Did you get hurt because of someone else’s negligence in Baton Rouge, LA? If so, you might have a legal right to damages. You can recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
A Baton Rouge personal injury lawyer can explain your rights. Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers is a law firm dedicated to helping injured clients. We fight to get money to help them physically and mentally recover after an accident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
A Baton Rouge personal injury attorney can significantly increase your chances of getting paid. Contact us at (225) 263-4787 to schedule a free consultation today.
How Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help You After an Accident in Baton Rouge, LA
A Baton Rouge personal injury lawyer at Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers will fight to enforce your legal rights after an accident. We have a proven track record of success and give personalized attention to every client.
We are a full-service personal injury law firm.
If you hire us to help you after getting hurt in Baton Rouge, we will:
- Explain your legal rights
- Calculate your damages
- Collect evidence
- Identify everyone responsible
- Review medical records
- Consult with expert witnesses
- File insurance claims
- Negotiate with insurance companies
- Discuss settlement options with the defendant
- File a personal injury lawsuit
- Represent you in court
- Prepare for and go to trial
While we hope that every defendant will agree to a fair settlement outside of the courtroom, that isn’t always the case. We are always prepared to go to trial to recover all the money that you deserve.
Call our office to schedule a free consultation with a Baton Rouge personal injury attorney and get started on your case today.
What Causes Most Injury Accidents In Baton Rouge?
Most injury accidents in Baton Rouge happen on the roads.
The leading causes are:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Bike accidents
However, many people are hurt in other types of accidents every year.
Some of the most common types of accidents include:
- Maritime accidents
- Off-shore accidents
- Slip and falls
- Defective products
- Dog bites
- Wrongful death
- Nursing home abuse
Our Baton Rouge personal injury lawyers can help you no matter what type of accident you have experienced. Call us to discuss your case today.
What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
Several factors can impact the value of your case. In general, a personal injury case is worth more when the victim has serious and life-altering injuries.
When assigning your case a value, you should ask the following questions:
- Are your injuries permanent and disabling? Will you make a full recovery?
- How painful are your injuries, and how long will the pain persist?
- What medical treatment have you undergone or will you undergo in the future?
- Are you able to work or earn income at the same level as before the accident?
- Do you regularly miss work to go to doctor’s appointments?
- Did you have any property damaged in the accident?
- Were you partially responsible for causing the accident?
- Has your overall quality of life diminished because of your injury?
- Do you have emotional trauma stemming from the accident?
Ultimately, personal injury cases are about recovery compensation. It is important to know how much you are entitled to get so that you don’t accept a low-ball settlement offer. We will help you calculate your case value so that you know what to expect at the end of the case.
What Kind of Damages Are Available To Personal Injury Victims?
Personal injury victims are entitled to compensatory damages. Compensatory damages are payments that compensate a victim for their losses. The purpose is to make someone whole again after an accident.
There are two types of compensatory damages: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Economic damages are financial losses. They are tangible costs caused by the accident or the injury.
Examples of economic damages include:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost future earnings
- Property damage
- Physical therapy
- Rehabilitation
- Cost of medicine
- Therapeutic medical devices
- Out-of-pocket expenses
Non-economic damages are non-financial losses and are intangible. This means that they are hard to calculate because they aren’t associated with a dollar figure.
Examples of non-economic damages include:
- Physical pain and suffering
- Emotional anguish
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of companionship
- Inconvenience
- Permanent disfigurement or scarring
There is another type of damages called punitive damages. Punitive damages punish a defendant for bad behavior.
The plaintiff is not always entitled to collect punitive damages. In fact, punitive damages are generally not available in Louisiana unless the injury happens in another state where punitive damages are allowed. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as personal injury lawsuits based on drunk driving or domestic abuse cases.
A Baton Rouge personal injury attorney can explain what damages are available in your case.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Baton Rouge Personal Injury Lawyer?
Baton Rouge personal injury lawyers charge a contingency fee. This means that the fee varies depending on the outcome of the case. Furthermore, if the lawyer loses the case, you don’t have to pay them anything at all.
If the lawyer wins the case or you settle with the defendant, then you will pay a percentage of the settlement or jury award. You will agree to a percentage when you first hire the lawyer. Usually, the percentage is between 33% to 40%. The exact percentage may vary depending on the work that an attorney performs on your case.
Can I Recover Compensation if I’m Being Blamed for My Injury In Baton Rouge?
Yes, you can recover compensation if you are being blamed for your injury in Baton Rouge, LA.
Louisiana applies pure comparative negligence law. This law says that as long as you are less than 100% responsible for an accident, you can recover proportionate damages.
For example, if you are 80% at fault and the defendant is 20% at fault, you can recover 20% of your total damages. Similarly, if you are 20% at fault, and the defendant is 80% at fault, you can recover 80% of your damages.
It’s best to avoid getting blamed for your injuries. The easiest way to do this is to hire a lawyer to speak on your behalf and advise your statements to insurance adjusters throughout the case.
We’ll Fight To Recover Compensation for All of Your Injuries
You need a lawyer who understands your injury. We go the extra mile to review medical records and consult with your doctors. This helps us understand your medical needs and the impact that your injury has had on your life.
We will fight to recover compensation for all types of injuries, including:
- Brain injuries
- Head injuries
- Amputations
- Broken bones
- Sprains
- Internal organ damage
- Crush injuries
- Burns
- Lacerations and bruising
- Loss of hearing or eyesight
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis and nerve damage
- Whiplash
- Neck and back injuries
We can also help if you have catastrophic injuries or even if you have lost a loved one in a wrongful death case. There’s no case too big or too small for our Baton Rouge personal injury attorneys to handle.
How Do I Prove Negligence After an Accident In Louisiana?
Negligence is a legal term of art. It has a distinct meaning within the context of a personal injury case. Negligence is the bedrock of most personal injury claims. If you fail to prove that the defendant was negligent, then you will likely lose your case.
Negligence has four parts. You must prove each part by a preponderance of the evidence.
The four elements are:
- Duty of care
- Breach of duty
- Causation
- Damages
Essentially, everyone owes others a duty to use reasonable care when out in the world. When we fail to use reasonable care, we are said to breach that duty. If that breach causes an accident and someone gets hurt, then they are negligent.
You don’t have to be perfect. However, you are expected to act as a reasonably prudent person would act in a similar circumstance. Failure to do so can make you responsible for another’s damages.
How Long Do I Have To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit In Louisiana?
You only have one year to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana. This is a very short statute of limitations. If you miss this deadline, then you will lose your right to ask for damages in court.
Before filing a lawsuit, your lawyer may file an insurance claim and negotiate with the defendant for a settlement. You’ll want to ensure adequate time to do this. If you wait too long to hire a lawyer, they may not have enough time to do the work needed on your case.
Contact Our Baton Rouge Personal Injury Lawyers for a Free Consultation
Don’t waste time thinking about hiring a lawyer after an accident in Baton Rouge, LA. Call Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to get started on your case today.
We offer a free consultation with a Baton Rouge personal injury attorney with no strings attached. This consultation is an excellent opportunity to learn more about your legal rights and how we can help you protect them.