To get compensation from someone, who caused you to fall and injure yourself, you’ll need to act fast and call a lawyer in Shreveport. They can guide you through the process of the legal process and ensure the compensation is fair.
Personal injury lawyers know what they’re doing and have been known to provide support in difficult circumstances. Sometimes it feels as though these attorneys are just there on the worst days of your life. However, you need to remember that they’re there for you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week & 365 days in order to deal with any challenges in what can be an overwhelming situation. When you go to an injury attorney, it does not mean that you will automatically receive justice. In fact, for the majority of their time on the case, insurance companies may be trying to bully and oppress the injured parties. However, having someone on your side can make a world of difference.
Dealing with accidents is never easy. The sight of blood, the fear anxiety, medical bills and long-term care; these are all things to be aware of taken seriously. They may motivate you for a new start in life and help you recognize what type of lifestyle you want to live. When you’re injured in an incident, it’s helpful to know how and why the incident happened so that you can be compensated fairly. Personal injury firms can offer support as well as legal counsel on how to get your fair compensation. However, choosing the right personal injury lawyer can be confusing. Before you look at the details of personal injury lawyers, there are some considerations to think about first.
If you need help with your personal injury case, Wright & Gray can make sure you get a fair settlement. An attorney in Shreveport can provide personalized help and professionalism that’s needed when pursuing a claim.
What is Personal Injury?
Personal injury is an element of civil law. If a person is damaged because of some accident or social wrong, they can bring a claim against the person who caused the damages and they have to have the right to sue. Every personal injury case has its own set of rules and procedures. Some of the biggest cases have many issues, but rest assured that you can trust your lawyers to handle it all with care. Among the most important things that a person who is looking to file a suit needs to know are:
Statute of Limitations
Louisiana allows a person up to one (1) year after an accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. In most jurisdictions this might be as much as two years, but Louisiana has a shorter window for the plaintiff to bring their case against the defendant.
Liability
A judgement was handed down in an accident involving a school bus and a young girl. Prior to the judgement, Louisiana law involved what was known as “comparative fault.” This legal rule decreases the amount of a settlement based on how much guilt any individual had in causing the accident themselves.
Burden of Proof
Here, the plaintiff needs to show that the defendant acted negligently. This is an easy task for a civil case, comparatively. Civil cases can make monetary gains easier than criminal cases.
How Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Help?
When you’re the other party in an accident, liability issues to insurance companies can be a lot to keep track of. It’s hard to keep up when you’re ill-prepared to deal with the fallout.If you’re injured in a car accident or truck accident, you may be spending a long time in the hospital. While an attorney can help with general issues, they are invaluable when it comes to specific instances where their expertise is priceless. These include:
The Defendant’s Insurance Company Denies your Claim
There are several reasons why an insurance company may deny your claim. They’re risk-based decision and put their money where it counts. In some cases, they have to be happy giving you compensation for an event actually happened, and so will look for ways to fight the claim for as long as possible. In certain instances, these claims can result in your claim value being overstated. In those cases, an attorney with experience is key to solving this issue and finding who’s at fault. The insurer may want to challenge the case, but a lawyer will be able to provide enough evidence to prove you are not responsible for this incident.
No Communication From the Insurer
The first thing you should do when dealing with an insurance firm is file a claim. If you’re denied, make sure to tell them why and try contacting them again later on. Sometimes insurance firms may not respond right away but they will often come through when you keep at it! Personal injury cases are difficult to prove and thus, any evidence from the past can be effectively used in court. This is often how cases like this get away with it for so long — because until new evidence comes up, the statute of limitations on personal injury claims is short. A personal injury law firm will represent your best interests and help make sure you get justice after an accident. When you mention your legal representative, the insurance company starts being much more attentive. This shows that they care about customer service – a valuable benefit when they’re dealing with an accident victim and important task in this day and age.
The Insurance Company Lowballs You
Even if a fender bender happens and you’re the victim, your auto insurance company may try to pay less than what they would normally. If you see wording in an email about a settlement offer, it’s best not to take the written “deal” offered by your insurance agent seriously. Others might be in denial or may not know that significant injuries can take a long time to heal. They quickly latch on to any offer of help and feel it’s enough to cover the most immediate costs. This can hurt them in long-term ways as they struggle with these injuries for weeks or even months. Small settlements for injuries caused by a large corporation don’t seem to be something worth fighting for, but all that can change if the case gets into the hands of a Super Lawyer. These lawyers can help their clients win these cases and get fair compensation for them.
The Insurance Firm Doesn’t Negotiate
Worse than just low-balling you is when an insurer tries to put on the pressure and stop talking to you. They want you to give up before reaching a settlement without paying out anything. Super attorneys can get those insurers to sit down and negotiate with you once more at a reduced rate.
Connect with a Shreveport Personal Injury Lawyer
Wright & Gray is a law firm that serves primarily personal injury cases. Our attorneys are well-versed in the legal system, so they know what to do when applicable laws statutes pose an issue. We understand how confusing this can often be and we hope you can understand too!
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. Some of your extended family could have a lot to offer you when it comes to their experience with the firm that you are considering. Taking time to read some reviews on the companies you’re interested in will also help. However, you need to choose one attorney among many before getting started. The consultation will help you decide which one is the best fit for your case.
Since an attorney has a lot to offer your case, it pays off to make sure you find a great one. If they lack experience or even if their client losses are too high, the chances of you getting any success from them are low. Highly skilled attorneys are hard to come by, but those who can deliver on their promises will make a definitive impact. They should be able to not only have experience with dozens or sometimes even hundreds of cases, but to also use that experience in a legal way. You 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 can support you with legal matters and is an invaluable resource. You can get access to medical records, police reports and more benefit from the experience of a seasoned team. Conference calls with legal experts can also help you bring in valuable testimony for your case. Having a few professional lawyers involved in your case, some with previous experience, can make all the difference. They are able to build off knowledge of what worked for their clients in past cases and help you get through your process. You need a legal team that has decades of experience. The lawyers on this team have the background necessary to strengthen your case.
Personal Injuries and Settlements
As most people who are familiar with legal practices know, the settlements that plaintiffs usually get in these injury claims start with the physical injuries. The court starts out considering the initial injuries and only goes up from there as more information is gathered. People who have suffered serious injuries may find it hard to get back on their feet- and this is a big concern for insurance companies, as it can lead to significant financial losses they may be unable to afford. Being hospitalized incurs a lot of costs. The plaintiff may take these into consideration when they settle the case in order to get reimbursed. It also effects their enjoyment of life in a negative way. Physical damages are only part of the total settlement value, but…
Emotional distress and trauma can result in more significant economic losses than physical damages, so it is important to make your lawyer aware of that. When they make their initial settlement demands, they will also consider mental trauma as well as the physical damages. If the matter gets to trial, they can hold up that demand letter as evidence of the severity of your injuries. Not all accidents result in a lawsuit, but even the ones that do can potentially lead to big payouts. Injuries are often severe which means the court may award significant damages to the plaintiff. This maximum compensation will be in the millions, depending on the injury.