New Orleans Hit and Run Accident Lawyer

New Orleans Hit and Run Accident Attorney

Being in a car accident can be exceptionally traumatic. It can be even more destabilizing after others escape the scene of the crash. In most car accidents, you can benefit from the at-fault driver’s insurance. A hit-and-run accident can make this impossible. If you were in a crash and those involved are nowhere to be found, a New Orleans hit-and-run accident lawyer will assess your options for financial compensation.

Hire a Hit and Run Accident Lawyer at Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C.

Our attorneys understand the strain that hit-and-run cases can create. We focus on your financial recovery so that you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery. Our attorneys believe in fighting for what is right and holding negligent drivers accountable.

After a hit-and-run, we investigate and work to locate the careless driver. If it isn’t possible, we will work to get you the compensation you need through other means.

Our firm has fought for Louisianans for more than 75 years. We have navigated personal injury cases of all kinds, and we can fight for you in or out of the courtroom. Let us use our knowledge, resources, and experience to fight for you.

Hit and Run Accidents in New Orleans

A hit-and-run crash occurs when one of the drivers involved leaves without giving assistance or information. In Louisiana, any accident that results in injury or a certain amount of property damage must be reported. Failing to report the accident could result in consequences and criminal charges.

In New Orleans, 17% of crashes from 2021 to 2023 were fatal hit-and-runs. In 2024, there were nearly 5,900 hit-and-run crashes in Orleans Parish. 1,131 of which were suspected injury crashes and 17 were fatal.

There are many reasons why a driver might flee the scene of the accident, including:

• Drunk driving: Alcohol was relevant to 244 fatal accidents in 2023 in Louisiana. Drivers may leave the scene of the crash to avoid the criminal penalties associated with driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Being impaired also affects judgment, which can also lead to a driver leaving the scene.
• Uninsured driver: In Louisiana, drivers legally have to have a certain amount of car insurance. Drivers might leave the crash if they do not have any insurance or if their policy is insufficient. Louisiana’s insurance laws require drivers to have car insurance in order to recover damages, even if they are not at fault.
• Suspended license: If the driver does not have a valid license or is driving on a suspended license, they may leave the scene to try to avoid facing additional consequences.

Drivers could also commit a hit and run to avoid penalties for other illegal activities, like driving a stolen vehicle or an arrest warrant for another offense. Of course, leaving the scene of the accident brings worse penalties.

A hit-and-run is a criminal offense. If the driver is found, they could be liable in both criminal and civil court. If anyone was seriously injured or killed, the penalties are worse. This is more likely on busy and high-speed roads like I-10 or US 90.

Financial Recovery for a Hit and Run Accident

If the driver can be located and they were at fault for the crash, then you can file an insurance claim against them. If they had no insurance or cannot be found, then you can recover certain damages from your own insurance policy, depending on your coverage limits.

In some cases, you may be able to file a civil claim against the driver. An attorney can assess the right option. In a claim, you could recover medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering. You might also qualify for non-economic damages like loss of enjoyment of life.

FAQs About New Orleans, LA Hit and Run Accident Law

How Much Does a Lawyer Charge for a Hit and Run Personal Injury Case?

A personal injury lawyer in New Orleans, LA, for a hit-and-run personal injury case will likely charge a contingency fee, which is a percentage of a settlement you obtain. This is the case for most personal injury cases. Fees might be higher when significant investigation and resources are required to locate the at-fault party. When you talk through your case with an attorney, you should also discuss the costs with them. Their experience, location, and other factors can influence fees.

Is a Lawyer Important for a Hit and Run Personal Injury Case?

A New Orleans car accident lawyer is incredibly important for a hit-and-run personal injury case where another driver left the scene. Hiring an attorney offers your greatest chance at finding the at-fault driver and holding them liable. They work with law enforcement while also gathering evidence. If the driver can’t be found, then an attorney can review your other options for financial recovery, including filing with your own insurance.

How Do I Find the Driver in My Hit and Run Accident?

To find the driver in your hit-and-run accident, it’s important to work with a lawyer. They can contact others on the road and nearby businesses that have video footage of the accident. This can help identify the vehicle. If you are unable to discover the perpetrator, a lawyer can recover compensation via other avenues.

How Do I Recover Compensation for Damages Following a Hit and Run Accident?

You can recover compensation following a hit-and-run accident in several ways. If the hit-and-run driver is to blame for the crash and they are identified, you can file a legal claim with their insurance company. Otherwise, you may have to file with your own policy through uninsured motorist coverage or general collision coverage. There may also be other parties at fault that you can hold liable, such as another driver or a product manufacturer.

New Orleans Hit and Run Accident Attorney

You shouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of a car crash that wasn’t your fault. Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C., can fight for the financial recovery you are owed. Reach out to our firm today.

New Orleans Commercial Vehicle Accident Law Resources:

• Is a Doctor Visit Required After a Car Accident in Louisiana
• Tips for Avoiding Distracted Driving During Family Road Trips in Louisiana
• Why is My Car Accident Settlement Taking So Long in Louisiana
• Navigating Auto Collisions: Essential Steps and When to Seek a Personal Injury Lawyer in Louisiana
• Highway Car Accidents Are on the Rise: Tips for Driving Safely This Summer in Louisiana
• Car Accidents Involving Objects Falling from Vehicle: Who’s at Fault in Louisiana

Serving New Orleans and the Greater Louisiana Gulf Coast

When you’re facing complex litigation against powerful medical institutions, maritime corporations, or commercial entities in New Orleans or throughout the Louisiana Gulf Coast region, you need a law firm with the experience, resources, and courtroom prowess to level the playing field. Since 1949, Gainsburgh, Benjamin, David, Meunier & Warshauer, L.L.C. has built an unshakable reputation for taking on the toughest cases and defeating well-funded opponents who thought they were untouchable.

Based in New Orleans with deep roots throughout Louisiana’s legal community, our firm brings over seven decades of trial experience to clients facing medical malpractice, maritime injury claims, products liability, toxic exposure cases, and complex commercial litigation. Our attorneys don’t just practice law—they shape it. With leadership positions in local, state, and federal bar associations, and three former partners who ascended to the federal, state, and appellate bench, we command respect in Louisiana courtrooms that translates directly into better outcomes for our clients.

Whether you’ve been injured by medical negligence at a New Orleans hospital, suffered a maritime accident in Louisiana’s crucial shipping industry, been harmed by defective products, or exposed to toxic substances through commercial operations, partnering with a New Orleans litigation firm that other attorneys trust with their own family’s cases—and that corporations and their insurers genuinely fear in the courtroom—can make the critical difference between inadequate settlement offers and the substantial compensation you deserve for your injuries and losses.