Asked in Traffic Tickets for Louisiana

Q: I was on I-10 WB @121mm, I was struck in the left rear of my trailer by another vehicle while I was changing lanes.

I was changing lanes and had more than enough room to do that. When another vehicle that was obviously speeding struck the rear of my trailer. I was issued a ticket for improper lane usage. He struck me from behind (Not the side) what can I do about the citation?

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2 Lawyer Answers
Steven Pate Harrelson
Steven Pate Harrelson
Answered
  • Criminal Law Lawyer
  • Little Rock, AR
  • Licensed in Louisiana

A: Unless he was already in the lane you were changing into, I'd fight the ticket. If you're a truck driver, you might consider hiring an attorney to (1) try to resolve the ticket without you having to go back to Louisiana, and (2) try to have it dismissed to prevent it from creating havoc with your driving record.

If there was property damage or potential bodily injury on either side, report it to your insurance carrier.

Peter N. Munsing
Peter N. Munsing
Answered

A: Be worth contacting an attorney who handles tickets in the Parrish where that ticket /citation will be heard--see if they can knock it down to a non-moving violation.

If you were in right lane moving left, may be on you. If you were in the left lane moving into the right, you have an argument to make that if you were being careless it should have hit on your trailer's right, not it's left.

Also note where his damage was.

Problem is in either scenario you not only have to have enough room to move into the other lane but to keep the other driver under observation and not complete the move if they close the gap (and then some).

As Mr. Harrelson noted, you want to report it to your insurance as there was damage.

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