Louisiana permits a narrow claim for the emotional harm of seeing a close relative seriously injured. The relative need not die, and the observer need not be physically hurt. But learning that someone was injured, or suffering profound grief afterward, does not by itself establish a bystander claim. Civil Code article 2315.6 connects recovery…
A 15-year-old passenger died when a Nissan Frontier ran off Louisiana Highway 126, overturned and struck a tree at Waterbind Road near Grayson on September 28, 2026. The driver and front-seat passenger suffered injuries State Police described as minor. Troop F’s preliminary account says the 2013 Frontier was traveling west before it left the…
Being on foot does not necessarily put a Louisiana hit-and-run victim outside an auto policy’s uninsured motorist coverage. A named insured or qualifying resident family member may have UM protection while walking, even when the insured car is parked at home. Sharing a household, however, is not enough by itself. The coverage question starts…
A hospital bed rolls as a patient tries to reach a bedside commode. Was the problem an unlocked wheel, a clinical decision to let the patient get up without help, or both? In Louisiana, that distinction can determine whether the claim goes first to a medical review panel or directly to court. A fall…
Proving loss of taste or smell after a Louisiana head injury usually requires more than the injured person’s description. The strongest presentation connects a clear pre-injury baseline, a prompt symptom report, qualified medical evaluation, consistent follow-up, and specific proof of how the condition changed safety, eating, work, and daily life. It must also address…
Carmelo Riley, Brian Smith II and Tyrell Yates, also identified by his family as Tyrell Yates-Robertson, died after a 2017 Honda Accord left the roadway and struck a concrete support column near Ponchatoula early September 28, 2026. All three were Southeastern Louisiana University students. WDSU later reported, based on interviews with their mothers, that…
Sometimes, but Louisiana does not give every parent the same blanket power to settle a child’s claim. Married parents who have parental authority may generally compromise a minor’s claim without court approval when the money or property to be paid or received does not exceed $15,000, excluding court costs, attorney fees, and other expenses….
A new change in taste or smell after a car accident deserves medical attention, especially after a blow or jolt to the head. Smell and taste work closely together, so what feels like lost taste may actually be reduced smell. Tell a clinician exactly when the change began, what you can and cannot detect,…
Your accident claim does not automatically disappear when the at-fault driver’s insurance company fails. If a court formally declares a Louisiana-authorized property and casualty insurer insolvent and orders liquidation, the Louisiana Insurance Guaranty Association, usually called LIGA, may handle qualifying unpaid claims. Its responsibility is limited by statute and by the failed insurer’s policy….
Terrance Ruffin, 19, died in a nine-vehicle crash near North Foster Drive and Prescott Road in Baton Rouge shortly before noon on September 27, 2026. WBRZ’s report, citing Baton Rouge police, lists seven injured people, including one in critical condition. The injury totals in the published reports differ. WAFB, citing emergency officials, reports eight…
After a rider is thrown, “the horse spooked” describes part of the event. It does not explain whether the saddle shifted, how the horse was selected, what the instructor knew about the rider, or whether a hidden property condition contributed. Those details matter under Louisiana’s equine-liability law. R.S. 9:2795.3 generally protects against participant claims…
A 45-year-old Opelousas man died after his Harley-Davidson left Louisiana Highway 3212 and struck a concrete curb near Grand Prairie Road in Iberia Parish on September 27, 2026. State Police Troop I responded shortly before 2 a.m. The rider’s name is not given in the preliminary release. Police describe a 2002 Harley-Davidson traveling west,…
When two drivers disagree about a Louisiana crash, identify the precise point of disagreement first. A dispute about which car changed lanes needs different evidence from a dispute about the traffic signal. Organizing the file around that question makes it easier to see what supports each account and what remains unknown. Civil Code article…
Short answer: When you are injured while riding in a friend’s car, Louisiana generally treats the uninsured motorist coverage on that car as primary. If your damages exhaust that primary coverage, you may use one other UM policy available to you as excess coverage. Louisiana does not ordinarily let you combine every UM policy…
Yes. Being partly at fault does not automatically prevent you from bringing a Louisiana car accident claim. The result depends heavily on when the crash happened and what percentage of fault is ultimately assigned to you. For a crash before January 1, 2026, Louisiana’s prior pure comparative fault rule generally reduced a claimant’s damages…