Mardi Gras’ Krewe of Endymion is normally a time of great fun and frivolity in New Orleans. That joyous atmosphere was dampened in 2017, though, when a drunk driver plowed into a Mid-Town crowd watching the Krewe of Endymion parade. That crash sent nearly two dozen people to the hospital. It also led one of the victims to sue the driver, according to a recent nola.com report. If you have been injured as a pedestrian, you should make the effort to consult with an experienced New Orleans pedestrian accident attorney to discuss the specifics of your case and which options might work best for you.
The woman who filed the lawsuit, Allison, was one of the 32 people injured when a drunk driver slammed into a crowd of onlookers at the corner of North Carrollton and Orleans Avenues. The driver was later tested for his blood-alcohol content, and his test yielded a result of .232, which is almost three times the legal limit, according to the nola.com report.
When you are injured as a pedestrian, whether you are run over by yourself or are part of a larger horror like what occurred at 2017’s Mardi Gras, there are many pieces to the “puzzle” of your case. For one thing, you have to select the people whom you should sue. If the person who struck you was not the person who owned the vehicle, you may have claims against both the driver and the owner. Additionally, if the driver was doing work for his employer when the accident took place, that may give you the opportunity to include the driver’s employer among the defendants in your case. Furthermore, there may also be the chance to name the auto insurers of one or more of these people in your case.
One person or entity whom it may be difficult to sue successfully is the provider of alcohol to a driver who drove drunk. Louisiana law can make it challenging to win against these people or entities because the law of this state generally puts the blame for a drunk driver’s actions solely on the drunk driver.
Beyond assessing whom you should sue, there are also the damages you will seek. Properly asserting claims for all of the valid damages is important in order to allow you to get the full compensation you deserve under the law. Depending on your facts, you may be entitled to past and future lost earnings, past and future medical expenses, and pain and suffering.
In the Endymion parade crash case, Allison was caught on the grill of the drunk driver’s pickup truck and remained there until the truck slammed into a dump truck. She suffered a fractured collarbone, dislocated shoulder, collapsed lung, and broken arm. The crash also broke all of her ribs. According to her complaint, she incurred more than $100,000 of debt as a result of the accident. These facts may permit her to seek a significant sum of damages in her case. She sued the driver, his father (who owned the truck), and USAA Auto Insurance.
The experienced Louisiana drunk driving accident attorneys at the Cardone Law Firm are committed to giving our clients effective representation and personalized attention. Whether you’ve been hurt as a driver, a passenger, or a pedestrian, we are here to help you.
For your confidential consultation, contact us online or phone Cardone at 504-522-3333.
More Blog Posts:
When Good Times Go Bad: Houma Krewe Faces Louisiana Lawsuit for Injuries Suffered at a Party Hosted by the Club, Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog, Feb. 14, 2018
Parade Pandemonium: Our Legal Analysis of the Rights of Dozens Injured in Endymion Mardi Gras Parade Crash, Louisiana Injury Lawyers Blog, Feb. 28, 2017