How Much is the Average Settlement for a Rear-End Car Accident in Louisiana?

How much is the average settlement for a rear-end car accident in Louisiana? While there is no average settlement amount for rear-end car accidents, they can vary depending on case-specific factors, including how much fault you bear for the crash and the severity of your injuries and their consequences.

A New Orleans rear-end accident lawyer can help you fight for the best outcome possible.

Steps to Take to Strengthen Your Claim Outcome From the Start

Knowing what to do after a Louisiana car accident can increase your chances of securing a fair settlement. Call law enforcement to the scene to make an official report. If you can do so without risking further injury, take videos and photos of the accident environment and the vehicles involved. Get contact details from witnesses.

When you exchange contact and insurance information with the other involved parties, don’t discuss the accident, and be sure not to say anything that could be construed as an admission of fault. When you report the accident to your insurance, keep your comments brief and factual.

You may require emergency transport to a hospital. Even if you don’t, it is important to seek medical care right away. Having your injuries diagnosed and documented, and getting a treatment plan, supports your health and your injury claim. Follow your doctor’s orders. Once you are medically safe, connect with an experienced car accident lawyer.

Fault Affects Settlement Amounts for a Rear-End Car Accident

As established by the Louisiana State Legislature Article 2323, accident victims are only permitted to file for damages if they are 50% or less at fault for the crash. Those eligible can still have compensation reduced by whatever lower percentage of blame they hold. If you are 10% to blame, you can collect 90% of the calculated settlement.

The other side will work to keep your settlement for a rear-end car accident in Louisiana as low as possible. An attorney can help protect you from unfair assignments of blame. We can investigate the crash thoroughly, compiling evidence to show the other side’s negligence and keeping any culpability on your part to a minimum. Proving negligence is how fault is determined in a car crash in Louisiana. 

You need to show that the other party owed you a legal duty to preserve your safety. All drivers owe this duty to others sharing the road. Then, you must show the other party failed to fulfill that duty by committing an unsafe action or failing to take appropriate action. Next, you have to show that failure directly caused the crash and left you with quantifiable losses. 

Convincing Evidence Can Help You Get a Fair Rear-End Car Accident Settlement

The National Safety Council (NSC) reports 3,730,000 rear-end crashes over a recent year. This number represents 40.1% of collisions with other vehicles. There is an assumption that the following driver is always at fault in rear-end accidents. That is often the case, but not always.

An attorney can find who is at fault when you get rear-ended in a car accident or if you rear-end the car in front of you. The car in front may have a broken brake light or may have made a sudden, unsafe maneuver. A lawyer can build a case on evidence, not assumptions.

There could be video or photo evidence to support your claim. Police reports, documentation from mechanics, and other experts can also provide valuable input. A skilled legal team will also speak to witnesses, your medical team, and other relevant parties.

Additional Factors Affecting Settlements for Rear-End Car Accidents

Fault and evidence play significant roles in determining the settlement for a rear-end car accident in Louisiana. Other factors also have an impact:

• The severity of your injuries: More serious injuries typically command higher settlements as they require more medical treatment and have a greater effect on your life.
• Your earning capacity: Settlements can recoup wages lost during recovery and future earnings for those unable to return to work, so greater wage loss can warrant a higher settlement.
• Property damage: You may need to pay for repairs to your vehicle or replace a totaled vehicle, and the value of those losses affects your settlement.
• The extent of your suffering: Your physical and emotional pain must be acknowledged, and an attorney can put a fair value on that suffering.
• Quality of life: An injury can prevent you from living and enjoying life as you did previously, and those related losses also have value.

The other side will attempt to downplay your losses to lower the settlement for a rear-end car accident. You need an advocate who will challenge those attempts and demand true financial justice.

An Experienced Attorney Can Fight for the Highest Settlement Amount Available

While there is no set typical car accident settlement in New Orleans, you can count on our team to fight for the highest amount available in your situation. After gathering evidence and valuing your losses, we will send a demand letter to the at-fault party’s representatives.

They will most likely respond with a counteroffer for a lower amount. Then, the sides continue presenting evidence and arguments and exchanging offers until arriving at an agreed-upon amount. Many claims resolve this way.

Our team comprises strategic, aggressive negotiators. We are not intimidated into accepting low settlement offers because we are not afraid to go to trial. We do not expect or encourage you to settle for less than you deserve. The goal is to get you the highest settlement for your rear-end car accident in Louisiana. If the other side refuses to offer that amount, we can take them to court.

Get the Settlement You Deserve for Your Rear-End Car Accident

Scott Vicknair Injury Lawyers cannot say how much the average settlement for a rear-end car accident in Louisiana is. We can say that we will work to secure the highest amount possible for your situation. 

Do not settle for less than you deserve. Connect with us for a free consultation. We’re ready to lead your fight for justice.