What to Do After a Car Accident in Louisiana

The Quick Version

If you've just been in a car accident in Louisiana and need the short answer, here it is:

1. Check for injuries and call 911 if anyone is hurt
2. Move out of traffic if you safely can
3. Call the police
4. Exchange information with the other driver
5. Take photos of everything
6. Talk to any witnesses
7. Stick to the facts
8. Call your insurance company

That's the checklist. But there's more to each of these steps than you'd think, and Louisiana has some specific laws and timelines that most drivers don't know about until they need them. Let's go through it.

At the Scene

Check for Injuries First

Before you worry about your car, check yourself and your passengers. If anyone is injured, call 911 immediately. Don't try to move someone who's hurt unless they're in immediate danger (like a fire or oncoming traffic).

Even if you feel fine in the moment, keep in mind that adrenaline can mask pain. Seatbelt bruising, neck and back soreness, and concussion symptoms often don't show up until the next day. We've had clients walk away from a T-bone collision feeling totally fine, then wake up the next morning with a prominent diagonal bruise across their chest from the seatbelt. If you have any doubt at all, get checked out by a doctor that same day.

Move to Safety

Louisiana law requires drivers to move their vehicles out of the travel lanes if the accident is minor and the cars are drivable. If your car still runs and nobody is seriously hurt, pull over to the shoulder, a parking lot, or a side street. Leaving disabled vehicles in traffic creates a second accident waiting to happen.

Call the Police

Always call the police, even for minor fender benders. In Louisiana, you're required to report any accident involving injury, death, or property damage. A police report creates an official record of what happened, who was involved, and what the officer observed. You'll want that report when you file your claim.

If the accident happened inside city limits, the local police department responds. Outside city limits, it's the parish sheriff or Louisiana State Police. Either way, wait for the officer and give an honest account of what happened. Stick to the facts. Don't speculate about who was at fault or what you think the other driver was doing.

Exchange Information

Get the following from every driver involved:

• Full name and contact information
• Driver's license number
• Insurance company and policy number
• License plate number
• Vehicle make, model, and color

If the other driver doesn't have insurance (and in Louisiana, there's roughly a 1 in 8 chance they don't), write down everything you can and note it for the police officer.

Document Everything

Pull out your phone and take as many photos as possible. You'll want pictures of:

• Damage to all vehicles involved (close-ups and wide shots)
• The overall accident scene, including road conditions and traffic signs
• Skid marks, debris, or anything else on the road
• The other driver's license plate and insurance card
• Your own injuries, even minor scrapes or bruising

The more you document now, the smoother your claim will go later. Insurance adjusters love photos because it takes the guesswork out of what happened.

Talk to Witnesses

If anyone saw the accident, ask for their name and phone number. Witness statements can make a real difference when fault is being disputed. Most people are willing to help if you ask.

After the Scene

If You're Injured, See a Doctor

If you're hurt, or even think you might be, see a doctor as soon as you can. Some injuries take a day or two to fully show up. Having medical documentation also helps when your insurance adjuster is reviewing the claim.

Call Your Insurance Company

Report the accident to your insurance company as soon as you can, ideally the same day. Most policies require you to notify them when an accident happens, even if the other driver was at fault. Reporting it isn't the same as filing a claim. It's just letting them know.

When you call, stick to the basic facts: when and where the accident happened, who was involved, and what damage occurred.

Understand Your Coverage

How your claim gets handled depends on what's on your auto policy. Here's a quick breakdown of the coverages that come into play after an accident:

• Collision coverage pays to repair or replace your car after an accident, regardless of who was at fault. You'll pay your deductible.
• Liability coverage pays for the other driver's injuries and property damage if you caused the accident. Property damage covers more than just the other vehicle. If you hit a mailbox, a light pole, or a fence, that falls under liability too.
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) kicks in when the other driver doesn't have insurance or doesn't have enough. This is one of the most important coverages in Louisiana given the state's high uninsured driver rate.
• Medical payments coverage helps pay your medical bills after an accident, regardless of fault. It's optional but worth asking your agent about.
• Rental reimbursement covers a rental car while yours is being repaired.
• Roadside assistance covers towing your vehicle from the scene and roadside help like jump starts or lockouts.

If you're not sure what your policy includes, your agent can walk you through it. We covered all of these in our guide to Louisiana auto insurance requirements.

What If It Wasn't Your Fault?

Louisiana is a fault state, which means the driver who caused the accident is responsible for the damages. If someone else hit you, their insurance should cover your repairs, medical bills, and other losses.

That said, the process isn't always as simple as "they pay." Here's what to expect:

File a claim with the at-fault driver's insurance. This is called a third-party claim. Their insurer is responsible for your repairs, medical bills, and a rental car while your vehicle is being fixed. If their insurance company is dragging their feet, not accepting liability, or slow to get you a rental car, you have the option of filing a claim on your own policy and letting your carrier subrogate (go after the other driver's insurance to get reimbursed). That's a decision worth talking through with your agent, since claims on your own policy can show up on your claims history.

Fault isn't always clear-cut. Sometimes both insurance companies need time to review the details before accepting liability. Having a police report, photos, and witness statements helps speed that process along.

You have the right to choose your repair shop. The other driver's insurance may recommend a shop, but in Louisiana, you're not required to use it. Pick a shop you trust.

The Claims Timeline

How long does the whole process take? It depends on the severity, but here's a rough idea:

Minor fender benders can be resolved in a couple of weeks. Major accidents with injuries, disputes, or total loss vehicles take longer, sometimes months.

Louisiana Laws Every Driver Should Know

The Prescriptive Period (Statute of Limitations)

Louisiana calls it a "prescriptive period" instead of a statute of limitations. For accidents that happened on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury or property damage lawsuit. Prior to that date, the deadline was just one year, which was one of the shortest in the country.

Two years may sound like plenty of time, but it goes fast. If you're dealing with ongoing injuries or a disputed claim, don't wait until the last minute.

Modified Comparative Fault

If both drivers share some blame, Louisiana's comparative fault rule adjusts how much each party can recover. Your damages get reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you had $10,000 in damages but were found 20% at fault, you'd recover $8,000.

The catch: if you're found 51% or more at fault, you can't recover anything from the other driver. This is why what you say at the scene matters, and why the police report is so important.

Uninsured Motorist Rates

Between 11% and 13% of Louisiana drivers have no insurance at all. That's roughly 1 in 8 drivers on the road. If one of them hits you, your uninsured motorist coverage is what protects you. We talk to clients about this constantly because it's one of those coverages people skip to save a few dollars, then regret it when they need it most.

Accident Rates Across Louisiana

Louisiana recorded 147,073 traffic collisions in 2024, including 652 fatal crashes. Here's how the state's largest metros compare:

East Baton Rouge and Orleans parishes together account for a disproportionate share of the state's accidents. Higher population density, heavier traffic, and more congested intersections all contribute. Distracted driving is a growing factor across the state. Louisiana ranks third nationally for distracted driving rates.

What We Tell Our Clients

The biggest mistake we see after an accident is people not knowing what their policy actually covers before they need it. They find out they dropped collision coverage to save money, or they declined uninsured motorist coverage years ago and forgot about it. By the time they're calling after an accident, those choices are already locked in.

That's why we walk clients through their coverage options when they first set up their policy, not after something goes wrong. If you haven't looked at your auto policy recently, it's worth a quick review. We can pull it up and make sure you're not carrying gaps that could cost you.

If you're curious about what Louisiana requires versus what most drivers actually need, check out our guide on Louisiana auto insurance requirements. And for ways to lower what you're paying, here are 9 ways to save on car insurance in Louisiana.

Have questions about your coverage or want to see what options are available to you? Get a free quote and we'll walk through it together.