Have you been injured in a car accident in Metairie, LA, because of someone else’s negligence? Contact our experienced Metairie car accident attorneys at Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers at (225) 263-4787 to schedule a free consultation.
As nationally-acclaimed civil litigators with 50+ years of combined experience, we’ve forced insurance companies, vehicle manufacturers, government agencies, and other tough opponents to pay our clients tens of millions of dollars in financial awards. We offer small-firm attention and big-firm results to injury victims and families in Metairie and throughout the state of Louisiana.
Why Choose Mansfield Melancon To Help Me After a Car Accident in Metairie, LA?
Crash victims trust Mansfield Melancon because we’re top-rated legal advocates with a proven ability to win tough personal injury disputes.
Our personal injury attorney in Metairie has over 150 five-star reviews on Google. We’ve been recognized as leaders in civil litigation by Super Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, and other respected organizations. We’ve also been listed in top legal directories such as Avvo, Justia, Findlaw, and more.
You only have one shot at justice after an accident — make it count. Contact our law office today for a free, no-obligation consultation. Let our award-winning team put experience, dedication, and results to work for you.
Why Should I Hire a Car Accident Attorney?
While you can file a claim with the at-fault driver’s insurance company and attempt to recover compensation on your own, it’s best to hire an experienced car accident attorney to represent you.
Here’s why:
- You’re more likely to win your case and secure better case results.
- The insurance company has to engage in good faith negotiations and make an honest attempt to resolve your car accident claim fairly.
- You will protect yourself against claims of contributory fault that, left undisputed, could end your fight for fair compensation before it even starts.
- You benefit from the personal injury law firm’s technology, skills, and resources, such as getting witness statements, which can set the stage for a swift and successful victory.
Hiring a car accident lawyer in Metairie, LA, also gives you the time you need to focus on getting better. Don’t underestimate the impact your choice of attorney can have on your car accident case. Put yourself in the best position to maximize your recovery by calling Mansfield Melancon for help today.
How Much Money Can I Get From a Car Accident Case?
Many factors can affect the potential value of your car accident claim:
- What type of car accident were you involved in?
- Can you still work as you recover from your crash-related injuries?
- Have you experienced a change in your earning capacity?
- Are you temporarily or permanently disabled because of the car crash?
- What physical trauma did you suffer?
- What will it cost to replace or repair damaged property?
- Will you need a rental car while yours is in the shop?
- How has being in a collision altered your quality of life?
- How old are you?
- What degree of blame, if any, do you share for the auto accident?
- Did you take steps to mitigate your damages?
At the end of the day, the types of injuries you’ve suffered and their severity will have the greatest impact on the potential value of your personal injury lawsuit. Serious injuries can have a significant impact on your life. In turn, cases where a plaintiff is catastrophically injured tend to be worth more than those where a victim suffers more moderate trauma.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover in a Car Accident Lawsuit in Metairie?
As the plaintiff in a civil car accident claim in Louisiana, you can request two types of monetary awards: economic damages and non-economic damages.
Known collectively as compensatory damages, they’re designed to help you deal with different types of consequences arising from your recent wreck.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are paid to cover your crash-related costs and expenses, such as:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Diminished earning capacity
- Rehabilitation
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket costs
- Funeral and burial expenses after a fatal crash
You can receive compensation for current expenses as well as future financial losses, as long as they’re supported by evidence.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are designed to help you cope with these harder-to-value losses. This can include money for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of consortium
- Embarrassment
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Chronic physical pain
Since these experiences are more subjective, they’re often the source of a lot of arguments regarding valuation. Our car accident lawyer in Metairie works hand-in-hand with reliable, experienced experts to help us fully understand the ways in which a crash affects our clients – financially and in more personal ways. The more we understand how a collision has impacted you, the better positioned we’ll be to leverage a meaningful financial award on your behalf.
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Lawsuit in Louisiana?
Barring any exceptions, the statute of limitations for car accident cases in Louisiana is two years. The clock starts ticking the moment you’re involved in a car accident in Metairie, Louisiana. This clock, known as the statute of limitations, gives you a set amount of time in which you can seek compensation for any crash-related damages.
You must file your legal claim with an insurance company or Louisiana state court by the second anniversary of your collision to preserve your legal rights. Once the statute of limitations runs out, you’ll forfeit the ability to demand compensation from a negligent or otherwise liable party.
Can I Get Compensation if I Was Partly At Fault For My Car Crash?
Yes, but Louisiana law limits how much compensation you can get if you share responsibility for the wreck.
Under the state’s pure comparative fault rule, a plaintiff’s damages are reduced proportionately to fault up to 99 percent. So, compensation can be awarded as long as you’re not entirely responsible for a traffic accident. The more responsibility you bear for a collision, the more it’ll limit your financial recovery.
For instance, you could expect to recover 80 percent of your damages if you’re assigned 20 percent of the blame for a recent car crash in Metairie. So, you’d only receive $80,000 if your claim was initially valued at $100,000.
Types of Car Accident Claims We Handle
Adjusters know how to navigate the unique circumstances of different types of crashes inside and out. If you want a shot at maximizing your financial recovery, you’ll want that kind of experience and knowledge in your corner, too.
Mansfield Melancon has a proven track record of helping victims of all types of crashes in Louisiana, including:
- Rear-End Collisions: Rear-end collisions, which typically happen at intersections or in stop-and-go traffic, occur when the front of one vehicle crashes into the rear of the vehicle in front of it. Any rear-end collision, including those at low speeds, can cause serious physical injuries, such as whiplash, nerve damage, and concussions. Our rear-end collision attorney is here for you.
- Head-On Crashes: When two moving vehicles collide head-on, the force of impact is doubled. Nearly 11 percent of the nation’s fatal car accidents on the previous years were classified as head-on collisions. Our head-on crash lawyer can assist you with your claim.
- Rollovers: Vehicles with a high center of gravity – including vans, SUVs, and light trucks – are more susceptible to rolling over when there’s a sudden change in centrifugal force. Many times, rollovers occur when a motorist swerves suddenly to avoid a hazard, makes a sharp turn without slowing down, or drives over a tripping hazard on the road’s surface. Our rollover accident attorney will support you throughout the development of your legal proceedings.
- T-Bone Accidents: T-Bone accidents occur when two vehicles collide and make a “T” shape, as one vehicle crashes directly into the side of the other. Since there’s very little on the side of a vehicle to protect occupants in these types of serious collisions, the resulting injuries can be quite severe. Our team will help you pursue compensation.
Common Types of Car Accident Injuries
While a multitude of factors can influence the types of injuries you’re most likely to sustain in a Metairie crash, some of the most commonly reported car accident injuries include:
- Soft tissue injuries
- Chest injuries
- Burn injuries
- Broken bones
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Herniated disc injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Crush injuries
- Eye injuries
- Leg injuries
- Amputation injuries
- Catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death
You don’t have to navigate the aftermath of a serious accident on your own. Once you’ve reported your car wreck and sought medical attention, don’t hesitate to reach out to our trustworthy legal team for assistance.
Metairie Car Accident Statistics
Located just a stone’s throw from New Orleans, it’s no surprise that thousands of car accidents are reported in and around Metairie, LA every year.
According to statistics of Louisiana State University’s Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety data reporting system, 3,327 injury crashes and 32 fatal crashes were reported in Metairie and surrounding towns in Jefferson Parish in 2023. That same year, 11,736 collisions resulted in property damage only.
Car Accident FAQ
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Attorney?
We represent our clients on a contingency fee basis. Simply put, if we take your case, it means we believe in our ability to win. We’re even willing to stake our attorney fees on the outcome. You will pay nothing until we’ve won compensation for your car accident case. If we win, our fees will be deducted from your financial award, less any costs we’ve fronted to pursue damages on your behalf.
What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents?
While car accidents can happen for many different reasons, most happen because someone is negligent.
Specifically, some of the leading causes of collisions include:
- Distracted driving
- Drunk driving
- Drugged driving
- Fatigued driving
- Unsafe lane changes
- Illegal turns
- Speeding
- Tailgating
- Road rage
- Ignoring traffic safety laws
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Vehicle malfunctions related to negligent maintenance
Of course, not all car accidents happen because a driver is negligent. Other contributing factors include vehicle defects, road defects, bad weather conditions, and driver inexperience.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Metairie?
Once you’ve been involved in a car accident, it’ll be important to:
- Call 911 to report the auto accident to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
- Move your vehicle to the side of the road or another safe location near the scene of the crash, if you’re able to do so.
- Exchange insurance details with other parties.
- Provide short, concise answers to questions posed by the police when they arrive on the scene.
- Take pictures of your injuries, damage to your car and other vehicles, as well as other evidence at the crash scene.
- Refuse to accept responsibility for the car accident, even if you genuinely believe you’re to blame.
- Seek prompt medical attention so that any injuries you’ve suffered are documented and treated right away.
- Refuse to provide the at-fault driver’s insurance company with a recorded statement unless advised to do so by legal counsel.
- Direct any and all requests for information or negotiations to your attorney.
The sooner you contact an experienced lawyer for help after a collision in Metairie, the better. Whether you got into a wreck in the middle of the night, over a long weekend, or in rush hour, members of our team are always available to take your call and offer the support you need.
Will My Car Accident Lawsuit Go to Trial?
Statistically speaking, not many personal injury cases go to trial.
Most often, car accident lawsuits go to trial when:
- There’s a legitimate dispute regarding liability that prevents negotiations from moving forward.
- Parties have drastically different opinions on what a legal claim is worth.
- An insurance company acts in bad faith when handling an accident case.
Going to trial isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Many times, it can be in your best interest to bring your case to trial, especially when the insurance company won’t fight fairly. However, you can increase the odds of getting a swift and favorable settlement without having to navigate the time and expense of a trial by hiring an experienced civil litigator to handle your case.
Call Our Metairie Car Accident Lawyers Today for a Free Consultation
If you’ve been involved in an accident, you deserve to tell your story and demand compensation from those who are to blame. Don’t fight for medical expenses or any compensation on your own. Call Mansfield Melancon. Our attorneys can give you the edge you need to win your legal battle and maximize your financial award.
Backed by over half a century of combined legal experience, our top-rated Louisiana trial attorneys have helped clients win millions of dollars in settlement agreements and jury awards.
There’s no upfront costs for an initial case review. Contact our law office to get your legal process started.
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