Your Baton Rouge, LA, Car Accident Lawyers

Soft tissue injuries cover everything from bumps and bruises to more severe conditions like whiplash. These injuries can leave you with limited mobility and function, loss of strength, chronic pain or loss of feeling, and other conditions that can be disabling.

Traumatic Brain Injury, or TBI, can be utterly life-changing on a long-term and even permanent basis. It can occur from a hard impact or from your head whipping around violently after an impact. If you’ve suffered a concussion, you may have also suffered TBI. It can cause personality changes, depression, mood swings, crippling headaches, vision problems, and more.

Many people who suffer spinal injuries or nerve damage after a car wreck also suffer from paralysis, reduced function in extremities, or even, in the worst cases, have to have limbs amputated. Certainly, this level of injury causes permanent changes and difficulties in your life, for which you deserve compensation.

Few people talk about the invisible injuries from a car accident. You can suffer from depression, panic attacks, paranoia, or any other number of symptoms of trauma, acute stress reaction, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These can create difficulties in your ability to maintain relationships and even hold down work. They are every bit as harmful as visible injuries, and you deserve compensation for this harm as well.

As soon as we discuss your legal options, your Baton Rouge car accident lawyer will get to work building the strongest possible case, gathering evidence, and compiling medical bills.

The insurance company will likely offer a lowball settlement offer, but we will negotiate until we reach an agreed settlement. We will handle these negotiations and advocate for the maximum compensation you deserve.

Most car accident cases will settle in a negotiated agreement. However, if the insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement, we may recommend taking your case to court to seek the compensation you deserve. No need to worry! We take care of the court case so you can continue to focus on recovering.

Once your potential settlement is reached, our Gauthier Amedee car accident team gets to work so you can receive your check as soon as possible.

Legally you can represent yourself, but it’s not a good idea. The other side will have aggressive attorneys and insurance adjusters who will use any tactic to avoid payouts. You need someone to be your Go2Lawyer who knows the law and knows how to fight back. That’s what we’re here for.

Every case is unique, and no attorney should quote you a figure right out of the gate. We will sit down with you to value your case based on the level of liability the other driver holds, specific physical and emotional damages you’ve suffered, and other factors. At that point, we may be able to estimate a general value, but after negotiations, the final value may not be the same.

When you are injured in a car wreck, you can collect damages in two categories: special and general damages. Special damages are things that are easily valued, like medical bills, rehabilitation and treatment, lost wages and compensation, and the like. General damages are invisible harm like pain and suffering, emotional trauma, loss of consortium, and others. General damages are harder to value, and are usually expressed as a multiple of special damages.

Being injured in a car accident can set off a string of unfortunate events. First, you’re unable to work because of your injuries. And now your family’s vehicle needs to be repaired and you don’t have the money. Not to mention, rent is due and the other bills are piling up. That’s why fighting for the compensation you deserve is so important.

A fair settlement could pay for your:

• Medical bills related to the accident, including the ambulance ride, ER visit, medications, doctor appointments, surgeries, and physical therapy.
• Pain and suffering that are a result of the car accident. Money can’t take away your injuries or the devastating experience, but it can help you move forward.
• Lost wages. The bills don’t stop coming in just because you’re not working. You need to be fairly compensated so you can pay your rent and utilities, and keep a roof over your family’s head.
• Car repairs or a new car. You and your family need to get back on the road. You have medical appointments, and your family needs a way to get to school and other activities.

In most cases, the amount that the insurance adjuster offers you is simply not enough to cover everything. You can count on our car accident attorneys to fight for every penny that you deserve.

You may have a case if you were injured because another person acted recklessly or carelessly while driving. This can include: not obeying traffic signs, using a cell phone or texting, driving while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and more. Road conditions and the weather can also impact whether or not you have a legal case.

Before talking with a car accident lawyer, many people assume they do not have a case when in fact they do. You may be eligible for compensation even if:

• You are partly at fault for the accident. In Louisiana, being partially responsible does not mean that you can’t receive a settlement. However, it can mean that your compensation will be reduced.
• Your injuries are relatively minor or invisible. While injuries like paralysis or traumatic brain injuries are devastating, broken bones and anxiety or PTSD can still affect you for the rest of your life. These types of injuries can interfere with your ability to work and take care of your family.
• The vehicles did not sustain extensive damage. Injuries can still result even if the accident didn’t “look” bad, and you can still seek to recover your losses.

At Gauthier Amedee, one of our Baton Rouge, LA, car accident lawyers will carefully look over the details of your accident. If you do have a case, we’re ready to be your Go2Lawyer!

Get Your Free Case Review.

Remember, the insurance adjuster for the other party is not your friend! Never sign anything they put in front of you, and do not volunteer any information. They might start off seeming sympathetic, but when you question their initial offer, they gradually may apply more bullying and strong-arm tactics. You’re always within your rights to refer them to your Baton Rouge, LA, car accident lawyer.

After your car accident, the other party’s insurance company may make you an initial settlement offer. While it can be tempting to accept any amount of money, it’s in your best interest to have an experienced attorney review your claim and the offer before accepting. Remember, the insurance companies often lowball their initial offers to try and get away with paying as little as possible. They’re counting on you not knowing how much your case is truly worth, but having a lawyer by your side will ensure you don’t unknowingly accept less than you deserve.

There is usually no need for you to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. If one is asked of you, it is likely an attempt to get a recorded statement that the insurance company can use against you. Instead, talk to your Baton Rouge, LA, car accident lawyer and have them handle all conversations with the insurance company.

According to the statute of limitations in Louisiana, drivers have up to a year after the date of their accident to file a lawsuit against the other party involved. While most car accident cases are settled before the need to file a lawsuit arises, it’s always important to keep this time limit in mind in the event that you do need to file one. Contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible after your accident to ensure you don’t miss any important deadlines and forever lose your chance of recovering any money you’re owed.

Louisiana abides by a comparative fault law, which means it is possible for you to still receive compensation even if you are found to be partially at fault. However, this law also states that any compensation you’re entitled to may be reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if it is determined that you were 20% responsible for your accident and you have $100,000 in damages, your compensation will likely be reduced to $80,000.

Legally speaking, fault is ultimately determined by a judge or a jury. Most car accident claims don’t go to trial, however, and insurance companies can determine each party’s degree of fault when evaluating claims. Our lawyers at Gauthier Amedee can help you build a strong case and ensure the insurance company is treating you fairly.

If you were not wearing a seat belt at the time of your accident, you may be subject to a fine, but your ability to receive compensation for your injuries and other losses should not be affected because you failed to wear one.

While it’s known that driving without a seatbelt can cause serious injuries, the law in Louisiana states that failure to wear a safety belt cannot be used as evidence of negligence. This means that insurance companies cannot use this as evidence against you and cannot attempt to adjust your compensation amount solely because of this. However, it’s always best to speak with an attorney in these situations about your options and the best way to proceed.

Most car accident claims settle outside of court. It’s more likely that an experienced lawyer will be able to resolve your case through negotiations with the other driver’s insurance company. If your injuries are particularly extensive or your case is more complicated, however, and a fair settlement cannot be reached through negotiations, you may have to go to court to ensure that you have the best chance of getting the full amount of compensation you deserve. In either scenario, you’ll want to have an experienced Baton Rouge, LA, car accident lawyer who is ready to be your Go2Lawyer for you in or out of the courtroom.

After a car accident, each party has their own best interests in mind. A car accident lawyer represents you and works on your behalf. That means you can focus on recovering from your injuries and getting your life back on track.

It’s important that you never agree to any type of settlement without first speaking with an attorney. The insurance company isn’t going to pay you more than they have to. In fact, it is not uncommon for insurance companies to give a lowball offer at first. That’s when our attorneys step up to the plate and stay in the game, fighting for the compensation you deserve. We negotiate for you, which can be a long process. No matter how long it takes, we won’t back down from bullying insurance adjusters.

In addition, a car insurance attorney makes sure your rights are upheld, and that you and your case are being treated fairly and legally. A big part of car accident settlements is determining who is at fault. We look at the big picture and take into account if things like the weather or road conditions were at play.

Most car accident cases do settle out of court. However, if your case does go to trial, you’ll need a personal injury lawyer to represent you. We’ll be with you every step of the way, making sure you understand the legal system and what to expect at a trial.