New Orleans Car Accident Lawyers

Injured in an Auto Accident? Call (504) 475-2429

After an auto accident, it’s important to have an experienced legal advocate in your corner. Our New Orleans car accident attorneys at The Chopin Law Firm are passionate about advocating for our clients’ rights and fighting for the compensation they deserve.

If you were hurt in a crash in New Orleans or anywhere in Louisiana, you may be dealing with medical bills, missed work, vehicle damage, and pressure from an insurance company at the same time. A car accident lawyer can help you understand your options, protect your claim, and pursue compensation for the losses caused by another driver’s negligence.

If you or a loved one has been involved in a car crash that was caused by the negligence of another, don’t hesitate to enlist our experienced legal help. We are backed by more than five decades of experience and offer a free consultation to start your case.

Remember: Insurance Companies Are Businesses

When you have to file a car accident claim, keep in mind that insurance companies are businesses that need to make a profit. A common insurance company tactic is to avoid paying out as many claims as possible, even if this means wrongfully denying or undervaluing perfectly valid claims.

You should not be surprised if you get an initial settlement offer from the other driver’s insurer that seems suspiciously low. They may try to say, “It’s the best we can do” or convince you not to hire an attorney because that would “waste everyone’s time.”

Insurance adjusters may also ask for recorded statements, request broad medical authorizations, or move quickly before the full extent of your injuries is known. These steps can affect your claim, especially if your symptoms worsen or you later need additional treatment.

Remember that you are vulnerable after a crash; resist the temptation to accept a lowball offer from the insurance company and call our auto accident lawyers in New Orleans as soon as you can.

Maximizing Your Settlement Offer

You are the only one that can decide whether to take the insurance company’s settlement offer. However, one of our New Orleans car accident attorneys can help you think of the big picture and calculate what you are really owed before taking the initial offer.

A fair car accident settlement should account for more than the bills you already have. It should also consider future medical care, lost earning ability, pain and suffering, and the ways your injuries affect your daily life.

To calculate a full damage amount, an attorney typically looks at how long the injury keeps you out of work, whether you can return to the same job, whether you will need specialist care such as physical therapy or surgery, whether you will need a wheelchair, crutches, or other assistance, and whether the injury is likely to cause any long-term disability. It’s also important to consider whether you will need follow-up care, injections, imaging, or future evaluations, and how the accident has affected your sleep, mobility, family responsibilities, or ability to enjoy normal activities. There are many different angles to approach when it comes to calculating a full damage amount, and this isn’t about being opportunistic.

If you take an offer that is less than what you deserve, you may be left with out-of-pocket medical expenses or lost wages when your settlement money runs out.

Protect yourself and your future well-being by taking every offer seriously and allowing an attorney from The Chopin Law Firm to review it.

Common Causes of Car Accidents in New Orleans

Determining the cause of a car crash is crucial to getting the compensation you need. The Chopin Law Firm conducts thorough investigations in order to determine who may be held liable for your injury.

Drunk driving is one of the most common and dangerous causes of car accidents in New Orleans, since impaired drivers often have slower reaction times, poor judgment, and difficulty staying in their lane. Distracted driving is another leading cause, and texting, using navigation, eating, adjusting controls, or talking to passengers can take a driver’s attention away from the road long enough to cause a serious rear-end collision, intersection crash, or pedestrian accident. Poor road design can also contribute to crashes when a roadway creates confusion, blind spots, or structural issues that lead to serious vehicle accidents and injuries.

Defective car parts, including brakes, seatbelts, steering wheels, accelerators, and ignitions, can cause a crash or worsen the effects of one. Speeding is a form of aggressive driving that not only increases the chance of a crash but also leads to more serious injuries at higher speeds, and violating traffic laws in general is careless, reckless, and negligent given how many drivers share the road at once. Unsafe lane changes are another common form of aggressive driving, often paired with speeding, and a driver who swerves between lanes at high speeds puts everyone on the road at risk of a catastrophic accident.

Other common causes include tailgating, failure to yield, running red lights, unsafe turns, fatigued driving, and driving too fast for weather or traffic conditions. In New Orleans, crashes may also involve rideshare vehicles, delivery drivers, tourists unfamiliar with local roads, and heavy traffic near business districts, neighborhoods, and entertainment areas.

Our auto accident attorneys can review the details of your collision and discuss how your injuries have affected your life. After looking carefully at all the evidence available, our team will craft a case that is fit to meet your needs and circumstances.

Determining Liability After a Crash

One of the biggest factors to consider in a car accident case is determining who may be liable for causing the crash. In most cases, it is a negligent driver who is responsible, meaning the claim would be filed against his or her insurance company.

However, in some cases, there may be other individuals or entities responsible for causing the crash. For instance, what happens when the collision is caused by a road hazard such as a pothole or missing traffic light? It may be the government entity responsible for maintenance who can be seen as liable for the crash.

In other cases, liability may fall on a manufacturer if the parts they produce are not safe or up to standard. For instance, in a situation where the brakes of a vehicle fail due to a defect, the manufacturer may be liable for any damages suffered as a result.

Liability may also involve an employer if the at-fault driver was working at the time of the crash. In commercial vehicle, rideshare, delivery, or company vehicle accidents, it is important to identify every insurance policy and responsible party before accepting a settlement.

When you work with a New Orleans car accident lawyer at The Chopin Law Firm, we can help you determine liability for your crash and explore all available avenues of compensation.

What Compensation Can You Recover After a Louisiana Car Accident?

Car accident compensation depends on the facts of the crash, the severity of the injuries, available insurance coverage, and the long-term impact on your life. The goal of a claim is to account for the harm caused by the accident, not just the most obvious expenses.

Depending on the case, compensation may include medical bills, future medical care, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, property damage, rental vehicle costs, and other accident-related losses. Serious injury cases may require careful documentation from doctors, employers, repair providers, and other professionals who can explain the full effect of the crash.

No lawyer can promise a specific result, but a thorough investigation and complete documentation can help prevent an insurance company from undervaluing the claim.

What Should I Do After a Car Accident in New Orleans?

There are several steps that you can take directly following an auto accident in Louisiana that can help prove liability and ensure you recover full compensation.

Steps to take following a car crash:

• Remain at the scene. Never leave the scene of an accident, even if you were not at fault, since fleeing a scene can lead to criminal penalties.
• Check for injuries to yourself and passengers, and call for an ambulance if anyone needs medical attention.
• Call the police. When they arrive, they will evaluate the accident and write up a police report, so be sure to ask where you can get a copy.
• Gather information about the other driver's insurance, license plate, contact information, and address.
• Take photos of the damage and the surrounding scene.
• Seek medical treatment as soon as possible, since not all injuries show up immediately.
• Contact an attorney before talking to insurers, so you understand your rights and how to file an effective claim.
• Keep copies of medical records, repair estimates, rental car receipts, insurance letters, and any communication related to the crash.
• Avoid posting about the accident or your injuries on social media while your claim is pending.

If you failed to complete one of these steps, it does not mean that your claim is lost or unwinnable. Our legal team has over five decades of experience handling these types of claims and offers free, initial case evaluations.

It costs you nothing to call our New Orleans car crash lawyers and learn more about your legal options.

Common Car Accident Injuries

Car accident injuries are not always obvious at the scene. Pain can appear hours or days later, especially when adrenaline, shock, or stress masks symptoms immediately after the collision.

Common injuries after a car accident include neck injuries, whiplash, back injuries, herniated discs, concussions, traumatic brain injuries, broken bones, shoulder injuries, knee injuries, soft tissue injuries, internal injuries, and psychological trauma. Some people also experience headaches, dizziness, numbness, sleep problems, or worsening pain after they initially thought they were fine.

Prompt medical care protects your health and helps create a record connecting your symptoms to the accident. If your symptoms change or worsen, follow up with your doctor and explain that the pain began after the crash.

The Risks of Handling a Car Accident Claim on Your Own

One of the most important things to remember about car accidents is that not everything is what it seems at first glance. There are several factors that need to be taken into consideration in order to determine fault and the entirety of your potential damages. You will also need a strong knowledge of Louisiana auto accident laws.

Already burdened by ongoing medical expenses and lost wages, some car accident victims think they are not financially able to retain a lawyer and choose to handle their own claims. Doing so could jeopardize your recovery in more ways than one.

You Give a Statement That Jeopardizes Your Claim

An adjuster from the at-fault driver’s insurance company will waste no time in contacting you after an accident. They do this in order to catch you in a vulnerable state where you may say things you aren’t necessarily certain of. For instance, you may accidentally insinuate you were partially responsible when the facts of the case show that the other driver was really at fault.

It’s always recommended that you speak with an attorney before speaking with the insurance company investigating your claim. This way, you can be advised on what to say, as well as what to avoid, in order to ensure liability is thoroughly investigated.

You Underestimate Your Injuries

The extent of your injuries is not always immediately apparent after an accident. In fact, some symptoms may not even manifest for days or weeks following the incident. Underestimating your injuries can cause you to skip an important step: seeking medical treatment and getting a proper diagnosis.

Without guidance from an attorney, you may simply think it’s not worth it to get medical attention or file a claim until it’s too late. If you wait an extended period of time to file a claim and begin gathering evidence, the insurance company may question how injured you really are and use it as a reason to deny your claim.

You Settle for Less Than What You Deserve

It can be hard to understand how much your claim is worth because there are many factors involved. You may think you should just accept a settlement because it covers your current medical bills and time spent off work, but what about your future expenses?

If your medical records indicate, for instance, that your doctor recommends future surgery, you need to account for these expenses as well. Otherwise, you will be stuck with out-of-pocket costs once the settlement money runs out later on.

An experienced car accident attorney from The Chopin Law Firm can review the specifics of your case to ensure you do not accept a lowball settlement offer. We are committed to protecting the rights of accident victims by guiding them through the claims process from start to finish.

We work with each client on a contingency fee basis, which means you pay absolutely no out-of-pocket fees to retain our services. Our firm only collects fees if and when we help you win compensation.

Is It Too Late to Call a Lawyer After Settling with the Insurance Company?

Insurance companies are quick to obtain statements about the accident and settle as soon as possible. If you’ve already agreed to a settlement, you generally cannot open a lawsuit against the insurance company or defendant.

There can be a few exceptions to this general rule, such as cases where the defendant acted in a fraudulent or coercive manner, or where your lawsuit is against a different person involved in the accident. Because settlement agreements can limit your rights, it is important to understand what you are signing before accepting payment. A lawyer can review the release, explain what claims may be affected, and help you avoid giving up rights before the full impact of the accident is known.

What If My Injuries Aren't Discovered Until Later?

It is always best to file a car accident claim right away, as this ensures your best chance of success; however, there are many cases in which injuries suffered in an accident do not present themselves right away.

In Louisiana, many personal injury claims arising on or after July 1, 2024, are generally subject to a two-year prescriptive period. Claims that arose before that date may still be affected by the prior one-year period, and certain exceptions or special rules may apply depending on the facts.

It can be difficult for your lawyer to prove the injuries you sustained surfaced after the applicable deadline, which is why it’s crucial for you to receive medical attention immediately after your accident.

Having detailed reports from your doctor that substantiate your claim can mean the difference between obtaining the compensation you need and living a life paying hefty medical bills.

Even when you have more time to file, waiting can make a claim harder to prove. Witnesses may become difficult to locate, video footage may be erased, vehicles may be repaired, and insurance companies may argue that delayed treatment weakens the connection between the crash and your injuries.

How a New Orleans Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

A car accident lawyer can help by investigating the crash, gathering evidence, identifying insurance coverage, communicating with adjusters, documenting damages, and preparing the claim for negotiation or litigation. This support can be especially important when liability is disputed or the insurance company minimizes the injury.

The Chopin Law Firm helps clients understand what comes next after a crash. Our team can review the accident, explain potential sources of recovery, and help you decide how to move forward based on your specific circumstances.

Car Accident FAQs

1. How can I stop distracted driving?

Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of crashes in Louisiana. To reduce risk, put your phone away, use hands-free devices, set your GPS before starting the car, and avoid multitasking.

If you were injured by a distracted driver, our car accident attorneys can help protect your rights.

2. Does liability insurance cover a hit-and-run accident?

Typically, liability insurance does not cover your own damages in a hit-and-run — it covers damages you cause to others. To protect yourself, you need uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, which can apply if the driver who hit you cannot be identified.

After a hit-and-run, report the crash, seek medical care, and notify your insurance company. A lawyer can review whether UM/UIM coverage or another source of recovery may apply.

3. Is Louisiana a no-fault state?

No. Louisiana is an at-fault state, meaning the driver who caused the accident is responsible for damages.

Victims can pursue compensation through insurance claims or lawsuits. This makes evidence of fault especially important after a crash.

4. What should I do after a car accident in Louisiana?

First, check for injuries and call 911. Exchange information, take photos of the scene, file a police report, and seek medical attention even if you feel fine.

Then, contact a Louisiana car accident lawyer before dealing with insurance adjusters. Early guidance can help protect your claim before statements, settlement offers, or paperwork create problems.

5. Does Louisiana require car insurance?

Yes. Louisiana law requires drivers to carry minimum liability coverage: $15,000 for bodily injury per person, $30,000 per accident, and $25,000 for property damage.

Driving without insurance can lead to fines, license suspension, and limited recovery rights after an accident.

6. How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Louisiana?

For many Louisiana injury claims arising on or after July 1, 2024, the prescriptive period is generally two years. Claims arising before that date may be subject to the prior one-year deadline, and some cases may involve different rules.

Because deadlines can affect your right to recover compensation, it is best to speak with an attorney as soon as possible after a crash.

7. Should I see a doctor after a minor car accident?

Yes. You should seek medical care after a car accident, even if your injuries seem minor at first.

Some injuries do not appear immediately, and early medical documentation can help connect your symptoms to the crash. Delaying care can make recovery harder and may give the insurance company a reason to dispute your claim.

8. What if the other driver says I was partly at fault?

You should not assume the other driver is correct. Fault is determined by evidence, including police reports, photos, witness statements, vehicle damage, video footage, and accident reconstruction when needed.

Even when fault is disputed, you may still have options. A lawyer can evaluate the facts and help respond to insurance company arguments.