Were you injured in an accident in New Orleans, Louisiana? You might be facing a lengthy road to recovery and an uncertain future. Contact an experienced New Orleans personal injury lawyer from Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers by calling (504) 294-3804 today.
We have decades of experience and have secured tens of millions of dollars for injured clients throughout Louisiana.
Contact our New Orleans office today for a free consultation to learn more about your options for getting compensation. We’ll help explain your rights and options for recovering compensation after your accident.
Why Should I Hire Mansfield Melancon Law To Handle My New Orleans Personal Injury Case?
You don’t have to navigate the injury claims process alone. In fact, there are many pitfalls in trying to manage it yourself. The insurance company will use its vast resources to challenge your claim every step of the way.
You deserve an experienced legal team on your side that can help protect your interests. Mansfield Melancon Law is the premier personal injury law firm in New Orleans. We’ve secured tens of millions of dollars and settlements and verdicts. We’ve earned recognition from top organizations and rating services. You can trust us to put award-winning skills and experience behind you.
When you hire our personal injury attorneys, you can expect us to:
- Thoroughly investigate your case and identify all parties who are responsible for your damages
- Gather compelling evidence to build a solid case on your behalf
- Account for all of your losses
- Prepare a tailored demand letter
- Negotiate for maximum compensation with the insurance company
- Go to trial, if necessary
If you were injured due to someone else’s negligence, we highly recommend you reach out for a free initial consultation. We can explain more about how we can help.
Do I Have a Personal Injury Case?
Most personal injury cases are based on negligence. Negligence occurs when a person acts unreasonably in the lead-up to an accident and injures another person. Examples include car accidents, slips and falls, workplace accidents, and other incidents.
Other personal injury cases involve intentional misconduct, such as assault. And still others arise after strict liability incidents where someone has violated a safety law and injured another person. Product defects and dog bites are two such examples.
The best way to know if you have a case is to take advantage of a free consultation with an experienced attorney. Mansfield Melancon Law can help you assess your legal options.
Why Should I Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer?
Many people mistakenly think that they don’t need a lawyer after an accident. However, injured clients who hire a lawyer can recover up to 3.5x more compensation than individuals who handle their claims by themselves.
Here’s why:
- Your lawyer will level the playing field. The insurance company representing the at-fault individual will have attorneys, investigators, and staff to serve its interests. It will use these resources to challenge liability and devalue your damages. By hiring an attorney, you will be protected from aggressive and overzealous insurers.
- Your attorney will help you avoid mistakes. Mistakes can hurt your claim and cost you much-needed compensation. Your lawyer will help you avoid such costly errors by taking care of all aspects of the process.
- Your lawyer will protect you from blame. Insurance companies and other defendants often like to blame injury victims for their accidents. This tactic gives them grounds to reduce your compensation. However, not all allegations of blame are legitimate. Your attorney can protect you from blame and help you gain full compensation.
- Your attorney will give you time to focus on your recovery. By hiring a lawyer, you pass off a burdensome legal process to a professional qualified to manage that process. In so doing, you can concentrate on your health.
Our attorneys at Mansfield Melancon Law would be happy to discuss the benefits of hiring a lawyer during a free case review. Contact us or submit an online contact form to schedule yours.
We Handle All Personal Injury Cases in New Orleans
Mansfield Melancon Law handle all types of cases, such as:
Car Accidents
Many motor vehicle accidents occur each year in New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and surrounding areas across Louisiana. Most of these crashes are due to avoidable errors. If you were hurt in a car accident, our New Orleans car accident lawyers can help you attain the compensation you deserve.
Truck Accidents
Getting hit by a truck can result in serious and even catastrophic injuries. If you were harmed because of the careless truck driver, trucking company, or other party, you may be entitled to compensation. Our New Orleans truck accident lawyers can help hold them accountable.
Motorcycle Accidents
Motorcycle accident victims often encounter difficulties securing fair compensation after a crash. They are often blamed for these collisions even when they are not liable for the crash. Our New Orleans motorcycle accident attorneys can ensure that you are treated equitably and earn the compensation you deserve.
Bicycle Accidents
Many people fail to treat bicyclists with the same regard as they treat other motorists. When drivers make unsafe passes, open doors into their pathway, or fail to yield the right-of-way, they should be held accountable for their actions. Our bicycle accident lawyers can help you secure justice after a bicycle crash.
Pedestrian Accidents
When a car collides with a pedestrian, the pedestrian often suffers serious injuries, including brain and spinal cord injuries. If you were struck by a negligent driver, they should be on the hook for your damages. Our experienced pedestrian accident lawyers can handle your legal claim while you focus on your recovery.
Premises Liability
Property owners have a duty to keep their properties safe for visitors and to avoid harming guests. When they fail to uphold this duty, they can be held responsible for injuries to guests. Our premises liability lawyers can help if you sustained an injury on another party’s property.
Wrongful Death
If you lost a loved one in an accident caused by someone’s carelessness, you may have grounds to file a wrongful death claim. This type of legal claim helps you seek justice and accountability on behalf of your loved one. Our wrongful death lawyers can handle all the parts of your claim.
Other Cases
We also have experience handling:
- Bus accidents
- Uber & Lyft accidents
- Product defects
- Medical malpractice
- Sexual Abuse
- Clergy sex abuse
- Boating accidents
- And more
Call us to schedule a free case review to learn more about our legal services.
Visit our New Orleans Personal Injury Law Firm Near You
Address:
Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
318 Harrison Avenue, Suite 107
New Orleans, Louisiana 70802
Phone: (504) 294-3804
Hours: Open 24 hours daily
Click here for directions on Google Maps.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Personal Injury Attorney?
Most personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. Under this fee arrangement, attorney’s fees come from an agreed-upon percentage of your compensation award. However, if the attorney doesn’t recover a settlement or verdict for you, you won’t owe any attorney fees.
Contingency fees keep representation affordable at a time when you may be experiencing financial stress due to your accident.
Call Mansfield Melancon Law today to schedule a free case review and to discuss our fee arrangements.
What Damages Are Available to Accident Victims?
Louisiana divides damages that accident victims can receive into two main categories:
Economic Damages
Economic damages are the losses you experience that can be tied directly to a dollar figure.
Common examples of economic damages are:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damage
- Out-of-pocket expenses
These damages include your current losses, as well as those you can reasonably anticipate in the future, such as future medical expenses.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages remedy intangible losses, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Damage to their reputation
- Inconvenience
- Impairment
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Loss of consortium
The best way to learn what damages you may be able to recover and the potential value of your claim is to call a seasoned New Orleans personal injury attorney today.
How Much Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
Several factors can potentially affect how much money you might be able to recover after an accident or act of violence in New Orleans, LA:
- The severity of your injuries
- Changes in your ability to work and/or generate an income
- Changes in your overall quality of life
- Available insurance benefits and policy limits
- Comparative negligence
- Whether you have tried to mitigate your damages
- Your age and life expectancy
The more severe your injuries and resulting trauma, the more you can typically expect to recover from your case. You can hear more about your legal options by reaching out to Mansfield Melancon Law.
What If I’m Partially At Fault For the Accident?
Often, you can still recover compensation even if you’re being blamed for your accident, though it will impact your financial recovery. Louisiana has a pure comparative negligence law, which means each party will be apportioned a percentage of fault for the accident (even if it is 0%).
You can recover damages against someone else even if you are partially to blame. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your percentage of the liability.
For example, imagine that you were injured when a reckless driver ran a red light and rear-ended your car. Suppose your brake lights weren’t working properly, and the driver couldn’t see that you were stopped. Suppose the jury decides that you are 30% at fault and the Uber driver is 70% at fault. You suffered $100,000 in damages. In this case, you could recover up to $70,000 (70%).
Personal Injury FAQ:
How Long Do I Have To File a Personal Injury Lawsuit in Louisiana?
Each state establishes its own time limit for filing lawsuits, known as the statute of limitations. As of 7/01/2024, the deadline for most personal injury cases in Louisiana is two years (with some exceptions that could give you less time).
It’s important to reach out to a knowledgeable lawyer who can protect your rights by pursuing an action within the appropriate time frame.
What is Negligence and How Do I Prove It?
Most, but not all, personal injury claims are based on the tort of negligence, which, in simple terms, means that someone’s unreasonable actions created a dangerous situation in which another individual was injured or killed.
In order to win your case, you will have the burden of proving several distinct elements:
- Duty: The defendant owed you a duty of care (e.g., to drive carefully and follow posted traffic laws)
- Breach: The defendant breached the duty of care by acting unreasonably under the circumstances (e.g., They chose to text while driving.)
- Causation: The defendant’s action or inaction was the direct and proximate cause of your accident (e.g., They rear-ended you at a red light because they were distracted.).
- Damages: You’ve suffered damages (e.g., medical bills and lost wages related to your crash-related injuries).
Essentially, you have to prove that you wouldn’t have been injured if the defendant had acted more cautiously. You must prove that the other person was negligent by a preponderance of the evidence; this burden of proof involves establishing that your claim is more likely true than not.
Will My Case Go to Trial?
Only a handful of personal injury cases go to trial – around 5%. The chances are good that your case will end in settlement. Insurance companies and other defendants prefer to settle to avoid the costs and uncertainty of litigation.
However, you may need to go to trial to recover full compensation for your injuries, including whether:
- The insurance company denies your claim
- The insurer undervalues your damages and refuses to settle for a reasonable amount
- You are being blamed for the accident
- There are multiple defendants
In these instances, a trial may be necessary to prove liability and damages. Your personal injury attorney in New Orleans can help you understand whether your case will proceed to trial or whether it will likely result in a settlement.
How Long Will My Personal Injury Claim Take?
The timeline of your case will depend on many factors. Cases with minor to moderate injuries and simple damages will be the quickest to resolve. These claims can typically be resolved within a matter of months.
Cases involving serious injuries may take years to resolve. You may need to reach maximum medical improvement before you have an adequate sense of your damages.
Claims that turn into lawsuits will take the longest to resolve. Lawsuits require lengthy processes for discovery, court hearings, jury selection, and trial. Such matters can take up to a year or more to finish.
An experienced attorney will know how to manage your case efficiently and tactfully.
What Should I Do After an Accident?
Knowing what to do after an accident can help protect your health and strengthen your case. We highly recommend you take the following steps after an accident:
Call For Help
Check yourself and others for any injuries. If anyone was hurt, call 911 and request an ambulance. If you were involved in a motor vehicle collision, calling 911 will also ensure that a local law enforcement officer comes to the scene and makes a police report, which you will need for your insurance claim.
Gather Information
Gather as much information as you can about whoever you think is liable for your accident. This may include:
- Their name and phone number/email address
- Their insurance card
- Driver’s license number
You will make your attorney’s life easier if you have this information on hand for them.
Document the Scene
The accident scene will quickly be cleaned up so that it will not be a hazard to others.
Take pictures and videos of:
- The accident scene
- Any relevant signs
- Skid marks and debris
- Driving conditions
- Property damage
- Your injuries
When you are done, give this information to your lawyer right away.
Seek Medical Attention
If you didn’t receive emergency care at the scene of the accident, request medical attention immediately after it. Not all injuries are obvious immediately, but getting a prompt and accurate diagnosis can prevent complications or further injuries. It also shows the insurance company that you are taking your health seriously.
Contact Our Experienced New Orleans Personal Injury Lawyers For Legal Help
You’re not alone. If you were injured in an accident caused by someone else’s negligence, Mansfield Melancon Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Contact our New Orleans personal injury attorneys today for a free consultation. We’re ready to put our extensive experience behind your claim.
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