The First Thing We Need to Find Out Is Who Is Liable for the Accident

In every personal injury case, the plaintiff assigns fault to a negligent party. However, the burden of proof falls on the plaintiff, so they must also be able to prove how the opposing party’s negligence led to the accident that caused their injuries and that the opposing party was, in fact, negligent. The Legal Information Institute (LII) describes a basic setup of a case argument using the four elements of negligence:

  • Duty of care: The opposing party owed the plaintiff a general duty to keep the plaintiff from harm.
  • Breach of duty: The opposing party’s negligence—be it in the form of their actions or omissions—violated this duty of care, meaning they failed to fulfill this task.
  • Causation: Because the opposing party breached their duty, they caused an accident.
  • Damages: The plaintiff suffered injuries—either bodily injuries or harm to their property—in the accident caused by the opposing party.

You May Be Able to Financially Recover from Your Damages

Personal injury cases can involve minor injuries that snowballed into large setbacks and major injuries that immediately impacted a person’s life. If your injuries caused you several kinds of damages, they may be calculated to determine how much compensation you need to recover your losses. Your legal team might help you calculate your:

  • Medical expenses
  • Property damage costs
  • Loss of income
  • Reduced earning potential
  • Out-of-pocket expenses, such as for prescription medicines or medical equipment

However, not every type of damage has a financial value. Non-economic damages generally get compared to your monetary damages and assigned a value that reflects their impact on your life. These types of damages might include:

  • Pain and suffering
  • Permanent disability
  • Loss of quality of life
  • Loss of consortium

A Chalmette personal injury lawyer from our firm can work with you throughout this process and advise you on when to pursue compensation. If you are still going through extensive medical procedures or other financial damages, your lawyer might also refer to appropriate expert witnesses to determine the trajectory of your recovery or strain. By doing so, they may be able to estimate future damages you might experience and include this value into your compensation demands.

Our team wants to be as accurate as possible when calculating your damages because you will not be able to pursue additional compensation once you accept a settlement offer or receive a verdict in a court trial. While your case is on a strict deadline, we also do not want to rush this stage of preparing your case, lest we risk underestimating your future needs.

To start this process, call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today or contact us online. A representative of our law firm can review your case for free and take notes on the damages you have already experienced.

Do Not Forget to File Your Case by Its Deadline

Personal injury tort cases must be filed by the deadline set by the statute of limitations. In Louisiana, CC Art. 3492 dictates that plaintiffs have two years from the date of their injury to file their civil action lawsuit against the party who caused them harm.

However, this is a general deadline and does not necessarily apply to all personal injury cases. Other factors like whether your case involves a minor, a municipality, or medical malpractice might change the statutory deadline. You can consult your lawyer about the statute of limitations applicable to your case.

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Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Handles Many Types of Personal Injury Cases

Our law firm has practiced in several areas of personal injury tort law. Because personal injury law covers many situations in which a person might get seriously hurt or have their property damaged, cases may be categorized in the following ways:

  • Premises liability cases, which apply to injuries that happen on someone else’s property
  • Product liability cases, which apply to injuries caused by defects in products sold in the public market
  • Automobile accident cases, which apply to injuries caused by motor vehicles or hazards on the road
  • Medical malpractice cases, which apply to injuries caused by medical errors
  • Maritime accident cases, which involve injuries caused by water vessels or hazards in open water

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Client Testimonials Hear from locals like you.

I highly recommend Derek Hebert to anyone in need of a skilled and trustworthy attorney. From the very beginning, Derek was professional, honest, and ...

I highly recommend Derek Hebert to anyone in need of a skilled and trustworthy attorney. From the very beginning, Derek was professional, honest, and incredibly responsive. He took the time to explain every step of the process in clear terms and always made sure I felt informed and supported.

His attention to detail, strong communication, and genuine dedication made a stressful situation much easier to navigate. Derek went above and beyond to achieve the best possible outcome, and I’m truly grateful for his hard work.

If you’re looking for an attorney who is knowledgeable, reliable, and truly cares about his clients, Derek Hebert is an outstanding choice.

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Brylan Cormier

Lafayette

Each time I interact with a member of the Laborde Earls team I am always extremely satisfied with the service provided. I had the pleasure of speaking...

Each time I interact with a member of the Laborde Earls team I am always extremely satisfied with the service provided. I had the pleasure of speaking with Mrs. Marsh today. She was extremely knowledgeable in addition to being patient and empathetic. She was able to provide me with the necessary resources and provided me with encouragement throughout the process. I definitely recommend Laborde Earls! Ask for Courtney!

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Megan Couvillon

Alexandria

Over the past 3 years I have encountered one of the best Law Firms in Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers which have been handling my Lejeune Contaminated T...

Over the past 3 years I have encountered one of the best Law Firms in Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers which have been handling my Lejeune Contaminated Toxic Water Claim. Mr. John Chaillot has been instrumental in advising me on documentation, timelines, and all matters pertaining to my case. A true professional and appreciated. Thank you.

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Stephan C.

Jourdan is an outstanding paralegal! She is knowledgeable, organized, and truly cares about the clients she works with. Every interaction I’ve h...

Jourdan is an outstanding paralegal! She is knowledgeable, organized, and truly cares about the clients she works with. Every interaction I’ve had with her has been positive — she takes the time to explain things clearly and makes the process much less stressful. Laborde Earles Law Firm is lucky to have someone like Jourdan on their team. I would highly recommend both Jourdan and the firm to anyone looking for trustworthy and reliable legal support.

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Matt Picard

New Orleans

Renee McCaslin is incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and always goes above and beyond to make the legal process smooth and stress-free. I truly a...

Renee McCaslin is incredibly knowledgeable, professional, and always goes above and beyond to make the legal process smooth and stress-free. I truly appreciate her attention to detail and genuine care for her clients!

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Courtnie Heltz

New Orleans

Eryn Laughlin is a good employee, we love her!

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anonymous

Car Accident

Michelle Brouillette is always so pleasant whenever I call or stop by the office. She always has a smile on her face.

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Christine G.

The team at Laborde Earls is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. While I would recommend any team member, I would strongly urge you to speak with Mrs...

The team at Laborde Earls is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. While I would recommend any team member, I would strongly urge you to speak with Mrs. Courtney. I spoke with her multiple times, and each time she was patient and answered every question I had. She made me feel like I was the only client. Grateful for her and Laborde Earls!

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Tracie Martin

Alexandria

Working with Toni Stelly has been a great experience. She is compassionate and listens to me when I have a concern or need some information. Toni is q...

Working with Toni Stelly has been a great experience. She is compassionate and listens to me when I have a concern or need some information. Toni is quick to respond to my questions and gets things done!! Good experience working with this firm.

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Lake Charles

Over 1,700 5-Star Reviews

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A Chalmette Personal Injury Lawyer from Our Firm Wants to Help You

If a personal injury uprooted your life, whether your injuries drastically changed your physical capabilities or caused you major financial setbacks (or both), call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers to represent you in your case. Our personal injury team wants to help you prepare your claim or lawsuit and fight for the compensation you deserve.

Still need more information? Call our office today for a free consultation with a team member here at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers. They can explain your potential legal options, including the next steps on what to submit to your lawyer, so they can begin working on your case right away.

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