Personal injuries can have a devastating impact on your life, health, career, and family. Monetary compensation cannot replace everything you have lost, but it can ensure you do not have to worry about paying your bills and supporting your family as you recover.
To find out what a Metairie personal injury lawyer can do for you, let the team at Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers assess your case at no cost or obligation to you. We can do everything in our power to secure both justice and a fair settlement for you.
Qualifying for Compensation
Put simply, compensation is money granted to anyone injured because of someone else’s action or inaction. Many times, the liable party’s insurance company pays it, either through a pretrial settlement or a jury decision. You may also see it referred to as damages.
Two Kinds of Compensation
Compensation is generally divided into two main categories. Economic damages will cover your financial losses, such as:
- Medical costs, e.g., emergency room bills, surgery, medication, and physical therapy
- Miscellaneous costs, e.g., lawn care, house cleaning, childcare, or any other service you only needed after you were injured
- Loss of wages, e.g., the salary, pensions, or benefits you could not earn while you recuperated
- Loss of employment, e.g., the job that you can never return to because your injuries prevent you from fulfilling your duties, or the jobs that you will not qualify for in the future due to injury-related limitations
Non-economic damages are a bit more complex but no less important. They will cover your physical and psychological injuries, such as:
- Pain and suffering, e.g., physical or emotional trauma resulting from your injuries or even the accident itself
- Disability, e.g., the loss of function of a limb, digit, organ, or other parts of your body
- Scarring or disfigurement, e.g., the permanent marks your injuries left on your body and their effects on your physical and mental wellbeing
- Reduced quality of life, e.g., you need assistance with bathing, dressing, cleaning the house, cooking, or any other basic life tasks
Do not worry if you do not see all of your losses listed above. This is only a partial list meant to give you a general understanding of what types of damages are compensable. You may still qualify for damages, even if you do not think you meet the criteria mentioned above.
Further Notes on Compensation
In addition to listing all of the ways the accident affected you, you will have to calculate appropriate dollar amounts to go with each injury. As you may imagine, this is not always easy. You will need to take the following into account:
- The nature of your injuries
- The severity of your injuries
- Any relevant state laws that affect your ability to collect compensation, including CC Art. 2323, which deals with fault
If you want help with this task or if you prefer to let someone else handle it for you, Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers would be happy to assist.
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Let Our Metairie Personal Injury Lawyer do the Hard Work
The last thing anyone wants to be doing after an accident is reading up on legal statutes and trying to negotiate with insurance companies. Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers can manage your lawsuit from the first step to the last. Depending on your case, this may include:
- Collecting documentary evidence, so you have plenty of proof to back up your claims
- Calculating damages, so your lawsuit is as complete and as accurate as possible
- Filing paperwork, so you can be sure all forms are filled out properly and submitted on time
- Contacting the liable party, so that you can avoid having direct contact with the individual or organization that caused the accident
- Negotiating a settlement, so you do not have to meet or argue with the liable party’s insurance company by yourself
- Going to court if negotiations stall, so you will have an advocate in the courtroom to fight for your rights
- Making ourselves available, so you always have someone to turn to if new developments arise or if you have a concern that needs addressing
There is one other way we can help you: by working for a contingency fee. This means:
- We only get paid when you do.
- We never charge attorney’s fees upfront.
- We never send you a bill if you do not recover compensation.
- You do not have to worry about paying attorney’s fees on top of the other expenses generated by your accident.
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Personal Injury Accidents Take Many Forms
Most personal injury cases are based on negligence. In other words, to receive compensation, you must prove that someone else had a duty to protect you from harm and subsequently failed in that duty.
The above is a broad definition that can encompass many types of accidents, including those listed below. If you believe that you qualify to file a personal injury lawsuit or if you would like to speak to a professional before making a decision, our team is here to help.
Causes of Personal Injury Accidents
- Motor vehicle accidents: The other driver may have been distracted or drowsy, or their vehicle may have malfunctioned. Motor vehicle accidents can include collisions with other cars, motorcycles, trucks, or pedestrians.
- Accidents caused by defective products: You may have suffered an injury because of a manufacturer’s oversight or carelessness.
- Accidents caused by dangerous drugs: Your doctor may have prescribed the wrong dose, given you a drug unnecessarily, or failed to inform you of the potentially harmful side effects.
- Dog bites: As stated in the Jefferson Parish Code of Ordinances Art. 7-160, an owner of a vicious dog may be subject to penalties if they do not properly insure and restrain their animal.
- Slip and fall accidents: A property owner may have neglected to keep their property in good repair, putting visitors at risk. These are also called premises liability cases.
In most cases, you have one year from the accident date to begin your lawsuit, according to CC Art. 3492. To make sure you do not miss your chance to collect compensation, allow a personal injury attorney from our office to get started on your case as soon as possible.
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What If Someone Died in an Accident?
Those who survived their injuries, assuming they are of age and mentally capable, can file a personal injury lawsuit on their own behalf. If someone passed away from their injuries and their survivors decide to seek compensation, this is called a wrongful death lawsuit.
Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers handles both personal injury and wrongful death cases. Anyone considering filing such a case is welcome to get in touch with us at any time, day or night, for a free consultation.
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Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers Is on Your Side
At Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers, we know how difficult it is to get back on your feet after an accident. We want to help by assigning a personal injury lawyer to fight your lawsuit on your behalf. This way, you can take all the time you need to recuperate without worrying about handling everything yourself.
Call us at (504) 777-7777 to learn more. We proudly serve communities throughout the state, including Metairie, Louisiana.
Get The HelpYou Need(337) 777-7777To Schedule a FREE CONSULATION
24 hours a day • 7 days a week
