Slidell Car Accident Lawyer Near You

If you suffered personal injuries or property damage in a Slidell car accident, you may be facing important legal deadlines. Lavis Law Firm – Personal Injury & Accident Attorney will discuss your car accident claim with you promptly. Lavis Law Firm can also help if you need a rideshare accident lawyer in New Orleans.

If we agree to represent you, our attorney’s fee is contingent on recovery. Before representation begins, we will explain in writing how attorney’s fees and case expenses are handled, including whether any expenses may be owed if there is no recovery.

You may have already discovered that the car insurance company is offering less than fair compensation for your Slidell car accident. Charles Lavis can help evaluate and present property-damage and bodily-injury claims, including claims for wage loss, loss of earning capacity, and general damages such as pain and suffering.

What to Do After a Car Accident in Slidell

The minutes after a wreck can feel chaotic, but what you do next can affect your claim. Check for injuries first and call 911 if anyone needs medical attention. Louisiana law requires a driver to notify the appropriate law-enforcement authority immediately when a crash involves injury, death, or property damage exceeding $500. In an evacuation area or during a declared emergency, the report may be made within 72 hours.

Once everyone is safe, photograph both vehicles, the road conditions, and any visible injuries. Obtain the other driver’s name, license number, and insurance information, and write down the names and phone numbers of witnesses before they leave. Even if you initially feel fine, consider prompt medical evaluation. Symptoms of injuries such as whiplash or concussion may not appear immediately, and delayed treatment can complicate an insurer’s evaluation of causation.

Avoid posting about the wreck on social media. Also avoid speculating about fault or making statements that could be misunderstood. Statements to an insurer or at the scene may later be considered in evaluating fault, so provide accurate facts and be cautious before signing documents or agreeing to a recorded statement. Determining who is responsible is rarely as simple as it looks at the scene; our guide to how fault is proven after a car accident explains the evidence insurers and courts actually weigh.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Accidents

Louisiana law requires drivers to carry liability insurance, but the available coverage may be insufficient after a serious wreck. When the at-fault driver has no insurance or inadequate liability limits, uninsured/underinsured-motorist, or UM, bodily-injury coverage may provide an additional source of recovery.

For most personal automobile policies, Louisiana law generally provides UM bodily-injury coverage unless the named insured properly rejects UM coverage, selects lower limits, or elects economic-only UM coverage on the state-prescribed form. Different rules may apply to commercial automobile policies. UM coverage is subject to the policy language, the applicable UM-selection form, and statutory exclusions; it should not be assumed without reviewing those documents.

A hit-and-run crash or insufficient liability coverage may raise a UM claim. A driver’s lack of a license, standing alone, does not establish UM coverage. UM bodily-injury coverage also does not necessarily cover vehicle damage; available property-damage coverage depends on the policy and the facts.

UM claims can differ from claims against the at-fault driver. Although the claim may be made under your own policy, the insurer may dispute liability, damages, coverage, or the value of the claim. Review the policy before accepting an offer or signing a release.

Understanding Your Case: Medical Bills, Lost Wages, and Settlement Value

No two wrecks have the same value, and determining a fair settlement requires an evaluation of the particular facts. Depending on the evidence and applicable law, a claim may include medical expenses already incurred, reasonably supported future treatment expenses, lost wages, loss of earning capacity, and property damage. For a fuller breakdown of each category, see what damages you can recover after a car accident in Louisiana.

If your vehicle was totaled or requires repair, the claim may also include appropriate vehicle-related losses, such as repair or total-loss value and, when supported, rental or loss-of-use expenses. Louisiana law may also allow recovery for the effect of an injury on daily life, including pain, suffering, mental anguish, disability, and loss of enjoyment of life.

Insurers use their own evaluation methods, but an initial offer may not reflect the full value of a claim. Obtain advice before signing a release or accepting payment intended to resolve bodily-injury claims. Timelines vary widely from one claim to the next; our overview of how long a car accident claim takes explains what tends to drive the schedule.