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If you experienced injuries because someone acted negligently, you can seek compensation for your medical bills and other losses. The size or amount of the compensation or money depends on the seriousness of your injuries, the quality of evidence that supports them, and the skills of your attorney.
You have enough to worry about without adding difficult legal matters to your plate. That is why you should reach out to Patrick Yancey, an experienced Houma personal injury lawyer who practices in the Bayou Area and statewide. He knows the difficult situation you now find yourself in, and will do everything possible to help you recover money or financial compensation. Call us and learn how we can help!
The foundation of a strong personal injury case is based on negligence. A Houma attorney must prove that the at-fault party acted negligently and caused the personal injuries in question. The four elements of negligence are as follows.
The at-fault party in a personal injury case must have a legal requirement to act in a way that protects others from harm. For example, a motor vehicle driver must follow traffic laws to keep pedestrians safe.
A Houma personal injury lawyer must demonstrate that the at-fault party failed to meet their duty of care by acting carelessly. For example, a driver might run a red light, which is a violation of traffic laws.
The injured party’s legal team must prove that their injuries were a direct result of the defendant’s breach of their legal duty of care. For example, the motorist running the red light may have hit a pedestrian crossing the street, causing broken bones.
The final element of negligence involves proving that injuries led to damages, such as financial losses and emotional distress. A pedestrian hit by a car may require medical treatment and must miss work due to the accident.
Compensation in personal injury cases includes covering several types of damages:
In some cases, if the at-fault party acted recklessly when causing the accident, the judge or jury may also award the victim punitive damages. An experienced personal injury attorney in Houma or the Bayou region can help collect relevant evidence, build a strong case, and negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement or present the case to the judge or jury.
We can take most types of personal injury cases you have in Houma or elsewhere in Louisiana.
If a person is injured due to someone’s negligence, they have a limited time to file a lawsuit. In Louisiana, this time is two years, as of July 1, 2024. While two years is a long time, delaying legal action could cause issues when trying to recover damages. For example, important evidence may disappear or the at-fault party could leave the state. That is why experienced personal injury attorneys like Patrick Yancey recommend filing a claim as soon as possible.
If you or your loved one were hurt in an accident caused by another person’s negligent actions, you can seek compensation. Since navigating personal injuries is complicated, you can benefit from working with a legal professional. Without a competent Houma personal injury lawyer, you could lose your chance to recover fair damages. At the Patrick Yancey Law Firm, we care about protecting your rights and getting you the money you deserve. To schedule a free consultation, please contact us at any time.
A native of Houma, Louisiana, Patrick Yancey obtained his Bachelor or Science degree in Petroleum Engineering from Louisiana Tech University. During the summers, he worked offshore as a roustabout for various offshore oil and gas operating companies.
After obtaining his engineering degree, Yancey worked with Mobil Oil both as an operations engineer and as a facilities engineer, where he spent a great amount of time offshore supervising numerous projects. After six years, Yancey resigned from Mobil Oil and enrolled in the Juris Doctorate program at Loyola University, New Orleans. He obtained his Juris Doctorate from Loyola University and worked as a law clerk for Judge Edward J. Gaidry.
If you have suffered a personal injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your injury. Legal responsibility, called “liability,” revolves around the simple fact that most injuries happen because someone was careless or “negligent” and hence coming under the legal status of “negligence”. Even if you believe you may have partly caused your own injury, in most states you can still get some compensation from anyone else who was also careless and partly responsible for your injury.
There are several factors that affect the potential success and value of a personal injury claim. Such factors include the ability to prove the fault of another for your injury and the nature and extent of your injuries.
If you suspect you may have a legal claim, you should contact a personal injury attorney for an evaluation of your case. Personal injury lawyers are experienced with cases like yours and can tell you at the outset whether it is worthwhile to pursue legal action of your lawsuit.
If you are unlikely to prevail, your attorney will tell you so, and you will not need to incur the time and expense of pursuing an unpromising claim. In pursuing personal injury claims, attorneys work with investigators and experts in specialized areas, who can skillfully investigate the technical and medical aspects of your case. More importantly, a personal injury attorney can work through the maze of paperwork necessary to resolve your claim so that you can get on with your life.
Write Down As Much As You Can
Writing down as much as you can about the accident or injury itself, your personal injuries and any other losses (such as wages) you’ve suffered as a result of the accident.
Make Notes
Making notes of conversations that you have with people involved in the accident or the injury claim.
Preserve Evidence
Preserving evidence of who caused the accident and what damage was done by collecting physical evidence and taking photographs.
Locate Witnesses
Locating people who witnessed the accident and who might be able to help you prove your case.
Notify Responsible Party
Notifying anyone you think might be responsible for your injuries of your intention to file a claim for your injuries, especially if a government agency or employee may be involved.
Determining how much certain injuries are worth is a critical aspect of any personal injury claim. It is also the part of a claim about which it is most difficult to generalize; the amount depends on your very particular circumstances. A personal injury attorney can be more objective about your case than you can, and will not make a rash decision concerning your lawsuit. Where you may be tempted, for instance, to go for a quick payout, your injury attorney may counsel you that it is in your best interests to wait for a more appropriate offer. Lawyers are used to working with insurance companies, and will not be confused by their tactics or feel pressured to settle for an unsatisfactory amount. Personal injury lawyers work hard to reach the best settlements for their clients, as early in the litigation process as possible.
If a trial becomes necessary, a personal injury lawyer can zealously represent you in court and work toward achieving the best possible jury verdict in your favor, including:
Also, the following guidelines usually applied:
Check out our most recent blog posts and learn more about personal injury law and how our firm works with clients and the community.
