Blanchard wrecks happen on LA-173 and LA-1 heading toward Shreveport, on LA-169, and on the town’s own roads like Wasson Road and Dixie Blanchard Road. Serious injuries go to Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport on Kings Highway, the nearest Level I trauma center. The Blanchard Police Department on Alexander Avenue writes the report on wrecks inside the town. Caddo suits, including Blanchard’s, are filed and tried in the First Judicial District Court at 501 Texas Street in Shreveport. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers handles Blanchard cases from our Shreveport office on Milam Street, and we pull the report, request the emergency room records, and send preservation letters to any business whose camera faced the road.
The law that governs the claim is Louisiana law and it is the same in every parish. For injuries after July 1, 2024 you have two years to sue under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1. A 51% fault finding under La. C.C. Art. 2323 can end a case outright, so we build the fault evidence that answers the share an insurer assigns you.
Results for Louisiana Clients
- $409 MillionWrongful Death
A tragic case where an impaired driver of a commercial vehicle ran a red light, then collided with our client, causing serious bodily injury to the mother and the loss of life of her daughter.
- $49 MillionMotor Vehicle Accident
An impaired driver of a stolen vehicle driving the wrong way collided with our client head-on, resulting in brain injury and multiple broken bones.
- $32.2 MillionIndustrial / Workplace
Failure to maintain proper safety protocols led to an explosion at an industrial plant causing a series of catastrophic injuries from broken bones, burns, spinal injury, and mental anguish.
- $31.5 MillionIndustrial / Workplace
Brain and spinal injuries followed an oil-field company failing to maintain equipment and provide a safe work site.
- $17.2 MillionCommercial Vehicle Accident
Client was struck head-on by a disconnected load of an 18-wheeler that crossed the median causing broken bones and amputation.
- $13 MillionCommercial Vehicle Accident
On the interstate, an 18-wheeler failed to yield right of way then made an unsafe lane change causing the accident which resulted in major bone breaks, damaged organs, and ultimately a leg amputation.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; each case is decided on its own facts.
No one reads lawyer websites until they need one. Something happened in Blanchard or somewhere in Caddo Parish, and now you need answers about your legal options.
This page explains how personal injury claims work in Louisiana, what the 2024-2026 tort reform changes mean for your case, and how to evaluate an attorney. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers has served northwest Louisiana for over 20 years from our Shreveport office, 10 miles south of Blanchard. We have handled more than 5,000 cases, hold an AV Preeminent peer rating, and have earned over 2,786 five-star Google reviews. Read this page. Compare us to other Louisiana injury lawyers. Make the decision that is right for your situation. Reach out when you are ready.
High-Risk Roads and Crash Patterns in Blanchard and Caddo Parish
Blanchard is the second-largest incorporated municipality in Caddo Parish with approximately 3,538 residents. The town sits in the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area, and 93.5% of Blanchard commuters drive alone to work. That rate is higher than 99.2% of U.S. neighborhoods. High vehicle dependency means more road exposure and more collision risk.
Louisiana Highway 173 runs through Blanchard as Main Street. It is the primary commercial and residential corridor, connecting the town to Shreveport southbound and to Ida and Hosston northbound. This route carries mixed traffic: commuters heading to Shreveport jobs, commercial vehicles serving the industrial corridor between the two towns, and local traffic moving through downtown. LA-173 is where most car accidents in Blanchard occur.
I-20 is accessible through Shreveport via LA-173. The interstate carries heavy commercial truck traffic through Caddo Parish and is a major highway accident corridor. US-71 runs west of Blanchard, connecting to Vivian and Bossier City. Rural two-lane roads in northern Caddo Parish create head-on collision risk from improper passing, especially on curves with limited sight distance.
Louisiana State Police Troop G, based in Shreveport, handles crash reports on state highways in Caddo Parish. If you are involved in an accident on LA-173 or any state highway near Blanchard, Troop G generates the crash report your attorney will need. Ask any attorney you are considering whether they know how to obtain Troop G crash reports and how long the process takes. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers requests these reports because the evidence collected shapes the entire case.
Local Coverage. Statewide Record.
- $1 Billion+
Outcomes for Louisiana clients
Verdicts and settlements won across the state by the same trial team that handles Blanchard cases.
- 11
Trial attorneys, one team
Your case is handled by the firm's own trial attorneys, and we respond in minutes, 24/7.
- 24/7
We come to you
An attorney travels to you in Blanchard, at home or at the hospital, or meets by video the same day. Free case review, and no fee unless we win.
- 125
Cases resolved over $1 million
Verdicts and settlements of $1 million or more, won by the same trial team that handles Blanchard cases.
Common Causes of Accidents in Blanchard
Distracted driving is a leading cause of accidents on LA-173 through downtown Blanchard. The route passes near school zones and churches where pedestrians cross. Drivers checking phones at the wrong moment create serious risk on a road where speeds change frequently.
Speed-related crashes happen on LA-173 where speed limits transition between rural and municipal zones. Drivers entering Blanchard from the north may not slow down in time. This pattern produces rear-end collisions at intersections in the commercial corridor.
Impaired driving is a persistent problem on rural northern Caddo Parish roads. Limited law enforcement coverage on these roads means impaired drivers go undetected until a collision occurs. Heavy truck traffic from industrial operations between Blanchard and Shreveport adds another layer of risk. Commercial vehicles sharing LA-173 with passenger cars create size and speed mismatches that produce severe injuries when collisions happen.
Pedestrian exposure in downtown Blanchard along Main Street is a concern. Foot traffic near businesses, churches, and school zones puts people on a road designed primarily for vehicles. If you were injured as a pedestrian in Blanchard, the legal process differs from a standard vehicle collision. Ask your attorney whether they have handled pedestrian cases and understand how liability works when a vehicle strikes someone on foot.
Local Roads and Recent Crashes in Blanchard
Civil injury suits arising in Blanchard are filed in the 1st Judicial District Court at 501 Texas Street in downtown Shreveport, because Blanchard lies in Caddo Parish and the First Judicial District serves Caddo Parish alone. Crashes that occur across the parish line in Bossier Parish are filed in the 26th Judicial District Court in Benton instead, so the line between a Blanchard claim and a Bossier claim is also a courthouse line.
Blanchard’s road profile is rural and suburban rather than urban. Most local traffic moves on LA-1, which runs northwest out of Shreveport, LA-173 (Dixie Blanchard Road), which serves as the town’s Main Street, and LA-169, which connects the area toward the Texas line, along with the two-lane parish roads that feed the surrounding subdivisions and farmland. Two-lane state highways carry their own crash profile: higher posted speeds, head-on and run-off-road collisions, and limited shoulders. Many Blanchard residents commute into Shreveport, so a town crash often involves a driver headed to or from work on a corridor that funnels into the city’s denser network of I-220 and the urban core.
The LA-1 corridor near Blanchard has been reshaped in recent memory. Between 2011 and 2013, LaDOTD widened a 5.2-mile stretch of LA-1 from two lanes to four with a raised median between the LA-173 and LA-169 intersections in Caddo Parish, a $23.4 million project the department credited with reduced congestion and improved safety on the run into Shreveport. Even after the widening, the corridor still sees serious crashes: in February 2026 a two-vehicle collision in the 6000 block of LA-1 near Blanchard killed two Shreveport residents and left three others in critical condition, worked by the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office with Caddo Fire District 1. LA-173 carries its own recent history: a May 2021 fatal wreck in the 5100 block of Dixie Blanchard Road when a southbound car struck a fallen tree blocking the roadway and a northbound vehicle then struck the same obstruction, and a February 2025 fatal train-pedestrian collision at the Paula Kay Place and Trey Way intersection in town.
Traffic volume on these corridors is not static. As of a fall 2025 mayoral update, the Town of Blanchard had annexed the RaceTrac parcel across from the existing Love’s Travel Stop on LA-1, DSLD Homes was actively platting the Blanchard Lake Estates subdivision on Wasson Road with new plats signed every three to four months, E&L Development was finishing a retail strip behind Northwood High School, and the 1 North Adventure Trails mountain bike park on Highway 1 was drawing visitors from as far as Houston, New Orleans, and Mobile. More vehicles are moving through the LA-1 and LA-173 intersections than the corridor was carrying a generation ago, and that pattern of retail infill along Highway 1 changes both the turn-conflict profile at driveway cuts and the mix of local and out-of-town drivers who may be involved when a crash happens.
Blanchard Practice Areas
Car AccidentsRear-end, intersection, and highway collisions across Louisiana.
Truck Accidents18-wheeler and commercial-vehicle wrecks governed by federal trucking rules.
Catastrophic InjuryBrain, spinal-cord, amputation, and severe-burn injuries that change a life.
Wrongful DeathClaims brought by families after a fatal accident or act of negligence.
Premises LiabilitySlip-and-fall and unsafe-property injuries on someone else's premises.
Product LiabilityInjuries caused by defective or unreasonably dangerous products.
Oilfield AccidentsDrilling, pipeline, and refinery injuries across the energy sector.
Industrial AccidentsPlant, warehouse, and heavy-equipment injuries in industrial settings.
Offshore AccidentsRig, platform, and vessel injuries beyond the shoreline.
Types of Injury Cases in Blanchard
Car Accidents
Car accidents are the most common injury case type in Blanchard and Caddo Parish. LA-173 corridor crashes, intersection collisions, and rear-end accidents account for the majority. Common negligence causes include failure to yield, distracted driving, speeding, and impaired driving.
Louisiana is a fault-based insurance state. The negligent driver’s insurer is responsible for paying your damages. This sounds simple, but insurers routinely dispute fault, minimize injury severity, and delay payment. Your attorney’s job is to document negligence, establish the full value of your damages, and hold the insurer accountable.
Ask any automobile injury lawyer you are considering how they document fault in car accident cases. Do they work with accident reconstructionists? Do they obtain surveillance footage from nearby businesses? Trey Morris Injury Lawyers works to preserve the evidence. We photograph the scene, obtain the crash report, and secure witness statements that record what each witness saw.
Truck and 18-Wheeler Accidents
Commercial truck traffic on LA-173 and the I-20 corridor through Caddo Parish creates significant collision risk. When a passenger vehicle collides with an 18-wheeler, the physics are unforgiving. These cases involve injuries that are more severe and legal issues that are more complex than standard car accidents.
FMCSA
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The federal agency that regulates commercial vehicles, sets safety standards, and enforces trucking rules including hours of service, vehicle inspections, and driver qualifications.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulates commercial carriers. FMCSA rules govern driver qualifications, hours of service, vehicle maintenance, and cargo loading. Violations of these rules establish negligence. Multiple parties may be liable: the driver, the trucking company, the cargo loader, or the vehicle manufacturer.
Preservation Letter
A formal legal demand sent to the trucking company requiring them to preserve all evidence related to the crash. Stops the carrier from overwriting black box data or destroying driver logs on their normal retention schedule.
Evidence preservation is critical within the first 72 hours. Electronic logging devices, engine control modules, and driver qualification files can be overwritten or lost on normal retention schedules. Ask any attorney you are considering whether they send preservation letters. If they do not know what a preservation letter is, that tells you something. Once the facts give us an honest basis for one, we send a preservation letter to the carrier. Moving as fast as the law permits matters, because that is how the truck’s records are kept and put to work for your claim. The letter covers the electronic logging device data, engine control module data, and driver qualification files, which can show the truck’s speed and braking, the driver’s hours behind the wheel, and whether the carrier knew the driver was unsafe. Learn more on our big truck injury lawyers page.
Industrial and Workplace Injuries
Manufacturing and industrial operations along the Blanchard-Shreveport corridor employ a significant portion of the local workforce. Blanchard’s workforce includes construction workers, healthcare workers, and sales and office staff, each facing distinct injury risks. Construction workers face fall hazards, equipment failures, and struck-by incidents. Healthcare workers face back injuries from patient handling and needle-stick exposures.
Workers’ Compensation
A state-mandated insurance system that provides medical benefits and wage replacement to employees injured on the job. Benefits are automatic regardless of fault, and when comp covers the injury you generally cannot sue your employer directly, whether or not you accept the benefits.
Workers’ Compensation covers most workplace injuries but rarely covers the full extent of your damages. It pays medical bills and a portion of lost wages. It does not compensate for pain and suffering.
When a third party’s negligence contributes to your workplace injury, you may have a separate claim against that party. A subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner may be liable in addition to the workers’ compensation claim. Ask your attorney whether they evaluate third-party liability in every workplace case. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers does. Our industrial injury lawyers handle both the workers’ compensation claim and any third-party claims simultaneously.
Motorcycle, Bicycle, and Pedestrian Accidents
LA-173 through Blanchard has no separated bike lanes or sidewalks in many segments. Motorcycle and bicycle riders lack the structural protection of a vehicle. Even low-speed collisions can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal damage, and road rash requiring skin grafts.
Comparative Fault
Pedestrian accidents near downtown Blanchard businesses, churches, and school zones present unique liability questions. Louisiana applies Comparative Fault to these cases. The insurer will argue the pedestrian or cyclist was partially at fault for being in the roadway.
Your attorney needs to understand how comparative fault applies to vulnerable road users. The legal analysis is different from a two-vehicle collision. Ask whether they have handled motorcycle, bicycle, or pedestrian cases in Caddo Parish. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers has handled all three and understands how to counter the fault arguments insurers use against riders and pedestrians.
Louisiana Tort Reform and How It Affects Your Case
Louisiana’s 2024-2026 tort reform changes restructured the personal injury landscape. These changes are significant, and any attorney you hire must understand them thoroughly.
Prescriptive Period
The Prescriptive Period was extended from one year to two years from the date of injury under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1, for injuries after July 1, 2024.
The comparative fault threshold changed to a 51% bar under La. C.C. Art. 2323, as amended by Act 15 of the 2025 Regular Session (HB 431), for accidents on or after January 1, 2026. If you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. At 50% or less, your damages are reduced by your share. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers works with accident reconstructionists to establish fault percentages from the physical evidence.
The rules on past medical expenses also changed. In lawsuits filed on or after January 1, 2026, past medical expenses are limited to what your health insurer or Medicare actually paid, plus your own deductibles and co-pays (La. R.S. 9:2800.27). Separately, for injuries on or after May 28, 2025, the fact that you had no similar symptoms before the wreck no longer creates a presumption that the wreck caused your injury (La. Code Evid. Art. 306.1). You now need medical or expert testimony to prove causation. And since August 1, 2025, an uninsured driver cannot collect the first $100,000 in bodily injury damages or the first $100,000 in property damage (La. R.S. 32:866), regardless of fault.
These changes benefit insurance companies. Early legal evaluation matters more now than it did before the reforms. If you were injured in Blanchard, consulting an attorney sooner protects your options. For severe injuries, our catastrophic injury lawyers page explains the additional complexities.
What Compensation Does Louisiana Law Allow After an Injury?
Louisiana law divides personal injury damages into two categories. Economic damages cover documented financial losses: medical bills (past and future), lost wages, reduced earning capacity, rehabilitation costs, and property damage. These have receipts, bills, and records to support them.
Loss of Consortium
A legal claim available to a spouse for the loss of companionship, affection, and support caused by the injured person’s condition. It is a separate damage category from the injured person’s own claims.
Non-economic damages cover subjective losses: pain and suffering, Loss of Consortium, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and mental anguish.
Spouses may file loss of consortium claims under La. C.C. Art. 2315. For fatal injuries, Louisiana provides two separate claims: a wrongful death action under La. C.C. Art. 2315.2 for the surviving family’s losses, and a survival action under La. C.C. Art. 2315.1 for the victim’s own suffering before death.
Loss of Earning Capacity
The difference between what you could have earned over your working lifetime and what you can earn now after the injury. Calculated by a vocational expert and converted to present value by an economist.
There is no statutory cap on non-economic damages in most Louisiana personal injury cases. Ask your attorney how they calculate the full value of a claim. Do they use economists for Loss of Earning Capacity calculations? Do they retain life care planners for future medical costs? If they cannot explain their valuation process, find someone who can.
Filing a Personal Injury Claim in Caddo Parish
The 1st Judicial District Court in Shreveport handles civil cases for all of Caddo Parish, including Blanchard. This is the court where your lawsuit would be filed if pre-suit negotiations fail. Venue is determined by where the accident occurred or where the defendant resides. For most Blanchard accidents, the 1st Judicial District Court is the proper venue.
The process typically begins with a pre-suit demand to the at-fault party’s insurer. If the insurer refuses a reasonable settlement, your attorney files suit.
The general timeline runs: investigation during weeks one through eight, demand and negotiation during months three through twelve, and litigation if needed during months twelve through twenty-four. Ask your attorney about their trial experience in Caddo Parish. Have they tried cases in the 1st Judicial District Court? Trey Morris Injury Lawyers has. Our attorneys know the judges, the procedures, and the local litigation culture.
What Our Clients Say
- Crystal CeeCee Moore
My family and I rate Trey Morris Injury Lawyers a 10 out of 10.I specifically appreciate their prompt responses and attention to details to ensure permanent resolutions.
- Heather Kanada
Very diligent!The attorney and team stayed on top of our case and always kept us informed on next steps.
- Shannon Warner
Attorney Lane Robinson and His wonderful assistant Erin Talley done a wonderful job assisting me with my injury case.They kept me informed weekly. Erin, called with deep concern of my condition and progress. This meant a lot to me because I've used other's and they didn't care if anything changed. But they were wondering and I'm grateful, Thank so much for you help. Highly recommend 5 stars in my book.
- Suzanna Wilson
They are awesome lawyers!!..They represented my sister with her case.Treated her as family from the beginning to present… Highly Recommend.
- mia white
Great customer service!Everyone there is so helpful and kind. Will definitely be recommending to friends and family.
- Wendy Sloan
We are extremely pleased with our attorney Trey Morris and his associates, shout out to Kylie, we love her.They made our painful time easier to deal with. I highly recommend.
- Baseball for Life
My wife was involved in a car accident.We needed help when the insurance company was not cooperating. Everyone there is great. They told us they would handle everything and they did. It was a relief, not having to worry about anything I highly recommend them.
- Rhonda Snodderly
I'm very happy with them, my lawyer Mr.Robinson is very professional and kind, his assistant Lisa is great. I'm thankful for them.
- Jaime Baker
Very professional, informative, and helpful!A great group of people there to help with anything to the best of their abilities.
- Montrell Ambers
I feel like they are my second family.Since they took my case over it has been a great experience knowing that I get to talk with Mr. Trey Morris personally and anything I have a problem with he is quick to aid and help me with whatever problem. I will recommend anyone to this law firm!!!!
- Amie Baham
I have used the firm a couple of times and the care and support that they provide is beyond outstanding.I would (and do) highly recommend them to friends and family!
- Colton Castilo
Very friendly staff.They handled my case promptly and in a very professional manner. Highly recommended.
Your Blanchard Trial Team
The lawyers who work your file. Every Blanchard case is handled by the firm's own trial attorneys.
How Do You Evaluate a Personal Injury Attorney for Your Blanchard Case?
Choosing the right attorney for your case starts with asking the right questions. Here is what to look for.
Ask about experience with your specific injury type. Car accident cases, truck accident cases, and workplace injury cases involve different laws, different evidence, and different insurance structures. An attorney who handles all three may not have depth in any of them. Ask how many cases like yours they have handled in the past two years.
Ask how they handle comparative fault disputes. Under the new 51% bar, this is the single most important legal issue in most personal injury cases. If your attorney does not have a specific strategy for keeping your fault percentage below 51%, the insurer will exploit that gap.
Ask about their relationships with accident reconstructionists and medical experts. These experts are essential for complex cases. An attorney who does not have established relationships with these professionals will scramble to find them when your case needs them.
Ask what their caseload looks like and who will actually handle your case day-to-day. Some firms sign clients and then hand them off to junior associates or paralegals. You have a right to know who is working on your case.
Verify their standing with the Louisiana State Bar Association and check for any disciplinary history. Look at peer ratings like AV Preeminent and Super Lawyers. Read client reviews. Trey Morris Injury Lawyers has over 20 years of experience, more than 5,000 cases handled, an AV Preeminent rating, and offices throughout North Louisiana, including our Shreveport office 10 miles from Blanchard. We welcome the comparison.