Imagine sitting in the passenger seat of your friend’s car as you ride through the streets of Lake Charles. You expect that he or she is going to take enough care while driving to keep both you and him- or herself safe. What would happen, however, if your friend was driving carelessly or even recklessly? What would happen if he or she got into an accident and you were injured? Although many people don’t want to think about filing a lawsuit against a friend, when passengers are injured in a Louisiana single-car crash, they are entitled to compensation from a negligent driver.
After a 24-year-old’s ride in Jackson Parish went awry, he may need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the estate of the friend who was driving when they crashed. The 32-year-old driver, from Jonesboro, Louisiana, had been driving his 1999 Ford F-150 along Interstate 167 South near Jackson Parish when Louisiana State Police say that he drove off the road. Members of Troop F believe the driver was impaired at the time of the accident.
As the pickup truck veered off the road, it started to turn around before it crashed into part of a nearby bridge rail. Since the truck had started to rotate clockwise, it appears that it was the driver’s side that made contact with the rail. The force of the impact was enough to send the truck into the air, where it rolled before landing on the road.
Tragically, the passenger was seriously injured after he was ejected from the spinning vehicle. His injuries were so severe that medical responders had to airlift him to Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in Shreveport. He was initially admitted with injuries that could potentially be fatal and it is unknown if he is expected to survive.
Source: The Monroe News Star, “Lincoln Parish crash leaves one dead,” March 26, 2012
