A car crash can turn a normal day into a hard one. Many families across Louisiana deal with this every year. Wrecks happen on I-10 in Baton Rouge, I-12 near Hammond, and busy streets in New Orleans and Lafayette.
If you are hurt, it is normal to feel scared or confused. You may be thinking about your health, your kids, and how you will pay the bills. You are not alone.
Louisiana law protects drivers and passengers who are hurt because of someone else’s mistake. When another driver causes a crash, their insurance must help fix the damage.
How a Louisiana Car Accident Settlement Helps Your Family
Car accident settlements are meant to help you get back on your feet. Lawyers in Louisiana look at two main types of damages.
Special Damages (The Money You Lost)
Think of Special Damages as math. These are bills we can add up with a calculator. We look at your receipts to see exactly how much money you lost.
- Medical Bills: This covers the ambulance ride, the emergency room at Our Lady of the Lake or Ochsner, and your physical therapy.
- Future Medical Bills: If you were hit by a big truck, you might be hurt for a long time. We figure out how much the doctor will cost next year and the year after.
- Lost Wages: Did your doctor tell you to stay home from work? You should get paid for the days you missed.
- Car Repairs: The money to fix your car or buy a new one if yours was totaled. This also includes the cost of a rental car while yours is in the shop.
Read more: Has the Louisiana medical claim process changed for the better or worse?
General Damages (How You Feel)
Injuries affect more than your body. Pain, stress, and fear after a crash matter. If you cannot enjoy family time, sports, church, or festivals like you did before, Louisiana law allows payment for those losses.
This bucket is different. There are no receipts for pain. But in Louisiana parishes, from Caddo to Jefferson, the law says you should get paid for how the wreck changed your life.
- Pain and Suffering: Does your back hurt? Do you have headaches? This money is for the physical pain.
- Scars: If you have a scar on your face or arm from the crash, that counts too.
- Mental Anguish: Car wrecks are scary. Many people get nervous driving on the Causeway or the Mississippi River Bridge after a crash. You can get paid for that stress.
- Loss of Enjoyment: This is a big one in Louisiana. We love to live life here. If you can’t go fishing, hunting, or dance at a festival because you are hurt, you lost something special. You should be paid for losing your hobbies.
Why Truck Wrecks Are Different
If you were hit by a semi-truck or 18-wheeler, things are more serious. These trucks are heavy and dangerous. They crash often on highways like I-20 in Shreveport or I-10 in Lake Charles.
Because truck wrecks cause bad injuries, the Special Damages (medical bills) and General Damages (pain) are usually much higher than a regular car crash.
Two Important Louisiana Rules
- Don’t Wait! In Louisiana, you have a very short time to sue. You usually have only two years from the day of the crash. If you wait too long, you get zero dollars.
- No Pay, No Play: This is a special Louisiana law. If you did not have car insurance when you got hit, the other driver might not have to pay the first $15,000 of your medical bills. It is very important to have your own insurance!
Need Help in Louisiana?
Don’t let the insurance company bully you. Whether you are in Metairie, Kenner, Monroe, or anywhere in the Bayou State, we can help.
We look at your bills and your pain to get you the most money possible.
Call us today for a free meeting. We don’t get paid unless you win.