New Orleans
New Orleans’ streetcars are a beloved part of the city, and they’re also heavy, fixed-rail vehicles that can cause serious harm when something goes wrong, whether you were riding, driving nearby, or crossing the tracks.
The Voorhies Law Firm represents people injured in New Orleans streetcar and trolley accidents.
New Orleans’ streetcar lines, including the St. Charles, Canal Street, and Riverfront lines, are operated by the Regional Transit Authority (RTA).
A trolley accident claim can involve:
Because streetcars run in mixed traffic on New Orleans streets, right-of-way and driver-attention issues come up constantly, both for the streetcar operator and for the drivers and pedestrians sharing the tracks.
Because New Orleans’ streetcars are operated by a public transit authority, trolley accident claims follow a different legal path than you might expect.
It might seem like a streetcar, as a passenger vehicle you pay to ride, would be held to the heightened ‘common carrier’ duty of care that applies to buses, trains, and other transit.
But Louisiana’s Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal has held that a public transit authority isn’t treated as a common carrier for liability purposes, meaning RTA’s streetcar operations are generally evaluated under an ordinary negligence standard instead.
Because RTA is a political subdivision of the state, claims against it typically require formal notice procedures beyond what’s needed to sue a private company.
Missing these steps, even while you’re still within the general prescriptive period, can jeopardize a claim.
The general prescriptive period for incidents on or after July 1, 2024 is two years, under Civil Code article 3493.1, but any separate notice requirement for a public entity claim should be treated as the operative deadline, since it’s often shorter.
STEP 1
Free consultation.
Tell us which line and what happened. We’ll give you a straightforward, no-cost assessment.
STEP 2
Notice preparation.
If RTA is a potential defendant, we move quickly to satisfy any required notice-of-claim procedure.
STEP 3
Evidence collection.
We work to obtain onboard camera footage, maintenance and inspection records, and operator logs.
STEP 4
Medical documentation.
We tie your treatment record directly to the incident.
STEP 5
Damage calculation.
We account for medical costs, lost wages, pain and suffering, and ongoing impact.
STEP 6
Demand and negotiation.
We pursue your claim through the appropriate channel for a public or private defendant.
STEP 7
Filing suit, if needed.
We file within the deadline that applies to your specific defendant.
STEP 8
Resolution.
You get your compensation, whether by settlement or by verdict.
We handle trolley and streetcar accident claims involving:
Behind every streetcar accident case is a person who trusted a piece of New Orleans history to get them home safely.
When that trust is broken, we build the case to hold the responsible party accountable, even when that party is a public agency.
We’ve built a track record of over $100 million recovered for our clients across all our practice areas.
Results may vary, and every trolley accident case depends on its own facts.
Claims against a public transit authority come with procedural traps that can sink an otherwise strong case if missed.
Richard P. Voorhies III and the team at The Voorhies Law Firm know how to navigate those requirements from day one.
From your first call, you work directly with your attorney, and you won’t pay anything out of pocket upfront. We handle trolley accident cases on a contingency fee basis, so our fee only comes from what we have recovered for you.
Not exactly. Louisiana appellate courts have held that a public transit authority like RTA is evaluated under an ordinary negligence standard rather than the heightened common-carrier standard that applies to many private transit operators.
Likely, yes. Claims against a public entity typically require a formal notice procedure separate from, and often faster than, the general filing deadline. Missing that step can jeopardize an otherwise valid claim.
Possibly, depending on whether RTA’s operation, signage, or track maintenance contributed to the crash. An attorney can evaluate whether RTA bears any responsibility alongside the driver.
The general deadline is two years under Civil Code article 3493.1, but any separate notice requirement for claims against RTA should be treated as controlling, since it’s often shorter.
Nothing upfront. We handle these cases on contingency, so you don’t pay us unless we recover for you.
