When we’re injured because someone else’s negligence, none of the time goes in wasted. There’s simply no need to wait and keeping going with a lax approach is asking for further injury. In order to get what you deserve for your time effort, it is important that you find a Lafayette personal injury lawyer quickly and speak to them about your case.
Personal injury lawyers provide a valuable service for many people in times of crisis. These attorneys come to your aid and make sure you get what you deserve when the legal system makes things difficult. Personal injury law can be complicated but these attorneys provide clarity in uncertain circumstances. However, it’s not their fault. Having an attorney to help you sort through these details is a massive help, so it’s surprising that some people might not think that way. Being able to have someone fight for your rights in the legal system is very important!
When dealing with the repercussions of an accident, it’s unavoidable that you’ll be anxious about the future. However, there are countless ways of handling medical bills, having to go on unpaid leave, and whether or not you can afford long-term care. However, accidents can result in a lot more. If you’re injured in an accident, you should look at what caused it and how the at-fault parties can be made to pay fair compensation. Choosing the right law firm for your personal injury case can be difficult. There are many choices available and finding the right one won’t always be easy. However, a personal injury firm can offer you support when you face these difficulties and help you find recovery. However, before we can talk about choosing a team to represent you, we should first talk about how personal injury works.
If you’re dealing with a personal injury case, a Lafayette lawyer like Wright and Gray can provide personalized help. They have the expertise to handle your case conveniently, without any hassle.
Lafayette Personal Injury Guide
What is Personal Injury?
A personal injury law is a type of civil law. If a person has been labeled legally responsible and caused some damages, they can file a lawsuit to receive compensation. A personal injury lawsuit can range from relatively minor damages like a broken arm to cases of much larger proportions with high-impact injuries, such as vehicular collisions. The person bringing the lawsuit is usually known as the plaintiff and the person who caused the injury in the first place is usually known as the defendant. One of the important things that someone seeking to file a lawsuit should know is…
Statute of Limitations
Louisiana has a shorter window for filing claims after an accident, so you’ll want to make sure you investigate your policy before it is too late.
Liability
The state of Louisiana has a rule called comparative fault whose goal is to reduce the amount of injuries a plaintiff receives by taking responsibility for how much their own negligence from the accident is.
Burden of Proof
It’s generally easier to win a civil case than it is for a criminal one. You must show that the responsible parties were negligent and failed to act responsibly.
How Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?
You may be surprised when you’re in these kinds of situations to learn that you are unprepared for how to deal with any potential fallout. Beyond insurance companies, the other party will also show up at your door. So, make sure that you’re always prepared so that this doesn’t end up biting you in the butt later on. Hiring a lawyer is ideal for many different types of cases, not just car accidents and truck accidents. If you have been injured in any type of accident, an attorney can help with general legal matters as well as personal injuries that may have come from the accident.
The Defendant’s Insurance Company Denies your Claim
Insurance can be a risky purchase, but it’s always worth it. You’re not forced to pay out compensation if what you’re claiming would happen anyway, which means the insurers are going to do everything they can to limit payout including denying your claim. Home insurance cases often involve inappropriately low and conservative estimates. There’s a lot that goes into getting the real damages after a catastrophe, but an experienced attorney can help you sort out the truth. The insurer’s firm may want to challenge this investigation, but the lawyer will be able to offer sufficient evidence to show you are not to blame for the incident.
No Communication From the Insurer
When you initially get into an accident, you may have to submit your information to the insurance firm to get proceedings going. Unfortunately, sometimes the insurance firm may simply decide not to respond to your claim. Since the statute of limitations on personal injury claims is such a small one, they might be able to get away with it. That’s why having a personal injury law firm that represents your best interests is of the utmost importance to your case. Accident victims should have to be calling and writing to insurers to get them to respond. However, when you mention your legal representative, they start paying attention much more closely.
The Insurance Company Lowballs You
Settlements in accident cases can be costly to the insurer and they will try to work around that cost if they can. One of the underhanded tactics they rely on is to contact the victims of motor vehicle accidents or motorcycle accidents and offer them a low figure compared to what they can get. Some victims believe this is the last offer they’ll get and quickly latch onto it, not realizing that their injuries might require long-term medical care that this small settlement won’t pay for. Other issues such as property damage and catastrophic injuries don’t even register on these small settlements. Super lawyers can help their clients flip these low offers on their head, and obtain fair compensation for the injured party.
The Insurance Firm Doesn’t Negotiate
Much more problematic than just lowballing you is the attempt to shut down negotiations. Insurers who don’t want to pay thousands of dollars in settlement and compensation will try to stop talking to you in hopes that you will give up. Super lawyers can get those insurers back to the negotiating table and force them to resume negotiations.
Connect with a Lafayette Personal Injury Lawyer
At Wright & Gray, we understand how confusing and overwhelming the laws and statutes can be. After all, you’re hurt and suffering, and you need help now. Our attorneys are ready to guide you through the process of getting the help you need to recover.
Key Elements in Selecting Legal Representation
As mentioned before, your legal team can make a huge difference in your dealings with the responsible party. However, choosing a team that brings legal experience and skill to the table is of the utmost importance. Asking family members about what experience they’ve had with particular firms can help you to make a decision. Looking for online reviews of law firms can also help to make up your mind. However, the initial consultation you have with the team of attorneys will help you to make up your mind on who you should choose.
Aside from offering valuable legal resources, your personal injury attorney ought to have a reputation for dealing with liability claims. They should have at least a few liability claim victories under their belt that they can talk about at length. Super lawyers will usually have a track record spanning several scores of cases, and in some situations, hundreds. They should be able to leverage their experience as attorneys from auto accidents to wrongful death claims. They should also offer their services on a contingency fee basis, allowing you to rest easy in the knowledge that they will fight for you to the best of their abilities.
Your lawyer should be able to provide you with legal assistance including things like getting access to medical records and police reports that will help you prove your case. An experienced team will be able to locate expert witnesses that can add credibility to your case with their testimony. Super lawyers will seek out medical professionals and even police officers to testify on your behalf. Most of these lawyers will have previous clients that they worked with on their accident injury claims, and they will carry the knowledge from those cases forward to yours. You’re looking for a legal team with decades of experience between them. This combined experience will give you the edge you need to make your case.
Personal Injuries and Settlements
As most super lawyers know, the settlements that plaintiffs usually get in these injury claims are commensurate with the injuries that they sustain. The court’s consideration starts with physical injuries. These injuries may include head trauma or even spinal cord injuries that will require a long time to recover from. Injuries like this also lead to financial losses for the individual and their family. The costs of medical care may factor into the settlement as well, allowing for the plaintiff to recoup the costs of their hospitalization and medicine. Being hospitalized also incurs damages for loss of enjoyment of life. Physical damages are only part of the total settlement value, however.
Additional economic damages may result from emotional distress and trauma. A fair settlement, therefore, should take mental trauma into account as well as the physical damages. When your lawyer makes their initial settlement demands on the responsible party, they are likely to include those details. If the matter gets to trial, they can hold up that demand letter as evidence of the severity of your injuries. In many cases, if the injuries are severe enough, and there’s clear evidence of guilt, the court may award maximum compensation to the plaintiff. This maximum compensation may be millions of dollars, depending on the injury.
