No one expects to be involved in an accident when they climb behind the wheel of a vehicle. Yet, accidents happen every day on Louisiana highways and streets. Some of them are minor fender benders, but others can result in catastrophic injuries.
If you are involved in a car accident, you need to know what Louisiana laws require of you and how they impact your ability to recover compensation for your damages.
The experienced Lafayette car accident attorneys at Anderson Blanda & Saltzman have decades of combined experience protecting the rights of accident victims, guiding them through the legal process, and helping them secure maximum compensation for their damages.
Call (337) 233-3366 or visit our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your car accident claim.
Requirements After a Louisiana Car Accident
If you are involved in a car accident in Louisiana, you must provide your contact information, registration, and driver’s license to anyone involved in the accident and to the investigating officer. You are also required to report most car accidents immediately.
These requirements and others are outlined in Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:398, which states:
“A. The driver of a vehicle involved in a crash resulting in injury to or death of any person or property damage in excess of five hundred dollars shall:
(1) Immediately give notice of the crash to the local police department if the crash occurs within an incorporated city or town or, if the crash occurs outside of an incorporated city or town, to the nearest sheriff’s office or state police station.
(2) Give his name, address, and the registration number of the vehicle he was driving and, upon request and if available, exhibit his license or permit to drive to any person injured in the crash or to the driver or occupant of or person attending any vehicle or other property damaged in the crash.
(3) Give such information and, upon request, exhibit such license or permit to any police officer at the scene of the crash or who is investigating the crash.
(4) If the crash occurs in a geographical area under order of evacuation by a competent authority or is under a declared state of emergency, the driver shall comply with the provisions of Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection within seventy-two hours after the occurrence of the crash.”
Section “B” of this statute also requires law enforcement officers investigating your accident to instruct the driver of each involved vehicle to provide the following information to all parties with injuries or property damage as a result of the crash:
(1) The name and address of the owner and the driver of the vehicle.
(2) The license number of the vehicle.
(3) The name of the liability carrier for the vehicle and the name, address, and telephone number of the insurance agent who procured the liability policy providing coverage for the vehicle.”
If you refuse to comply with these requirements, you may be criminally charged with hit-and-run and other violations. Failing to comply will also make it very difficult to recover damages you incurred in the accident.
Louisiana Car Accidents and Insurance Requirements
Louisiana law requires all drivers to carry liability coverage to pay for property damage and personal injury to others in the event of an accident. The current minimum required coverage, as outlined in Louisiana Revised Statute 32:861, is:
- $15,000 for bodily injury to one person in an accident
- $30,000 for bodily injury to two or more people in an accident
- $25,000 for property damage in an accident
If you do not carry the required minimum coverage, you are subject to fines and penalties, including criminal sanctions as outlined in Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:865.
Additionally, Louisiana has recently updated its “No Pay, No Play” provision. Before the update, drivers who did not carry the mandatory minimum insurance coverage were prohibited from recovering the first $15,000 in bodily injury and the first $25,000 in property damage. However, the new law makes significant changes to the amount of recoverable damages that uninsured drivers can claim.
Effective August 1, 2025, Louisiana’s Updated No Pay, No Play law, outlined in Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:866, prohibits uninsured drivers from recovering the first $100,000 in bodily injury and the first $100,000 in property damage.
Louisiana Comparative Fault Law and Car Accident Claims
If you are partially at fault in a car accident in Louisiana, you may still be able to recover compensation for your damages. Louisiana follows a comparative fault model, as outlined in Louisiana Civil Code Article 2323.
Louisiana is transitioning from a pure comparative fault model to a modified comparative fault model, effective January 1, 2026. The law before this allowed a personal injury victim to recover compensation regardless of their degree of fault, although it deducted the percentage of fault attributable to them from the total amount of their damages.
The new modified comparative fault law prohibits recovery of any damages if an injury victim is found to be 51% or more at fault. If the injury victim is 50% or less at fault, they may still recover damages, but the amount of compensation will be reduced in proportion to their degree of fault.
Louisiana Statute of Limitations For Car Accident Claims
A statute of limitations is a law that establishes a time limit for filing a claim to recover damages in a personal injury claim. If you miss your filing deadline, you will not be able to recover compensation for your damages.
The Louisiana statute of limitations for most personal injury claims, including car accident claims, is two years from the date of your accident, as outlined in Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.1.
However, there are exceptions to the two-year filing deadline. In some cases, you may have a much shorter time to act, and in others, the filing deadline may be extended. You must promptly consult an experienced Louisiana car accident injury lawyer to determine your filing deadline.
Consult an Experienced Louisiana Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in a car accident in Louisiana, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages. The experienced Lafayette personal injury lawyers at Anderson Blanda & Saltzman have a proven track record of securing maximum compensation for our clients, and we are committed to helping you obtain full compensation for your damages.
Call (337) 233-3366 or complete the short form on our contact page and schedule a free consultation. We will listen to you, answer your questions, and explain how Louisiana’s car accident injury laws impact you. If we represent you, we will fight tirelessly to protect your rights and secure the highest possible recovery for your damages.