It is unfortunately common for residents of Marksville to be involved in minor car accidents or fender-benders. In these situations, car insurance coverage is often sufficient to pay for any expenses. In more serious accidents, though, accident victims may need legal help to ensure they receive the compensation they need.
If you are involved in such a car accident, we advise you to contact our law office in Marksville to hire a car accident lawyer as soon as possible. Our experienced attorneys are familiar with different types of traffic accidents and could review your specific situation to give you the best advice possible.
Why Hire an Avoyelles Parish Car Accident Lawyer?
At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we serve accident victims throughout Avoyelles Parish. If retained, an attorney from our Marksville office could identify whether you might be able to collect damages against those responsible for your accident. If so, our team can file a claim or civil lawsuit on your behalf to help you collect those damages.
We Can Help You Resolve an Avoyelles Parish Car Accident More Easily
Not every car accident provides grounds for a personal injury lawsuit. In order to collect damages, an attorney usually must show that another driver acted negligently. To do so, our team attempts to prove that another driver owed the victim a duty of care, breached that duty, and in the process caused the victim harm.
Every injury case is different. While some claims can resolve themselves quickly, others can drag on for years. How long a case takes can depend in large part on the motivation by the responsible driver or their insurance company to settle the case. Ultimately, an auto collision case will either be worked out between the parties via an insurance settlement or go to trial.
We Can Work with the Insurance Company so You Don’t Have To
In many cases, the person responsible for causing an accident will acknowledge that they are at fault. However, that does not mean their insurance company will agree on the amount owed. In these types of cases, an Avoyelles Parish car accident attorney from our team can negotiate with the insurance company or their attorneys to reach an agreement.
Negotiating with an insurance company by yourself can be challenging. While most injured drivers are not familiar with the process, insurance adjusters spend their days haggling over the value of these claims. This puts the injured driver at a serious disadvantage.
One of the common tactics used by insurance companies is to quickly make a low offer, which is often just enough to cover the direct costs related to an accident, like emergency room visits or rental car expenses. However, these payments rarely provide enough to cover an injured driver’s long-term medical costs. In fact, it is often the goal of the insurance company to secure a settlement before a driver even knows the full extent of their injuries.
We Could Help You Build a Stronger Case
If you were in a car accident and suffered injuries or property damage, you may have many questions about your legal options. You could be wondering if you can recover compensation for your injuries or the damage to your car. You might also be unsure of how best to pursue a claim and what the legal process looks like.
When you work with our team, a dedicated Marksville car accident lawyer could help you with these questions by giving you the information and resources you need to decide whether to file a claim. We will also:
- Look into the accident to collect evidence of fault and liability
- Construct a case that proves another party owes you damages
- Evaluate your damages to arrive at a fair case value
- Interview witnesses who were at the scene to corroborate your claims
- Negotiate with the liable party’s insurance company
- Keep track of your filing deadline and initiate a lawsuit if necessary
Our ultimate job is to advocate for your recovery of damages after a collision. You deserve support during this challenging period.
We’ll be there for You if Your Case Goes to Trial
If an injury claim does not settle, it may go to trial. At trial, the injured person has an opportunity to plead their case before a jury of their peers. If the jury sides with the injured person, they will be awarded a monetary judgment in an amount decided by the jury. If they rule in favor of the defendant, however, the injured person will get nothing.
For a free legal consultation with a car accident lawyer serving Marksville, call (318) 777-7777
Types of Damages You May be Able to Collect in a Car Accident Lawsuit
Generally, a Marksville car accident lawyer from our firm may be able to collect the following types of damages in a civil lawsuit:
- Medical expenses and other healthcare costs
- Lost wages due to missed work
- Compensation for future inability to work
- Intangible losses, such as pain and suffering
The exact damages from a vehicle collision will vary, so we have further broken down these categories below to provide more insight.
Medical Expenses from Your Injuries
In some instances, a car accident victim may sustain physical injuries that result in significant healthcare costs. A car accident victim may also need ongoing medical care or rehabilitation after they return home. Such medical care often includes physical therapy, assistive medical devices, or temporary or permanent nursing care in the case of extreme injuries.
If, for example, a car accident victim suffers a broken leg and needs to pay for physical therapy sessions to regain strength in that leg, they may be able to collect compensation to cover that physical therapy. Our team can add up all of your medical expenses based on invoices, bills, and records from your doctors.
Lost Wages During and After Recovery
In some cases, car accident victims are unable to return to work immediately following their accident. They may need to spend time in the hospital and additional time recuperating at home. In these cases, a car accident victim may be able to recover damages for their lost wages.
Additionally, if an individual is temporarily or permanently disabled as a result of their injuries, they may be able to collect compensation for future living expenses. A Marksville car accident attorney from our team may be able to provide further information and assistance in claiming and collecting damages for lost wages.
Non-Economic Damages
Finally, car accident victims in Marksville may be able to recover for non-physical damages as well. Although these types of damages cannot serve as grounds to start a lawsuit, a successful car accident case can compensate for emotional and intangible damages like pain and suffering, loss of consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life in addition to physical damages.
To do this, we may:
- Interview your friends and family about your post-accident life
- Ask you to talk about how the injuries have impacted your daily activities
- Examine your long-term prognosis and any lasting effects of your injuries
Marksville Car Accident Lawyer Near Me (318) 777-7777
The Prescriptive Period for Car Accident Lawsuits in Louisiana
In Louisiana, someone who is in a car accident generally has one year in which to file a lawsuit to recover damages, according to Louisiana Civil Code (CC) §3492. This time period begins from the date of the damage or injury. A similar deadline applies to wrongful death cases, though the window begins from the date of the victim’s death.
Additionally, the one-year time limit applies to legal claims for both physical injury and property damage. Due to this relatively short time frame, we advise any individual considering filing a lawsuit as the result of a car accident to contact our team right away. The support of a Marksville car accident lawyer can be most beneficial when they begin your case as soon as possible. Otherwise, you may encounter the following obstacles:
- Crucial evidence from the scene may disappear, such as video footage.
- Witnesses may forget important details.
- The court can dismiss your case if you file past the deadline.
Click to contact our Marksville Personal Injury Lawyers today
Reach Out to the Attorneys on Our Law Firm for All Your Legal Needs After a Car Accident in Marksville
If you decide a lawsuit is right for you, an attorney from Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers could represent your interests and work with you to protect your rights.
For assistance with any legal issues arising from your car accident, do not delay. Call on our team of dedicated attorneys today at (318) 777-7777.
Call or text (318) 777-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
