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Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in New Orleans

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Best New Orleans Pedestrian Accident Lawyers Near Me

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Getting hit by a car while you are walking changes everything in about two seconds. One moment you are crossing Canal Street or heading home through Mid-City. The next, you are in an ambulance with injuries that will take months to heal and bills you never planned for.

At Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, our New Orleans pedestrian accident lawyers represent people who were hurt on foot and are now up against an insurance company that wants to pay as little as possible. You had no seatbelt, no airbag, and you took the full force of the impact. If another driver’s negligence contributed to the crash, that driver may be legally responsible for resulting damages.

Our firm has recovered approximately $3 Billion for injured people and their families across Louisiana. If a driver hit you in New Orleans, Metairie, or Kenner, we are ready to hear what happened and tell you honestly where you stand.

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Types of Pedestrian Accident Injuries Our New Orleans Lawyers Handle

There is nothing between a person on foot and several thousand pounds of moving metal. That is why these cases so often involve broken bones, head trauma, and catastrophic injury..

Some of these injuries announce themselves immediately. Others surface days later, once the adrenaline wears off and the swelling sets in. We push for a complete medical picture before anyone starts talking about settlement, because what your claim is worth depends on what you will still be living with years from now.

New Orleans Pedestrian Accident Statistics

Louisiana remains one of the most dangerous states in the country to travel on foot. Even after a small dip in deaths, a person walking here is killed at a rate roughly 70% higher than the national average.

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159

pedestrians killed in Louisiana in 2024

1,235

pedestrians were injured in Louisiana in 2024

7

states had a pedestrian death rate above 3.0 in 2025, and Louisiana was one of them

Source: Pedestrian Traffic Fatalities by State: 2025 Preliminary Data, Governors Highway Safety Association (2025 figures are preliminary) // 2024 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report from LSU CARTS

New Orleans Pedestrian Laws and Who Has the Right of Way

Insurance adjusters love to claim the pedestrian came out of nowhere. Louisiana law is a good deal more specific than that.

When a traffic signal is not in place or is not working, a driver has to stop and yield to anyone crossing in a crosswalk, under La. R.S. 32:212. That same law says a driver cannot pass another vehicle that has stopped at a crosswalk to let someone cross. Pedestrians carry duties too. You cannot step off a curb into the path of a car that is too close to stop, and if you cross somewhere other than a crosswalk, you have to yield to traffic under La. R.S. 32:213.

Now the part adjusters tend to skip. Under La. R.S. 32:214, every driver has to use due care to avoid hitting any pedestrian on any roadway, regardless of where that person is walking. Drivers must sound the horn when it is necessary and take extra precaution around children and anyone who appears confused or unable to move out of the way. A pedestrian’s failure to use a crosswalk does not necessarily resolve the driver’s obligations under Louisiana law. The circumstances of the crossing and the conduct of both the pedestrian and driver can affect fault.

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Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in New Orleans 1

Pedestrian Accident Lawyer in New Orleans 2

How Louisiana Fault Rules Affect Your Pedestrian Claim

Louisiana recently rewrote its fault rules, and the change lands hard on people who were hit while walking.

Under La. Civ. Code art. 2323, as amended effective January 1, 2026, a person found 51% or more at fault cannot recover damages at all. Below that threshold you can still recover, but your compensation is reduced by your share of the blame. Which version of the rule applies to your case depends on the date of your accident, and that is one of the first things we check.

One percentage point now decides whether you receive anything. Expect the insurer to work hard to push your number past that line, using arguments about dark clothing, a phone in your hand, or exactly where you stepped off the curb. A key part of a pedestrian accident claim is presenting the evidence that accurately establishes how the crash occurred and how fault should be allocated.

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Time Limits for Filing a Pedestrian Accident Claim

Louisiana Civil Code Article 3493.1 generally provides a two-year prescriptive period for delictual actions, beginning when the injury or damage is sustained, subject to statutory exceptions. That two-year period replaced the older one-year deadline for claims arising on or after July 1, 2024.

Two years sounds like plenty of time. It is not. Corner store surveillance gets recorded over within weeks. Witnesses move and stop answering their phones. Physical evidence on the road washes away with the first hard rain. The earlier we start, the more proof we can lock down while it still exists.

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Who Can Be Held Responsible for a New Orleans Pedestrian Crash

The driver is the most frequent answer, but often, the driver is nowhere to be found after a pedestrian accident. In 2024, 21% of deadly crashes in the New Orleans State Police region were hit-and-runs, the highest share of any region in Louisiana, according to the 2024 Louisiana Traffic Records Data Report from LSU’s Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety.

If that person was working at the time, delivering food or driving a company vehicle, the employer may share responsibility. If a badly lit parking lot or a broken walkway played a role, the property owner may be on the hook as well. Claims against a city or state agency carry an added requirement. Under La. R.S. 9:2800, the public body generally must have had actual or constructive notice of the specific defect and a reasonable opportunity to repair it before liability may be imposed under the applicable public-entity liability provisions.

Identifying every responsible party matters more than most people realize. Louisiana only requires a minimum auto policy of $15,000 for one person’s bodily injury, under La. R.S. 32:900. Serious pedestrian injuries can result in medical expenses that exceed minimum liability limits, making it important to identify all potentially applicable insurance coverage.

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How Our New Orleans Pedestrian Accident Attorneys Handle Your Case

From your first call forward, we take on the work you should not have to manage while you are trying to heal. Our team of New Orleans personal injury lawyers begins with a free consultation to learn what happened, answer your questions, and lay out your options.

If you hire us, we get moving:

Requesting the crash report and any related 911 audio
Tracking down surveillance, doorbell, and traffic camera video
Locating and interviewing witnesses before memories fade
Gathering your medical records, imaging, and billing
Identifying every driver, employer, and insurance policy involved
Handling all contact with the adjusters on your behalf
Preparing your case for trial when a fair offer never arrives

With 679+ years of combined legal experience behind your claim, you are not the one sitting across the table from a national insurer alone.

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Contact a New Orleans Pedestrian Accident Attorney Near Metairie Today

Injured in an Accident? Find Legal Help Near You

You did not choose any of this, and you should not have to fund your own recovery while an insurance company decides how little it can get away with paying you.

At Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, we represent injured pedestrians throughout the New Orleans area, including Metairie and Kenner, from our New Orleans office on Veterans Memorial Boulevard. We handle related car accident claims in the same neighborhoods, and we serve walkers hurt across the state through our Louisiana pedestrian accident practice.

Your consultation is free. With our No Fee Unless We Win promise, you pay nothing unless we recover money for you. That is the G Guarantee.

Call 888.501.7888 today and let our team take it from here.

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Injured? Call Now at 888.501.7888

Causes of Pedestrian Accidents in New Orleans

Almost everyone we represent was doing something completely ordinary. They were crossing with the light, walking back to a parked car, or standing on a curb waiting for traffic to clear. Our team investigates the circumstances of the crash to determine how the driver’s conduct, roadway conditions, visibility, traffic signals, and other factors may have contributed.

Speed, distraction, and alcohol come up again and again in these cases. So does a simple failure to look before turning right on a green light. Our team works to pin down exactly what the driver did wrong, because that answer shapes everything that follows in your claim.

Compensation Available After a New Orleans Pedestrian Accident

Pedestrian injuries tend to be severe, slow to heal, and expensive. Depending on the facts of the case, applicable law, and available insurance coverage, an injured pedestrian may be able to pursue compensation for economic and noneconomic losses.

Our attorneys pursue compensation for:

Emergency treatment, surgery, and hospital stays
Future medical care and rehabilitation
Lost wages and reduced earning capacity
Pain and suffering
Emotional distress
Permanent scarring, disfigurement, or disability
Damaged phones, glasses, and other personal property

Insurers routinely put a number on these claims early, before anyone knows the long-term picture. We build your case around what your recovery will genuinely cost you.

If you were struck by a commercial truck or delivery van, the compensation picture often changes.Commercial vehicles may carry different or higher insurance limits depending on the carrier, vehicle, cargo, and applicable requirements.Our New Orleans truck accident lawyers know how to navigate federal regulations and driver logs to identify applicable coverage and pursue the compensation supported by the evidence and applicable law.

Mistakes to Avoid After Being Hit by a Car

A handful of early missteps can quietly cost you thousands later:

Apologizing or accepting blame at the scene
Turning down the ambulance and waiting to see if you feel better
Giving the driver’s insurer a recorded statement without a lawyer
Posting about the crash or your recovery on social media
Accepting the first check an adjuster offers
Letting weeks pass before anyone preserves the video

If you have already done one of these, call us anyway. An attorney can review what has already happened and explain what options may remain available.

Don’t Wait — Talk to a New Orleans Pedestrian Accident Lawyer Today

At Gordon Mckernan Injury Attorneys, we understand that emotional and physical recovery come hand and hand after an injury or accident. We also know that you may not have the energy or time to fight with an insurance company and the complexities of your personal injury claim.

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How It Works

Filing a claim with Gordon Mckernan Injury Attorneys is easy!
Simply follow the steps below.

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Fill out our quick and easy form to find out if your case qualifies. Our consultations are free and confidential, and we are here to help whether you hire us or not!

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Our team will evaluate your case and decide on the best course of action. One of our lawyers will get back to you promptly and begin the process of winning your case!

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Once your case has been evaluated and deemed a good fit for our firm, our team will go to work immediately on gathering evidence, building your case, and getting you the compensation that you deserve.

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