Louisiana Rear-End Car Accident Attorneys

Rear-end crashes are the most frequently occurring type of traffic collision. In fact, about 29% of all car crashes are rear-end collisions: 1.7 million of them take place in the United States each year! These crashes result in many injuries and fatalities each year—about 500,000 people are injured and 1,700 people die.

Considering the statistics, if you were involved in a rear-end accident, call the experienced rear-end collision lawyers at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys. We’re ready to help you get the right compensation for your damages so you can move forward with your life.

What Causes Rear-End Collisions?

Rear-end collisions are generally caused by inattentive drivers, such as:

• Drunk drivers
• Distracted drivers
• Drowsy drivers
• and others

Rear-end collisions are serious car accidents. They can change another person’s life forever and can happen in the blink of an eye, which is why it’s necessary to have an experienced rear-end collision accident lawyer at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys on your side to provide you with effective legal assistance. No matter if you’ve been in a truck accident and were rear-ended by an 18 wheeler or if you sustained injuries from a rear-end car wreck, our experienced team fight to get you what you deserve in your rear-end accident settlement!

Rear-End Collision Injuries

If you were driving a vehicle that was rear-ended, you could suffer a number of injuries. The most common include the following.

Neck Pain: Whiplash and neck injuries are very common following a rear-end accident. Whiplash occurs when the head is jolted in different directions with a high amount of force, which can result in muscular, skeletal, and connective-tissue injuries. There are a variety of whiplash symptoms that depend on the intensity of the accident, including

• Headaches
• Neck stiffness
• A reduced range of motion in your neck
• Neck, shoulder, or arm pain
• Blurred vision
• Unexpected Dizziness

Traumatic Brain Injuries: This type of injury is one of the most serious injuries you can sustain. TBI typically results from a blow to the head and can lead to serious symptoms for months or even years. Make sure you pay attention to any changes in behavior following a rear-end collision, such as

• Combativeness
• Lapses in memory
• Seizures
• The inability to stay focused
• Tinnitus
• Slurring speech
• Worsening headaches

Spinal Injuries: some of the most terrifying injuries you can get from a rear-end accident, because they can impact how you live the rest of your life. You might find yourself unable to walk, in need of assistive devices like wheelchairs and others, or even lose the ability to care for yourself. Spinal injuries can include the following:

• Compression fractures
• Herniated discs
• Spondylolisthesis (when a vertebra moves out of alignment)

Broken Bones: can happen from loose objects in the car hitting you during the crash, your seat belt digging into your ribs, or another trauma. Bones become more brittle with age, so older people are at higher risk from broken bones in a rear-end accident.

Lacerations: Any heavy or loose object has the potential to cause a laceration. Even though they tend to be painful, the good news is that they are usually easy to treat through bandages, stitches, and over-the-counter antibiotics.

Knee Injuries: Common symptoms of a knee injury include severe pain, swelling, “popping” of the joint, and extreme instability.

Establishing Fault In A Rear-End Accident

Generally speaking, but certainly not in every case, the at-fault driver in a rear-end collision accident is the one driving the rear vehicle. Proving who is at fault in these cases requires collecting enough evidence to support the claim, and examining the actions of each driver leading up to the accident. 

When The Rear Driver Is At Fault

The vehicle that rear-ends another car is usually found liable for the accident. This should come as little surprise, since Louisiana state traffic laws require that drivers must respect a safe following distance between other cars on the road. A rear-end collision necessarily breaches this safety requirement. 

When The Vehicle in Front Is At Fault

Sometimes it may be possible to argue that the lead vehicle in a rear-end crash is at least partially at fault. When this does occur, it usually involves the lead driver

• Reversing into the rear vehicle
• Driving recklessly due to intoxication or other impairment
• Turning into traffic or merging without providing enough space 

Determining liability is complex in any case, which is why it’s important to hire a knowledgeable rear-end collision accident lawyer.

Louisiana Is A Pure Comparative Negligence State

Louisiana law implements a concept called pure comparative negligence, which gives courts the ability to find one or more parties liable for an accident. With this system, blame can be placed fully on the party that caused the Louisiana car accident, or they can share a percentage of the damages needed to be recovered with all liable parties.

Adding pure comparative negligence to your Louisiana rear-end case can mean multiple parties owe you compensation for your losses, including

• Other passengers or drivers, if they added to the crash
• Government entities, if they didn’t properly maintain infrastructure
• Auto repair shops or product manufacturers, if they created a faulty part

Even if you’re partially at-fault, there’s still a chance you can be awarded a portion of the damages you seek.

What You Should Do After A Rear-End Accident

Rear-end accident injuries are common and unfortunate. They can be as serious as paralysis or as mild as a small cut. The most important thing to do if you’ve been injured in a rear-end accident is to seek medical attention as soon as possible. By doing this, it can reduce or prevent some of the worst long-term problems.

The car accident lawyers with Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys specialize in rear-end collision injury settlements. No matter if you’ve been rear-ended by a distracted driver, rear-ended by a commercial truck, or anything in between, give us a call so we can help you today!

Call An Experienced Rear-End Collision Attorney Today

When you choose to work with the Louisiana car accident lawyers here at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, you get the G Guarantee: until we win your case, you don’t give us a dime. We’ll do everything in our power to get you the compensation you deserve because you’re our family.

As soon as possible, get in contact with the rear-end accident lawyers on the Gordon McKernan Team so we can get started helping you get the funds you need for your recovery. Plus, when you call us at 888.501.7888, you’ll receive a free consultation from a reliable personal injury lawyer about your case. Give us a call today and start your journey back to health.

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