St. Tammany Parish Personal Injury Lawyer
Whether it occurs in the car, in a public place, at another person’s residence, or even in your own home, a serious personal injury can be a life-changing ordeal. Medical bills must be paid, missed shifts at work must be made up, and you may end up dealing with long-term or even permanent physical and emotional damage.
If your injury stemmed from another person’s negligent conduct, you may have legal options for compensation that a qualified attorney could help you explore. A St. Tammany Parish personal injury lawyer could work with you to seek appropriate financial restitution for every injury and loss the accident caused you and your loved ones.
The Basics of Personal Injury Law in St. Tammany Parish
Determining whether someone else’s actions justify civil litigation could be a tricky process depending on the specific situation. Sometimes the fault is obvious—for example if someone runs a red light and hits another driver who was following all the rules of the road. However, in some other cases, there may be extenuating circumstances that spread liability across multiple parties, even to the victim.
Ultimately, civil liability in the state of Louisiana is based on legal negligence. In order to be considered legally negligent, a person must have:
- Had a duty of care towards someone
- Breached that duty of care
- Their breach directly caused an accident
- That accident created compensable losses
Working with a St. Tammany Parish personal injury attorney to help collect and present evidence that could prove legal negligence is generally crucial to the success of a case.
If the filing party—or plaintiff—is found partially liable for causing the accident that injured them, Louisiana Civil Code Art. 2323 allows for a civil court to reduce the amount of compensation they can recover by the same percentage as their respective degree of fault. Louisiana is one of only a few states that adhere to a pure comparative fault system meaning that there is no amount of partial liability that could completely bar a plaintiff from recovering compensation.
When Should a Victim File Suit?
Although taking legal action immediately after suffering a serious injury may be the last thing on an accident victim’s mind, it is particularly important to be prompt about retaining a personal injury lawyer and pursuing civil litigation in St. Tammany Parish. Compared to other states, Louisiana’s statute of limitations dictating the deadline for when a case must be filed is particularly strict.
Every type of personal injury case in Louisiana for land-based actions must be filed within one year of the date the injury occurred. Failure to adhere to this statutory deadline may see the case completely dismissed with no future chance at compensation.
Seek Help from a St. Tammany Parish Personal Injury Attorney Today
It may sound simple to prove that someone else hurt you through their own careless or reckless behavior, but civil law in Louisiana is complex. If you want to maximize your chances of a positive legal outcome, there is no substitute for the assistance of a skilled and experienced legal professional.
A qualified St. Tammany Parish personal injury lawyer could help with every component of your case both in and out of court. Schedule a consultation today to get started on your case.