Voted Shreveport-Bossier's Best Personal Injury Law Firm

What Do the Shreveport-Bossier Choice Awards Measure?

The Shreveport-Bossier Choice Awards is a community recognition program administered by the SBC Advocate. The SBC Advocate states that categories cover restaurants, retail, professional services, and law firms, and that winners are decided by public vote rather than by an editorial panel or a paid submission process.

How the public vote works

The SBC Advocate reports that each cycle opens with a public nomination period followed by a public voting period, that any Shreveport-Bossier metro resident may cast a ballot, and that Gold, Silver, and Bronze finishers are announced for each category at the close of voting.

Two features separate the Choice Awards from paid attorney directories. The vote is direct, not algorithmic. And the SBC Advocate publishes no listing fee for a law firm to be nominated or recognized. The result reflects who Northwest Louisiana voters named when asked.

The 2024 and 2025 results in two categories

Morris and Dewett's results across the two categories, as published by the SBC Advocate:

Back-to-back Gold in Best Personal Injury Law. A move from Silver to Gold in Best Law Firm between 2024 and 2025.

What community-validated recognition signals to a claimant

A public-vote award is a different signal than an attorney directory listing. Directories like Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers, and Martindale-Hubbell apply their own peer-review or editorial criteria. Some charge a listing fee for display. None of them are votes by the local community a firm serves. The Shreveport-Bossier Choice Awards, by contrast, were decided in the 2024 and 2025 cycles by Caddo and Bossier Parish residents voting through the SBC Advocate's open ballot.

Reading any law firm award, the questions to ask are: who decided this, what did they have to spend or submit to decide it, and how many people participated. A public-vote community recognition answers all three openly. It is not the only signal worth weighing. It is one signal among several.

What Trial Record Backs the Shreveport-Bossier Recognition?

Community sentiment is one data point. Trial results are another. The two should line up before the recognition means much.

Over $1 billion in settlements, verdicts, and judgments

Morris and Dewett reports more than $1 billion in combined settlements, verdicts, and judgments across the firm's history. The aggregate covers personal injury matters in Louisiana and Texas, including motor vehicle collisions, commercial vehicle and 18-wheeler crashes, wrongful death claims, and industrial and workplace injuries.

The firm's full case-results record is published at /case-results/.

The Grantham $409 million Bossier verdict

In 2023, founding partner Trey Morris tried Grantham v. Stuart Petroleum, et al. to a jury verdict of $409,122,013. TopVerdict.com placed the Grantham verdict in its Top 20 Verdicts in the United States for 2023, its Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Verdicts for 2023, and its Top 10 Wrongful Death Verdicts for 2023.

A verdict of that size places a firm in a small population of trial firms nationally and a smaller population in Louisiana.

TopVerdict rankings for 2023 and 2024

TopVerdict.com reports that it ranks settlements and verdicts by amount, verified against court records or executed settlement agreements. TopVerdict.com listed Morris and Dewett in the following positions:

• Top 20 Verdicts in the United States, 2023 (Grantham v. Stuart Petroleum, et al., $409,122,013)
• Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Verdicts, 2023
• Top 10 Wrongful Death Verdicts, 2023
• Top 10 Motor Vehicle Accident Settlements in Texas, 2024 ($17,250,000, Justin C. Dewett)

The rankings are publicly searchable at topverdict.com. A reader can verify each entry.

What Louisiana Personal Injury Law Do Shreveport Claimants Need to Know?

Four pieces of Louisiana law determine whether a Shreveport claim is viable and what it might be worth: the prescription deadline, comparative fault, the damages categories available, and the realistic timeline.

The one-year prescription period and its exceptions

The Louisiana State Legislature sets a one-year prescriptive period for personal injury delictual claims under Louisiana Civil Code article 3492. The clock runs from the date of injury. If a lawsuit is not filed within one year, the claim is generally lost.

A one-year period is shorter than most states. Several exceptions modify the rule:

• Medical malpractice. Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:5628 sets a three-year hard cutoff from the act or omission, with a one-year period running from discovery.
• Minors. Prescription is suspended during minority for some claims; the analysis depends on the type of injury and who has authority to bring suit.
• Government defendants. Notice-of-claim requirements under Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:5106 and similar provisions can compress the practical window even further.
• Survival and wrongful death. Separate periods under Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.1 (survival) and Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.2 (wrongful death).

The exceptions are narrow. The safe rule is one year from the date of injury, calendared the day a person can think about it.

Pure comparative fault under Louisiana law

Louisiana Civil Code article 2323 establishes pure comparative fault. The Louisiana Supreme Court has long applied the rule that a claimant's compensation is reduced by their percentage of fault, but is not eliminated by it.

A numeric example. A claim has $200,000 in proven damages. A Caddo Parish jury allocates 30 percent of the fault to the claimant and 70 percent to the defendant. The claimant recovers $140,000, which is 70 percent of $200,000.

This departs from modified comparative fault states like Texas, where Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.001 bars a claimant who is 51 percent or more at fault. In Louisiana, a claimant who is 90 percent at fault still recovers 10 percent of damages. The rule matters most in shared-fault situations: lane-change collisions, intersection crashes, premises cases where the claimant's own conduct is in question.

Damages a Shreveport claimant can recover

Louisiana Civil Code article 2315 provides the general delictual liability rule, and Louisiana courts sort recoverable damages into economic and non-economic.

Economic damages cover the financial losses with a paper trail:

• Past and future medical expenses
• Past and future lost wages
• Loss of earning capacity
• Property damage
• Out-of-pocket costs

Non-economic damages cover the losses without a receipt:

• Physical pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Disfigurement
• Loss of consortium for a spouse

Punitive damages are narrow in Louisiana. Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.4 authorizes exemplary damages in cases where the injury was caused by a defendant operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated and that intoxication was a cause-in-fact of the injuries. Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.3 covers certain hazardous-substance cases. Outside those specific authorizing statutes, the Louisiana Supreme Court has held that punitive damages are not recognized in ordinary negligence cases.

The headline number for any particular case turns on the medical record, the wage record, the venue, and the defendant's coverage. A lawyer who quotes a number before reviewing the file is guessing.

Case timeline in Caddo and Bossier parishes

Insurer reporting and Louisiana plaintiffs' bar data indicate that most personal injury cases settle. The question is the path.

A case on a settlement track typically resolves within nine to eighteen months from the date of injury. Treatment has to be substantially complete, demand has to be prepared and sent, and the insurer has to evaluate and respond. The timeline compresses with clear liability and clean medicals; it stretches when the carrier disputes either.

A case on a litigation track runs longer. The Louisiana First Judicial District Court (Caddo Parish) and the Louisiana Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court (Bossier Parish) generally move civil personal injury matters from filing through trial in twenty-four to thirty-six months, with catastrophic-injury matters sometimes longer. Some of that time runs in parallel with continued settlement negotiation. Trial dates often produce settlements on the courthouse steps.

When the case resolves depends primarily on when treatment ends and when the carrier's valuation closes the gap with what the file supports. When the gap closes, the case settles. When it does not, the case is tried.

How Should Shreveport Claimants Compare Personal Injury Law Firms?

Comparison criteria for any Shreveport personal injury firm

A useful checklist when evaluating any personal injury firm:

• Trial record. Has the firm actually tried personal injury cases to verdict in the last three to five years? Ask for specifics. Defense lawyers and insurers track which firms try cases and which only settle. That tracking drives settlement offers.
• Jurisdictional fit. Is the firm licensed and active in the parish where the case will be filed? A Louisiana case needs a Louisiana lawyer, and a Caddo or Bossier case benefits from a lawyer who knows the local bench and bar.
• Fee structure. Personal injury fees in Louisiana are contingency-based. Confirm the percentage in writing, confirm how case costs are handled, and confirm what happens if the case is unsuccessful.
• Communication norms. How often will the lawyer or staff update the file? Who returns calls? A signed engagement letter should answer this in plain terms.
• Experience with the specific injury type. A truck collision case, an oilfield case, and a slip-and-fall case run differently. The firm should be able to describe how it has handled the type of matter at hand.

Contingency fee structure under Louisiana RPC 1.5

Louisiana lawyers are bound by Rule 1.5 of the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct, promulgated by the Louisiana Supreme Court and enforced by the Louisiana State Bar Association. The rule requires that contingency fees be reasonable, that the agreement be in writing, and that the writing state the method of calculation, expenses to be deducted, and whether expenses come off the gross or net recovery.

Louisiana personal injury firms commonly run a contingency model described by the Louisiana State Bar Association as no-fee-unless-recovery. The firm advances the case costs (filing fees, deposition costs, expert fees, medical-record charges) and recovers them only if the case resolves favorably. If the case is lost, the client owes no attorney fee.

Specific percentages and cost structures vary by firm and by case complexity. The engagement letter is the document that controls. Read it before signing.

How insurance adjusters reduce settlements, and how representation changes the math

The Louisiana Department of Insurance and consumer-protection bulletins from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners describe several patterns adjusters apply to reduce payout on unrepresented claims:

• Recorded statements early. The adjuster requests a recorded statement before the claimant has finished treating. Anything the claimant says about feeling better, returning to work, or the mechanics of the collision becomes leverage against the claim later.
• Quick lowball offers. A first offer lands within days or weeks. The number sits well below the medical specials, sometimes below them entirely. The pitch is that the claim can be closed today.
• Gap-in-treatment arguments. Any week the claimant did not see a provider becomes evidence the injury was not serious or had resolved.
• Apportionment to pre-existing conditions. Prior medical records get marshaled to argue current symptoms predate the collision.

Representation changes the file. Communication routes through counsel. Recorded statements are declined or controlled. Demand goes out after treatment is substantially complete, supported by medical narratives and wage documentation the adjuster cannot quietly minimize. The numeric value of the same file rises in most cases as a function of how it is presented, not what it is.

What to bring to a consultation

A short list that makes a first meeting useful:

• Police or incident report (Shreveport Police Department, Bossier City Police Department, Caddo Parish Sheriff, Bossier Parish Sheriff, or Louisiana State Police)
• Medical records and bills available to date
• Photographs of the scene, vehicles, and visible injuries
• Names and contact information for witnesses
• Insurance correspondence (claim numbers, adjuster names, offers received)
• Documentation of lost wages or time off work
• Names of treating providers, even ones the claimant has only seen once
• A short written timeline of events

Nothing on the list is mandatory. A consultation can proceed on what the claimant remembers. The list saves time and sharpens the evaluation.

Settlement versus trial in Shreveport-Bossier cases

Insurer-reported data and Louisiana plaintiffs' bar surveys indicate that most personal injury cases filed in Caddo Parish and Bossier Parish settle without a jury trial. A small percentage are tried to verdict.

What raises settlement value is the credible threat of trial. Insurers and defense firms track which plaintiffs' firms try cases and which always fold before trial. A firm that has tried cases to verdict, including large verdicts, shifts the calculus on the file from the day the carrier sees the representation. Trial capacity is a settlement-value lever even on cases that settle.

For the firm's verdict record, see the case-results page.

What Should You Do Immediately After an Accident in Louisiana?

The first seventy-two hours after an injury matter more to the file than most claimants realize. An ordered sequence, with the Louisiana legal reason for each step:

1. 1. Get medical evaluation, even if injuries feel minor. A documented examination on or near the date of injury anchors causation under Louisiana Civil Code article 2315. Adjusters exploit gaps between the incident and the first medical contact to argue the injury came from somewhere else.
2. 2. Report the incident. Call law enforcement for a motor vehicle collision (Shreveport Police Department, Bossier City Police Department, Caddo or Bossier Parish Sheriff, or Louisiana State Police, depending on jurisdiction). Notify a property owner or store manager for a premises incident. Notify a supervisor and request a written report for a workplace injury. The contemporaneous record is later corroboration.
3. 3. Photograph everything. The scene, the vehicles, the property condition, the visible injuries. Phones now produce timestamped, geolocated photographs that are difficult to challenge.
4. 4. Collect witness contact information. Names, phone numbers, anything written down. Witnesses scatter quickly.
5. 5. Do not give a recorded statement to the at-fault driver's insurer. Statements made in the first few days, before treatment is complete, are routinely used to reduce claim value.
6. 6. Notify your own insurer promptly. Many Louisiana policies require prompt notice. UM and Med-Pay coverage on the claimant's own policy can be relevant even when the other driver was at fault.
7. 7. Calendar the one-year prescription deadline. Louisiana Civil Code article 3492 starts the clock on the date of injury.
8. 8. Consult a Louisiana personal injury lawyer before signing anything from an adjuster. Releases, medical authorizations, and quick-settlement checks are difficult or impossible to undo.

The order is the point. Steps taken in the wrong sequence, or skipped entirely, are how viable claims become difficult ones.

Discuss Your Shreveport-Bossier Injury Matter With Morris and Dewett

If you are evaluating a personal injury claim in Caddo Parish, Bossier Parish, or anywhere in Northwest Louisiana, Morris and Dewett's lights are on and the door is open. Consultations are free and run as long as needed to walk through the facts of the incident, the medical situation, and the next steps.

The firm operates five Louisiana offices: Shreveport (headquarters), Bossier City, Minden, Ruston, and Lake Charles, with additional service in Covington. Both founding partners, Trey Morris and Justin C. Dewett, were born and raised in Northwest Louisiana.

Call 318-221-1508 or reach the firm through the contact form. There is no fee unless the case is successful.

FAQ

How much is a personal injury case worth in Shreveport, Louisiana?

Case value turns on the medical specials, the wage loss, the strength of liability, the venue, and the available insurance coverage. Any number quoted before a file review is a guess. Louisiana Civil Code article 2315 provides for recovery of past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages and earning capacity, physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. Loss of consortium is available to a spouse. Punitive damages are confined to specific authorizing statutes, principally Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.4 for DWI-related injuries.

What is the contingency fee for a personal injury lawyer in Louisiana?

The Louisiana State Bar Association reports that Louisiana lawyers operate under Rule 1.5 of the Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct, which requires that contingency fees be reasonable, in writing, and clear on how expenses are calculated. The standard structure is no-fee-unless-recovery: the firm advances case costs and is paid only if the case resolves favorably. Specific percentages and cost handling are set out in the written engagement letter; the letter, not a general rule, controls the relationship.

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Louisiana?

One year from the date of injury under Louisiana Civil Code article 3492 for most claims. Medical malpractice is governed by Louisiana Revised Statutes 9:5628, which sets a three-year hard cutoff from the act or omission with a one-year period running from discovery. Claims against government defendants carry separate notice-of-claim requirements under Louisiana Revised Statutes 13:5106. Wrongful death and survival actions run under Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.1 and Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.2. A lawyer should review the specific facts to confirm the deadline for any particular claim.

Does Louisiana use comparative fault in personal injury cases?

Yes. Louisiana Civil Code article 2323 establishes pure comparative fault. A claimant's recovery is reduced by the percentage of fault allocated to the claimant, but is not eliminated regardless of that percentage. A claimant who is 30 percent at fault recovers 70 percent of damages. A claimant who is 90 percent at fault recovers 10 percent of damages. This contrasts with modified comparative fault states like Texas, where Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code 33.001 bars a claimant who is 51 percent or more at fault.

What damages can I recover in a Louisiana personal injury claim?

Economic damages: past and future medical expenses, past and future lost wages, loss of earning capacity, property damage, and out-of-pocket costs. Non-economic damages: physical pain and suffering, mental anguish, loss of enjoyment of life, disfigurement, and loss of consortium for a spouse. Punitive damages are available only when a specific Louisiana statute authorizes them, principally Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.4 for injuries caused by intoxicated motor vehicle operators and Louisiana Civil Code article 2315.3 for certain hazardous-substance cases.

How long does a personal injury case take to settle in Louisiana?

A settlement-track case typically resolves within nine to eighteen months after treatment is substantially complete. A litigation-track case filed in the Louisiana First Judicial District Court (Caddo Parish) or the Louisiana Twenty-Sixth Judicial District Court (Bossier Parish) generally runs twenty-four to thirty-six months from filing through trial, sometimes longer for catastrophic-injury matters. The dividing line is the gap between the carrier's valuation and what the file supports. When that gap closes, the case settles. When it does not, the case is tried.

Should I give a recorded statement to the insurance company after a Louisiana accident?

Not to the at-fault driver's insurer, and not without legal advice. The Louisiana Department of Insurance and consumer-protection guidance from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners describe how recorded statements taken before treatment is complete are routinely used to reduce claim value. The claimant's own insurer is a different question; some policies require prompt notice and cooperation, and that obligation should be reviewed against the policy language and the facts of the loss before the call.

What should I bring to my first consultation with a Shreveport personal injury attorney?

The police or incident report (Shreveport Police Department, Bossier City Police Department, Caddo or Bossier Parish Sheriff, or Louisiana State Police), medical records and bills to date, photographs of the scene and visible injuries, names and contact information for witnesses, insurance correspondence including claim numbers and adjuster contacts, documentation of lost wages, names of treating providers, and a short written timeline of events. None of it is mandatory; all of it sharpens the evaluation.

Will my Shreveport personal injury case settle or go to trial?

Most cases settle. A small percentage are tried to verdict. Settlement value rises when the plaintiff's firm has a credible record of trying cases to verdict, because insurers and defense firms track which firms fold and which try. Trial capacity is a settlement lever even on cases that ultimately settle.

Who voted Morris and Dewett the best personal injury law firm in Shreveport-Bossier?

Northwest Louisiana voters, through the Shreveport-Bossier Choice Awards public vote, administered by the SBC Advocate. The SBC Advocate reports that Morris and Dewett received Gold in Best Personal Injury Law in both 2024 and 2025, and moved from Silver to Gold in Best Law Firm between 2024 and 2025. Voting is open to the public, free to participate in, and the results are published by the SBC Advocate at the close of each cycle.