New Orleans is one of the biggest party cities in the United States, with bustling nightlife, vibrant live music, and plentiful bars and clubs to provide alcohol during Mardi Gras. However, the fun of the city can screech to a halt if a driver commits negligent driving behavior and causes a catastrophic car accident. Drivers can be at risk of dangers posed by distracted, drunk, and reckless drivers in the French Quarter and all around New Orleans.
A high-speed car crash in New Orleans can lead to devastating and expensive damages, such as medical bills, lost earning potential, and mental anguish. A New Orleans car accident attorney can use their local knowledge to help you process your claim and recover compensation for your damages. The experienced car accident attorneys at The Russo Firm can provide legal counsel that can put you in the best position to recover compensation.
Why Choose The Russo Firm for Your New Orleans Car Accident Claim?
Let’s say you went to the French Quarter to celebrate a job promotion, but things took a turn for the worst when a drunk partier rear-ended you on the way back home. Your celebratory drink turned into a nightmare, and now you need to figure out how you’re going to pay for your expensive damages. The experienced car accident attorneys at The Russo Firm understand the stress a catastrophe like this can provide, and we can use our experience to relieve the stress of litigation and let you focus on your recovery.
The key ingredient to our success at The Russo Firm is our commitment to our clients. We do not have a “one size fits all” approach to helping our clients. We will keep in constant contact with you and shape our legal counsel around your specific case. Our New Orleans car accident lawyers will address your thoughts and concerns and use our local New Orleans experience to add specificity to the action plan. Contact The Russo Firm today to learn how our New Orleans car accident lawyers can assist with your claim.
The Russo Firm Case Results
At The Russo Firm, we believe in doing everything in our power to help our clients receive fair financial compensation. Some law firms with less experienced car accident lawyers may do things unintentionally to affect your potential compensation, such as accepting a lowball early settlement offer from an insurance company. We understand this is a tactic to reduce your potential compensation and will continue negotiations until you get a fair settlement offer.
Many car accident attorneys will also avoid taking a case to court by any means necessary due to how long these cases can drag out for. At The Russo Firm, we understand a court case may be the only path to fair compensation and will take this route despite the time and resource commitment it presents.
We have a proven track record of earning fair compensation for our personal injury clients, as evidenced by our list of case results:
- $3.3 Million for a Car Accident Caused by a Drunk Driver
- $2.4 Million for Medical Malpractice Misdiagnosis
- $2 Million for Wrongful Death Trucking Accident
- $1.75 Million Product Liability Jury Award for Crushed Hand
- $650 Thousand Car Accident Jury Award for Reconstructed Knee
Louisiana Car Accident Laws
Each state has its own set of rules and laws that dictate how people should drive on the road, what driving actions are considered negligent, and what the process should be following a car accident. The same can be said for Louisiana, whose laws dictate driving behavior to the citizens of New Orleans.
The following are some of the Louisiana laws about car accidents affecting New Orleans drivers:
- All vehicles should be driven on the right side of the roadway unless passing another vehicle, the right side of the roadway is closed, the road is designed for one-way traffic, or it is a divided roadway
- Louisiana drivers must have met the minimum criteria for having liability insurance ($15,000 for bodily injury or death of one person, $30,000 for total bodily injury or death, and $25,000 for property damage)
- According to the Louisiana Revised Statutes section 32-398, a driver must report a car accident to law enforcement if it caused injury, death, or at least $500 worth of property damage
- The statute of limitation for a Louisiana car accident claim is one year
- Louisiana operates under pure comparative fault, which means the court will determine the percentage of fault for each party and deduct that from any potential compensation
- There is a “No Pay, No Play” law that states an uninsured motorist cannot collect the first $15,000 in bodily injury damages and $25,000 in property damage from a negligent party
Where Do New Orleans Car Accidents Commonly Occur?
Louisiana has been a dangerous state for car accidents in the past many years. In 2020, the state saw 828 traffic-related fatalities. The city of New Orleans itself, a part of the Orleans Parish, saw an uptick in car accidents in 2021. There were 69 fatalities from car crashes, the highest number since 2004, and an additional 338 people were severely injured, the highest number since 2013.
These car accidents occur due to negligent driving behavior from drivers less focused on the road than some other distraction. New Orleans drivers must be wary of drunk or distracted drivers not only while driving down roads and streets but also when stopped at intersections. The large majority of New Orleans’ car accidents last year occurred at intersections.
The following are the most dangerous roads, streets, and intersections for car accidents in New Orleans:
- West Congress Street
- Ambassador Caffery Parkway
- Johnston Street
- West Pinhook Road
- Kaliste Saloom Road
- Canal Street and North Dorgenois Street
- Iberville Street and North Peters Street
- Poydras Street and Camp Street
- Canal Street and North Peters Street
- Highway 90 and Gravier Street
- Bourbon Street and Canal Street
Causes of New Orleans Car Accidents
There are many types of ways a car accident can occur. While there can be issues that do not have to do with the driver, such as a defective car part, adverse weather conditions, or poor road conditions, the most likely cause of a New Orleans is negligent driving behavior.
This encompasses any dangerous driving behavior committed by distracted, drunk, or unfocused drivers. If a driver’s mind is cloudy due to drugs and alcohol or distracted by life outside of the car, they are unlikely to operate their car with optimum safety. This can lead to them making reckless and dangerous moves behind the wheel that can lead to car accidents.
The following are some of the causes of New Orleans driving accidents:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Speeding
- Road rage
- Drowsy driving
- Ignoring road rules
- Not using turn signals
Types of New Orleans Car Accidents
As a New Orleans driver, you need to be aware of what is going around every side of your vehicle because a crash can come from all different directions. Your car can be struck by a distracted or drunk driver from the front, side, or back, each of which can affect the severity of injury caused. There can also be more than two vehicles involved in a car accident, with the widespread impact caused across streets and roads by multi-vehicle car accidents.
The following are some of the types of New Orleans car accidents:
- Head-on collision
- Sideswipe accident
- Rear-end collision
- T-bone accident
- Multi-car crash
- Rollover accident
Severe Injuries Caused by New Orleans Car Accidents
New Orleans car accident victims can receive severe injuries from blunt force trauma, whiplash, penetrating trauma, colliding with a hard object, or being pressed between two hard objects. Car accident impact, and the pressure it generates on the body, can lead to damage to the muscles, tendons, ligaments, and vital organs. Severe injuries can affect your body’s functioning, making everyday tasks more difficult and possibly impossible.
The following are some of the severe injuries you could suffer in a New Orleans car accident:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken bones
- Back and neck injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Knee injuries
- Shoulder injuries
- Facial injuries
- Internal injuries
Liability in a New Orleans Car Accident Claim
The liable party in a New Orleans car accident claim is the one who bears the brunt of responsibility for the car accident. There can be multiple liable parties, including the victim seeking compensation for damages. Louisiana operates under comparative negligence, which allows those partially responsible for a car accident to still pursue compensation.
Drivers on the road are the most likely liable party, as negligent driving actions like drunk driving, distracted driving, and reckless driving cause most car accidents. A company in the distribution chain that caused a defective car part to be bought and used, eventually leading to a car accident, can be held liable in a product liability claim.
These are the most likely liable parties to pursue compensation from after a car accident. In rare cases, an employer can be vicariously liable for car accidents caused by employees while in company vehicles and completing company tasks. Government entities can be liable for negligence in paving roads and placing road signs to regulate traffic. As mentioned, these are rare cases, and you should speak to a car accident lawyer before even considering these as possibilities.
What to do After a New Orleans Car Accident
Following a New Orleans car accident, there are certain steps you need to take to help with your medical condition and possible future car accident claim. By taking these steps, you are following the law, proving that your injuries are severe and that you are doing everything in your power to treat them. You can collect evidence that can help prove your case down the line.
The following are some of the steps you should take after a New Orleans car accident:
- Move your car off the road
- Contact the police
- Exchange contact information with anyone involved and witnesses
- Take photos and videos of injuries, property damage, road condition, and traffic control signals
- Receive medical attention
- Take detailed notes on what happened during the car accident
- Collect essential records
- Contact a New Orleans car accident attorney
- File a car accident claim
Filing a New Orleans Car Accident
If another party’s negligence caused a car accident, you could file a New Orleans car accident claim to pursue compensation for damages. A car accident lawyer can assist you in the claims process by letting you know all that you need to do to put yourself in a position to recover compensation for damages.
In New Orleans, negligence is defined as one party’s failure to exercise care and a personal injury accident resulting. On the road, other drivers owe a duty of care. If that duty of care is breached and you receive severe injuries from a car accident as a result you have grounds to file a car accident claim to pursue compensation for damages.
What Damages Can You Pursue After a New Orleans Car Accident?
If a negligent party caused a car accident, you could file a car accident claim to pursue damages, which are losses associated with the car accident. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation for damages you have already incurred or you will likely incur later in life.
You can pursue both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are those, such as medical bills and property damage, that have a bill or monetary value attached to them that your car accident lawyer can point to. Non-economic damages are intangible losses, like pain and suffering and mental anguish, that reflect how your life has negatively changed because of the car accident impact.
The following are some of the damages you can pursue compensation for:
- Medical expenses
- Property damage
- Lost wages
- Lost earning potential
- Mental anguish
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
How Can a New Orleans Car Accident Lawyer Help With Your Car Accident Claim?
There are many hurdles for a car accident victim to overcome to receive compensation for their catastrophic damages. While they can handle it on their own, a car accident lawyer can help them handle the process with their car accident experience. They have been through the process before and can use their experience to relieve the stress a car accident victim may be feeling.
The following are some of the things a New Orleans car accident lawyer can help a client with:
- Assess damages
- Assign liability
- Send out a demand letter to the at-fault party’s insurance company
- Research New Orleans law regarding car accident claims
- Collect evidence
- Organize essential records used to prove their case
- Speak to expert witnesses
- Negotiate a settlement with the at-fault party’s insurance company
- Represent them in court
If you need someone to help you with this car accident process, contact a local car accident lawyer today. The car accident lawyers at The Russo Firm have helped New Orleans car crash victims for decades pursue compensation and can be in your corner in your car accident claims process.
Contact The Russo Firm for Help With Your New Orleans Car Accident Claim
Following a car accident, the last thing you should have to worry about is negotiating a fair settlement with an insurance company. You should hire a New Orleans car accident lawyer who can handle the claims process, so you can focus your energy on your recovery.
At The Russo Firm, we have experienced New Orleans car accident attorneys who have handled local cases for decades. They know the Louisiana laws about car accidents and liability like the back of their hand, which allows them to process the claim with efficiency and effectiveness. You need a car accident lawyer that can centralize your thoughts and concerns and handle the process in a way that maximizes your potential compensation.
Look no further than The Russo Firm. Contact us today by calling us at (844) 847-8300 or leaving a message on our online contact page to learn how our New Orleans car accident attorneys can help you earn compensation for your damages.