Car Accident Lawyer in Zachary

At the law firm of Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, our Zachary car accident lawyers handle personal injury and wrongful death cases for people in Zachary, Baton Rouge, and throughout all of Louisiana. With over 679+ years of combined legal experience, our car accident injury attorneys have built a record of success—we’ve recovered over $3 Billion in compensation for our clients to help them heal from their injuries and move on with their lives.

Sitting as it does on the busy state highway LA-19, Zachary is witness to a large number of car accidents every year. These accidents are caused by a variety of factors, but their results are the same: property damage, life-changing injuries, and even death. If you’ve suffered a Zachary traffic accident, you could be in extreme pain, facing high medical bills, and unable to work. If your accident was caused by another driver, you have the right to demand compensation for your injuries. Call us today at 225.888.8888 or fill out our easy-to-use online form to schedule your free consultation.

How Liability Is Determined in a Zachary Car Accident Injury Claim

Louisiana courts use a legal doctrine called pure comparative negligence when determining liability in personal injury cases. Under pure comparative negligence, more than one party can be held liable for an accident, and each party must pay damages proportional to their liabilities.

In your Zachary traffic wreck case, applying pure comparative negligence can mean a few things:

• Multiple parties could owe you compensation for your losses:
  • The other driver or drivers that caused your wreck
  • The other drivers’ employers, if they were driving as part of their job
  • Government agencies that failed to maintain infrastructure
  • The manufacturer of your car, if a mechanical failure caused the wreck
  • and others
• Even if you’re found partially liable for the accident, you could be awarded partial damages.
  • For example, if you’re found 10% liable in an accident where you suffered $10,000 in damages, you could still be entitled to $9,000 in damages.

Pure comparative negligence can lead to more equitable and fair judgments after an accident. However, this doctrine also makes personal injury cases much more complex to litigate, so if you’ve been in a Zachary car accident, call an experienced Louisiana car wreck lawyer to help you navigate this complicated legal landscape.

Dangerous Zachary Roads

Between 2015 and 2019, 13 fatal accidents happened within Zachary’s borders, involving 21 vehicles. Here are some of the most dangerous roads and intersections in the Zachary area, so take extra caution while commuting in these areas:

• LA-19, which runs the length of Zachary, sees a large amount of traffic from commuters, big trucks, road-trippers, and others every year. This mixed traffic, as well as ongoing construction on the highway, leads to a dangerous mix that can cause crashes.
• Avenue A @ East Central Ave: This intersection is right next to the train tracks, and school buses regularly fail to stop at the stop sign there. Residents have suffered school bus collisions due to this fact.
• SR-19
• CR-7525 in Lower Zachary

Types of Car Accident Claims We Can Help You With

Car crashes in Zachary can occur at any time, under any circumstances, and can cause a variety of common injuries. That’s why the Zachary car accident lawyers at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys are prepared to help with virtually every type of auto wreck including:

• Rear-end crashes
• Semi truck crashes
• Head on collisions
• Red light accidents
• Side impact collisions
• Multi-car pile ups
• Fender benders
• Accidents involving rental cars
• Automobile rollovers
• Accidents with uninsured or underinsured drivers
• Parking lot accidents
• Hit and run accidents
• Pedestrian accidents
• And more

The majority of car accident victims in Zachary claim one of three types of damages requiring compensation: negligence, product liability, and wrongful death.

Negligence

The most common type of damages sought in car accident injury cases is negligence, which is when the defendant neglected their duty of care to the victim. All drivers have the responsibility to follow the rules of the road and keep the road safe for other road users. When someone neglects this duty and causes a wreck, they can be held liable for the victims’ injuries.

Common examples of negligent driving include distracted driving, drunk driving, aggressive driving, and other forms of reckless driving.

Product Liability

If a manufacturer neglects quality control on their products and someone is injured due to a defect, they can sue under Louisiana’s product liability laws. Your car accident case could involve product liability if the crash was caused by engine failure or a bad part such as failing brakes, non-deploying airbags, or something else.

Product liability cases can be hard to prove. That’s why it’s necessary to hire a knowledgeable product liability lawyer in Zachary if you’ve been in a traffic accident caused by a mechanical failure.

Wrongful Death

Tragically, Louisiana traffic accidents can lead to a loved one’s eventual death. If your family member was killed in a car accident, you can seek remuneration for their damages and yours through a wrongful death claim. Damages recovered from a Louisiana wrongful death lawsuit can help you pay for the following:

• The victim’s funeral and burial expenses
• Lost wages from the deceased
• The deceased’s medical expenses
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of income or benefits the deceased would have provided

Damages You Could Be Eligible For After a Car Accident

Every personal injury case is different, which is why hiring an experienced car accident lawyer in Zachary is so important. A car wreck injury lawyer with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys can examine the evidence in your case and help you determine what damages to demand from the defendant.

You could be entitled to any of the following damages, depending on your injuries and their severity:

• Medical bills, including your hospital stay, the cost of surgery and medication, and ongoing treatment
• Damages to your property, such as your car and whatever was inside
• Lost wages while you’re healing, and if you’re left disabled or otherwise unable to work, wages you could’ve earned were you not in the accident
• Pain and suffering, including mental anguish

What to Do If You’re in a Zachary Car Accident

If you’ve been in a car accident, you should immediately call 911. The first responders can treat your injuries—even if you don’t think you’re injured, have them check you out—and the police on the scene will generate a report that will serve as evidence in the coming litigation.

While you should get the other driver’s insurance information and make a claim with your insurance, don’t talk to the other driver and don’t accept a preliminary settlement from your insurance! Insurance companies will try to settle your claim as quickly and as cheaply as possible, but that’s usually not enough for you to properly heal from your injuries.

To hold the proper parties responsible and collect the compensation you deserve, call Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys today at 225.888.8888. An experienced Zachary personal injury lawyer will listen to what happened and give you advice on how to proceed. We’ll get started right away on your claim, and help you every step of the way. And remember, you won’t pay a dime unless we win your case—that’s the G Guarantee!