Prairieville Personal Injury Lawyer

Prairieville Personal Injury Attorney

Injuries are an unfortunate part of life, especially when they happen suddenly. They can be even worse if they are caused by another individual’s reckless or negligent behavior. If you are suffering due to another’s actions, consider filing a personal injury claim to recover compensation for the expenses you incurred as a result of the injury. Contact a Prairieville personal injury lawyer for more information on your case.

Over 20 Years of Experience

The legal team at Day Law Group is committed to supporting their clients whenever and wherever they are needed. They have a proven track record of success in a variety of areas of personal injury law. For more information on how Day Law Group can help with your or a loved one’s injuries, contact us for a confidential consultation.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim?

Personal injury law covers a variety of topics, but every case has one commonality: someone was hurt due to the actions or lack of actions of another. In a personal injury claim, three things usually have to be proven for the plaintiff to receive a settlement.

The first thing that must be proven is a duty of care. This means that the person who injured you had some kind of responsibility to keep you safe. In some cases, like medical professionals, a duty of care is usually inferred, but it might be harder to prove in something like a slip-and-fall on someone’s property.

In addition to a duty of care, the defendant must have breached this duty in some way that caused someone an injury. For example, a driver who is speeding or texting while driving is breaching their duty of care to keep others safe on the road. A property owner or employer who has an obligation to keep you safe while at work or in their store breaches this duty if they do not let you know of potential hazards that could cause you injury or take protective measures.

Finally, the breach of duty of care must have significantly impacted you. This usually involves an injury or multiple injuries, but it could go further than that. If the defendant impacted your ability to work or live your life as normal in Prairieville, LA, you might also be entitled to additional damages on top of medical expenses.

What Types of Accidents Count as Personal Injury?

Just because someone gets into an accident does not mean they automatically have a personal injury claim, but here are some common accidents that tend to result in settlements:

• Car Accidents: Car accidents can be incredibly dangerous. This also applies to accidents with large trucks, pedestrians, and motorcycles. Each vehicle accident has different considerations to include in a personal injury claim.
• Employment: Many individuals work in inherently dangerous environments. If an employer does not take enough precautions to ensure their employees’ safety, they might become seriously ill or incapacitated. This can apply to things like oil rig accidents, mesothelioma diagnoses due to asbestos exposure, or slip-and-falls.
• Premises Liability: A property owner must eliminate hazards on their property or notify visitors of any potential dangers before an injury occurs. If you are injured due to an undocumented hazard on property that is open to the general public, it might fall under premises liability.
• Wrongful Death: Wrongful death is somewhat like a personal injury claim, with the main difference being that the plaintiff is deceased as a result of the accident. In this case, certain loved ones can file on the plaintiff’s behalf.

If your injuries are related to one of these topics, it might be worth consulting with a personal injury attorney to see if you have a case.

Why Do I Need a Personal Injury Attorney?

An attorney can make a considerable difference in your case. It’s not required by law to hire an attorney, but they are especially helpful in the event that you have significant injuries. Recovering from those injuries can be a difficult task, so having an attorney to help with paperwork and communication with insurance companies takes the burden off of you.

Additionally, the more severe the injury, the more of a negative effect it might have on your quality of life. If you do not work with an attorney after a significant injury, you run the risk of receiving a lower settlement payout that does not include damages for things like pain and suffering and future medical expenses, which can be quite important.

Even if your case does not make it to trial, an attorney can still help negotiate a settlement with an insurance company. Insurance companies make more money by offering lower settlements to their clients and might be more willing to do so if you are not represented. If an attorney is negotiating on your behalf, an insurance company might be more likely to avoid an expensive and drawn-out legal battle by giving you a higher settlement before needing to go to court.

In many cases, defendants also have their own legal team. This makes it even more important to seek legal counsel so that you are informed about the defense’s strategy and equipped to combat it.

Comparative Negligence

Louisiana follows comparative negligence in personal injury law. This means that both the plaintiff and defendant might be held somewhat to blame. The exact ratio of fault impacts the amount of compensation someone might receive. For example, if a plaintiff is deemed to be 30% at fault for a car accident, the damages they receive would be lowered by 30%. However, this rule only applies to cases that go to trial and not to cases that are settled out of court.

Don’t Delay in Filing a Claim

Personal injury cases in Louisiana must be filed within the statute of limitations. This is a relatively quick turnaround for something that could take a considerable amount of time to resolve. To make sure your case is filed correctly and on time, schedule a consultation with Day Law Group. Our dedicated attorneys can help you receive compensation for your injuries.