Laplace Pedestrian Accident Attorney

Walking should be one of the safest ways to get around, but in LaPlace, pedestrians often face serious risks from careless drivers. Whether you’re crossing the street, walking through a parking lot, or simply standing near a roadway, one driver’s moment of negligence can cause life-changing injuries.

Lawyer Don knows the devastating impact pedestrian accidents can have on victims and their families. He is committed to protecting the rights of injured pedestrians in LaPlace and across Louisiana, and fights for the justice and compensation they deserve.

Common Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in LaPlace

While pedestrians always have the right to expect safety, drivers don’t always uphold their duty of care. Common causes of accidents include:

• Failure to yield at crosswalks or intersections
• Distracted driving, such as texting or looking at a GPS
• Speeding in residential areas or near schools
• Drunk or drug-impaired driving
• Running red lights or stop signs
• Unsafe reversing in parking lots

In LaPlace, pedestrian accidents often happen near busy roadways like Airline Highway or in heavily trafficked commercial areas, where driver attention should be at its highest, but too often is not.

Serious Injuries in Pedestrian Accidents

Pedestrians have no protection from the force of a vehicle. Even a low-speed impact can cause severe harm, including:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
• Multiple fractures
• Orthopedic injuries
• Internal organ injuries
• Severe lacerations and disfigurement
• Wrongful death

Many victims face long recoveries, mounting medical bills, and the inability to work for months or longer. Lawyer Don’s goal is to secure a settlement or verdict that fully addresses these life-altering challenges.

Holding Negligent Drivers Accountable

Proving fault in a pedestrian accident involves gathering strong evidence, which may include:

• Police reports and citations issued to the driver
• Surveillance or dashcam footage of the incident
• Eyewitness statements
• Photos of the accident scene and vehicle damage
• Medical documentation linking injuries to the collision

In some cases, additional parties may share liability, such as municipalities that allowed unsafe crosswalk designs or property owners who failed to maintain safe parking lots and walkways. Lawyer Don carefully investigates every angle to maximize your potential recovery.

Louisiana Pedestrian Accident Laws

In Louisiana, you generally have one year from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This short deadline makes it crucial to act quickly.

Louisiana has recently passed a modified comparative fault law, which means your compensation can be reduced if you are found partially at fault, and if you are found 51% or more responsible, you cannot recover damages at all.

Crossing outside of a designated crosswalk is a common issue in pedestrian accident cases, and insurance companies often use that defense to shift liability to the walker. However, drivers are always required to exercise reasonable care and do everything possible to avoid striking a pedestrian, regardless of whether the pedestrian is legally crossing the street.

A driver who fails to slow down, stop, or take evasive action may still be held liable, even if the pedestrian was not in a legal crossing zone. Lawyer Don works to challenge unfair blame-shifting and hold negligent drivers accountable.