Rear-end Collision

Three Tricks Insurance Companies Often Try

October 19, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

Although television commercials may imply otherwise, the insurance companies are not “on your side” if you suffer serious injuries in a vehicle collision. Since these firms make money by collecting premiums and not by paying claims, insurance companies will try almost anything to reduce or deny fair compensation to injury victims.
Since the facts are unclear in many vehicle collision cases, most insurance companies have a number of investigators and accident reconstruction engineers on staff who will dispute the victims’ version of events and cast their insured parties in the most favorable light possible. Yet even in those rare instances that the liability-related facts are relatively straightforward, the insurance company typically still has a few items in its bag of tricks.
No Seat Belt
Like almost all other states, Louisiana has a mandatory seat belt law. As a result, many victims assume that if they were not wearing seat belts, the insurance company can either have their cases thrown out of court or at least significantly reduce the amount of compensation they receive. But under Louisiana law, neither of those things are true. [Read more…] about Three Tricks Insurance Companies Often Try

Slidell Auto Accident Kills 19-Year-Old Woman

June 27, 2013 by Lee Hoffoss

Driving Interstate 12 through Slidell, Louisiana, helps motorists avoid the traffic going to New Orleans. However, it doesn’t help avoid an auto accident. A 19-year-old was killed in mid-June while driving on I-12.
The woman and her passenger were traveling on the interstate when traffic backed up around exit 80. The driver slowed the car in response to the traffic, but the Dodge pickup truck traveling behind her did not slow down at all. It slammed into the car from behind, killing the 19-year-old and seriously injuring her passenger.
Authorities determined that the driver of the Dodge pickup had been drinking, although he was not legally drunk. As a result, he was arrested on suspicion of negligent homicide and other charges and was taken to the St. Tammany Parish Jail. All that is known about the condition of the passenger of the car is that his injuries were serious, and he was taken to an area hospital.
Losing anyone in a fatal auto accident is horrible, but there seems to be an added sorrow when the victim is so young. Those who are left behind have to deal with the loss of a friend and loved one in addition to the loss of a life that had just barely begun. The costs of a fatal auto accident, such as funeral expenses and property damage, can be overwhelming at best. The fact that the driver of the Dodge vehicle will be criminally charged means he may not be driving again for quite some time, but a conviction won’t bring back the driver, nor will it provide any compensation for her family’s financial and emotional losses. To gain this compensation, her family will have to file a civil wrongful death lawsuit that effectively demonstrates the pickup truck driver’s negligence caused the young woman’s death.

Car Wreck in Lake Charles Kills 1, Leaves 1 in Critical Condition

October 10, 2012 by Lee Hoffoss

Being a passenger in a car imparts a lot of responsibility on the driver, since the passenger trusts that the driver will get them to their destination safely. Unfortunately, sometimes that trust is misplaced. Other times, even when the driver does everything right, there are still things that can go wrong. The passengers involved in a recent car wreck in Lake Charles may have misplaced their trust in the driver, although that possible conclusion may have to await the results of the pending investigation.
The accident occurred while a Dodge Caliber was following behind a tow truck around 4 a.m. on Interstate 10. The Dodge ended up rear-ending the tow truck. The driver of the tow truck was not injured, and the driver of the Dodge suffered only minor injuries. But the impact of the accident killed the frontseat passenger in the car and sent the backseat passenger to the hospital. The backseat passenger is listed in critical condition.
Authorities in Lake Charles are still investigating the accident. As part of that investigation, authorities obtained blood alcohol tests on both drivers, and those results are pending. Whether any charges will be filed as a result of the investigation remains to be seen.
In the meantime, two families have been turned upside down. One family must bury a loved one, and the other faces an uncertain future as their loved one fights to survive. When the dust settles and the official investigation is complete, the families may consider whether to file civil action against the party or parties deemed to be responsible in this tragic car wreck. Medical bills, funeral costs, lost wages and other expenses associated with accidents have a way of adding up quickly. A wrongful death action or a personal injury claim won’t erase the events of that day, but a successful result may help those involved prevent a personal tragedy from becoming a financial one as well.