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If you have had a serious injury, you may be unsure what to do next. You probably have medical bills to pay, lost income, and a future filled with uncertainty. Your family needs you to get back on your feet, but you’re coping with pain, confusion, and the mental trauma of the accident and the injury itself.
You hope that your insurance will pay for your damages and lost pay, but what if it doesn’t? You aren’t an attorney, you don’t know how to file a lawsuit for personal injury compensation if your insurance doesn’t cover your expenses, and the other person’s insurance won’t return your calls.
Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers understand the turmoil you’re going through, and we want to help you recover from the damage done by another person’s carelessness or negligence. If you’ve been injured in a car accident, a workplace accident, or a slip and fall on another person’s property, our attorneys are here with the advice and legal presence you need to get the compensation you deserve. When you need someone to negotiate for you in court, you need our team.
When you’ve been injured by someone else’s recklessness, you need an attorney with the knowledge and skill to convince a judge and jury that you deserve justice and fair compensation for the harm done to you. In a perfect world, the other party would agree to pay for the damage they did, but unfortunately, most times you instead need to prove it in court.
At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, we know the requirements of Louisiana law, and we have a record of successful verdicts and settlements that command the respect of other attorneys across the state. Our attorneys belong to one of the most prestigious peer-referred forums in the country thanks to our history of recovering million-dollar settlements for our clients.
A special type of personal injury case is a product liability claim. In these cases, a plaintiff has been injured by a defective product. When bringing a product liability case, your attorney does not have to prove duty or breach. Product liability cases are “strict liability” cases — that is, manufacturers and sellers of products are required by law to sell safe products, and any injuries are presumed to be their responsibility.
There are several types of product liability cases:
Physical injuries include any damage to your body. Depending on the nature of the accident, you may suffer minor cosmetic injuries or catastrophic full-body injuries that can take months or even years to heal. Sometimes the damage may not be visible. Closed-head trauma has become recognized in recent years as a potentially life-altering injury. No matter what type of physical injury you suffer, it should be taken seriously by the court.
Some common physical injuries due to accidents include:
Sometimes called “pain and suffering,” these injuries can be mental or psychological responses from the impact of the accident. Psychological and emotional injuries may be more difficult to prove, but they are just as harmful to your body and your recovery. They can also have a lasting impact on your life.
Common post-accident psychological injuries include:
After your accident, you may not be thinking about “what damages can I recover?” You’re probably thinking about the pain, suffering, missing work, and the bills piling up on the table. But you deserve compensation for the injury, especially if it was due to another person’s carelessness or recklessness.
After an accident, Louisiana allows you to recover two types of compensation: economic and non-economic damages. A third type, punitive damages, is allowed in rare circumstances.
Economic damages are those that can easily be calculated or quantified. They are usually bills or lost wages and are meant to compensate you for the financial losses you suffered after the accident. Economic damages may include:
Non-economic damages are those that are not quantifiable, although that does not mean they’re not real. These are things that can’t be billed or invoiced, so Louisiana courts use a “multiplier” to determine the value. Generally, the court will total your economic cost and multiply it by a number between 1 and 5, depending on the severity of your injuries. This will be your non-economic damages. Your claim for non-economic damages can include:
Punitive damages are seldom awarded in personal injury cases, but they may be granted in cases where the defendant’s behavior was unusually egregious or reckless. Punitive damages, as implied, are meant to punish the defendant and deter similar conduct by others.
Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers are familiar with all types of recoverable damages in personal injury cases. We want you to recover the maximum compensation you deserve for your injuries, and we will present evidence to support each of these awards.
The statute of limitations for a Louisiana personal injury case is one year from the date of injury. If you do not file your claim within this window, you may lose your opportunity to receive compensation for your injuries.
Louisiana recognizes a few exceptions that may allow you to extend the statute of limitations, such as:
You were under 18 at the time of the accident
There are multiple parties involved
There was no way for you to know you had been injured at the time of the injury, such as in product liability cases
However, these exceptions are not guaranteed, so it is best to submit your claim within the statute of limitations whenever possible.
If you have been injured in any type of accident, the clock starts running the day you were injured, so you have no time to wait. Contact the attorneys at Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers right away so we can begin working on your case.
At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, we work on a contingency fee system. This means that we are paid a percentage of your compensation, so you don't owe us a cent until your case is settled. This allows us to represent anyone, regardless of their financial situation, and further motivates us to help you win the compensation you deserve.
The first thing you need to do is seek medical attention immediately. Even if you think you’re okay, you need the doctor’s report to help make your case. Then you should contact legal assistance. We want to make sure you meet the deadlines for filing your claim, and preparing a claim takes time. To make sure you have the best chance of a successful case, you should:
Do not talk to any insurance agents after the accident, not even your own. Insurance agents are not your friends after an accident. Never contact the other party and avoid apologizing or making statements of blame or fault at the accident site.
Once you’ve seen the doctor, do everything the doctor tells you to do. If they want you to take time off work, get a note to that effect. Take all medications and wear any medical devices. Report any restrictions to your attorney so they can take note of them.
Remember, all these things will help prove your case if it goes to court.
At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, we prepare all our cases as if we were heading to court. We gather evidence and talk to witnesses so that if we need to litigate, we are ready to fight and win your case. Because of our attention to detail, most of our cases never reach court. Other law firms and insurance companies know that we are prepared to go the distance and prefer to settle rather than face a costly court battle.
If you’ve been injured by another party’s recklessness or negligence, you deserve the compensation you need to return to the life you had. The other person and their insurance company should give you that, but most of the time, you need to fight for it. That’s why Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers are here. We will help you get back on your feet and back to where you belong.
Our legal team will make your case as stress-free as possible. You have enough to worry about without the confusion of a lawsuit. Once we have your case, we will communicate with you regularly to ensure you know exactly how your case is progressing and what each decision means for your claim. We will handle all phone calls from the opposing counsel and the insurance companies so you can concentrate on your medical recovery.
All our cases are handled by the attorneys, with help from their own staff members, so nothing gets lost in communication. Whenever you want to talk to your lawyer, they will be there to answer your questions.
If you need a personal injury attorney in Ruston, LA, or anywhere in Louisiana, the attorneys at Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers are here for you. The initial consultation is free, and there is no obligation for you. Contact us at (318) 221-1508 or fill out the contact form to make an appointment. We are here to fight for you.
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