Car Accident Attorney in New Orleans

Obtaining Record-Setting Verdicts for Injured Drivers & Passengers

If you were injured in a car crash in New Orleans, the immediate issues may extend far beyond vehicle repairs. Medical treatment, missed work, insurance calls, and disagreements about fault can all develop at the same time. You need a lawyer who can help evaluate the collision, preserve available evidence, and identify the insurance coverage that may apply before critical records become harder to obtain.

At Clayton, Frugé & Ward, we represent car accident victims throughout New Orleans and all of Louisiana on a contingency fee basis, meaning you do not owe any attorney fees unless/until we recover compensation for you. Our team has secured over $1 billion in verdicts and settlements for personal injury clients across Louisiana, including the state’s largest single-injury verdict: $117 million on behalf of a mother injured in an ambulance accident. 

If you’ve been hurt in a crash on New Orleans roads, call us for a free consultation at (225) 209-9943. Our team can evaluate your case today.

Types of Car Accident Cases We Handle

Car crashes take many forms, and each type presents distinct legal challenges. We handle the full range of motor vehicle accident claims in the New Orleans area, including the following.

Rear-End Collisions

Insurance companies routinely argue that injuries from rear-end crashes are pre-existing or too minor to warrant compensation. Establishing a clear connection between the impact and your injuries calls for medical documentation, accident reconstruction, and legal strategy that anticipates these defenses. Treatment records, prior medical history, vehicle damage, and evidence about the force of impact may all bear on medical causation.

Intersection & T-Bone Crashes

Disputed fault is common in intersection collisions. Determining what happened may require traffic-control evidence, witness statements, vehicle positions, visibility analysis, and available video or signal-timing information. Effective January 1, 2026, a person found 51% or more at fault can’t recover damages, while a lower percentage of fault reduces damages proportionally.

Drunk Driving Accidents

When an impaired driver causes a crash, Louisiana law may allow punitive damages on top of compensatory damages. These cases carry distinct evidentiary requirements, including toxicology results, law-enforcement evidence, witness testimony, and proof that the impairment contributed to the collision. Punitive damages aren’t available in every case and depend on the governing facts and law. We pursue the legally available claims for victims of drunk driving collisions.

Rideshare Accidents

Uber and Lyft crashes involve layered insurance coverage that may vary depending on the driver’s status at the time of the accident: logged off, waiting for a ride request, en route to a pickup, or carrying a passenger. Each stage involves different policy limits and coverage. Identifying the applicable rideshare insurance may require reviewing the driver’s personal policy, the transportation network company’s coverage, and trip-status records.

Hit-and-Run Crashes

When the at-fault driver flees the scene, identifying that driver may require witness information, nearby video footage, vehicle debris, and other available evidence. Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may also apply, but coverage depends on the policy language and circumstances of the crash. We review the evidence and available policies without assuming that a particular source of compensation applies.

Truck & Commercial Vehicle Accidents

Commercial vehicle claims may involve evidence controlled by trucking companies, including electronic driver logs, vehicle data, maintenance records, and inspection documents. That evidence can become harder to obtain as time passes, making prompt preservation important. These claims may also involve employer responsibility and several potentially liable parties.

Trial Preparation for Difficult Injury Cases

Our firm has secured multi-million dollar verdicts, including results of $411 million, $171 million, $117 million (Louisiana’s largest single-injury verdict), and $75 million. With over $1 billion won for personal injury clients, we have the resources to investigate serious claims and prepare them for litigation. Our partners, Tony Clayton, Michael Frugé, and Rick Ward, have built a practice around preparing cases as if they’re going to trial.

We regularly accept cases that other law firms have turned down. In claims involving complex liability, disputed fault, or difficult injuries, we examine the evidence, potential defendants, insurance coverage, and legal obstacles before determining how to move forward.

Our attorneys come from diverse legal and cultural backgrounds, reflecting the communities we serve. We don’t identify as one kind of firm. We’re a firm for everyone. Deep-rooted connections within Louisiana’s varied communities allow us to approach each client and case with sensitivity to cultural context.

Louisiana Car Accident Laws That May Affect Your Claim

Louisiana law can affect who may be held responsible, how fault changes a potential recovery, which insurance policies apply, and how long an injured person has to file suit. The governing rules can depend on the date of the crash, specific policy language, the various parties involved, and the actual facts of the case. Louisiana’s direct action statute (R.S. 22:1269) contains specific conditions governing when an insurer may be sued directly, so one shouldn’t assume that every liability insurer can be named as a defendant.

Key legal rules to understand:

• Comparative fault: As of January 1, 2026, a claimant who is 51% or more at fault is barred from recovery in Louisiana personal injury matters. When the claimant’s fault is below 51%, damages are reduced by that percentage.
• Louisiana prescription period: The “prescription period” is the state's deadline for filing a claim. Delictual actions arising on or after July 1, 2024 generally have a two-year period, while claims arising before that date may be governed by the prior one-year period. Other facts can affect deadline calculations, so the crash date should be reviewed promptly.
• Minimum insurance limits: Louisiana’s basic automobile liability limits are $15,000 for bodily injury to one person, $30,000 for bodily injury to two or more people, and $25,000 for property damage. Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may become important when the responsible driver has no coverage or insufficient limits, subject to the policy and applicable law.
• Recoverable damages: Depending on the evidence and claim, damages may include medical expenses, future medical care, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, property damage, pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, and wrongful death damages, when legally applicable.

Documenting the Full Effect of an Injury

A damages evaluation involves more than adding current medical bills. Medical records may establish diagnosis, treatment, prognosis, and the relationship between the crash and an injury. Employment and financial records can document missed work or reduced earning capacity, while testimony about daily activities may show how an injury has affected mobility, independence, or family responsibilities.

Not every claimant qualifies for every category of damages. The available recovery depends on injury evidence, financial documentation, medical causation, liability, insurance coverage, and the law or laws governing the claim.

Filing a Car Accident Claim in New Orleans

A New Orleans crash investigation may begin with the report or incident information supplied by the responding authority. Other useful evidence can include photographs, witness contact information, medical records, vehicle damage, surveillance footage, dashcam video, employment records, and the insurance policies that may cover the loss. The exact location and time of the collision can help identify nearby businesses, traffic cameras, or witnesses with relevant information.

The court with jurisdiction over a lawsuit depends on the parties, location, and legal basis for the claim. The filing deadline also depends on when the crash occurred and which Louisiana prescription rule applies. Accidents on or after July 1, 2024 generally fall under the two-year period for delictual actions, while earlier accidents may involve the prior one-year period.

Before giving a recorded statement, signing a release, or accepting a final settlement, an injured person should understand how that decision may affect the remaining claim. Early investigation can also matter when fault is disputed or evidence is controlled by another driver, a business, a rideshare company, or a commercial carrier.

Frequently Asked Questions About Car Accidents

How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?

We handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you do not owe any attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you, and the initial consultation is free.

Can I Recover Damages If I Was Partly at Fault?

For claims governed by Louisiana’s rule effective January 1, 2026, fault of 51% or more bars recovery, while a lower percentage reduces damages proportionally.

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim?

For accidents on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana generally provides a two-year prescription period, while earlier accidents may be subject to the prior one-year period.

Should I Speak With the Other Driver’s Insurance Company?

You don’t have to accept an adjuster’s account of fault, injuries, or damages. A recorded statement can affect how the insurer evaluates the claim, so you can seek legal advice before providing one or signing a release.

Discuss Your New Orleans Car Accident Claim with Clayton, Frugé & Ward Today

A free consultation with our team can help identify potential claims, evidence that should be preserved, available insurance, and time-sensitive next steps. There’s no cost to speak with us and no obligation to move forward.

We also work on a contingency fee basis. Our firm has the resources to examine disputed fault, difficult injuries, and layered insurance coverage when a claim requires serious litigation preparation.

Call Clayton, Frugé & Ward at (225) 209-9943 to schedule your free consultation.