Louisiana Car Accident Settlement Calculator
Get a rough estimate of what a Louisiana car-accident injury claim might be worth, based on your medical bills and losses. This is an estimate to understand the factors — not a prediction or an offer.
This is a rough estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
No tool can predict a settlement. This uses the common "multiplier method" to show the factors that drive value and a wide range — actual outcomes depend on the facts, the available insurance limits, the venue, and negotiation. Consult a Louisiana car-accident attorney about your case.
Enter your medical bills and losses to see an estimated range
The multiplier method (pain-and-suffering as a multiple of your medical bills) is a common starting point, not a guarantee. A real recovery is also capped by the available insurance (the at-fault driver's limits, or your own UM/UIM coverage). Most car-accident cases settle; an attorney is the only way to value your specific claim. This tool is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
How the Estimate Works
No tool can predict a car-accident settlement — every case is different and the number depends on the facts, the available insurance, the venue, and negotiation. This calculator applies the multiplier method: it adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage), then estimates pain and suffering as a multiple of your medical bills (about 1.5× for minor injuries up to 5× or more for catastrophic ones), and shows a wide range. It then applies Louisiana's fault rule and flags the insurance limits that cap a real payout.
Louisiana Is an at-fault (tort) state
Louisiana is a traditional at-fault (tort) state. It is NOT one of the 12 no-fault/PIP states. After a crash, the at-fault driver (through their liability insurer) pays the injured party's damages, and an injured person may sue directly for all damages including pain and suffering with no statutory injury threshold. Louisiana has no PIP/no-fault first-party benefit mandate. Liability is governed by the general tort/delictual rules of the Civil Code (e.g., La. C.C. arts. 2315, 2316), with comparative fault apportioned under La. C.C. art. 2323.
Minimum Insurance & UM/UIM in Louisiana
A settlement is only collectible up to the available insurance. Louisiana's minimum required liability coverage is $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident for bodily injury and $25,000 for property damage. Many drivers carry only the minimum, so a large claim can exceed the at-fault driver's policy. Minimum mandatory liability limits are 15/30/25: $15,000 bodily injury per person, $30,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage, under La. R.S. 32:900(B)(2). These 15/30/25 limits have been in effect since January 1, 2010. Every motor vehicle registered in Louisiana must be covered by a compliant liability policy or other proof of financial responsibility (Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Law, La. R.S. 32:861 et seq.).
Uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM): if the other driver had no insurance or fled the scene, your recovery comes from your own UM/UIM coverage. In Louisiana, UM/UIM is must be offered (you may reject it in writing). UM/UIM coverage must be included in every auto liability policy at limits equal to the policy's bodily-injury liability limits unless the named insured rejects it, selects lower limits, or chooses economic-only coverage in writing on the commissioner-prescribed form (La. R.S. 22:1295). A properly completed/signed selection or rejection form creates a presumption of a knowing waiver and remains valid for the life of the policy across renewals. It is therefore 'offer-required' (rejectable in writing), not mandatory to carry.
Fault & Your Recovery: modified comparative negligence (51% bar)
Louisiana follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). Your award is reduced by your share of fault, and you recover nothing once you are 51% or more at fault.
Deadline to File a Louisiana Car-Accident Claim
Louisiana generally requires a car-accident injury lawsuit to be filed within 2 years of the crash (the statute of limitations). Louisiana uses 'prescription' rather than 'statute of limitations.' For auto/tort (delictual) actions, the liberative prescriptive period is 2 years under La. C.C. art. 3493.11, enacted by Act 423 of 2024 (HB 315), effective July 1, 2024, and applied prospectively. Causes of action that arose BEFORE July 1, 2024 remain governed by the former 1-year delictual period (former La. C.C. art. 3492). Prescription generally runs from the day the injury or damage is sustained. Miss it and your claim is usually barred no matter how strong it is, so do not wait to talk to an attorney.
- Louisiana is an at-fault (tort) state with no no-fault/PIP system: the at-fault driver's liability insurer pays, and injured parties can sue directly for pain and suffering with no injury threshold.
- Minimum mandatory liability insurance is 15/30/25 - $15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident bodily injury and $25,000 property damage (La. R.S. 32:900).
- UM/UIM coverage is automatically included at your liability limits unless you reject it or select lower limits in writing on the state-prescribed form (La. R.S. 22:1295).
- The filing deadline for an auto injury claim is now 2 years (called 'prescription' in Louisiana) for crashes on or after July 1, 2024 (La. C.C. art. 3493.11); crashes before that date were subject to the old 1-year deadline.
- Louisiana's 'no pay, no play' law (La. R.S. 32:866) now bars an uninsured driver from recovering the first $100,000 of bodily-injury and the first $100,000 of property-damage damages, even if the other driver was at fault (raised from $15,000/$25,000 by a 2025 amendment effective August 1, 2025).
- Louisiana now follows modified comparative fault under La. C.C. art. 2323 (effective January 1, 2026): if you are 51% or more at fault you recover nothing, and if you are less than 51% at fault your recovery is reduced by your share of the fault.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my Louisiana car accident claim worth?
No one can tell you a number in advance. A rough estimate adds your economic damages (medical bills, lost wages, vehicle damage) and applies a pain-and-suffering multiplier, then adjusts for fault under Louisiana's modified comparative negligence (51% bar) rule. The real value also depends on the available insurance limits — an attorney is the only way to value your specific case.
Is Louisiana a no-fault state?
Louisiana is a traditional at-fault (tort) state. It is NOT one of the 12 no-fault/PIP states. After a crash, the at-fault driver (through their liability insurer) pays the injured party's damages, and an injured person may sue directly for all damages including pain and suffering with no statutory injury threshold. Louisiana has no PIP/no-fault first-party benefit mandate. Liability is governed by the general tort/delictual rules of the Civil Code (e.g., La. C.C. arts. 2315, 2316), with comparative fault apportioned under La. C.C. art. 2323.
Does my own fault reduce my Louisiana settlement?
Yes. Louisiana follows modified comparative negligence (51% bar). You recover nothing once you are 51% or more at fault.
How long do I have to file in Louisiana?
Generally 2 years from the crash. Louisiana uses 'prescription' rather than 'statute of limitations.' For auto/tort (delictual) actions, the liberative prescriptive period is 2 years under La. C.C. art. 3493.11, enacted by Act 423 of 2024 (HB 315), effective July 1, 2024, and applied prospectively. Causes of action that arose BEFORE July 1, 2024 remain governed by the former 1-year delictual period (former La. C.C. art. 3492). Prescription generally runs from the day the injury or damage is sustained.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a rough estimate to show the factors that drive value — not a prediction or an offer. Real settlements vary enormously and are capped by the available insurance. Treat any number here as a ballpark and consult a Louisiana car-accident attorney.
Disclaimer
This estimator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm. The value of a car-accident claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.