Car Accident Lawyer in Houma

If there are three things Houma is known for, it’s the food, Mardi Gras, and the traffic. The highways and byways of our fine state are bustling with automobiles, trucks, and other vehicles at all hours of the day and night.

All that traffic, however, means more congestion, longer commutes, and more wrecks. If you’ve been in a car accident near Houma, you need legal help from a Houma car accident lawyer to recover the damages you’ve experienced.

The car wreck injury lawyers with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys have 679+ years of combined legal experience fighting for our client’s rights. Learn more about how we can help you by calling us for a free consultation.

The Car Accident Cases We Handle

Every car accident case is unique. Your car wreck case has its own particular challenges that make collecting the compensation you deserve more difficult than it has to be. That’s where we come in. The dedicated Houma car accident attorney with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys handles all sorts of car accident cases.

• Food delivery accidents
• Head-on collisions
• Hit-and-run accidents
• Multi-vehicle pileups
• Pedestrian accidents
• Rear-end collisions
• Red light crashes
• Rental car accidents
• Ride-share crashes
• T-Bone accidents
• Truck rollover crashes
• and others

You can trust that we’ll do all we can to help your case. We’ve helped hundreds of clients win over in our law practice. We’re confident we can help you too.

Car Crash Statistics in Louisiana

In 2021, Louisiana saw 768 fatal traffic accidents according to LSU Crash Reports. This makes it the 18th-deadliest state in the country for car crashes. What powers this chilling number? What are the main factors contributing to car accidents in our state?

Two causes stand out: drunk driving and distracted driving.

Louisiana distracted driving

Thanks to cell phones and other tech, it’s easier than ever to stay connected to the people you love. However, many people also use their phones while driving. Far from being a quick way to check up on friends or adjust your music, distracted driving is one of the most dangerous driving activities you can do.

In fact, distracted driving has killed over 200 Louisianans since 2016, and injured over 23,000 in 2020 alone. To try and keep people safe, the legislature has passed multiple laws to limit driving distractions. As of 2023, it’s illegal to do any of the following behind the wheel:

• Write, read, or send any kind of text-based communication
• Read or post on social media
• Make a phone call in a school zone during school hours

If you’re under 18 or have a learner’s permit, you face further restrictions. Our advice? Don’t use your phone while driving. Queue up your music before you shift into drive. Let the texts wait. It’s better to be a few minutes late in a reply than not to reply at all.

If you’ve been hit by a distracted driver, you could be entitled to help with your damages. Call Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys for a free legal consultation.

Driving under the influence

In 2021, 40% of all traffic deaths were related to alcohol, according to the LSU study. In fact, alcohol-related deaths have been trending up in recent years, as well as the average blood alcohol concentration of impaired drivers. A higher BAC also translates to a higher chance of a deadly crash.

Alcohol is the drug that’s most commonly abused by drivers. However, many drugs can impair your ability to drive safely. These include illegal drugs like marijuana, as well as legal prescriptions. These drugs can slow your reaction time, cause confusion, and lead to dangerous behavior behind the wheel. Make sure to check all warning labels, especially those regarding heavy machinery.

Other car accident causes

Crashes can be caused by many other factors as well. It’s important to stay alert and watch for other drivers acting erratically. The best way to avoid an accident is defensive driving.

Other common causes of Houma traffic accidents include

• Dangerous road conditions
• Driving drowsy
• Speeding
• Driving recklessly
• and others

Injuries You Could Suffer from a Car Accident

Unfortunately, because car accidents are so common and varied, you could suffer a wide variety of injuries in a crash. That’s why it’s important to hire an experienced Houma car accident lawyer who has helped a lot of diverse clients. Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys have decades of experience, and we specialize in helping people recover damages from their car crash injuries. Call us today if you’re experiencing any of the following injuries after a crash:

• Amputated limbs
• Broken bones
• Burns
• Catastrophic injuries
• Eye injuries
• Head injuries
• Hearing loss
• Other neck and back injuries
• Paralysis, including paraplegia and quadriplegia
• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Whiplash
• and others

What If My Loved One Died in a Car Accident?

If you’re mourning the loss of a loved one who died in a car crash or as a result of their injuries, you may be able to file a wrongful death suit against the liable party. A wrongful death case is similar to a personal injury case, except the victim has died from their injuries. In these cases, their family can seek compensation for their losses on their behalf.

A wrongful death happens when someone’s death is caused by the negligence of a person or business. If your loved one passed away in a car accident, follow these steps:

1. In Louisiana, only particular family members are allowed to pursue a wrongful death claim. Those relations include the following:
   • The surviving spouse or children of the deceased
   • The surviving parents of the deceased
   • The surviving siblings of the deceased
   • The surviving grandparents of the deceased
     
     
2. File a claim within the appropriate claim deadline of your loved one’s death. Louisiana has a strict statute of limitations for personal injury cases. If you wait any longer, your claim could be invalid.
   
   
3. Call our Houma car accident lawyer for a free, no-risk consultation about your case.

Statute of Limitation Changes in Louisiana

In 2024, Louisiana law extended the statute of limitations for personal injury claims occurring on or after July 1, 2024, from one year to two years. Any injuries that occurred before July 1, 2024, will still have a 1-year statute of limitation. Learn more about Louisiana’s New Statute of Limitations here.

• 1 year for injuries sustained before July 1, 2024.
• 2 years for injuries suffered after July 1, 2024.

The statute of limitations is a legal deadline that sets a time frame for filing a lawsuit. In Louisiana, this is known as the “prescriptive period,” which determines how long you have to take legal action against the responsible party after an injury occurs.

Establishing Liability in a Houma Car Accident

In Louisiana, courts use a legal doctrine called pure comparative negligence to determine liability. That means more than one party can be held liable for an accident. It also means that each party must pay for damages in proportion to their fault.

By applying pure comparative negligence to your case, any of the following could happen:

• More than one party could owe you compensation:
  • The other driver(s)
  • Their employer
  • Government entities whose job it is to maintain infrastructure
  • Your car’s manufacturer or maintainer
  • and others
    
    
• Even if you’re found partially at fault, you could still win damages. For example, if you’ve suffered $20,000 in damages from a car wreck and are found 25% liable, you could still recover $15,000 in damages.

The more parties that are involved in your car wreck, the more complicated it can be. It’s important to hire a Houma car accident lawyer who can help guide your case to a fair outcome.

Should I Hire a Houma Car Accident Lawyer?

If you’ve been in a Houma car wreck, you need a lawyer with local knowledge to help you. A Houma car accident attorney from Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys has the experience and the training to help you win your case. We’re committed to our communities, so we know what is most likely to help you win the compensation you deserve.

Call us today for a free consultation. A dedicated Houma car accident lawyer will listen to your story and help you get back on your feet.