Experienced New Orleans Car Accident Attorney: Peter Diiorio
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, there were 36,096 deaths from auto accidents in 2019. In the state of Louisiana, there were 1.42 fatalities per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. If you have been involved in any car accident more serious than a minor bump-in, it is likely you could benefit from having a New Orleans car accident attorney help you through this difficult time. The personal injury team at New Orleans Legal, LLC, have been helping people just like you for many years. We want to get you back to your normal life as quickly as possible. We do this by helping you get the medical treatments you need to get better and by securing an equitable settlement from the negligent party that will fully cover your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages.
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What are the Different Types of Car Accidents?
Your car accident is likely to be as unique as you are as far as circumstances surrounding the accident, insurers, cause of the accident, and even weather conditions. The five basic types of car accidents are rear-end accidents, side-impact or “t-bone” accidents, head-on collisions, rollover accidents, and single-car accidents.
Rear-End Car Accidents
Rear-end accidents may well be the most common type of accident since many drivers fail to leave sufficient space between themselves and the car in front of them. If they must stop suddenly, a rear- end accident can occur. Rear-end accidents are almost always the fault of the driver in the rear and are often due to driver distraction or fatigue.
T-bone Car Accidents
T-bone accidents usually occur in an intersection; as one car goes through the intersection another car coming from the side, hits the first car on the side. The severity of a side-impact car accident is dependent on the height and weight of both vehicles. Should a much taller SUV or truck broadside a low-slung sports car, the driver of the sports car can sustain serious or fatal head injuries.
Head-On Collision Accidents
Head-on collisions are often the most serious, usually caused by a driver crossing the median and hitting another vehicle. Head-on collisions may occur at high rates of speed, therefore, are likely to result in serious injuries or fatalities. Many automobile accidents involve only one vehicle. This can occur when a vehicle hits a large animal in the roadway or slides off an icy road into a tree or other fixed object.
Rollover Accidents
Rollover accidents are often single-car accidents, caused when the vehicle strikes a curb or slight ditch, causing the vehicle to flip. More than any other type of automobile crash, a rollover involves a complex interaction of the specific behaviors of the driver, the road conditions at the time, and other environmental factors. Vehicle type is also a factor as the higher, thinner vehicles will be much more likely to roll over when involved in a one-car accident.
What are the Typical Causes of Car Accidents?
There are many different causes of vehicle accidents, but perhaps the most common include:
- Excess speed
- Driver distraction or inattention
- Impaired drivers
- Fatigue
- Inclement weather
- Road rage
A driver that is exceeding the speed limit is reducing his or her ability to adjust to a curve in the road, an animal or object in the road, or a sudden action by another driver. Excess speed is a primary cause or a factor in a significant number of car accidents. Distracted driving and driver fatigue also causes a considerable number of auto accidents across the nation. While road rage is not a top factor in car accidents it is moving up.
Aggressive behavior behind the wheel is becoming more and more common. Aggressive behaviors include rude hand gestures, changing lanes in an unsafe manner, tailgating aggressively, deliberately preventing another driver from passing, refusing to yield, showing a total disregard for traffic signals. Road rage can quickly escalate, turning deadly in some cases.
Do I Really Need a New Orleans Car Accident Attorney?
If your injuries are more than minor and the injuries cause you to be away from work for more than a few days, you could benefit from speaking to an experienced New Orleans car accident attorney. Car accident attorneys are highly skilled at negotiating with insurance companies, ensuring you get the settlement you deserve. At New Orleans Legal, LLC, we are not only skilled negotiators, but we are also knowledgeable, aggressive litigators when the situation warrants.
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What are the Most Common Injuries Associated with Car Accidents?
The most common injuries stemming from car accidents include neck and back injuries, ranging from whiplash to spinal cord injuries. Concussions, from minor to serious are common car accident injuries, as are traumatic brain injuries. A spinal cord injury or traumatic brain injury can be a lifelong injury, requiring years of surgical procedures, rehabilitative therapies, and other medical interventions. Broken bones, internal injuries, and facial scarring or disfigurement are common injuries seen after a car accident. Because many injuries are not immediately apparent following a car accident, it is important to always see a medical professional following your New Orleans, LA car accident.
What Should I Do After New Orleans
A Car Accident?
Immediately following a car accident, you should do the following:
- Call the police and EMS if anyone is injured;
- Seek medical care for any injuries;
- Exchange information with the other driver;
- If you are able, take photographs of the accident scene, the vehicles, and the surrounding area;
- If there are witnesses to the accident, get contact information from each witness;
- As soon as you are home contact your insurance company;
- Keep a folder with medical receipts as well as anything you remember about the accident, and
- Contact an experienced car accident attorney.
What Types of Compensation Could I Be Entitled To?
Your compensation will depend on the facts surrounding your accident, as well as the extent of your injuries. The negligent driver’s insurance should pay all your medical expenses, both current and future, lost wages, lost future earnings, and pain and suffering. In rare occasions, if the at-fault party acted out of malice, or deliberately caused the accident, punitive damages could apply as well.
How Can a New Orleans Car Accident Attorney from New Orleans Legal Help Me?
Peter Diiorio at New Orleans Legal, LLC believes deeply in his clients, including their future, their health, and their rights. We will fight for you from the time you become our client. We will help you get the medical treatment you need, while also working hard to get you an equitable settlement that will fully cover your damages from the accident. Contact New Orleans Legal, LLC today.
