Lafayette is known for the oil and gas industry, and the city benefits from companies like Texas Petroleum Investment Company. However, these jobs are dangerous and can come with serious injuries. If you have experienced an injury that affects your ability to live, speak with a Lafayette catastrophic injury lawyer.
For many Lafayette families, a loved one experiencing a catastrophic injury is a worst-case scenario. Blake Jones Law Firm aims to treat victims and their family members with the compassion they deserve during such a difficult time.
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Catastrophic injuries come in many forms. They don’t all look the same. However, some injuries tend to occur repeatedly in catastrophic injury claims, including:
Even caretakers of those with catastrophic injuries should consult an attorney. A skilled lawyer can determine if you are eligible to be compensated for the results of a catastrophic injury, whether to yourself or someone in your care.
Sometimes, catastrophic injuries have more than one perpetrator. It’s also possible for you to have been partially responsible for your own injuries. Even if this is the case, it does not entirely shut you out from recovering your damages.
Louisiana recognizes comparative fault in personal injury claims. This works on a percentage basis. For example, you might be considered 10% at fault if you committed a minor error that had a role in your injuries. Other involved parties might take up the other 90%.
How much you are considered at fault lowers your level of compensation by that amount. For example, someone who wins $1 million but is deemed 10% at fault might only get $900,000. This keeps things fair while making sure compensation gets to the right people.
This is one of the most important reasons to work with an attorney. Insurance companies might try to say you’re more to blame than you are. An attorney can prove that your involvement was minimal or nonexistent, which entitles you to more damages.
An insurance company might try to pressure you into accepting a low settlement offer. When you hire a Lafayette catastrophic injury attorney, you can have professional representation at negotiation meetings. Your case is more likely to be taken seriously if an attorney is present.
The legal paperwork to file a catastrophic injury claim can be excessive, especially for those who are recovering from or taking care of victims of catastrophic injuries. Attorneys can do all this paperwork for you so you can adapt to the changes that catastrophic injuries have brought to your life.
Many of our clients at Blake Jones Law Firm require surgery to recover from their injuries. If they cannot obtain compensation, they often go without the surgery and face lifelong complications. We recovered $675,000 for a victim in the maritime industry so they could receive essential neck surgery.
What constitutes a catastrophic injury, under the state’s catastrophic injury laws, is any serious injury that happens from an accident. Someone else must have contributed to the accident and been behaving in a way that is not the norm for the situation. If you can prove that the injury is directly tied to the accident, you might have a catastrophic injury claim.
If your catastrophic injury happened at work, you would file a workers’ compensation claim instead of a personal injury claim. You can do so by contacting your place of employment as soon as possible. Workers’ comp offers you compensation as well as potential disability payments if your injuries are severe enough to qualify for them.
You can recover pain and suffering damages in a catastrophic injury claim. These damages are meant to compensate you for the distress you experienced because of the accident. It is not a tangible amount, so it varies based on how you experienced your injuries. An attorney experienced in catastrophic injury cases knows how to accurately calculate pain and suffering damages.
A catastrophic injury claim in Louisiana takes a variable amount of time. The exact length depends on how many parties are involved and how willing they are to cooperate with the claim. Generally, catastrophic injury claims take longer than traditional personal injury claims because plaintiffs usually ask for more money to cover the injuries.
14% of Lafayette residents live with a disability. These often require additional medical and living expenses that might not have been planned for. If you are struggling with a disability after a catastrophic injury, schedule a consultation with Blake Jones Law Firm to learn more about how we can help.