Louisiana Car Accident Lawyer

The Murphy Law Firm offers compassionate, responsive, and client-focused legal representation for all types of car accident claims. From our office in Baton Rouge, we serve clients throughout the state and represent them in their recovery efforts following damaging vehicle accidents. If you cannot come to us, we can come to you to help you build your case and understand your legal options after a damaging car accident.

Our goal for every client we represent is to maximize their recovery in the shortest possible timeframe. We know that no two cases are exactly alike and that every injured plaintiff will have unique needs and concerns. We take time to get to know our client, listen to their story, and make sure we fully understand how their recent car accident has impacted their life and their family. We strive to help every client make clearer sense of their legal options in this situation.

In Louisiana, the fault rule applies to all vehicle accidents, meaning it will be necessary for you to prove fault for your recent accident before you can recover any compensation for your damages. It is possible for one or more parties to share fault for a car accident, and various forms of evidence may be essential to your case when it comes to accurately establishing liability and holding the correct parties accountable for your damages.

Most of the car accidents reported in the state result from “negligence,” a legal term used to define a failure to act with reasonable care in a specific situation, or a failure to meet a specific duty of care. For example, speeding would be a violation of a driver’s duty of care to abide by posted speed limits. This would also be technically illegal, and excessive speeding could lead to criminal charges for an at-fault driver who causes an accident at high speed.

Some of the most common forms of negligence that can cause car accidents in the state include:

• Distracted driving. Any type of distracted driving puts the distracted driver, the other occupants of their vehicle, and other drivers around them at severe risk. Distracted driving is one of the leading causes of accidents throughout the United States each year, and texting while driving is one of the most commonly cited forms of distracted driving in the state.
• Speeding. It is illegal to break the speed limit, but it is relatively common to see drivers moving a few miles faster than posted speed limits to maintain the flow of traffic. However, speeding is inherently dangerous because it reduces the time and distance a driver has to slow down or stop to avoid a collision in some situations. Accidents at higher speeds have a greater chance of resulting in severe or fatal injuries.

While you may know how your accident happened, you will need to gather evidence to support your claim and firmly prove liability for your damages. In most car accident cases, various forms of evidence come into play, such as photos of the scene of the crash, vehicle computer data, and drivers’ cell phone records. An attorney could help their client secure footage from nearby traffic cameras if any were situated around the scene of the crash.

Immediately after an accident, if you believe you can do so safely and without aggravating your injuries, taking photos of the surrounding area, the damage to your vehicle, your injuries, and the positions of the vehicles involved in the crash on the road can be very beneficial to your case. Report the accident to 911 and wait for first responders to arrive and remember not to say anything that could be construed as an admission of fault.

The objective of a personal injury claim is for the injured party to prove liability for their damages and collect compensation for them. This intends to make the injured party as whole as possible again after being harmed by someone else’s negligence or illegal misconduct. Success with a personal injury claim in Louisiana will require proving fault for the injury and proving the full extent of the resulting damages.

When you choose the Murphy Law Firm to represent you in a personal injury case, we can gather the evidence needed to prove fault for your personal injury and then prove the extent of the damages the at-fault party caused, seeking as much compensation as state law allows for your damages. You may be eligible to claim more than you initially expect. The damages a plaintiff may be able to claim with their personal injury suit are likely to include:

• Property losses. An auto insurance claim may yield compensation for vehicle repair costs, but any property losses that won’t be covered by insurance can be cited as economic damages in a personal injury suit.
• Medical expenses. The majority of personal injury claims pertain to physical injuries. If a defendant physically injures you, they are liable for the cost of all the medical care you will need to fully recover from your injuries.
• Long-term medical treatment. Some car accidents result in long-term or permanent damage, and victims will require extensive ongoing rehabilitative treatment to reach maximum medical improvement from their injuries. You can claim the cost of projected future medical expenses you face because of your car accident.

There are many possible ways to resolve a car accident case in Louisiana. If your damages can be covered by the at-fault driver’s auto insurance policy, an insurance claim maybe all that is required to secure the compensation you are owed for your damages. Filing this claim and recovering a suitable settlement offer will be much easier with an attorney’s help.

If you need to file a personal injury case, it is possible to settle the case outside of court as long as the defendant accepts liability for the accident. This path generally benefits the defendant by allowing them to minimize their legal expenses, saving them money compared to the cost of hiring defense counsel for lengthy litigation. However, settlement is only a viable option if all parties involved are willing to compromise on mutually acceptable terms.

When you hire the Murphy Law Firm to represent you in a car accident case, you can rely on our team for support through every stage of your recovery efforts, from gathering the evidence you need to prove fault for the accident to showing the full extent of your damages and recovering compensation from the at-fault driver. Our goal for every client is maximum recovery in the most efficient possible manner.

During your initial consultation with our firm, you can ask your most pressing legal questions and hear our initial impression of your legal situation. We can explain the steps you will likely need to complete to recover from your accident, and we can help you develop a strategy that aims for maximum recovery.

When it comes to your auto insurance claim, we have years of experience dealing with the major auto insurance carriers in the area on behalf of our clients. We know the tactics they will use to try to avoid paying out a fair settlement, and we know how to encourage them to handle your case in good faith. You can rely on us to resolve any insurance-related disputes you face in the aftermath of your accident.

Every driver in the state is required to have auto insurance that meets minimum coverage requirements for bodily injury liability and property damage liability. When a driver causes an accident, their insurance pays toward the resulting damages. Additionally, having car insurance is essentially a prerequisite for filing a claim after a car accident. If you do not have insurance and wish to claim against a driver, you face a diminished recovery due to your lack of coverage.

Dealing with any auto insurance carrier can be challenging without an attorney’s help. Most insurance company representatives are trained to look for any ways they can justify the smallest possible settlement offers or deny claims whenever possible. Some will attempt to take advantage of desperately injured claimants, sometimes engaging in bad-faith tactics. However, they are less likely to do so if they see that a claimant has legal representation.