If you or your loved one was injured in a car accident, you may be eligible to pursue compensation from the party or parties responsible for the collision. If your loved one passed away from their accident-related injuries, you may also be eligible to file a wrongful death lawsuit on their behalf.
Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers fights for personal injury victims in New Orleans and has recovered more than $600 million in cash settlements and jury verdicts for our clients. We want to put our 250 years’ worth of collective experience to work for you, so you can get the financial recovery you seek.
A New Orleans car accident lawyer from our team can handle an insurance claim or lawsuit to fight for the compensation you might be entitled to collect. We can review your legal options during a free consultation today.
The personal injury lawyer who represents you may also guide you in calculating the types and amounts of your recoverable damages, which may include:
- Medical Bills
- Income Loss
- Property Damage
- Pain & Suffering
- Emotional Distress
- Lasting Disfigurement
The personal injury lawyer who represents you may also guide you in calculating the types and amounts of your recoverable damages, which may include:
- Medical Bills
- Income Loss
- Property Damage
- Pain & Suffering
- Emotional Distress
- Lasting Disfigurement
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Our Case Results Show Our New Orleans Car Accident Lawyers Mean Business
We care about our clients getting the compensation they need to recover from their injuries and losses and rebuild their lives. Consider just some of the awards we have won on behalf of people injured while on the road:
- $5,250,000 for an auto accident that left our client with a brain injury
- $2,000,000 for a car accident victim with spinal cord injuries
- $1,000,000 settlement for a car accident victim
- $900,000 for an auto accident victim
- $180,000 for a faulty tire that caused an accident that resulted in a neck injury
While results are unique to each case, and we cannot guarantee any case’s outcome, we take each client’s case seriously and work to get fair compensation for them. We want to do the same for you. If you have been injured in a New Orleans-area car accident, you can reach out to us to discuss your potential case.
We Can Start Working On Your New Orleans Car Accident Case For Free
We work on contingency, which means we don’t get paid until you do. Your initial consultation with us is free, and you will pay us no money upfront if we decide to work on your case. We understand that accidents and injuries cause financial strain for the people we help, especially if they have been out of work recovering, so we don’t add to that burden.
We aim to make it easier to secure legal representation so that people can get the legal representation and counsel they seek. We will cover the costs of your case, and if we win a settlement or verdict for you, only then will we receive an agreed-upon percentage for our payment. If we don’t recover compensation for you, you owe us no money. We can discuss our payment arrangement during your free consultation.
We Will Help You Determine What Your Car Accident Case Is Worth
Before you can request damages for your accident, you first have to know what your damages are and how much you should ask for from the liable party. Our New Orleans-based lawyers can help you with both tasks. The compensation you could recover depends on various factors, including the extent of your injuries. Your damages generally fall into two categories: economic (monetary) and non-economic (non-monetary).
Economic Damages
Economic damages are expenses from your accident that you can prove with documentation. The purpose of these damages is to return an injury victim to the financial position they were in prior to the car accident. While economic damages will not provide you with a monetary award beyond the financial harm you have already sustained, it can cover any costs related to a car accident. The expenses may include:
- Medical bills (past, present, and ongoing)
- Wages you lost from missing work
- Lost or reduced ability to earn what you used to make before the accident
- Property damage, including any car repairs or total replacement
- Other expenses you incurred from the accident
Non-economic Damages
Non-economic damages have no dollar amount but are important to seek compensation for nonetheless. These damages are not intended to help you recoup financial expenditures following a car accident. Instead, they account for the subjective losses that can stem from a collision. These subjective losses are difficult to measure, but they can serve as a viable basis for financial compensation. Examples of these damages include:
- Physical and mental pain and suffering
- Mental anguish
- Permanent or temporary disability
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of quality of life
- Loss of companionship
You Could Seek Wrongful Death Damages If You Lost A Loved One In The Accident
If your loved one died in a car accident, please accept our condolences for your loss. While no amount of money will ever bring your loved one back, we can help you seek compensation to pay for their final expenses and your emotional distress.
Louisiana law (CC Art. 2315.2) has designated which relatives can bring a wrongful death action. If you are eligible to do so, you may be able to recover:
- Your loved one’s accident-related medical expenses
- Funeral, burial, or cremation expenses
- Loss of financial support and services from the decedent
- Loss of the decedent’s care, companionship, and guidance
Our team can help you uncover any losses you may not know you have. Once we review all your damages, we will determine the value of your case. This important number informs you of what you should aim to recover. It can also help you avoid accepting a settlement offer from an insurance company that is too low for your needs.
Quick Links
- What Does a Car Accident Lawyer Do?
- Can I Sue Someone Personally After a Car Accident?
- Who Can Be Sued In a Car Accident Case?
- How Much Will It Cost to Hire a Car Accident Lawyer?
- How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Car Accident?
- What Are the Main Causes of Car Accidents in Louisiana?
- When Should You Get a Lawyer for a Car Accident?
- How Do I Get a Car Accident Report?
- What Will My Car Accident Lawyer Look for in My Claim?
- Who Is At Fault in a Multi-Vehicle Car Accident?
How Our Lawyer Can Help With Your New Orleans Accident Case
The guidance of experienced legal counsel could play an important part in your recovery following a car accident. While you are not obligated to hire an attorney for your case, handling it on your own could put you at a substantial disadvantage. A lawyer from our team can handle two types of actions in the aftermath of a New Orleans car accident:
- An insurance claim
- A lawsuit
If pursuing an insurance claim is appropriate in your case, your lawyer can protect you from any attempts by insurance companies to violate your rights. Those companies may have an interest in you receiving as little compensation as possible, so they may try to:
- Offer you a quick settlement for less than what you might be entitled to receive
- Explain that holding out for a larger amount of compensation could result in a longer, more complex process
- Attempt to hold statements you made against you
- Dispute your account of the accident
We Can Handle The Insurance Company, So You Don’t Have To
An attorney from our firm can protect you from the tactics insurance companies use by limiting your communications with them to the greatest extent possible. Our team could negotiate a settlement on your behalf and be prepared to bring a lawsuit if insurance settlement negotiations fail.
This is important as insurance adjusters know that most people lack experience with negotiating personal injury claims. They can prey on that lack of experience by pushing an unfair settlement offer. An attorney could ensure you reject those offers and push back against bad faith practices.
We Will Initiate A Lawsuit On Your Behalf If Necessary
If you cannot secure compensation through insurance, bringing a lawsuit may be the next step. In some cases, you may forgo the insurance process and initiate a lawsuit as your primary way of seeking compensation. A Louisiana personal injury lawyer with experience handling car accident-related lawsuits will know the relevant laws, deadlines, and procedures and be familiar with the court system where your lawsuit will be handled.
If you hire Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers to represent you, our legal team will handle your case from start to finish. We help our clients in several ways, and we can help you, too. Here’s a list of some of the things we do:
- Determine the value of economic and non-economic losses you suffered
- Calculate the cost of a loved one’s passing, if applicable
- Gather, analyze, and organize evidence
- Interview witnesses to your accident
- Identify all the liable parties to ensure we hold the right people responsible for your collision
- Hire one or more experts to recreate your accident or explain your injuries and losses so that the full impact of your accident is understood
- Handle all lawsuit-related paperwork
- Document your injuries and medical treatment
- Negotiate for a fair settlement agreement
- Protect your rights throughout the legal process
Choosing to have our team handle your lawsuit means you do not have to worry about seeking compensation on your own. Rather, you can focus your energy on recovering from your injuries, helping a loved one recover, or coping with the loss of a loved one.
Louisiana Injury Cases Are on a One-Year Timeline
If you are interested in taking legal action against the liable party in your car accident, we encourage you to do so as soon as you can. The earlier you reach out to us, the earlier we can start working on your case.
Per CC Art. 3492, injured parties have only one year from the accident date to file a lawsuit for their damages. If you wish to file a wrongful death action, you also have only a year to do so, per CC Art 2315.2.
This statute of limitations is state law, and while exceptions may apply in some rare cases, missing this deadline means losing the ability to pursue compensation from the at-fault party. Your attorney will make sure your case is filed within the statute of limitations if there is time to do so.
Proving Negligence and Liability
A successful injury case proves how the opposing party’s carelessness or recklessness caused harm. First, you will need evidence that supports your account of the accident. Examples of evidence include any of the following:
- Photos or videos from the car accident scene
- Photos of the vehicles involved
- Photos or videos of any injuries the victim(s) suffered
- Witness statements
- Surveillance video from a nearby shop, home, or business that may have recorded the accident
- Medical records, such as a statement from the doctor who treated your injuries
- Statements from expert witnesses who can offer independent, informed opinions on your case, such as an accident reconstruction expert
We can help collect evidence to support your case. Meanwhile, we encourage you to keep receipts, invoices, pay stubs, time cards, and other documents that can help you prove the losses you suffered.
We Must Prove Negligence Caused Your Accident
All drivers owe one another a duty of care to act responsibly while behind the wheel. Some drivers, however, do not honor this duty; instead, they engage in dangerous driving behaviors that can lead to car accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists some of the many ways in which a motorist may endanger themselves and others, such as:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Speeding
- Driving while fatigued or drowsy
- Driving while distracted
If you can prove the driver who hit you exhibited any of the behaviors listed above, it could help support your case. A driver can be found responsible for causing an accident if we can prove the following:
- They owed you a duty of care to drive responsibly while on the road, keeping you safe.
- They breached this duty by not driving responsibly.
- They caused an accident that injured you.
- As a result of the accident, your injuries brought you damages.
Louisiana Injury Cases Are On A One-Year Timeline
If you are interested in taking legal action against the liable party in your car accident, we encourage you to do so as soon as you can. The earlier you reach out to us, the earlier we can start working on your case.
Per CC Art. 3492, injured parties have only one year from the accident date to file a lawsuit for their damages. If you wish to file a wrongful death action, you also have only a year to do so, per CC Art 2315.2.
This statute of limitations is state law, and while exceptions may apply in some rare cases, missing this deadline means losing the ability to pursue compensation from the at-fault party. Your attorney will make sure your case is filed within the statute of limitations if there is time to do so.
Proving Negligence And Liability
A successful injury case proves how the opposing party’s carelessness or recklessness caused harm. First, you will need evidence that supports your account of the accident. Examples of evidence include any of the following:
- Photos or videos from the car accident scene
- Photos of the vehicles involved
- Photos or videos of any injuries the victim(s) suffered
- Witness statements
- Surveillance video from a nearby shop, home, or business that may have recorded the accident
- Medical records, such as a statement from the doctor who treated your injuries
- Statements from expert witnesses who can offer independent, informed opinions on your case, such as an accident reconstruction expert
We can help collect evidence to support your case. Meanwhile, we encourage you to keep receipts, invoices, pay stubs, time cards, and other documents that can help you prove the losses you suffered.
We Must Prove Negligence Caused Your Accident
All drivers owe one another a duty of care to act responsibly while behind the wheel. Some drivers, however, do not honor this duty; instead, they engage in dangerous driving behaviors that can lead to car accidents.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists some of the many ways in which a motorist may endanger themselves and others, such as:
- Driving while intoxicated
- Driving under the influence of drugs
- Speeding
- Driving while fatigued or drowsy
- Driving while distracted
If you can prove the driver who hit you exhibited any of the behaviors listed above, it could help support your case. A driver can be found responsible for causing an accident if we can prove the following:
- They owed you a duty of care to drive responsibly while on the road, keeping you safe.
- They breached this duty by not driving responsibly.
- They caused an accident that injured you.
- As a result of the accident, your injuries brought you damages.
Other Parties That Could Be Liable In A New Orleans Car Accident
Not all car accidents in New Orleans happen because of reckless or negligent driving. Road and weather conditions may also affect motorcyclists, motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians on or near the roads of New Orleans, potentially leading to a car accident. Our team may need to account for road conditions when building your car accident case.
In some cases, if poor road conditions, such as potholes, road debris, or rough, uneven surfaces, caused a car accident, the at-fault party could be the municipality that is responsible for maintaining the roads.
However, taking on this kind of case can be challenging without legal knowledge. Your car accident lawyer can review all applicable deadlines and rules of these cases and seek a favorable outcome for your case.
We Handle Car Accidents Involving Company Employees And Contractors
Other potentially liable parties in a car accident case may include a vehicle manufacturer, a parts manufacturer, or a mechanic. An employer might also be held responsible if their employee caused an accident while working. This is known as vicarious liability, according to the Legal Information Institute (LII).
But what happens if you get into an auto accident with a contract driver for a food delivery service, such as DoorDash, or a rideshare company, such as Uber or Lyft? These cases can be complex and often require a personal injury lawyer’s help with determining who is legally liable for a victim’s damages.
These accidents are challenging for several reasons. Because the drivers who work for these companies are not full-time employees, the companies they work for may or may not cover the damages, depending on whose coverage was in effect when the accident occurred.
Get Help From A New Orleans Car Accident Attorney
If you were in a car collision in New Orleans, whether you’re a driver, passenger, or another party, your personal injury attorney can review the situation and advise you of your options.
Every car accident in New Orleans is independent of others, so seeking compensation for your losses may require careful consideration of the facts of your collision. You can learn more about how a New Orleans car accident lawyer can help you pursue compensation when you reach out to us.
Hear From Our Past Clients To Get An Idea Of What Our New Orleans Car Accident Attorneys Can Do
We work hard to provide our clients with the professional, responsive legal care they need to help them move forward after an accident. We take time to listen and help in any way we can. We use our legal knowledge and experience to get our clients the best outcome for their situation, and we want to do the same for you and your family.
Here is a sampling of what some of our former clients have to say about working with our team:
- “They are very quick to get back to me. They are always polite and friendly and helpful. They helped me to get all the info I needed to have. I would definitely refer them to whoever needs a lawyer!!” – Carol L.
- “Laborde Earles law Firm was a blessing during the most difficult time of my life. They are compassionate and very professional with great attention to detail.” – Cory R.
- “I really consider my attorney and paralegal like family. They both are continuously fighting on our behalf. I trust them to get my family and I the best results!” – Myrah H.
- “This firm is staffed with caring attorneys and paralegals who go the extra mile for their clients. Their concern for their clients is genuine, heartfelt and reassuring. I highly recommend this firm.” – Randal W.
You can find more reviews on our client testimonials page.
What Happens If I am Partially Responsible For The Car Accident?
Every state has its own approach when it comes to accidents in which both parties share fault. Car accident cases can be complex when both sides are partially to blame, but that does not mean financial compensation will not be available. You may recover compensation even if you were partially at fault in a car accident under the state’s comparative fault laws.
Louisiana has adopted a pure comparative fault rule. Under this legal doctrine, it is possible to bring a personal injury claim against any person whose negligence was partially responsible for your injuries. This is true even if you were primarily at fault for the accident.
The important thing to understand is that while you could be entitled to compensation, the damages you recover are reduced by your share of fault. For example, if you are 75 percent responsible for a car accident, you would recover only 25 percent of your total damages.
There is another factor to consider. While you have a right to bring a personal injury claim even when you were primarily to blame, the same is true for the other party involved in the crash. If they also sustained damages, you could owe them a larger percentage than what you recover should they also pursue legal action.
Types Of Car Accidents
Not all car accidents are the same. These accidents can involve a single car, or they can result from two or more vehicles colliding. Understanding the facts surrounding your accident is an important step that comes before pursuing an injury lawsuit. Any car accident that results from negligence could lead to a viable case for monetary compensation. Some common examples of car accidents include:
- Head-on collisions
- Rollover accidents
- Side-impact collisions
- Rear-end collisions
Let Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Manage Your New Orleans Car Accident Case
The time after a car accident can be stressful, particularly if you have been injured or lost a loved one as a result. A car accident lawyer from our team can help reduce your stress by taking on the process of pursuing compensation for your auto collision losses in New Orleans.
We can uncover damages you may not know you have and alert you to all laws that apply to your case.
Receive A Free Consultation Today
Call Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation and case review. We are a contingency law firm, so we take no money from you upfront to start working on your case. If we recover compensation for you, we will take our payment from your settlement or court award.
