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

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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 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

I had an amazing experience working with my paralegal, Wesley Guillory, at Laborde Earles Law Firm. Wesley went above and beyond for me throughout the...

I had an amazing experience working with my paralegal, Wesley Guillory, at Laborde Earles Law Firm. Wesley went above and beyond for me throughout the entire process. He was always patient, knowledgeable, and quick to respond to any questions I had. What stood out most was how genuinely he cared. He made sure I understood every step and always made me feel supported and informed.

Wesley’s professionalism and compassion truly set him apart. He made a stressful situation so much easier, and I’m incredibly grateful for all of his hard work. I highly recommend Wesley and the entire Laborde Earles team. They really do put their clients first.

J
Jaine Fisher

Lafayette

Jordan is a wonderful paralegal very sweet and helpful good job very professional hold on to her she is a asset to your firm hard worker. Thank you fo...

Jordan is a wonderful paralegal very sweet and helpful good job very professional hold on to her she is a asset to your firm hard worker. Thank you for all your hard work to all the people working on our case.

S
Sandi W.

At the very first meeting with Alexis and Danielle they took the time to explain everything to us so that we understood what we were going to go throu...

At the very first meeting with Alexis and Danielle they took the time to explain everything to us so that we understood what we were going to go through. They checked in on us to see how things were going with DR appointment and therapy. They checked in on the phone or by text and if I had a question and I was in Lafayette and I would stop by the office one of them would come to answer my questions. I truly appreciate the response and respect that they showed to me and my husband and I would really recommend them to family and friends.

H
Hazel G.

I had the pleasure of working with Erica Ducote, and I cannot say enough about the excellent job she did on my case. From the very beginning, Erica wa...

I had the pleasure of working with Erica Ducote, and I cannot say enough about the excellent job she did on my case. From the very beginning, Erica was professional, knowledgeable, and attentive to every detail. She took the time to explain each step of the process, answered all of my questions thoroughly, and made sure I always felt supported and informed.
Her dedication and attention to detail were clear throughout, and it was evident she genuinely cared about achieving the best possible outcome. Thanks to Erica’s hard work and expertise, my case went smoothly and successfully.
I highly recommend Erica Ducote to anyone in need of a skilled, reliable, and compassionate paralegal. She truly goes above and beyond!

m
maddie jo

Marksville

Renee McCaslin goes above and beyond to help the clients. Her attention to detail is unmatched! Her kind heart and sweet spirit both go a long way in ...

Renee McCaslin goes above and beyond to help the clients. Her attention to detail is unmatched! Her kind heart and sweet spirit both go a long way in making you feel heard and cared for. And, she’s, like, really pretty!

S
Sylvia Roy

New Iberia

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.

k
kelly

Lake Charles

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

Courtney Marsh has a positive attitude and great attention to detail in her work!

R
Rhonda C.

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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