One of the greatest parts of our patchwork of states is that every state has its own idiosyncrasies. It makes for a more interesting and diverse set of laws and perspectives.
Of course, we have to pay attention to those unique points, especially when it comes to the laws. For example, when you’re driving in Louisiana, you’ll want to take special care to learn about its unique driving laws. Doing that will reduce your risk of an accident, but it will also help you if you do end up in an accident with someone who was breaking Louisiana’s driving laws.
If you were doing everything right and the other driver was flouting Louisiana’s laws, then you should consider discussing your case with a personal injury lawyer.
Specific Rules in Louisiana
Familiarize yourself with all of Louisiana’s driving laws, but keep these ones at the forefront of your mind.
-
Seat belts: Compared to other states, Louisiana has a slightly stricter seat belt law. All passengers over the age of 13 have to wear seatbelts in the car, and this applies to both the front and back seats. From ages 1 to 5, children have to be in some kind of passenger safety system. After the age of 5, children are allowed to use adult safety belts.
-
Drunk driving: A person can be arrested for a DUI if he or she is driving with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) that is 0.08 or more. Louisiana requires the implementation of ignition interlock devices (IIDs) for all DUI convictions.
-
Open container laws: In Louisiana, although drivers aren’t allowed to drink while driving, passengers are allowed to imbibe. This means that open containers of alcohol are technically allowed in the passenger area of the car.
-
Distracted driving: Distracted driving in Louisiana includes anything that takes your eyes or mind off the road or your hands off the steering wheel. Texting while driving is one of the more well-known types of distracted driving.
To combat it, Louisiana decided that no driver in Louisiana is allowed to text while driving. Drivers with a learner’s permit or intermediary license aren’t allowed to use a handheld phone while driving for anything; texting and calling are both prohibited.
Distracted Driving and Your Louisiana Auto Accident
If you ended up in an accident in Louisiana, then it could very well be because the other driver was acting carelessly due to distracted driving.
For example, the driver could have been texting while driving, taken his eyes off the road, and then hit your car on the highway.
At the time, you were probably obeying Louisiana’s driving laws, and this will be helpful for your case.
Louisiana is an at-fault state, which means that the driver who caused the accident (i.e., the driver who was found to be at fault) has to pay for damages resulting from the accident.
Knowing that the driver broke Louisiana’s driving laws could be very helpful for your claim.
Hiring a Personal Injury Lawyer
Arming yourself with the knowledge of Louisiana’s driving laws is already going to be helpful if you find yourself driving through the state.
If you end up in an accident, having a personal injury attorney that can help you argue your case and show that the other driver was liable could be your key to having a successful claim.
