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Proving Negligence is the First Step in Establishing Liability

“Personal injury” is the practice of law that pertains to recovering financial compensation for people who have sustained injuries in accidents. In order to succeed in this financial recovery for our clients, tort law requires that the DUI accident attorneys at our firm go beyond proving that someone caused an accident. We must also prove negligence and build a case that proves the following:

  • Someone had a legal obligation to abide by a standard of reasonable care to keep from harming others.
  • This person failed to fulfill this duty of care.
  • Because of this breach of duty, this person caused an accident.
  • The accident caused our clients to suffer physical, financial, and emotional injuries

Negligent Acts We Can Help You Sue For

Beyond the negligent act of DUI, a drunk driver might act in other negligent ways that caused the accident that caused your injury. If test results show that the driver who caused your accident had a BAC lower than the legal limit, their actions might still constitute negligence, and our lawyers can still fight to hold the driver legally liable for your injuries.

Some common negligent actions that cause motor vehicle accidents include:

  • Driving while distracted
  • Speeding
  • Driving aggressively or recklessly
  • Road rage
  • Driving at excessive speeds for the driving conditions

Our firm will investigate your accident to uncover any and all forms of negligence that caused you to sustain injury.

We Can Help You Gather Strong Evidence Against the DUI Driver Who Caused Your Accident

When you hire our firm, our lawyers will initiate a thorough investigation into the circumstances of your accident. We will set out to build your case with the elements needed to prove breach, causation, and damages.

Understanding that many types of injuries generate long-lasting—if not lifelong—consequences, our lawyers serving Marksville will also work with experts in the fields of medicine, economics, and psychology to document the damages you will likely endure in the future because of this DUI accident.

Toward this end, we will:

  • Travel to the accident scene to collect evidence
  • Take photos of the scene
  • Review footage from phone cameras, traffic signal cameras, and any nearby surveillance cameras
  • Interview witnesses
  • Obtain and study the police accident report
  • Work with accident reconstruction specialists
  • Gather all the medical records connected with your injury
  • Get wage statements from your employer

Talk to a Louisiana Local Attorney Today

Get a Free Case Evaluation

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Don’t Take on the Insurance Companies by Yourself

The moment the drunk driver’s insurance company learns of your accident, they will get to work undermining your case. A surprising but common tactic involves reaching out to you, the victim, and expressing concern about your well-being. This trick is an attempt to get you to offer details about—possibly admit partial responsibility for—the accident.

The insurance company might even offer to cut you a check to cover your medical expenses. Please know that any amount the insurer offers you is nothing more than a seriously low-balled settlement. Do not sign anything the insurer gives you. By accepting their offer, you will thwart your chances of obtaining the compensation you need for the ongoing and future damages you will no doubt encounter later. Instead, let our lawyers deal with the insurance company.

Damages We Can Help You Pursue

The damages you might recover for your accident are highly specific to your case. Insurance settlements are tied to the severity of your injuries, how they affect you, and how long doctors say the injuries and/or the symptoms are likely to last.

To give you an idea of what you might expect, here is a non-comprehensive list of some of the types of damages that lawyers can recover for their DUI accident clients:

  • Medical treatment (past and future)
  • Prescription medicines
  • Ambulance transportation
  • Hospitalization
  • Physical rehabilitation/therapy
  • Mobility devices
  • Replacement services
  • Lost wages and benefits
  • Diminished future potential earnings
  • Pain and suffering
  • Mental anguish
  • Emotional stress
  • Diminished quality of life

If a DUI accident caused the death of a loved one, you might be able to pursue a wrongful death action. Our lawyers can help you with this effort and will handle the matter with utmost compassion and dignity.

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.

B
Brylan Cormier

Lafayette

Elizabeth Lachney was super helpful in explaining a lot of things i didnt understand about my case. Very respectful and seemed so welling to help me! ...

Elizabeth Lachney was super helpful in explaining a lot of things i didnt understand about my case. Very respectful and seemed so welling to help me! She is the best, I 1000% recommend her if you have any questions!

s
skylar bachman

New Iberia

Syntera was Very professional and courteous. Answered my concerns.

L
Lisa G.

Elizabeth Lachney I absolutely hands down the best. She is very professional, knowledgeable and most importantly she is very respectful. She is one re...

Elizabeth Lachney I absolutely hands down the best. She is very professional, knowledgeable and most importantly she is very respectful. She is one reason why we use Laborde Earles Law Firm. They make you feel like family!

T
Tiffany Bardwell

New Iberia

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.

M
Matt Picard

New Orleans

Trudy Dupuy is a wonderful asset to the team. She does an amazing job.

A
Annabelle D.

Stephanie Brooks was wonderful to work with! She was very professional during our interaction and extremely pleasant throughout the entire process. He...

Stephanie Brooks was wonderful to work with! She was very professional during our interaction and extremely pleasant throughout the entire process. Her kindness and clear communication made everything smooth and easy. Highly recommend working with her and the Laborde Earles Law Firm!

J
Jenifer Leger Dendy

Lafayette

I highly recommend hiring Laborde Earles for your personal injury needs. They have the most professional, friendly and communicative staff who are gua...

I highly recommend hiring Laborde Earles for your personal injury needs. They have the most professional, friendly and communicative staff who are guaranteed to work hard on your case and get the outcome you deserve. Brittani C. is one of the most organized, thorough and helpful paralegals I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with. She keeps you informed and answers all your questions throughout the litigation process.

P
Patrick Conner

Baton Rouge

Eryn Laughlin is a good employee, we love her!

a
anonymous

Car Accident

Over 1,700 5-Star Reviews

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Marksville Residents Must File their Accident Claims by the State Deadline

Many people do not realize that Louisiana’s statute of limitations (CC 3493.1) requires injured parties to take legal action against a drunk driver within two years of the accident. The same deadline applies for wrongful death lawsuits (CC §2315.2).

Consider talking to us soon after your DUI accident in Marksville. Doing so will give our lawyers plenty of time to build your case and negotiate with insurers. It will also allow us to file a lawsuit within the legal time frame if the insurance company refuses to agree to a fair settlement.

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Louisiana Law is on Your Side

Louisiana does not take kindly to people who get behind the wheel after they have been drinking. Besides facing severe punishment from the state’s criminal justice system, a driver who is DUI and causes an accident in Marksville is legally liable for any damages they cause (RS §14:98).

Our lawyers know the state’s laws when it comes to proving that a DUI caused an accident. We will refer to analyses that law enforcement officers performed at the scene and after the drunk driver’s arrest to verify the driver’s blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) level exceeded the 0.08% legal limit.

Call the Attorneys on Our Team for Help Today

If you suffered an injury in a DUI accident, we will fight for your compensation.

Our lawyers work on contingency, meaning you pay our legal fees only if we win you an insurance settlement or verdict. The initial consultation is free, so you have nothing to lose—and peace of mind to gain—by calling Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers today.

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Our Locations Find Your Local Office

Lafayette

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1901 Kaliste Saloom Rd.
Lafayette, LA 70508

 (337) 777-7777
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Alexandria

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100 Versailles Blvd, Suite A,
Alexandria, LA 71303

 (318) 777-7777
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Marksville

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306 N Washington St. Suite A,
Marksville, LA 71351

 (318) 310-8922
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New Iberia

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230 W. Main St.
New Iberia, LA 70560

 (337) 547-2777
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Lake Charles

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530 E. College St.
Lake Charles, LA 70605

 (337) 612-6909
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Baton Rouge

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660 St. Ferdinand St.
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

 (225) 777-7777
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New Orleans

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821 Baronne St. Suite D.
New Orleans, LA 70113

 (504) 777-7777
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