Covington’s Personal Injury Law Firm
Few things can be more frustrating than getting injured due to someone else’s negligence or reckless conduct. Apart from the physical pain, the financial strain caused by your injuries can be too much to bear – especially if you happen to be the primary or sole breadwinner of your family. In these difficult times, it is critical to have an accomplished Covington, LA personal injury lawyer on your side so that you can sue the party that caused your injuries and recover compensatory damages.
The Trainor Law Firm in Covington is prepared to handle a wide variety of personal injury lawsuits, from a disappointing fender bender at a city light to a slip and fall at a store to a disastrous oilfield explosion. When you come to us, we’ll take the time to understand your accident and every way you have suffered as a result. Then we will assume responsibility of your personal injury case and work passionately to ensure you are properly compensated for your injuries and damages. Some of the most common personal injury cases we handle include:
- Auto Accidents – An auto accident injury can be a life-changing experience, with long-term injuries ranging from chronic pain to a permanent disability. Our firm has significant experience dealing with insurance companies on behalf of auto accident victims and can help you come away with the compensation you need and deserve.
- Truck Accidents – Semi truck accidents often result in catastrophic injuries due to the size and weight difference between a truck and a passenger vehicle. We know the federal and state regulations governing the trucking industry, and can determine if a rule violation caused or contributed to your truck accident.
- Motorcycle Accidents – Motorcycle accidents are likely to occur when motorists fail to watch out for motorcycles, or simply aren’t paying attention behind the wheel. And with most motorcycle accidents, the motorcyclist is the one to pay the price. The Trainor Law Firm represents victims of motorcycle accidents, ensuring stereotypes don’t put our client at a disadvantage.
- Oilfield Injuries – The oil industry provides valuable, well-paying jobs in St. Tammany Parish, but it also places workers in very hazardous and potentially life-threatening environments. As a local law firm with an attorney born and raised in the area, we understand the oilfield and offshore drilling practices along Lake Pontchartrain, and aggressively represent oilfield accident victims.
- Premises Liability – Property owners, including businesses, homeowners, and government entities, have a duty to provide a safe environment for people rightfully on their premises. If you are injured as the result of a hazardous situation, such as a spill or broken step, you may have a premises liability claim for compensation.
- Wrongful Death – If you have lost a loved one due to someone else’s negligence we can help.
- All Types of Injuries – Personal injuries can range from broken bones to burns to head and back injuries. We are prepared to handle them all, including the most serious and medically complex.
Personal Injury Statute of Limitations in Louisiana
In Louisiana, you have one year – starting from the date on which the accident occurred – to bring a personal injury claim against the party that caused the accident. The statute of limitations in Louisiana is much shorter compared to most other states. With that in mind, it’s best for you to get in touch with the seasoned Covington, LA personal injury lawyers at Trainor Law Firm as soon as you can after the accident.
Steps Involved in a Louisiana Personal Injury Claim
In order to help you get the compensation you deserve, your Covington, LA personal injury lawyer will take the following steps:
- Investigating your case
- Identifying the parties that can be held liable
- Gathering the documentary evidence required to establish their liability (police report, accident reconstruction report, medical records, witness statements, photographs and videos taken at the accident scene, and more)
- Sending a demand letter to the insurance company
- Negotiating a settlement
If a negotiated settlement is out of the question, your lawyer will file a lawsuit against the at-fault parties. The steps involved in the legal process include:
- Filing a complaint in civil court
- Filing pre-trial motions
- Discovery process, during which the parties review each other’s evidence
- Depositions of the parties involved as well as the witnesses
- Pre-trial hearings
- Trial
If you decide to work with us, we will start collecting evidence to prove that the accident occurred as you said it did. This may involve reviewing medical records and the accident report as well as interviewing witnesses at the scene. It could also include working with an accident reconstruction specialist or another type of expert witness. We call this the discovery stage and it typically takes the longest of any part of your claim.
Determining the Value of Your Personal Injury Claim
In order to determine the value of your claim, your Covington, LA personal injury lawyer will take the following factors into account.
- The severity of your injuries and the medical treatment you have received so far
- Whether you might need medical treatment in the future
- Whether you are physically or mentally disabled as a result of the injury and might require ongoing treatment or care
- The amount of wages you have lost as a result of your injury
- Whether your earning capacity has been affected by your injury
- Whether the injury resulted in permanent disfigurement
- Whether the injury can have an adverse impact on your quality of life
Apart from this, your Covington, LA personal injury lawyer will also try to find out whether your own actions contributed in any way to the accident and if so, to what extent. This is important because of Louisiana’s comparative fault law, under which a plaintiff’s compensation can be reduced if they are found to be at fault for the accident.
The Role of Fault in a Covington, LA Personal Injury Claim
Louisiana follows the doctrine of pure comparative negligence or shared fault, under which your compensation will be reduced in proportion to the degree of fault assigned to you. For instance, if it is found that you were at 10% fault for the accident, your compensation will be reduced by 10%. The rule applies to personal injury claims as well as wrongful death claims.
This is one of the most important reasons why you need to hire a skilled Covington, LA personal injury lawyer to handle your claim. During settlement negotiations, the insurance adjuster might overemphasize your role in the accident and try to assign a much larger proportion of fault to you – just so they can pay you as little as they can. And they might be able to get away with it unless you are represented by a capable lawyer who can establish the at-fault party’s fault and negotiate aggressively on your behalf.
Damages You Can Recover in a Covington, LA Personal Injury Claim
Under Louisiana law, you have the right to recover economic (tangible) as well as non-economic (intangible) damages in a personal injury claim. These include:
Economic Damages
- Medical expenses
- Cost of future treatment (if it is needed)
- Cost of rehabilitation
- Lost wages
- Reduction or loss of earning capacity (in case of a permanent disability)
- Property damage
Non-Economic Damages
- Pain and suffering
- Diminished quality of life
- Disfigurement
In some cases, you might also be able to recover what are called exemplary or punitive damages. These damages are awarded not for the purpose of compensating you, but for the purpose of punishing the at-fault party for their egregious behavior.
Damage Caps in Covington, LA Personal Injury Claims
Under Louisiana law, the amount of damages you can recover in a medical malpractice claim is limited to $500,000. Similarly, if you file a claim against a government agency, the compensation you can recover is capped at $500,000.
At the Trainor Law Firm, you will receive personal attention at every stage of your personal injury claim. We take each case very seriously, and in turn, insurance companies and defense counsel take us very seriously. As our client, there is no out-of-pocket cost to you. We get paid only if we win your case, and we are confident we can. Our Louisiana personal injury lawyers are committed to representing you with energy and passion to achieve the results you deserve.
Contact an Experienced Louisiana Personal Injury Attorney
If you or a loved one has sustained a personal injury due to the negligence, recklessness, or wrongdoing of another, please contact the Trainor Law Firm to schedule a free initial consultation. Do not hesitate. It is your right to pursue and receive money damages to cover the burden of being injured in an accident that was not your fault. Based in Covington, we represent injury victims throughout St. Tammany Parish and the Northshore.