Ascension Parish Personal Injury Lawyer

Ascension Parish Personal Injury Attorney

An injury can cause a lot of pain and problems in your life, like additional medical care, lost wages, extra expenses, and the complications of insurance. A serious injury can even lead to lifelong disability and permanent changes to your quality of life. If someone else’s negligence led to injuries for you or a family member, an Ascension Parish personal injury lawyer can help you navigate the process of recovering damages and holding the responsible party accountable.

At the Knightshead Law Firm, we have over 15 years of experience with personal injury cases and putting our clients and their needs first. Our goal is to offer each client the compassion, respect, and individual attention they deserve and work tirelessly to get them the financial support they need, whether that means negotiating with insurance companies or arguing for our client’s interests in a trial at court.

Personal Injury in Louisiana

A personal injury is simply any injury to someone’s body, emotions, or reputation. In order to have grounds for a legal claim, the injury has to be caused by someone else’s actions and meet at least one of the following:

• Negligence. Negligence is when someone else’s actions do not take the level of care that most reasonable people would think is needed in a particular situation. For example, a driver who causes a car accident by texting while driving is negligent in their duty of care to pay attention to the road while operating their vehicle.
• Strict liability. This means that someone’s actions lead to someone else’s injury, even if it wasn’t actively negligent or intentional. Defective products often fall under strict liability, meaning that the manufacturer may not have done anything that’s necessarily wrong, but they are still responsible for their product.
• Intentional harm. Intentional harm is when someone deliberately causes someone else’s injuries. An example of intentional harm is road rage, such as tailgating, slamming on brakes, or other dangerous driving behaviors. If these behaviors cause an accident, it could be considered intentional harm.

Common Causes of Action in Ascension Parish

Cause of action means the facts of a case that entitle someone to bring a legal claim against the person, company, or other party that’s responsible for their injuries. Most personal injuries are the result of negligence. In other words, people make mistakes, and because of those mistakes, someone else sustains injuries. Even when the cause is an accident, the party who caused the injury is still liable for the damages sustained.

Some causes of action are common in any location, such as car accidents, truck accidents, defective products, slip and fall accidents, dog bites, medical malpractice, and offshore injuries.

Traffic Accidents

The roads around Ascension Parish are slowly improving to meet the demand of the population and industrial growth, but narrow lanes, traffic congestion, and poor road conditions increase the risk of traffic accidents. For example, the roundabouts on Highway 30 near Baton Rouge will ease some of the congestion, but the potholes and uneven pavement are a continual problem for drivers in the parish.

Workplace Accidents

Ascension Parish has many dangerous working environments that can be a high risk for workers. Even small mistakes can lead to big problems when it comes to petrochemical plants like the ones around Gonzales and Geismar, construction machinery and equipment in areas like Sorrento with a lot of new subdivisions, water hazards for dock workers in the Port of Greater Baton Rouge, barge crews on the Mississippi River, and oil rig workers in the Gulf.

Heat Exposure

In Louisiana’s heat and humidity, denying timely breaks or shade for plant workers, road crews, warehouse employees, and other workers can quickly lead to serious consequences like dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heatstroke, which many people do not realize can cause long-term damage, especially if it’s a common occurrence.

FAQs

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Charge in Louisiana?

The cost of hiring a personal injury lawyer in Louisiana can vary depending on several factors, including the lawyer’s experience and geographical location, the complexity of the case, and whether the case can be settled out of court or needs to go to trial. Most personal injury lawyers in Louisiana charge a contingency fee, which means that the client does not pay a fee upfront, and instead, the lawyer takes a percentage of the final settlement.

How Much Do Most Personal Injury Cases Settle for?

Since personal injury cases deal with a large range of injuries, there is no set amount for settlements. The amount of a settlement depends on the total amount of medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses, as well as the severity of the injury and the impact on the person’s life. The most reliable way to calculate how much your personal injury case might be worth is to consult with a qualified personal injury attorney.

How Hard Is It to Win a Personal Injury Case?

Like other kinds of law, each case has its own specific circumstances that can influence how difficult it is for a plaintiff to win damages, such as how severe the injuries are, the quality of the case’s evidence, and how willing parties are to negotiate. However, having an experienced personal injury attorney can greatly increase the chances of a successful outcome in your case, and your lawyer can explain the factors in your case that may work in your favor.

How Long Does It Take to Settle a Personal Injury Case in Louisiana?

The length of time it takes to settle a personal injury case in Louisiana depends on several factors. Some of the most important factors include whether the insurance company offers a fair settlement right away, the parties’ openness to negotiating, and whether the case can be settled without a trial. Generally, going to court means taking longer to settle the case because of having to get on the court’s busy schedule.

Your Ascension Parish Personal Injury Lawyer

The Knightshead Law Firm has a proven record in Baton Rouge and Ascension Parish of recovering damages for accidents that result in serious injury. Contact our office right away to set up your initial consultation.