Several factors can impact the time it takes to settle a personal injury lawsuit. Some lawsuits take months to settle, while others can take years. Most personal injury cases involve several layers of investigation, as issues concerning liability, fault, and local laws often add time to the settlement process.
If you suffered injuries in an accident, you may be entitled to recoverable damages from the responsible party in a settlement. When you become our client, our legal team will advocate for you as we collect details and evidence about the incident that caused your injuries.
What Factors Impact the Length of a Personal Injury Case?
When multiple parties play a role in a case, settling can take longer, as each person and their insurance company will attend to their concerns. In addition, the more parties involved, the more time our team may need to spend collecting evidence to sort out who is responsible. Insurance companies often like to perform investigations as well, leading to even lengthier timelines for some cases.
Other factors that can lengthen the settlement process include:
- Severe injuries, as it may take time to understand the treatment you need to reach maximum recovery
- Gathering evidence of your injuries and losses
- Investigating the cause of your accident
- Collecting evidence to prove the at-fault party’s negligence
- Back-and-forth negotiations, as we will fight for a settlement that addresses your damages appropriately
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How Much Is Your Personal Injury Case Worth?
No two lawsuits are the same. The value of your personal injury case depends on numerous factors that are unique to your specific situation. How much your case is worth is contingent upon the type of damages you’ve suffered, the applicable laws that pertain to your case, the type of personal injury case you have, the liable party’s insurance coverage, and whether you share partial blame, amongst other things.
The Louisiana personal injury attorneys at our firm can calculate the value of your case using their legal knowledge and the abundant resources at their disposal.
The value of your case is tied to the harm you have suffered. Two main categories of damages apply to most personal injury cases: economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages Cover Real Expenses
Economic damages, also called special damages, refer to the compensation you can receive for monetary expenses. Your economic damages are proportional to the amount of money your injury has cost you. For people who are hurt badly, this usually includes losses and expenses like:
- Surgeries, medical exams, and lab tests
- Future medical bills
- Prescription medications
- Medical devices/equipment
- Physical therapy
- Lost wages from missing work
- Property damage, repairs, or replacements
- Household services you have to pay for because you can no longer do them yourself
- Additional expenses incurred as a result of your injuries
Non-Economic Damages Cover Emotional, Psychological, and Physical Pain and Suffering
Non-economic or general damages are the funds you receive for the losses and injuries you sustain that are unrelated to money. These are not financial expenses, but rather the costs to your life. They cannot be readily quantified.
Injuries that warrant non-economic damages are often generalized as “pain and suffering.” More specifically, these damages may include:
- Chronic pain
- Broken bones
- Lost functionality of body parts and organs
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Physical disabilities
- Mental disabilities
- Emotional distress
- Psychological trauma
- Diminished quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment
- Injured reputation
- Other emotional or psychological losses
Recovering Damages for the Severe Injury or Wrongful Death of a Loved One
Your loved ones can also file a personal injury case or a wrongful death lawsuit to recover damages for losses like:
- Funeral and burial costs
- End-of-life expenses
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of care
- Loss of financial support
- Loss of guidance
Comparative Negligence
The state of Louisiana observes something called comparative negligence (CC Art. 2323). In brief, this is a concept that says the amount of your compensation can be reduced if you are found to be partially responsible for your own accident or injury. Your monetary award will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of the blame.
For example, if you are 40% responsible, your compensatory damages will be reduced by 40%. This can greatly affect the amount of money your case is worth.
Insurance companies may try to pin your injuries on you so they can pay you less money. Tactics like this can draw out the legal process and make it take longer to settle your case.
What Steps Should You Take After Suffering a Personal Injury?
After you suffer injuries in a collision, a fall, or any other accident, you should seek medical attention right away. Failing to take care of an injury promptly can leave you facing further health complications.
It is also helpful to hold onto any evidence you may have, including records of your injuries and property damage. Any evidence you provide our team can jump-start our investigation and move the process forward.
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Can You Afford a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Our law firm works on a contingency-fee basis. Rather than collecting a fee upfront, we take a percentage when we get a settlement for you. You won’t have to worry about paying any fees to begin your personal injury case. This arrangement also removes any payment obligation if we do not recover compensation for you.
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The Louisiana Personal Injury Statute of Limitations
In Louisiana, you have a limited window to take legal action on a personal injury case. Under CC Art. 3492, you have just one year to file a lawsuit.
Attempting to build a case outside of this window will likely leave you with no legal recourse. Therefore, it can be beneficial to secure the help of legal counsel promptly after your involvement in an accident.
How Our Lawyers Will Help You Build a Case and Pursue a Settlement
It is not easy to navigate the legal system while also tending to the health and financial problems that often accompany an injury. Our lawyers are here to advocate for you while you are in a compromised state. As part of our fight for your rights, we will:
- Collect evidence
- Communicate on your behalf
- Negotiate to recover any settlement funds that you may be owed
Once our lawyers begin building your case, we will follow all federal, state, and local laws. We will step in to speak with insurance agents, other parties, and anyone else who plays a role in your case. This means you will not have to worry about encountering the kinds of difficult conversations that often follow an accident resulting in injuries.
Types of Personal Injury Cases Our Team Handles
Our lawyers have experience dealing with a wide variety of personal injury cases.
Some of the personal injury cases our team handles involve:
- Car accidents
- Truck accidents
- Bicycle accidents
- Motorcycle accidents
- Pedestrian accidents
- Dangerous drugs
- Dog bites
- Product liability
- Maritime injuries
- Workers’ compensation
- Slip and fall accidents
- Mass torts
- Premises liability
We Provide Our Clients with Compassionate Legal Care
While we cannot guarantee any certain outcome for your case, we promise to provide you with the compassionate legal care you deserve during this difficult time. Some of our past clients have left us testimonials about how we handled their cases, which can give you an idea about how we’ll handle yours.
- “I have had nothing but excellent service with this firm, they keep me updated on my case, are easy to get ahold of and my paralegal Mallory Marsh goes above and beyond for myself and my mother, she’s kind caring and truly concerned about us and regularly checks in to see how we are doing. I would highly recommend this firm. Such a pleasure to work with.” – Kori P.
- “My personal experience was with Mallory. She is kind and very caring while maintaining her professionalism. She takes care of whatever need I’ve called about and makes careful notes if she needed to give them to her superior. I give Laborde Earles 5 stars because they are working diligently to win my case.” – LeAnn H.
- “I had a very positive experience with Laborde Earles. They provided excellent service, demonstrating professionalism and personal attention to detail. My paralegal Kimberly is smart, realistic, efficient, pleasant and very personable: all the qualities you want. I will recommend to my family and friends. Thank you for all your hard work!!” – Danielle L.
Get in Touch with Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Today
The time it takes to settle a personal injury lawsuit often varies from case to case, so we ask potential clients to reach out for legal support sooner rather than later.
At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, our team of personal injury attorneys will pursue all forms of compensation that you may be eligible to receive. For more information and a complimentary case review, contact us today.
Call or text (337) 777-7777 or complete a Free Case Evaluation form
