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Louisiana car accident laws
Louisiana gives you two years to file a personal injury lawsuit (La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423, eff. July 1, 2024)).
Louisiana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
The legal minimum liability coverage in Louisiana is $15,000 per injured person, $30,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (15/30/25).
If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your share, and you recover nothing at 51% or more. That rule applies to crashes on or after January 1, 2026; for earlier crashes Louisiana's old pure comparative rule applies.
Quoted from Louisiana statutes and official pages, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
The rules in one table
| Rule | Louisiana | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to sue for an injury | Two years from the day the injury is sustained, for injuries sustained after July 1, 2024 (2024 HB 315); injuries sustained before that date keep the old one-year prescription (former art. 3492) | La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423, eff. July 1, 2024) |
| Deadline for vehicle damage | Two years from the day the damage is sustained, for damage sustained after July 1, 2024; earlier property damage keeps the one-year prescription | La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423, eff. July 1, 2024) |
| Deadline for a wrongful death claim | One year from the death or two years from the day the injury was sustained, whichever is longer | La. Civ. Code art. 2315.2(B) |
| Insurance system | at-fault | Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance |
| If you were partly at fault | modified comparative (51% bar). If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your share, and you recover nothing at 51% or more. That rule applies to crashes on or after January 1, 2026; for earlier crashes Louisiana's old pure comparative rule applies. | La. Civ. Code art. 2323(A)(2) (Acts 2025, No. 15, eff. Jan. 1, 2026) |
| Minimum liability coverage | $15,000 per person / $30,000 per crash / $25,000 property | La. R.S. 32:900(B)(2) |
| Dog bites | mixed. A dog owner is strictly liable for injuries the dog causes if the owner could have prevented them and the victim did not provoke the dog; for other animals the owner must have known or should have known of the danger. | La. Civ. Code art. 2321(B) |
Deadlines can be shorter or longer for minors, for injuries found later, and for claims against a government. A lawyer licensed in Louisiana can tell you the date that applies to you.
Next steps after a Louisiana crash
How to get a Louisiana crash report (Online: $11.50 per report plus $2.50 + 2.5% card fees. At a Troop office: $16.50 (certified check, company check or money order), or $16.50 plus $2.50 + 2.5% by credit card.).
Check your deadline and a rough claim range
A filing date and a rough value range for Louisiana. Both take under a minute.
Questions
How long do you have to sue after a car accident in Louisiana?
Two years for an injury claim (La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423, eff. July 1, 2024)) and two years for vehicle damage. Shorter notice rules can apply to claims against a government.
Is Louisiana a no-fault state?
No. Louisiana is an at-fault state: the driver who caused the crash, through their liability insurance, pays for the injuries and damage.
Can I recover if I was partly at fault in Louisiana?
Louisiana follows modified comparative (51% bar). If you were partly at fault, your damages are reduced by your share, and you recover nothing at 51% or more. That rule applies to crashes on or after January 1, 2026; for earlier crashes Louisiana's old pure comparative rule applies.
What is the minimum car insurance in Louisiana?
The legal minimum liability coverage in Louisiana is $15,000 per injured person, $30,000 per crash and $25,000 for property (15/30/25).
Sources
- Deadline to sue for an injury (La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423, eff. July 1, 2024)): www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=1386443
Art. 3493.1. Delictual actions Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This prescription commences to run from the day that injury or damage is sustained.
- Deadline for vehicle damage (La. Civ. Code art. 3493.1 (Acts 2024, No. 423, eff. July 1, 2024)): www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=1386443
Art. 3493.1. Delictual actions Delictual actions are subject to a liberative prescription of two years. This prescription commences to run from the day that injury or damage is sustained.
- Deadline for a wrongful death claim (La. Civ. Code art. 2315.2(B)): www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=109371
B. The right of action granted by this Article prescribes one year from the death of the deceased or two years from the day that injury or damage is sustained, whichever is longer.
- Insurance system (Triple-I, Background on: No-fault auto insurance): www.iii.org/article/background-on-no-fault-auto-insurance
Twelve states and Puerto Rico have no-fault auto insurance laws. Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania have verbal thresholds. The other seven states—Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Dakota and Utah—use a monetary threshold. Three states have a "choice" no-fault law. In New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Kentucky, motorists may reject the lawsuit threshold and retain the right to sue for any auto-related injury.
- If you were partly at fault (La. Civ. Code art. 2323(A)(2) (Acts 2025, No. 15, eff. Jan. 1, 2026)): www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=109387
(2) If a person suffers injury, death, or loss partly as the result of his own negligence and partly as a result of the fault of another person or persons, then the following shall apply: (a) If the degree or percentage of negligence attributable to the person suffering injury, death, or loss is equal to or greater than fifty-one percent, then the person suffering injury, death, or loss shall not be entitled to recover damages. (b) If the degree or percentage of negligence attributable to the person suffering injury, death, or loss is less than fifty-one percent, then the amount of damages rec…
- Minimum liability coverage (La. R.S. 32:900(B)(2)): www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=88632
subject to limits exclusive of interest and costs with respect to each such motor vehicle as follows: (a) Fifteen thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of one person in any one accident, and (b) Subject to said limit for one person, thirty thousand dollars because of bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in any one accident, and (c) Twenty-five thousand dollars because of damage to or destruction of property of others in any one accident.
- Dog bites (La. Civ. Code art. 2321(B)): www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=109384
B. Nonetheless, the owner of a dog is strictly liable for damages for injuries to persons or property caused by the dog and which the owner could have prevented and which did not result from the injured person's provocation of the dog.
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.