Each time you navigate a Louisiana roadway, whether as a driver or passenger in a motor vehicle or as a pedestrian, you’re at risk. Any number of issues may arise during travel that can cause a collision, resulting in severe, perhaps life-threatening, injuries. Car accidents often cause economic damages, as well, not only to those directly involved but also to taxpayers.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s data shows that there were nearly 43,000 fatalities resulting from motor vehicle collisions throughout the country in 2021. Such incidents have an immediate and possible long-term effect on the economy, as well as the personal finances of those involved. Louisiana law allows a recovering car accident victim or immediate family member of a fatally injured victim to seek restitution in court, which often helps alleviate financial strain.
Economic damages that often result from car accidents
If you’re involved in a motor vehicle collision, it can have devastating financial implications in one or more of the areas included in the following list:
- Wages: You might have to take time off work during recovery, which can result in a substantial loss of wages. In severe cases, many accident victims are unable to ever return to work.
- Vehicle damages: If your car is totaled, not only might a new one be necessary, it can also impede your ability to get to work or to carry out other tasks, like grocery shopping, for weeks or longer. Even if your vehicle is repairable, the situation can cause financial distress.
- Medical bills: If you suffered moderate to severe injuries in a collision, you no doubt needed medical attention. In fact, serious injuries, such as a brain injury or spinal cord injury, may require ongoing medical support for months — perhaps even the rest of your life.
Health insurance, as well as the other driver’s car insurance, should help cover some of the expenses associated with a collision. It’s understandable, however, that many car accident victims choose to seek financial recovery for their losses by filing injury claims in court.
Listing damages in a Louisiana injury claim
When people seek financial recovery for losses in a Louisiana court following car accidents, they must submit a list of damages as part of their claim. Such damages may include medical expenses (both current and potential, for future care), as well as emotional pain and suffering, lost wages and property damage. If you are a plaintiff in a personal injury case, you must provide evidence to prove that the defendant was negligent and that this negligence was a direct cause of the collision that caused your injuries.