Baton Rouge Car Accident Stats
Visitors and residents alike have noticed more and more car accidents on Louisiana’s roads. According to recent statistics from the city’s Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety, Baton Rouge was the location of:- 51 fatal crashes resulting in the losses of 56 lives
- 3,004 injurious crashes resulting in 4,852 injuries
- 29 fatalities caused by drunk driving
- 289 other injuries caused by alcohol-related crashes
What Causes Car Accidents?
Thanks to updated technology, cars are safer than ever. Unfortunately, human error is still a thing, and drivers aren’t always on their best behavior. The team of legal professionals at Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers regularly handles a variety of accidents, and many of them are caused by dangerous driving habits, such as:- Distracted driving. The prominence of distracted driving has risen over the past few years. In fact, distracted driving is now responsible for almost nine deaths a day nationally and almost 1,000 injuries each day. Eating, drinking, texting, and talking on the phone are all common driving distractions. Given how fast vehicles travel, taking your eyes off the road for only a couple of seconds can dramatically increase your risk of a crash.
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Inebriated drivers don’t notice road hazards until it’s too late. Alcohol slows reaction time and some drugs, like marijuana, have similar effects. Other drugs like amphetamines and cocaine actually increase risk-taking actions, and can even cause hallucinations that lead directly to crashes.
- Speeding. Everyone’s in a hurry to get somewhere, and sometimes they risk lives in the process. Speeding causes accidents. Not only does it deprive you of time to react to changing conditions—like a car in front of you suddenly braking—but speeding can also cause more serious injuries. How? Simple physics: cars traveling at higher speeds generate more force.
- Aggressive driving. Swerving, illegal passing, failing to yield—all of these are signs of aggressive drivers. Don’t let road rage and risky behavior overtake you!
- Tailgating. Drivers should leave a cautionary several feet and/or seconds between themselves and the cars in front of them. If you don’t, there’s a high risk of plowing into the back end of the car in front of you if it stops unexpectedly.
- Falling asleep. Exhausted drivers are at risk of dozing off behind the wheel while operating a moving vehicle, which inevitably leads them to lose control. This increases the risk of either swerving into oncoming traffic or driving off the road.
- Rollovers. Any car can flip, landing on its side or roof. This usually occurs when trying to make a turn while going downhill or after accelerating in loose gravel. Top-heavy vehicles like SUVs are especially prone to flipping over.
Insurance Agents are not Your Friends
Week after week, the attorneys at Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers hear a familiar story: After a bad accident, you return home to rest, worried about whether you can go back to work and keep a roof over your head. As you struggle to manage your pain, you suddenly get a phone call with a friendly voice on the other end. It’s the insurance agent—representing the other driver. The agent asks how you are doing and requests that you kindly explain what happened in the moments before and after the crash. No reason not to comply, you think. They just want to do their job and help out, right? Although doctors may have heavily medicated you, you try your best to recall hazy memories, explaining what happened and what you did. The agent then makes a quick promise of cash if you will just agree to a settlement. So many things are wrong with this scenario, so let’s walk through each of them one by one:- The insurance agent does not represent you. They do not know you, and they do not have your best interest at heart. The agent is only friendly because they need something from you.
- While building their case, the insurance company can—and will ALWAYS—use anything you say against you. Yes, we mean anything. It can be something as simple as, “I’m feeling fine today” to argue that you did not suffer any serious injuries. An insurance company can twist your “I don’t really remember what happened” into “Our client did nothing wrong.” Carefully consider what you say to insurance agents; don’t give them any opportunity to twist your words to suit their purposes.
- The insurance agent has an incentive to pay you as little as possible. Do you know how much a concussion and broken arm will ultimately cost you? Well, we can guarantee you won’t get an honest answer from the insurance company. Their jobs—including their raises and bonuses—depend on paying out as little as possible on every claim on their docket.
- Any settlement with the insurance company comes with strings attached! To name just one: You must agree not to sue the insurer for more compensation later. These waivers are fully and legally effective, and insurers use them to cheat injured victims out of their full and fair compensation every day.
- Investigate the accident to better understand what happened. For example, we can get a copy of the police report, consult accident reconstructionists, and interview witnesses to get a broader picture of how your car accident occurred.
- Negotiate with insurers. Louisiana’s large insurance companies are used to having their way with injured motorists—and, sometimes, clueless lawyers. With our 20 years of experience, we have dealt with every trick in the insurance company’s playbook. We understand how to fight for your rights, and we confront insurance companies head-on in order to secure full and fair compensation for your injuries.
- File a lawsuit if necessary. Not every case can settle outside of litigation, so our Baton Rouge attorneys are prepared to march into court and fight for your rights. We’ve handled countless trials and can carry your case from start to finish.
Are Your Injuries Serious Enough to Sue?
Some of our clients think their injuries are so minor, it would be a waste of time to pursue treatment. Please don’t make this mistake. Car accidents can cause many injuries—some big, some small—but you should take all injuries seriously, as they may get much worse over time. For example:- Back injuries can increase in severity if you don’t get adequate treatment and rest
- Untreated neck injuries can lead to crippling and chronic pain from pinched nerves
- Spinal column injuries can progress from loss of sensation to full-scale paralysis if you do not properly stabilize your spine
- Cuts and lacerations can become infected if not cleaned and dressed properly
- Concussions can worsen into traumatic brain injuries if you do not stabilize your condition and take it easy
How Much Compensation Can You Get?
Ads for lawyers often feature that classic line: “You may be entitled to compensation.” But what do they really mean by that? An accident victim’s expenses and losses are known as “damages,” and a personal injury settlement should compensate them for their economic and non-economic losses. At the firm of Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers, our car accident attorneys can seek compensation for the following damages, just to name a few:- Medical care to treat your injuries
- Future medical care, if you are in need of ongoing treatment
- Lost wages, if you were out of work while recovering
- Future lost wages and diminished earning capacity, if your injuries are so bad you must take a lower-paying job
- Property damage to repair or replace your car or other belongings
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress or mental anguish
- Lost enjoyment of life
- Disfigurement and scarring
Should You Call Stewart J. Guss and His Attorneys Now? Yes!
The clock is ticking. Louisiana law doesn’t give car accident victims much time to pursue compensation in court. In fact, Louisiana’s statute of limitations only gives injured victims one year from the date of their accident to file a claim if a negligent or reckless driver injured them. If you wait too long, a judge might dismiss your case entirely. To protect your rights and begin building your case, the team of Baton Rouge accident lawyers at Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers, need to hear from you as soon as possible. One year might sound like a lot of time, but before you know it, a year has passed since your accident, you’re still injured and in pain, and you’ve forfeited your right to pursue a lawsuit. That means NO compensation for your medical expenses and NO money to compensate you for pain and suffering that someone else has caused you. Unfortunately, your struggles won't tug at the heartstrings of insurance companies... but a lawsuit might get their attention. Protecting your right to bring a lawsuit is vital to achieving a fair and reasonable settlement. Pick up the phone and call us today. Rest assured, we will move quickly and aggressively to protect your rights, preserve evidence, and maximize the leverage you have with an insurance company. Don’t miss out; get the settlement you deserve for your injuries!Were You Injured in a Baton Rouge Car Accident? Call the Office of Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers
Accident victims are easy prey for insurance companies looking to settle claims for pennies on the dollar. You’ve already been in one accident. Don’t let the insurance companies victimize you a second time. To check whether you have a valid claim under Louisiana law for compensation, please call the lawyers and legal team of Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers. The attorneys of Stewart J. Guss Personal Injury Lawyers are nationally recognized car accident lawyers who have protected the rights of injured victims for more than 20 years. If you were injured in a car accident, call our office right now to schedule a free consultation! Since we take all of our personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, you will not owe us a DIME unless we win your case. We are available 24/7 to evaluate your case at 866-504-2734 or by email by CLICKING HERE.See what past clients have to say:
Review: 5/5 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
"Mr. Guss was wonderful. He fought hard against the insurance company to get us what we deserved. I went from owing almost $5000 in medical bills to actually getting money in my pocket. Absolutely Amazing!!!!! A big thank you from me and my family!!!"
-Karley B.
