An estimated 14 percent of Louisiana drivers are uninsured, and this figure is well above the national average. On top of that, there are a significant number of under-insured drivers, because the state minimum is only $15,000 per person in bodily injury coverage and $25,000 in property damage coverage.
Fortunately, in many such cases, there may be a responsible third party in addition to the tortfeasor (negligent driver), so victims can more easily obtain fair compensation for their injuries.
[Read more…] about Third Party Liability In Car Crashes
Car Accident
In Louisiana, 'Stop' Means 'Stop'
A motorist who apparently either coasted through a stop sign, or failed to see it entirely, caused a severe car crash in Log Cabin.
According to officials in Morehouse Parish, 56-year-old Richard Lindeman Jr. of Bastrop, was westbound on Highway 140 when, for reasons that are still unclear, he failed to stop and yield the right-of-way at the U.S. Highway 425 intersection. He collided with 24-year-old Jessica Eppinette, of Bastrop, who was northbound on U.S. 425. [Read more…] about In Louisiana, 'Stop' Means 'Stop'
Gotta Catch ‘Em All
After a rash of crashes in Louisiana and elsewhere, officials are warning drivers not to play Pokémon Go while they are behind the wheel.
The game has been available on smartphones for less than a month and has already been downloaded millions of times in the United States alone. In the virtual reality-type game, players must physically run, walk, stop, and move in order to meet certain objectives. One Louisiana tow company said it pulled three cars out of ditches in one day, and all three vehicle owners were playing while driving. “She was pursuing a Pokémon character and, you know, missed her turn,” commented Walker Police Captain John Sharp, when speaking about one such incident. “You shouldn’t be doing this while you’re driving,” he added. [Read more…] about Gotta Catch ‘Em All
Deadly Rollover Wreck Near Lafayette
A 9-year-old girl died in a fatal car crash in Iberville Parish.
Louisiana State Police state that 27-year-old Tommie Killough, of Livonia, was southbound on Highway 75 when he attempted to pass a vehicle that was stopped and waiting to make a left turn. During the maneuver, the stopped car proceeded into a turn and Mr. Killough struck it; after the collision, his vehicle flipped over multiple times. Asha Cooper, who was not properly restrained, was ejected from the vehicle and died at the scene.
Mr. Killough now faces multiple criminal counts in connection with the incident, including negligent homicide and failing to restrain a child. [Read more…] about Deadly Rollover Wreck Near Lafayette
Car Accidents on I-10 Do Not Always Involve Moving Vehicles
When a car breaks down on Interstate 10, a Louisiana driver’s first priority is to get his or her vehicle out of the flow of traffic. Often, this means getting onto the shoulder to either fix the problem or wait for a tow truck. So long as the vehicle is out of the flow of traffic, an attentive driver is in no danger. However, unfortunately, car accidents involving vehicles on the side of the road still occur.
For instance, in 2012, a tow truck was stopped on a bridge on Interstate 10 in Lake Charles. A 33-year-old man who was traveling on the interstate failed to see the tow truck for some reason and slammed into it. The driver was not alone in the vehicle at the time of the crash.
His passenger, a 27-year-old man, suffered injuries in the crash that turned out to be fatal. Authorities believed that the driver was impaired and that his impairment was a factor in the accident. Toxicology tests indicated that the driver had drugs in his system when he ran into the tow truck. He was subsequently charged with homicide by vehicle. On Dec. 1, 2014, he pleaded no contest to the charge.
Recently, he received a 20-year sentence, eight years of which were suspended. Not only criminal charges result from car accidents, however. A wrongful death claim filed in a Louisiana civil court could also be filed. Successfully proving that the death of a loved one was due to the negligence of another could result in an award of damages to help defray the unexpected costs associated with a victim’s premature death.
Fatal Auto Accident End the Life of Louisiana Man
When a passenger gets into a vehicle, he or she is trusting the driver to pay attention and get him or her safely to the group’s destination. When a driver fails to exercise the due care owed to his or her passengers and other people on the road, people can suffer serious or fatal injuries. A recent fatal auto accident involving a pickup truck and an 18-wheeler here in Louisiana was possibly caused by a driver failing to pay adequate attention to the road.
The driver and a passenger occupied the pickup truck. At the intersection of Louisiana Highway 1057 and Louisiana Highway 1061, the pickup truck initiated a left turn. Unfortunately, the 29-year-old driver of the truck may have failed to yield to a tractor-trailer when he turned. The semi-truck then slammed into the smaller vehicle.
It took several hundred feet for the vehicles to come to a stop. The passenger in the truck suffered fatal injuries in the crash, and the driver’s injuries were said to be moderate. The semi-truck driver was not injured.
It is not yet known whether any charges will be filed in this fatal auto accident. Regardless, the family of the deceased victim already knows they will never again see their loved one alive. As the family deals with its grief, they may also turn their attention to the fact that they retain the right to file a wrongful death claim against both drivers. Liability may be attributed to one or more parties deemed to have either caused or contributed to a person’s death. In this case, that could include the driver of the pickup truck, the driver of the semi-truck and possibly that driver’s employer through the legal theory of respondeat superior.