On this page
- What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Shreveport?
- Where Do Serious Shreveport Car Accidents Happen?
- How Do You Prove Who Caused a Car Accident?
- What If the Other Driver Says the Accident Was My Fault?
- What If the Other Driver Was Texting?
- What If the Other Driver Was Speeding?
- What If I Was Rear-Ended?
- What If I Was Hit at an Intersection?
- What If I Was Hit by an Uninsured Driver?
- What If the Driver Was Working?
- What Injuries Can a Car Accident Cause?
- What If My Injuries Were Not Diagnosed at the Scene?
- What If I Had a Previous Injury?
- What Damages Can Be Recovered After a Shreveport Car Accident?
- What If I Cannot Work?
- How Long Do I Have to File a Louisiana Car Accident Claim?
- Should I Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company?
- Should I Accept a Quick Settlement?
- What Should I Bring to a Car Accident Consultation?
- Why Hire a Shreveport Car Accident Lawyer?
- What Causes Car Accidents in Shreveport?
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Talk to Jacqueline Scott & Associates After a Shreveport Car Accident
You may be driving to work, picking up your children, running errands, or traveling through Shreveport when another driver’s mistake leaves you injured and facing medical bills, missed work, vehicle damage, and uncertainty about what happens next.
If another driver caused your accident, you may have the right to pursue compensation under Louisiana law. But an insurance company does not determine what is fair simply because its insured caused the wreck.
A serious injury claim requires evidence.
At Jacqueline Scott & Associates, our Shreveport car accident lawyers can investigate how the crash happened, identify potentially responsible parties and insurance coverage, document your injuries and losses, and pursue the compensation available under Louisiana law.
Call (318) 746-5997 to discuss your accident.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Shreveport?
Your health should come first.
If you are injured, seek appropriate medical attention. Some injuries are obvious immediately. Others may become more noticeable in the hours or days following the collision.
When circumstances allow, important steps after an accident may include:
- contacting law enforcement;
- photographing the vehicles;
- photographing the accident scene;
- obtaining witness information;
- preserving dashcam footage;
- documenting visible injuries;
- exchanging insurance information; and
- obtaining appropriate medical care.
Do not put yourself in danger trying to gather evidence at an active roadway.
Where Do Serious Shreveport Car Accidents Happen?
Collisions can occur anywhere, but busy highways, intersections, commercial corridors, and interstate traffic can create significant accident risks throughout the Shreveport area.
Our focus is not simply where the wreck occurred.
The important questions are how it happened and who caused it.
A car accident may involve:
- rear-end collisions;
- intersection crashes;
- unsafe lane changes;
- sideswipes;
- head-on collisions;
- T-bone accidents;
- highway accidents;
- multi-vehicle wrecks;
- distracted-driving crashes;
- impaired-driving accidents; or
- crashes involving speeding.
Each type of collision presents different evidence.
How Do You Prove Who Caused a Car Accident?
Evidence may include:
- police reports;
- scene photographs;
- vehicle damage;
- witness statements;
- dashcam footage;
- surveillance video;
- traffic-camera evidence;
- cellphone information where legally obtainable;
- medical records; and
- accident reconstruction in appropriate cases.
The location of damage can sometimes help explain how the vehicles collided.
Video can be especially valuable when drivers give conflicting versions.
What If the Other Driver Says the Accident Was My Fault?
Do not assume the insurance company’s position ends the matter.
Louisiana’s comparative-fault law changed effective January 1, 2026. Under current Civil Code Article 2323, if an injured person is 51% or more at fault, that person cannot recover damages. If the person’s fault is less than 51%, recoverable damages are reduced according to the percentage of fault attributed to that person.
That makes evidence concerning fault especially important.
An insurer may attempt to assign some or all of the blame to you. The available evidence should be examined before accepting that conclusion.
What If the Other Driver Was Texting?
Distracted driving can be an important factor in an accident.
Potential evidence may include:
- witness observations;
- video;
- driver statements;
- cellphone information obtained through appropriate legal procedures; and
- the timing of calls or messages where relevant.
The fact that a driver possessed a phone does not prove distraction. The evidence must connect the conduct to the accident.
What If the Other Driver Was Speeding?
Speed can affect both accident causation and severity.
Evidence of speed may come from:
- video;
- witnesses;
- vehicle information;
- roadway evidence; and
- accident reconstruction.
A driver may also be traveling too fast for traffic or weather conditions even when a specific speeding violation cannot be established.
What If I Was Rear-Ended?
Rear-end accidents are common, but they should still be investigated.
Questions can include:
- Was traffic stopped?
- How long had you been stopped?
- Was the other driver following too closely?
- Was the driver distracted?
- Was the driver speeding?
- Did the driver brake before impact?
A dashcam or nearby surveillance camera can help establish the sequence.
What If I Was Hit at an Intersection?
Intersection accidents frequently involve disputes about traffic signals and right of way.
Potential evidence includes:
- independent witnesses;
- surveillance cameras;
- dashcams;
- traffic-control devices;
- photographs;
- vehicle damage; and
- roadway markings.
Because surveillance systems may overwrite footage, locating potential video quickly can matter.
What If I Was Hit by an Uninsured Driver?
Do not automatically assume there is no potential insurance recovery.
Your own automobile policy should be reviewed to determine whether applicable uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage exists.
Other coverage questions can also depend on who owned the vehicle and why the driver was operating it.
What If the Driver Was Working?
If the person who hit you was performing job duties, additional liability and insurance questions may arise.
Examples can include:
- delivery drivers;
- sales representatives;
- service technicians;
- construction employees; and
- other employees driving for work.
The driver’s employer is not automatically responsible merely because an employment relationship exists. The facts surrounding the trip and applicable Louisiana law must be analyzed.
What Injuries Can a Car Accident Cause?
Car crashes can cause injuries ranging from temporary soft-tissue problems to permanent disability.
Potential injuries include:
- concussion;
- traumatic brain injury;
- neck injuries;
- back injuries;
- herniated discs;
- spinal injuries;
- shoulder injuries;
- knee injuries;
- fractures;
- internal injuries;
- nerve damage; and
- permanent impairment.
Some victims require surgery.
Others require months of rehabilitation.
What If My Injuries Were Not Diagnosed at the Scene?
Not every injury is immediately obvious.
If you develop symptoms, seek appropriate medical evaluation.
Be accurate about when symptoms began and how they affect you.
Medical professionals should determine your diagnosis.
What If I Had a Previous Injury?
A previous medical condition does not automatically mean a new accident caused no harm.
An accident can potentially cause a new injury or aggravate a preexisting condition.
Medical records may be needed to distinguish your condition before and after the collision.
Be truthful about previous medical treatment.
What Damages Can Be Recovered After a Shreveport Car Accident?
The damages available depend on the facts and Louisiana law.
Potentially recoverable losses may include:
- medical expenses;
- future medical expenses;
- lost wages;
- diminished earning capacity;
- property damage;
- permanent impairment; and
- legally recoverable non-economic damages.
Louisiana Civil Code Article 2315 provides the basic principle that a person whose fault causes damage to another may be obligated to repair that damage.
What If I Cannot Work?
Document your losses carefully.
Evidence may include:
- pay stubs;
- employer statements;
- tax documentation where appropriate;
- work restrictions;
- medical excuses; and
- records of lost overtime.
If your injuries permanently affect your career, future earning capacity may also require evaluation.
How Long Do I Have to File a Louisiana Car Accident Claim?
Deadlines should be evaluated based on the accident date and circumstances.
Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.1 currently establishes a general two-year prescriptive period for delictual actions, beginning when the injury or damage is sustained.
However, exceptions and different rules may apply depending on the facts.
Do not use the general deadline as a reason to wait.
Evidence can disappear long before a filing deadline arrives.
Should I Talk to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company?
You may be contacted quickly.
Remember that the adjuster represents the insurance company.
Be cautious about:
- recorded statements;
- broad medical authorizations;
- premature settlement offers; and
- releases.
Before resolving a significant injury claim, you should understand the extent of your injuries and what rights the release will end.
Should I Accept a Quick Settlement?
A fast offer can arrive before you know whether you need additional treatment, surgery, or time away from work.
Once a claim is fully released, reopening it may not be possible simply because your injuries later turn out to be worse than expected.
What Should I Bring to a Car Accident Consultation?
Helpful information can include:
- crash report information;
- photographs;
- videos;
- insurance information;
- medical records;
- medical bills;
- witness information;
- employment documentation; and
- correspondence from insurers.
Do not worry if you do not have everything.
Why Hire a Shreveport Car Accident Lawyer?
A serious accident case can involve much more than submitting medical bills to an insurer.
The legal investigation may require determining:
- exactly how the accident happened;
- whether additional defendants exist;
- what insurance applies;
- how serious the injuries are;
- whether future treatment is necessary;
- how much income has been lost; and
- how the injuries may affect the client’s future.
What Causes Car Accidents in Shreveport?
Motor vehicle collisions across Caddo Parish stem from a variety of negligent driving behaviors. Common factors that lead to local crashes include:
- Distracted Driving: Texting, checking social media, or adjusting navigation controls while driving along busy corridors like Youree Drive, Mansfield Road, or Line Avenue.
- Speeding & Reckless Driving: Driving above posted limits or aggressively weaving through traffic on major interstate routes, including I-20 and I-49.
- Failure to Yield: Causing broadside or T-bone collisions at high-traffic intersections like Bert Kouns Industrial Loop and Shreveport Barksdale Highway.
- Driving Under the Influence: Operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, particularly during weekend hours and late-night travel.
- Tailgating & Following Too Closely: Creating sudden rear-end crashes during morning and evening rush-hour stop-and-go traffic.
Frequently Asked Questions
What types of compensation can I recover after a car accident?
You can seek economic damages (covering medical expenses, future treatment costs, lost wages, and vehicle replacement or repairs) and non-economic damages (for physical pain, suffering, and emotional distress).
How do I get a copy of my official Shreveport police report?
Official accident reports can be obtained through the Shreveport Police Department Information Services Bureau, the Caddo Parish Sheriff's Office, or online via the Louisiana State Police crash portal, depending on which agency responded.
What if the driver who hit me doesn't have auto insurance?
If the at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured, you can file a claim through your own insurance policy's Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage, if you have selected that option on your auto plan.
Talk to Jacqueline Scott & Associates After a Shreveport Car Accident
If someone else’s negligence caused your accident, you should not have to rely solely on that person’s insurance company to tell you what your claim is worth.
At Jacqueline Scott & Associates, we investigate serious injury cases and pursue the evidence needed to understand what happened and what the accident has cost our client.
If you were injured in a Shreveport car accident, call (318) 746-5997.
Make ’Em Pay.
Every case is different. Results depend on the specific facts and circumstances of each individual matter. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This page provides general educational information and is not legal advice.
This article is general information about Louisiana law and is not legal advice. Laws and deadlines can change, and every case depends on its own facts. Past results do not guarantee or predict future outcomes. Reading this page or contacting the firm does not by itself create an attorney-client relationship.



