Who is Liable in a Multi-Car Pileup: Untangling Complex Car Crashes in Baton Rouge

Never Settle For Less Than You Deserve

Far too often, we assume that what the insurance companies offer us after a crash is the best we can do. If you feel you may be entitled to more, don’t sign anything the insurance company may give you, and contact us immediately. Even if you aren’t sure you are eligible for more, you should contact Baton Rouge car wreck legal counsel before moving forward with an insurance company. Crashes with injury happen daily, and the injuries and aftermath can be devastating when multiple cars are involved. Know how to protect yourself right from the beginning and avoid the frustration of financial distress.

What is Comparative Fault?

One of the most common misconceptions regarding car crashes is that many feel that they cannot recover damages after a crash if they are partially at fault. For example, suppose you were involved in a collision and were speeding or illegally changing lanes before the crash. In that case, you may feel that since you were in the wrong and contributed to the collision, you may not be eligible for recovering damages.

This assumption is not the case in Louisiana, as car crash, injury, and damage laws follow a comparative fault rule. Comparative fault means that each party will be assigned a percentage of the fault that led to the crash. If you were speeding, you may be assigned 20% fault while the other driver was found to be 80% at fault. This scenario would mean that of the total damages awarded, your portion would be reduced by 20% based on that percentage of fault.

If there are multiple parties involved, each party is assigned a fault. Driver A may be found to be 20% at fault, Driver B also at 20%, Driver C at 20%, and Driver D at 40%. In this case, all parties may be able to recover a portion of the damages, reduced from the total damages awarded by the respective percentage of fault.

In the above example, if the total damages awarded were $100,000, Drivers A, B, and C would be awarded 20% less than their portion of the damages, and Driver D would be awarded 40% less than their portion, for a total of $100,000.

What Types of Damages Can Be Pursued?

Following a car crash, more tangible damages can be recovered, such as compensation for medical bills or the cost of repairing your vehicle. Calculating these amounts is relatively easy as you can provide a tangible document showing how much you paid out of pocket to cover bills.

Lost income is another relatively easy aspect to calculate, as you can add up the time spent away from work while going to doctor appointments or physical therapy or following doctor’s orders to heal and rest before returning to work.

Intangible Damages

Some intangible damages you can pursue are pain and suffering, future medical bills or lost wages, loss of enjoyment of life, and more. Pain and suffering or mental anguish may be an issue that causes anxiety, depression, PTSD, and the like. If these weren’t issues before the crash and, as a direct result, you are now suffering, you may be able to pursue damages in this area. Your experienced personal injury attorney can help you calculate the amount of damages you are eligible for and provide thorough evidence stating why you should be compensated accordingly.

If you have injuries that will require future medical bills, these can also be estimated so that you can accurately pursue them. Loss of enjoyment may also be an issue for you following an injury. For example, maybe your hobby was hiking or riding your motorcycle, and you can’t do that anymore due to your injuries. Your skilled attorney can calculate what you may be eligible for and pursue damages surrounding this loss of enjoyment.

What Are Punitive Damages?

In some cases, punitive damages may be awarded in addition to other damages resulting from your car crash. Punitive damages are more rare and are not relative to all cases, but if one of the parties involved was grossly negligent or intentionally caused the collision that led to injuries, punitive damages may be an option.

A common example is if a drunk driver caused an crash. Due to the party’s especially careless behavior, the courts may feel that punitive damages should be awarded. Punitive damages also help to punish the guilty party further and help set an example for others should they consider the same behavior in the future.

A Legacy of Knowledge and Tireless Advocacy For Our Clients

With over 30 years of experience serving clients in the Baton Rouge area, our office prides itself on helping the surrounding community in which we grew up and began to fall in love with protecting its citizens.

Before going on to Southern University School of Law in Baton Rouge, Walter grew up watching his dad be an advocate for his clients, and he was hooked. Continuing the legacy of ethics, knowledge, and compassion, we proudly represent clients in our area.

Not only do you matter, but your case and your final result matter. We will work with you to determine the best strategy for the desired results and fiercely pursue them.

Contact our office at (225) 263-6194 today to speak with our team and learn more about your options. Don’t ever settle for less than you deserve. There may be aspects that you haven’t yet considered and damages that are rightfully yours that we can help you to obtain.

We look forward to serving you.