Motor vehicle injuries and accidents come in all shapes and sizes. You may not be the driver, owner of the vehicle or in a vehicle at the time of the accident when involved in a motor vehicle accident. If the accident was the result of negligence, you may be entitled to compensation. Donald D’Aunoy Jr. has extensive experience with motor vehicle accidents and will ensure your case is justly resolved.
Motor vehicle accident cases can be complex. An experienced motor vehicle injury attorney can help you receive the compensation you deserve and/or navigate all the paperwork, “red tape”, and hassle often associated with car accident insurance claims.
No matter they type of auto accident the The Law Offices of Donald D’Aunoy will thoroughly investigate the auto accident and aggressively pursue compensation for:
At the Law Office of Donald D’Aunoy Jr. we are intimately familiar with all types of Motor Vehicle Accident cases.
Accidents can happen to anyone, even careful drivers. Lawyer Don, your car accident attorney in New Orleans, understands the challenges you face if you believe
When faced with the aftermath of an auto accident resulting in soft tissue injuries, understanding the potential compensation can be pivotal. In New Orleans, where
Driving with a suspended license in Louisiana can carry serious legal consequences and complicate matters if you are involved in a car accident, even if
1- Do not move the involved vehicles from the scene, if possible. The position of vehicles after an accident says a lot about how the accident happened. Investigating police officers often use vehicles’ positions after a crash to draw conclusions about who to issue a ticket to and who to place at fault. Also, pictures of the vehicles can be taken to preserve the vehicles’ post crash positions. Insurance companies will use these pictures to make determinations about driver fault. But if it is unsafe to leave a vehicle in its post accident position, it should be moved to avoid another accident or additional injury. In sum, when it is safe to do so, leave the crash site in tact until a police officer arrives and pictures can be taken.
2) Get to safety. Automobile collisions can often cause gas tanks to leak, fires to start, airbags to deploy and other hazards. If it is unsafe to stay in your vehicle after an accident, get to safety. Waiting off the street or on the shoulder of a highway are options. But in some cases it is safer to stay in your vehicle. For example, it may be safer to stay in your vehicle when a downed power line falls on it because vehicles are insulated from electricity. However, if you leave your vehicle be sure to watch for hazards like downed power lines, broken glass, leaking gas, and oncoming traffic.
3) When you are safe, call the police. It is always best for a police officer to document an accident. Louisiana police officers, State Troopers and Sheriff’s deputies use uniform accident reports to memorialize car crashes. Insurance companies and attorneys use these reports to determine important facts about the accident, including the identity of involved parties and insurance companies. You should not count on yourself to collect all the information needed for your case. You should use our public resources and have your accident documented by law enforcement. It is free, and police officers typically do a good job collecting information and documenting crashes. Finally, if you are injured, make sure you tell the police officer so that he notates it in his or her report.
4) Use your phone to document the scene. This tip assumes that you are not too injured. If you are severely hurt, seek medical attention immediately, or sit or lie patiently until an ambulance arrives. But if you are able to, be your own detective! Use your smart phone’s camera to picture the accident scene, damaged vehicles, crash debris, and roadway hazards that may have contributed to the accident. Your pictures will become evidence, so you have a duty to preserve them. But the pictures may go a long way in proving your case. Also, be sure to photo the other driver’s insurance card, driver’s license and license plate. If the other driver is intoxicated, use your phone’s video feature to document his or her slurred speech or other signs of inebriation.
5) If injured seek medical attention. If you are injured in an auto accident it is important to seek medical attention soon after an accident. This is important for two reasons: (a) it will help diagnose and treat your auto injuries, and (b) it will create evidence of your auto injury. If possible avoid going to an emergency room (ER) or riding in an ambulance. ER and ambulance bills can be extraordinarily high, and if you do not have health insurance or a method to pay, these providers may send your bills to collection or report delinquent payments to credit agencies. When possible seek emergency treatment from an “urgent care” facility; these providers are more reasonably priced.
6) Contact an auto injury lawyer / personal injury attorney before making insurance claims. It is recommended that you retain an auto injury attorney before starting a personal injury claim against the other driver’s insurance carrier or your UM carrier. Remember: insurance companies are not on your side when you make a claim; making a claim creates an adversarial relationship between you and the insurance company. For example, insurance companies will often request that you give a recorded statement after an accident. The hope is that you will say something that hurts your case. But giving a recorded statement is not a requirement, and an experienced attorney will likely counsel you against giving one.
7) Be Honest! Be honest with your attorney and medical providers. Lies and omissions can hurt your case. For instance, failing to disclose preexisting conditions will hurt your case because the insurance company will use the omission to attack your credibility. Credibility is key in personal injury cases.
Have more Questions on Auto Accidents in New Orleans? Check out our Auto Accident and Injury FAQ.
If you are injured in a car accident caused by an uninsured or underinsured driver, you will likely be entitled to uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM) if you purchased it. Call an Auto Injury Attorney.
Your UM insurer owes you a duty of good faith and fair dealing. Jones v. Johnson, 45,847 (La. App. 2 Cir. 12/15/2010), 56 So. 3d 1016, 121. Your UM insurer will be required to pay on your UM claim once you prove:
The answer to the question as to the value of a particular Louisiana injury case is that it depends on a variety of factors. The following factors will need to be evaluated:
After the above categories are analyzed an experienced auto injury attorney will be able to give you an idea of what your case may be worth. However, the total value of the case may be reduced by the percentage of fault attributable to you for the accident. This is because Louisiana is a comparative fault state.
Head-on wrecks frequently occur in Louisiana’s rural areas due primarily to poor lighting and two lane highways with counterflowing traffic. It is often the case that the only thing separating oncoming traffic is a dashed or solid line. With little space separating oncoming traffic, head-on collisions are frequent. There is such a small margin for error! Furthermore, narrow roads, lack of street lights and sharp turns create unexpected situations and additional hazards for drivers
One-way roads and highways are also sources of head-on collisions. Confused, negligent and/or intoxicated drivers cause accidents on one-way roads and highways in urban and rural areas. Traveling the wrong way on one-way roads creates the perfect storm for unfortunate and devastating accidents. On highways and interstates with higher speed limits the danger is even greater. Poor lighting also contributes to these accidents.
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