"Fatal Accident" At Area High School

Local authorities hope that a “vehicle crash” outside a local high school will make a strong impression on area teenagers.
With Homecoming coming up at Monroe Neville High School, Louisiana State Police and other first responders descended on campus to give students a demonstration about what can happen in alcohol-related vehicle crashes. The “injuries” ranged from mild to severe; one passenger was ejected from a vehicle and “declared dead at the scene.” LSP officers explained that one of the “drivers” was impaired and would face several criminal charges, including DUI manslaughter. Area schools, including Neville, have staged similar vehicle crash demonstrations in each of the last three years.
“We are trying to teach them you can make a better choice than driving home and getting involved in something like this,” said Troop F Public Information Officer Michael Reichardt.
What to Do After a Car Crash
While it is very important to know what to do before a crash in order to avoid one if possible, it is even more important to know what to do after a vehicle crash. Just like the first forty-eight hours are important in criminal investigations, events that take place in the first forty-eight hours after a car wreck have a significant impact on the amount of compensation the victim ultimately receives.
Many people believe that their first phone call should be to the insurance company, but that is often a mistake, because the “friendly agents” who answer the phone are trained to extract information that can be later used against the policyholders. Furthermore, in most cases, policyholders do not have a duty to immediately report vehicle crashes, so a slight delay is not a serious issue. Call a lawyer first instead of the insurance company, because an experienced attorney will not give the insurance company any useful information.
Evidence collection should start quickly as well, especially if the cars are newer. That’s because they most likely contain Event Data Recorders that, in many cases, are essentially like favorable eyewitnesses with unshakable testimonies. Since most insurance companies often dispose of wrecked vehicles shortly after a car crash, an attorney must act quickly to preserve this evidence.
Third, go to the hospital or doctor’s office as soon as possible after the collision. Mostly because of shock, victims often do not feel “hurt” in the moments after the vehicle crash. However, whiplash and other degenerative conditions are probably already developing, and they often become debilitating without aggressive medical treatment. In addition to providing a referral, an attorney can arrange for victims to obtain needed care without out-of-pocket cost.
To get a hard-working attorney on your side who fights for you, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer in Lake Charles from Hoffoss Devall. Home and hospital visits are available.