Tourist-Caused Car Crash in New Orleans? Attorney Advice
by Evan Breaux | Personal Injury Lawyers | 0 comments
From the boozy bars of Bourbon Street to the musical hideaways on Frenchman Street, from the world-renowned acts at Jazz Fest and Essence Fest to the local brilliance of French Quarter Fest, New Orleans brings a lot of tourists to town year-round.
According to research conducted by the Louisiana Office of Tourism, “in 2021, 41 million people visited Louisiana and spent $16.7 billion, compared to 31.7 million visiting in 2020 and spending $13.3 billion.” Despite Hurricane Ida and the temporary halt in tourism during the pandemic, Louisiana has seen a growth of 25% in tourism. And buckle up for more, because in 2025, we’re hosting the Super Bowl!
At his State of Tourism address in 2022, Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser celebrated the continued success of Louisiana’s tourism industry. Louisiana consistently ranks in the top 10 most desired and visited destinations in the U.S.
Some of these tourists are here for conferences, some for Saints games, some for the music, and still others for the food. And then there’s Mardi Gras!
These visitors might fly in and rent cars, or drive in from nearby cities and states across the South, arriving in droves, ready to party, dance in the streets, experience our city’s show-stopping culture, eat our flavorful food, drink—and drive?!
Yep, that’s right.
On any seemingly normal New Orleans day, tourists are driving around town with no clue how to handle the quirks of New Orleans, like left turns across a median or where to find those seemingly hidden on-ramps for the I-10. And while we hate to be the bearers of bad news, other visitors to our city may be letting the bonne temps rouler a little too hard (in other words, driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs).
This means that, unfortunately, your day, week, or entire life can be changed in an instant due to a motor vehicle accident caused by a negligent tourist. As a result of a New Orleans car accident, the accident victim may suffer from bodily injury, medical bills, lost wages, and many additional types of injuries, from emotional to physical—even including traumatic brain injuries.
While we hope this isn’t the case for you and your loved ones, we know all too well how common car accidents and other personal injuries can be here in the otherwise Big Easy. But if a tourist caused an accident and you’ve been injured, hiring the right lawyer can help!
While Auto Accidents Can’t be Avoided, Our Accident Attorneys Suggest these Tips:
– Always drive defensively. Assume you’re sharing the road with tourists who don’t know the rules about driving in metropolitan New Orleans, and who may be impaired by drugs or alcohol. This is especially true in high-traffic areas where tourists may be driving, like the CBD, the French Quarter, the Marigny, and the Lower Garden District.
– If you’re headed to a festival, concert, or a big night out, hire a rideshare service if you’d like to drink alcohol. Lyft, Uber, and taxis are the safest bet if you can’t find a responsible adult in your party who is willing to be the sober driver for your group.
Driving while impaired is against the law, and even “buzzed” driving can be a dangerous—even deadly—choice.
– Have friends who are visiting New Orleans? Encourage them to use rideshare services or public transportation, like the streetcar, as an alternative to driving in the city.
In a Car Accident with a Tourist Driving an Automobile?
– First, if you’re in an accident, call the police right away. The other party may not have auto insurance or may have drugs or alcohol in their system.
If the other driver is panicking, trying to talk you into avoiding the police, or even offering you money or other bribes, don’t fall for it! The most important thing for you to do is to insist on calling the police and filing a police report. A police report is a very important document for your personal injury claim.
– You will need to gather as much personal information and evidence about the at-fault driver as possible. Write down their full name; driver’s license number; contact information like phone number, and address; license plate number; and insurance policy information.
Take a photo of their license plate. If possible, take photos or video of the aftermath of the accident and the surrounding area, which will provide your lawyer with important contextual clues and supporting evidence for your claim.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim After a New Orleans Car Crash with a Tourist Driver
After a car wreck in the New Orleans area, Orleans Parish, or across South Louisiana, you’ll need time to recover from serious injuries. As you accrue medical bills, you’ll also begin the process of seeking the compensation you deserve for your pain and suffering. Due to the Statute of Limitations in Louisiana, you have one year to file a claim after a car accident.
With the help of an experienced personal injury attorney, filing a claim with an insurance company of a driver who lives in another state is a manageable task. We don’t recommend trying to tackle such a task on your own. An experienced New Orleans personal injury lawyer is just the person you need to help you file a car accident claim. These highly trained professionals know the law, know the daily experiences of New Orleans residents, and know how to get a victim fair compensation for their injuries after an accident happens.
Auto insurance policies cover a driver no matter where they are driving in the U.S., which means the at-fault driver will communicate with their insurance company and you will file a claim like normal, as if it was an accident among locals.
However, you can’t be sure of what ploys or tactics the at-fault driver’s insurance company, adjuster, and legal team will use to try to avoid liability or payment. This is why you should hire a car accident attorney that is well versed in personal injury law to represent you. With legal representation, the other driver’s insurance company will automatically take your claim more seriously.
The Personal Injury Lawyer For You? Breaux Law Firm
There are plenty of daily decisions to make as a citizen of New Orleans, like which days to go to Jazz Fest; how to keep your family and loved ones safe; where to get the best snowballs; and how to make sure your own out of town visitors get to experience the full New Orleans vibe with all the right food, drinks, and activities.
What you shouldn’t be worried about at any point in your day-to-day life is recovering from an auto accident due to another driver’s negligence, healing from injuries, getting your car repaired, or wondering how to file a claim with an insurance company or a lawsuit with the courts.
If you find yourself or a friend in this unfortunate situation of being injured in an accident, and you need a New Orleans law firm, call Breaux Law Firm right away. A car accident lawyer can help. Not only are we highly experienced New Orleans car accident lawyers, we’re a family-owned and family-run operation that believes in personal attention for personal injury.
That means we treat everyone we work with as if they were members of our own family. We know New Orleans law, Louisiana law, and how car insurance companies work. And we’ve helped fight for the rights of hundreds of car accident victims who were unfairly injured in a car crash. We’ve won our clients millions in their car accident cases.
We take the reins of your personal injury case so you can recover quickly and get back to real life, enjoying this vibrant city that we all love, and sharing its soul with the millions of visitors who come each year, hoping a little of our joie de vivre will rub off on them.
Involved in an accident? Call Breaux Law Firm today. We’re the New Orleans car accident attorney for you. As Louisiana car accident lawyers, we’re always ready to fight for your rights and fair financial compensation after any type of accident. It’s easy to set up a free consultation to discuss the details of your accident, injury, and recovery. Call now for your free consultation: (504) 914-7779.
