Dealing with the aftermath of a devastating personal injury can lead to immense complications in every area of your life. Not only do you have physical limitations to deal with, which can make it difficult for you to manage your daily responsibilities or the activities you normally enjoy, you can end up with crushing medical bills that threaten to destroy your finances. If someone’s negligence led to that injury, you may have the right to pursue compensation in the form of a personal injury claim. That claim can provide compensation for many of the financial challenges you have faced as a direct result of your accident.
At Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers, our Marrero injury lawyers can help with a variety of claims. Whether you suffered your accident in a warehouse or on the road, our attorneys can help you put together a comprehensive personal injury claim.
According to the Center for Analytics & Research in Transportation Safety, Jefferson Parrish sees an estimated 32 fatal auto accidents each year. Hundreds more accident victims can face severe injuries that change the course of their lives. After an auto accident, insurance companies may strive to reduce the compensation they have to pay out, leaving the victim fighting for justice and compensation for the damages they sustained.
Across Louisiana, more than 23,000 people suffer injuries due to distracted driving each year. An estimated 31% of auto accidents involve alcohol consumption. While these common dangers make up a high percentage of accidents throughout the state and in Marrero, other dangers, such as speeding or ignoring traffic signals, can also cause devastating crashes.
Motorcycle accidents often lead to more severe injuries than other types of crashes. Motorcycle riders have no protection from the force of the vehicle that strikes them. Not only can they suffer immense injuries due to the force of the accident, including back and neck injuries, they can end up suffering severe road rash, which mimics the appearance and danger of burns.
Louisiana drivers must exercise particular caution when driving around motorcycles. Their smaller profile means that they prove much more likely to disappear into a car’s blind spots, and drivers may have a harder time keeping track of them on the road. Furthermore, the smaller size and weight of motorcycles can make them more difficult to control in some situations, which means that if an accident does occur, the driver can have a harder time getting the vehicle back on the road.
Pedestrians have the same rights to use the streets as passenger and commercial vehicles. They have the right to expect safety on the streets and sidewalks of Marrero. Unfortunately, despite the strong pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure across Jefferson Parrish, many drivers do not take adequate precautions when passing pedestrians. That can mean substantial injuries when pedestrians try to travel through intersections or use sidewalks with too little margin. Pedestrians have no protection from vehicles that strike them, which means they may sustain severe injuries in a collision.
Due to its position near the coast, Marrero sees a great deal of truck traffic come through it. Those commercial vehicles help support the oil and gas industry as well as making sure that goods travel freely through Louisiana and across the country. However, commercial trucks also mean increased accident risk. Not only are the trucks larger, which means they need more room to maneuver, truck drivers often face conditions that increase their risk of an accident. They may spend long hours on the road, struggle with tight deadlines, and deal with vehicles that were not loaded properly. When a big truck is involved in an accident, its larger size often means that others will suffer more severe injuries.
Marrero sits in the heart of the oil and gas district. Many of its residents work in the Bayou Des Allemands Oil and Gas Field, the Bayou Oil and Gas Field, or the Alliance Oil and Gas Field. Still others work at local refineries. In fact, an estimated 20% of Louisiana residents work in dangerous industries, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Still more may live or work near a refinery, oil field, or plant, where accidents can result in catastrophic injury to those nearby. As a result, Marrero residents may face a higher risk of suffering injury in an industrial accident.
When you suffer an injury at work, in most cases, you will file a workers’ comp claim. Workers’ comp covers the damages related to workplace injuries regardless of whether negligence on the part of the employer or a third party caused the accident. However, that does not mean that all industrial accident claims are workers’ comp claims. You may have the right to file a personal injury claim if:
If you have questions about whether you should move forward with a workers’ comp claim or a personal injury claim, connecting with a Marrero injury lawyer can provide greater insight into your next steps, including how to identify the party liable for your accident.
Workers’ comp covers different damages than a personal injury claims, and it handles payment differently. When you file a workers’ comp claim, you will receive direct payment of the medical bills associated with the incident through workers’ comp. However, you may have to have approval from the workers’ comp company before moving forward with any necessary treatment. Workers’ comp will also pay out a percentage of your income during your recovery. While they can include compensation for medical costs and wage losses, personal injury claims will pay out those amounts as a lump sum at the end of the claim process. In addition, workers’ comp claims will not pay out compensation for pain and suffering, while personal injury claims may.
Many industries have significant risk. However, there are some environments in the Marrero area that have a greater overall risk of resulting in significant injury.
While the oilfields provide a vital resource and employment for many Marrero residents, they also pose a substantial accident risk. Explosions and fires, high slip and fall risk on the job side, and toxic chemical exposure can all lead to severe injuries and long-term limitations, including broken bones, burns, and high risk of sensory damage. Oilfield accidents often mean substantial, long-term losses, including an inability to work or even to return to your previous profession.
A refinery accident, including explosion or fire, means significant danger not only to the workers at the refinery but also to anyone in the surrounding area. These incidents can create severe damage and long-term risk, including an increased risk of chemical exposure that can lead to certain types of cancer. Refinery injuries frequently cause long-term disability. While some accidents prove unavoidable, others result from negligent behavior on the part of workers, or inadequate safety precautions by companies. Rushing orders can also raise the risk of a devastating accident in the plant.
Warehouses are vital storage areas for many goods, whether for manufacturers or for stores. Unfortunately, warehouse environments are often filled with potential dangers. Many employers may not take full safety precautions, including storing goods properly. Furthermore, workers do not always receive the training they need to know how to navigate those facilities safely. In addition, warehouses that are not up to code can have electrical problems that increase the risk of fires.
During a train derailment, catastrophic injury and loss of life often occur. Trains help carry vital cargo across the country, including oil and gas products. Tanker cars can provide safe transportation options for many substances. However, during a derailment, those contents have a risk of fire or explosion. Furthermore, if they leak onto the ground, it can cause contamination that can pose further danger for months or even years to come.
Construction sites offer a hotbed of potential dangers. Workers often need to operate heavy machinery, climb to heights in order to perform their job duties, or use dangerous chemicals. Furthermore, construction workers can face the risk of electrocution due to exposed or improperly managed electrical wiring. Many construction workers cannot return to their usual job duties following an accident, which means they may end up with long-term financial challenges.
Catastrophic injuries can occur during any type of accident, from auto accidents to premises liability incidents. These include any type of injury that can cause permanent disability or life impact for the victim. For example, catastrophic injury claims could focus on loss of a sense, including sight or hearing, because of an accident. They could also include amputation or traumatic brain injury.
Catastrophic injury claims can prove more complicated to deal with than a typical personal injury claim. Insurance companies and legal teams may need to evaluate several critical factors.
Because these damage calculations often involve much higher amounts than other types of injury claims, it can take longer to settle a catastrophic injury claim than other types of personal injury claims. Furthermore, catastrophic injury claims have a higher likelihood of going to trial, which means presenting the case to the court and, often, fighting for a fair resolution.
You have the right to file an injury claim when another party’s negligence leads to your injuries. The legal system will look at several important factors.
The Louisiana statute of limitations grants the injured party one year from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. After that time, the court system will not hear any arguments, and the injured party will often find themselves unable to secure compensation for their losses.
Ideally, you should reach out to a personal injury lawyer as soon after the incident as possible. At Morris & Dewett, we start with a free consultation that will help you determine whether you have grounds for a personal injury claim and what damages you may want to include as part of that claim. The sooner you contact an attorney, the sooner that attorney can work on your behalf, whether that means collecting evidence related to who caused the accident, assessing the extent of your damages, or making sure that interactions with the liable party’s insurance company go as smoothly as possible.
As you move forward with the claim process, you may notice several signs that you need a lawyer. First, if the insurance company pressures you to accept an early settlement offer, especially if you suffered catastrophic injuries, you may need to talk to a lawyer to assess the damages you should really expect. Do not let an insurance agent convince you that you cannot get a better offer. In many cases, your attorney can help you better lay out the damages and review the insurance policy. Next, if you receive a claim denial, you need a lawyer to better assess liability for the incident and review relevant insurance policies.
Finally, if you have difficulty communicating with the insurance company or have questions about the compensation you should expect or how to handle the claim process, reach out to a Marrero personal injury lawyer.
There are no guarantees about the compensation you will recover after an accident, since they depend on many different factors. Not only can the damages you faced influence your compensation, it can be determined by the coverage offered by the specific insurance policy. However. most personal injury claims include these damages:
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