New Orleans Personal Injury Law Blog

Being in a hurry is not a good enough reason to tailgate

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC on Friday, January 24, 2020.

Like most Louisiana residents, you likely have somewhere you need to be almost every day. As a result, you get in your vehicle and try to make it to your destination without any major setbacks. You give yourself time to get ready and leave on time so that you do not feel in a rush while behind the wheel of your car.

Of course, other drivers do not always ensure that they have enough time to get to their destinations, and it is likely that you have found yourself tailgated more than once. You may have simply been trying to follow the rules of the road when another driver decided to get too close for comfort.

Wrongful death suits possible in 4-car crash

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Car Accidents on Wednesday, January 22, 2020.

Two people are dead and two others are seriously injured following a four-car pileup in Slidell, according to local sources. Spokespeople for the Louisiana State Police confirmed the deaths of one woman and one man. Police have arrested the driver believed to be responsible for the crash, meaning that individual could face criminal conviction. He could also be the subject of a wrongful death suit or suits if the families of the deceased so choose.

According to the report, a 35-year-old man driving an SUV came to a stop in the left lane of Interstate 12 near U.S. 11. Police believe the man may have been impaired, becoming unresponsive and bringing his car to a halt. This in turn caused a four-car crash that killed a 77-year-old woman and a 55-year-old man, both of whom were in the first vehicle to strike the stopped SUV.

Car accidents: 1 dead after serious crash in Louisiana

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Car Accidents on Monday, January 13, 2020.

Police say a Raceland man is potentially facing jail time following a serious car accident on the afternoon of Dec. 23. The Louisiana State Police responded to the crash on LA 308, which claimed the life of a 60-year-old woman. One driver has been arrested and is facing serious charges. If he is found guilty, as in other car accidents, he could face the loss of his license, fines and time in prison.

According to the accident report, it appears that a 25-year-old man was headed northbound on LA 308 when the accident occurred. The man attempted to pass another vehicle in a no-passing zone at a rate of speed described as high by law enforcement. This resulted in his crashing head-on into a southbound SUV. One passenger, a 60-year-old woman in the SUV, was not wearing a seat belt and was killed on impact.

Fatal accident in Louisiana attributed to drunk driver

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Wednesday, January 8, 2020.

A deadly crash in Walker has resulted in the death of a 19-year-old man, according to local news sources. Louisiana State Police responded to the fatal accident in the early morning of Dec. 28. The driver believed responsible is accused of drunk driving, and has been arrested. No court date has been announced at this time.

According to the report, around 2:30 a.m. a 19-year-old woman was driving northbound on Walker Road when the accident occurred. Apparently, her vehicle crossed the centerline and entered the southbound lane, where she struck a vehicle driven by a 19-year-old man head-on. The force of the impact resulted in the death of the male driver on the scene.

Car accidents: baby dies in Louisiana crash

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, January 2, 2020.

A tragic accident has claimed the life of a 6-day-old baby in Sulphur, according to local sources. Authorities in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, are still investigating the cause of the crash that also injured three other people. Single-vehicle car accidents are always carefully investigated by law enforcement, and this case is no exception. So far, no charges have been filed.

According to the press release from the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff's Office, around 10:30 on the night of Christmas Day, a single vehicle was traveling westbound on a street in Sulphur when the accident occurred. It appears the SUV left the road, jumped a driveway and then struck a culvert. This caused the SUV to flip over.

Speeding and car accidents go hand in hand

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.

Car manufacturers seem to always be advertising that faster is always better. That is far from the truth. Driving at higher speeds is actually pretty dangerous, which is why you do your very best to stick to the posted speed limit. Unfortunately, not everyone cares about safety as much as you do. That is why speeding is such a significant contributor to car accidents.

So who is doing all the speeding? You cannot blame all speeding incidents on reckless drivers. A lot of drivers in Louisiana speed for all sorts of reasons, like running late for work. Whether a driver feels like he or she has a legitimate excuse for exceeding the speed limit or simply wants to go faster, there is no denying how dangerous it is.

Several kids hurt in school bus accident

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Car Accidents on Thursday, December 26, 2019.

New Orleans Police and the Louisiana State Police are in the process of investigating a single-vehicle bus crash that left several children injured. This accident occurred the morning of Dec. 18., on Interstate 10. It is still unclear what caused this crash.

According to reports, a school bus was heading to James Singleton Charter school when it collided with a guardrail, causing the vehicle to overturn. A total of 15 children -- ages 5 to 17 -- were on the bus at the time of the crash. Nine of them were immediately taken to medical facilities for treatment. Six others were sent home with their parents from the crash site, though it was reported that some of those children were eventually taken to the hospital for evaluation.

NOPD investigating fatal pedestrian vs. 18-wheeler accident

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Truck Accidents on Wednesday, December 18, 2019.

Pedestrians have little chance of survival if big rigs strike them. One such tragedy occurred in a busy New Orleans intersection on a recent Tuesday. The New Orleans Police Department is investigating this 18-wheeler accident that led to the death of a pedestrian.

Not many details were reported, except the comments by bystanders. An employee of a nearby business said police had collected a video with surveillance footage to help with the investigation. It was mentioned that the pedestrian might have been walking alongside the big rig as it was making a right turn at the intersection

Man enters plea after head-on collision kills teen girls

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Drunk Driving Accidents on Thursday, December 12, 2019.

Practically every teenager dreams of the day when he or she reaches legal driving age. Even though many parents may dread this next step into adulthood due to the dangers that come with driving, the majority of young drivers strive to follow the rules of the road in order to retain their new-found independence. Recently, a young Louisiana driver and her passenger were trying to arrive safely at their destination when an impaired motorist struck their car in a head-on collision.

First responders were called to the scene of a deadly crash involving two vehicles. According to the report, a motorist was driving his vehicle south in the northbound lanes of U.S. 167. His vehicle then crashed head-on into a car carrying two teenage girls. Though the driver of the second car, a 16-year-old female, was wearing her safety belt, she still suffered fatal injuries in the crash. A 15-year-old female passenger was also killed by the impact.

18-wheeler accident claims life of Louisiana woman

On behalf of Gregory P. DiLeo of Law Offices of Gregory P. DiLeo, APLC posted in Truck Accidents on Thursday, December 5, 2019.

No matter the time of day, navigating Louisiana's highways can be a challenging undertaking. With the increasing numbers of tractor-trailers sharing the roads, traveling from one place to another requires care and diligence, especially since many drivers allow distractions to take their focus off of the road. Sadly, one local woman was recently killed in an 18-wheeler accident.

According to the preliminary accident report, a 25-year-old man was operating a semitrailer loaded with logs. The driver had just exited Highway 171 Business and pulled out onto Highway 171 South. This maneuver placed the 18-wheeler into the path of an oncoming passenger vehicle. The 30-year-old woman driving that vehicle was unable to avoid a collision.