10 Best Car Accident Lawyers in Lafayette, LA (2026)

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best car accident lawyers in lafayette

This guide compares 10 law firms that handle car accident injury claims in Lafayette, Louisiana, and the surrounding Lafayette Parish communities. Each firm was evaluated on the trial and courtroom background of its attorneys, how much of its practice is devoted to car and other motor vehicle crashes (as opposed to a general practice that lists them as one area among many), the location of its Lafayette office, its size, and the case results it has published itself.

When you compare firms, three practical questions matter most: whether the attorney tries cases in the 15th Judicial District Court in Lafayette and, when a crash involves an out-of-state carrier, in federal court; whether the firm knows how to find every available insurance policy, including your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage; and whether it plans for the fault rules that changed for crashes on or after January 1, 2026. The firms below are presented in the order shown and the order is not a ranking. Details come from each firm’s own website, Google Business Profiles and attorney directories, and a specific rating or dollar figure is cited only where the firm itself reports it.

1. Law Offices of Richard R. Kennedy

Richard R. Kennedy founded the firm in Lafayette and has practiced since 1965. His record includes a federal judicial clerkship, a fellowship in the American College of Trial Lawyers (the firm notes that only six Lafayette Parish lawyers hold it), and induction into the Lafayette Parish Bar Association Hall of Fame in 2016. Richard R. Kennedy III joined in 2000 after clerking for Judge Gerard Wattigny of the 16th Judicial District, is listed in Louisiana Super Lawyers, and belongs to the Academy of Trucking Accident Attorneys.

The car accident practice covers rear-end collisions, left-turn crashes, SUV rollovers, distracted driving, rideshare crashes and commercial vehicle wrecks. The firm reports a $325,000 settlement for a Lafayette rear-end crash with neck and back injuries and a recovery of more than $3 million for a bicyclist struck by a truck. Both attorneys are admitted in the Western, Middle and Eastern Districts of Louisiana and the Fifth Circuit, and the firm also handles appeals, so a crash case that moves into federal or appellate court stays with the same lawyers. Injury cases are taken on contingency with a free initial consultation.

2. Chris Villemarette, Trial Lawyer

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Chris Villemarette (Founder and Trial Lawyer)
  • Headquarters: 3404 Moss St, Lafayette, LA 70507
  • Phone: (337) 232-3100
  • Website: chrisvlaw.com
  • Practice Areas: Car accidents (including drunk driving, rideshare, truck and uninsured/underinsured motorist crashes), boat accidents, brain and spinal cord injuries, wrongful death, family law, criminal defense
  • Firm Size: Boutique trial practice led by one founding attorney with nearly three decades of experience
  • Practice Area Page: chrisvlaw.com/lafayette-car-accident-lawyer
  • Social Profiles: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube

Chris Villemarette founded the firm and has nearly three decades of trial experience in Louisiana, handling personal injury alongside criminal defense and family law. The firm states that he does not handle cases in bulk and that he personally visits accident scenes to examine evidence instead of relying only on outside investigators.

The firm runs dedicated practice pages for I-10 and I-49 crashes, drunk driving, rideshare, truck and uninsured or underinsured motorist claims, which fits the interstate traffic that runs through Lafayette. It says it looks for insurance coverage when a carrier claims none applies, and it reports securing more than $60 million for clients over its years of practice. Direct attorney involvement and a trial-first approach to negotiation are the firm’s stated priorities.

3. Gaar Law Firm

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Joseph F. Gaar Jr. (Founding Attorney)
  • Headquarters: 900 S College Rd, Suite 205, Lafayette, LA 70503
  • Phone: (337) 233-3185
  • Website: gaarlaw.com
  • Practice Areas: Car, truck and motorcycle accidents, maritime and Jones Act injuries, offshore accidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death, premises liability, product liability
  • Firm Size: Boutique plaintiff firm with two attorneys, Joseph F. Gaar Jr. and Douglas A. Lee II
  • Practice Area Page: gaarlaw.com/lafayette-car-accident-lawyer
  • Social Profiles: Facebook, Instagram, Super Lawyers

Joseph F. Gaar Jr. has tried injury cases in Louisiana since 1985. He began his career at a New Orleans insurance defense firm before moving to the plaintiff side, which the firm says gives it direct insight into how carriers value and defend crash claims. He holds Martindale-Hubbell’s AV rating and was named to Louisiana Super Lawyers from 2009 through 2019.

The firm concentrates on injured people and their families and reports more than $40 million recovered. Its published results include a $4.3 million federal jury verdict for a client rear-ended by an 18-wheeler on Interstate 10 and a $3.25 million settlement for a driver who lost the use of an arm. Car, truck and motorcycle crash work sits alongside offshore and Jones Act claims, so the attorneys regularly try cases in both state and federal court.

4. Gauthier & Granger Attorneys at Law

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Daniel J. Gauthier and Christopher D. Granger (Founding Partners); William P. Morrow (Attorney, auto and trucking accidents)
  • Headquarters: 1118 Jefferson St, Lafayette, LA 70501
  • Phone: (337) 534-8026
  • Website: gauthiergranger.com
  • Practice Areas: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, uninsured motorist claims, slip and fall, wrongful death, real estate, business law, municipal law, estate planning
  • Firm Size: Boutique firm with four attorneys (two founding partners, one attorney and one of counsel)
  • Practice Area Page: gauthiergranger.com/lafayette-car-accident-lawyer
  • Social Profiles: Avvo (Christopher D. Granger)

William P. Morrow leads the firm’s car and trucking work. He earned his law degree from Southern University Law Center in 2013, clerked for Judge Donald Hebert of the 27th Judicial District Court, was admitted to the Louisiana bar in 2015, and has been named to Acadiana Profile’s 2024 Top Lawyers and the Louisiana State Bar Association Young Lawyers Division Top 40.

Personal injury is one of five practice areas here, next to real estate, business, municipal and estate planning work, with offices in Lafayette and Grand Coteau that serve Lafayette Parish and St. Landry Parish. Christopher D. Granger serves as town attorney for Grand Coteau, Sunset, Cankton and Washington, which adds local-government experience to the firm’s courtroom work. The firm has a dedicated page for uninsured motorist crashes and takes injury cases on contingency.

5. Marcelle Robertson Mestayer LLC

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Brian Marcelle, Alex Robertson and Jacques Mestayer (Founding Partners)
  • Headquarters: 227 La Rue France, Lafayette, LA 70508 (Lafayette office; the firm is headquartered at 650 Poydras St, Suite 2720, New Orleans, LA 70130)
  • Phone: (337) 761-1080
  • Website: mrmlaw.com
  • Practice Areas: Catastrophic car accidents, commercial trucking accidents, bad faith insurance claims, wrongful death, hurricane and property damage, asbestos exposure, railroad worker injuries
  • Firm Size: Boutique litigation firm with three founding partners and offices in New Orleans and Lafayette
  • Practice Area Page: mrmlaw.com/new-orleans-car-accident-lawyer
  • Social Profiles: Facebook

The firm was founded by Brian Marcelle, Alex Robertson and Jacques Mestayer, and it describes its litigators as led by a former federal prosecutor. Alex Robertson practiced on the defense side of high-stakes litigation for corporate clients and insurers before co-founding the firm, with a practice that includes trucking and automobile accidents and bad faith insurance disputes.

What sets the firm apart on car cases is its insurance-dispute work. It reports a car accident settlement of nearly eight times the policy limit in a bad faith case, a $1.14 million uninsured motorist lawsuit for an 18-wheeler driver after the insurer offered nothing, and a $3.9 million result for a commercial truck crash. The firm limits its caseload on purpose so each client gets dedicated attention, and it works on contingency.

6. Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards, LLC

  • Attorney/Key Figure: James P. Roy (Senior Partner and Managing Member)
  • Headquarters: 556 Jefferson St, Suite 500, Lafayette, LA 70501
  • Phone: (337) 291-4878
  • Website: wrightroy.com
  • Practice Areas: Car, trucking and motorcycle accidents, catastrophic injuries, maritime and offshore injuries, industrial accidents, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, family law
  • Firm Size: Mid-size Lafayette firm established in 1957 with multiple attorneys
  • Practice Area Page: wrightroy.com/louisiana-car-accident-lawyers
  • Social Profiles: YouTube

Domengeaux Wright Roy & Edwards has represented injured clients from Lafayette since 1957. James P. Roy is the managing member, and Best Lawyers lists several of the firm’s attorneys, including James Domengeaux and Roy, in Personal Injury Litigation for plaintiffs. The firm also cites Martindale-Hubbell AV ratings, Super Lawyers selections and membership in the International Academy of Trial Lawyers.

Its car accident practice handles collisions involving cars, trucks and motorcycles, including catastrophic injury cases, and draws clients from Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, New Iberia and elsewhere in the state. Because the firm also practices maritime, industrial accident, medical malpractice, workers’ compensation and family law, it offers depth across many fields but a broader focus than a crash-only boutique.

7. Broussard, David & Moroux

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Blake R. David (Founding Partner), Richard C. Broussard (Founding Partner) and Jerome H. Moroux (Partner)
  • Headquarters: 557 Jefferson St, Lafayette, LA 70501 (additional offices in Covington and New Orleans)
  • Phone: (337) 233-2323; toll-free (888) 337-2323
  • Website: bdm.law
  • Practice Areas: Car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle, bus and pedestrian accidents, offshore and maritime injuries, aviation accidents, catastrophic injuries, wrongful death
  • Firm Size: Mid-size firm; Super Lawyers lists 10 of its attorneys on its Super Lawyers or Rising Stars lists
  • Practice Area Page: broussard-david.com/auto-accidents

Richard C. Broussard and Blake R. David founded the firm, and Jerome H. Moroux, an attorney there since 2010, was later named partner. Blake R. David focuses on personal injury and wrongful death litigation with an emphasis on offshore and maritime, trucking, aviation, products liability, industrial accident and automobile claims.

The firm describes its work as serious personal injury and wrongful death cases only, and its auto accident page covers injuries from whiplash and soft tissue damage to spinal and brain injuries, along with rollover, motorcycle, bus and big rig crashes. Because it limits itself to serious injury and wrongful death matters, a driver with a minor injury may find a general injury practice a closer fit.

8. Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers

  • Attorney/Key Figure: David Laborde (Managing Partner and Chief Litigator) and Digger Earles
  • Headquarters: 1901 Kaliste Saloom Rd, Lafayette, LA 70508 (additional offices in Alexandria, Marksville, New Iberia and other Louisiana cities)
  • Phone: (337) 777-7777
  • Website: onmyside.com
  • Practice Areas: Car, truck and motorcycle accidents, pedestrian and bicycle accidents, maritime injuries, dog bites, premises liability, dangerous drugs, mass torts, wrongful death
  • Firm Size: Large regional firm with offices across Louisiana

David Laborde is the firm’s managing partner and chief litigator and has practiced law in Louisiana since 1991. He works alongside Digger Earles, and the two are the attorneys the firm names on its website.

The firm offers free case evaluations, operates on a no-win, no-fee basis, and advertises 24/7 availability. Its Lafayette content covers local congestion points such as the busy Kaliste Saloom Road corridor and addresses car, truck and motorcycle wrecks. As a multi-office regional firm, Laborde Earles operates at a different scale than the Lafayette boutiques on this list.

9. Inzina Law Injury Attorneys

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Blase Inzina and Erica Inzina (Attorneys)
  • Headquarters: 3861 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy, Suite 601, Lafayette, LA 70503
  • Phone: (337) 347-7177
  • Website: inzinalaw.com
  • Practice Areas: Car accidents, truck and 18-wheeler accidents, motorcycle, bicycle and pedestrian accidents, rideshare accidents, maritime injuries, wrongful death
  • Firm Size: Boutique husband-and-wife firm operating from a single Lafayette office
  • Practice Area Page: inzinalaw.com/car-accident-lawyer
  • Social Profiles: Facebook, Instagram, X, LinkedIn, YouTube

Blase Inzina spent more than 12 years defending insurance companies, including trucking companies, before representing injured people, and he runs the firm with his wife, Erica Inzina. The firm displays Preeminent AV recognition and Million Dollar Advocates Forum membership, and it reports more than 190 Google reviews at a 5.0 average.

Published results include $4 million for a client hit by a commercial vehicle in Vermilion Parish, $1 million for a bicyclist struck by a commercial truck in Lafayette Parish, and an $800,000 federal judgment against the United States after trial. Blase or Erica personally oversees each case, and because the firm deliberately takes fewer cases, intake depends on its current caseload.

10. Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Gordon McKernan (Founder)
  • Headquarters: 2505 Verot School Rd, Lafayette, LA 70508 (the firm is headquartered in Baton Rouge and has 13 Louisiana offices)
  • Phone: (888) 501-7888
  • Website: getgordon.com
  • Practice Areas: Car accidents, truck accidents, workers’ compensation, wrongful death, offshore accidents, personal injury
  • Firm Size: Large statewide firm with 13 offices across Louisiana
  • Practice Area Page: getgordon.com/car-accident-lawyer/lafayette
  • Social Profiles: Facebook

Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys serves Lafayette from an office on Verot School Road. The firm reports more than $3 billion recovered for accident victims and over 30 years in business, and its “G Guarantee” means no fee unless the case is won.

Its Lafayette car accident page names the area’s busy corridors (Ambassador Caffery Parkway, Johnston Street, Kaliste Saloom Road and the Evangeline Thruway) and lists case types from rear-end and T-bone crashes to rollovers, hit-and-runs, head-on collisions and rental car accidents. At 13 Louisiana locations, the firm works at a statewide scale unlike the Lafayette-based boutiques here.

11. Sanchez Burke, LLC.

  • Attorney/Key Figure: Walt Sanchez, Joseph M. W. Burke, Clare Sanchez Burke, Jennifer E. Jones and Madeline Kraus (Attorneys)
  • Headquarters: 1200 Ryan St, Lake Charles, LA 70601 (additional office at 223 East Main St, New Iberia, LA 70563)
  • Phone: (337) 433-4405
  • Website: sanchezburke.com
  • Practice Areas: Car accidents, truck and commercial vehicle accidents, motorcycle accidents, maritime and offshore injuries, plant accidents, premises liability, wrongful death and survival actions, defective roadway claims, criminal defense, family law
  • Firm Size: Boutique firm with five attorneys and offices in Lake Charles and New Iberia; the firm cites over 60 years of combined experience
  • Practice Area Page: sanchezburke.com/lake-charles-car-accident-lawyer
  • Social Profiles: Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram

Sanchez Burke is led by Walt Sanchez, who has been licensed in Louisiana for more than 40 years, alongside Joseph M. W. Burke, Clare Sanchez Burke, Jennifer E. Jones and Madeline Kraus. Best Lawyers lists the firm with one Best Lawyers in America award and three Ones to Watch awards.

This is the only firm on the list headquartered outside Lafayette: its main office is in Lake Charles, and a second office in New Iberia, in neighboring Iberia Parish, puts it closer to Acadiana clients. The firm handles car, truck, commercial vehicle and motorcycle crashes and defective roadway claims, and its injury work also reaches maritime, offshore and plant accidents. Criminal defense and family law sit alongside the injury practice, and the firm offers a free consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a car accident lawsuit in Louisiana?

For crashes on or after July 1, 2024, Louisiana gives injury victims two years from the day the injury is sustained to file suit under Civil Code article 3493.1. Crashes that happened before that date carry the older one-year deadline. Claims that involve a government body, such as a crash caused by a failed traffic signal or a poorly maintained road, follow special rules and can carry shorter deadlines, which is why firms like Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys tell drivers to call early.

Is Louisiana a no-fault state, and does my share of blame matter?

Louisiana is a fault-based state, so the injured person must show that another driver’s negligence caused the crash. For crashes on or after January 1, 2026, Act 15 of 2025 (House Bill 431) amended Civil Code article 2323 to a modified comparative fault rule: a claimant found 51% or more at fault recovers nothing, and a claimant found 50% or less at fault has damages reduced by that percentage. Crashes before 2026 still follow the earlier pure comparative fault rule, under which recovery was reduced but not barred. Because a few percentage points can now decide a case, police reports, photographs and witness statements carry more weight than before.

Where is a Lafayette car accident lawsuit filed, and what happens after filing?

Lafayette Parish injury suits are generally heard in the 15th Judicial District Court at 800 S. Buchanan Street, as described by Chris Villemarette, Trial Lawyer, and some smaller claims may be heard in Lafayette City Court. After filing, the parties exchange written questions and documents, take sworn depositions, and often attend mediation before a case reaches a jury. Cases with out-of-state defendants, such as some trucking companies, can end up in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division, which is one reason firms such as Law Offices of Richard R. Kennedy and Gaar Law Firm point to their federal court experience.

Do I have to report a crash, and what insurance does Louisiana require?

Louisiana law requires a crash report when anyone is hurt or killed or when property damage appears to be $500 or more. Drivers must carry at least $15,000 in bodily injury coverage per person, $30,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage, and those minimums are often too low for a serious injury. Under the state’s “No Pay, No Play” law, a driver who had no insurance at the time of the crash is limited in what injury and property damage they can recover, even when the other driver caused the wreck.

What if the at-fault driver has little or no insurance?

Your own uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage may apply, and many Louisiana drivers carry it without realizing. Chris Villemarette, Trial Lawyer, and Gauthier & Granger each maintain a dedicated uninsured motorist page, and Marcelle Robertson Mestayer reports a $1.14 million uninsured motorist lawsuit for an 18-wheeler driver whose insurer initially offered nothing. Identifying every policy that could respond, including an employer’s coverage when the other driver was working, is usually the first step in a serious claim.

How do fees work, and should I choose a boutique or a large firm?

The firms on this list take injury cases on a contingency basis, which means no attorney fee unless money is recovered, and most offer a free initial consultation. Fee percentages and case costs vary by firm and by case. Boutiques such as Inzina Law, which says Blase or Erica personally oversees each case, tend to offer direct attorney contact, while larger firms such as Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys and Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers have offices across the state and work at higher volume. The right fit often depends on how serious the injuries are and how likely it is that the case will go to trial.

This article discusses car accident claims in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, and the filing deadlines, comparative fault rules and insurance requirements it summarizes are general overviews, not a complete statement of the law for any one case. Outcomes in a Louisiana car accident claim turn on facts such as how the crash happened and what the police report says, the timing and consistency of medical treatment, the insurance coverage available from every driver involved, and each person’s share of fault. This information is not a substitute for advice from a licensed Louisiana attorney about your own situation.

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