If you have been injured in an accident or incident caused by someone else, you may be able to recover compensation for your damages. When you have medical expenses to pay or are unable to work as you did before the accident, you need financial relief quickly.
However, you don’t want to be too eager to accept a settlement. Once you settle your claim, you cannot go back later and ask for more if you discover your damages are greater than you realized.
You need an experienced Lafayette personal injury lawyer who can help negotiate a fair settlement of your claim as quickly as possible.
At Anderson Blanda & Saltzman, our dedicated personal injury lawyers work tirelessly to get you the compensation you deserve quickly. Call (337) 233-3366 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case.
The Louisiana Personal Injury Case Timeline
Each case is unique. However, the general timeline for personal injury claims in Louisiana is as follows:
- Seek medical care and follow your treatment plan. We need to wait until you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) and know what your long-term prognosis is before we can value your claim. Depending on the specific facts of your case, this phase could take a few weeks or several months.
- We will investigate your accident or incident to identify causation and liability and will have your claim accurately valued. You do not know what a fair settlement of your claim would be until all damages -current and future – have been established and accurately valued. This phase can last anywhere from one to several months.
- We will send a demand letter with evidence to prove the value of your damages and ask the defendants to pay the fair amount you are owed.
- We will negotiate with the defendants to help reach a fair settlement as quickly as possible. Negotiations can take a few weeks to a few months. However, if the defendants refuse to agree to a fair settlement, we will file suit.
- We will file a lawsuit against the defendants if they are unwilling to negotiate in good faith. We may file suit within weeks or after a few months. Most personal injury claims in Louisiana must be filed within two years of the accident. However, we typically file well before the filing deadline.
- We will conduct discovery by issuing interrogatories, requests for production of documents, conducting depositions, and issuing subpoenas. This phase may take several months, particularly if multiple parties are involved.
- Court hearings may be necessary during the discovery and pre-trial stage.
- We will go to trial if a fair settlement is not reached before the trial date. Getting to trial can take several months, depending on the complexity of the case and the court’s docket.
Our attorneys diligently work to settle your claim as quickly as possible while ensuring that you recover the full damages you are entitled to.
Factors That Influence the Personal Injury Case Timeline
The duration of a personal injury case in Louisiana depends on several factors. Some issues that impact the personal injury case timeline are the number of parties and the complexity of your case.
Other influences include how long it takes you to recover or reach MMI, the willingness of the defendants to negotiate in good faith, whether causation and liability are disputed, whether you are partially at fault, and the court’s docket.
Personal injury cases involving relatively minor injuries may settle within weeks. However, if your injuries are more severe or the claim is complex, settlement could take several months. If we must go to trial, it could take more than a year to resolve your case.
How an Experienced Louisiana Personal Injury Attorney Can Help
Being represented by an experienced Louisiana personal injury attorney will help you recover maximum compensation as quickly as possible. An experienced personal injury lawyer can keep pressure on the defendants to move your case forward toward a fair resolution.
Your attorney will also be able to have your damages accurately valued and present the defendants with evidence of your damages and the value of your claim.
Schedule a Free Consultation to Discuss Your Louisiana Personal Injury Claim
At Anderson Blanda & Saltzman, we realize you need to secure compensation as quickly as possible. We work diligently to resolve your claim fast while protecting your right to recover the full value of your damages. Call (337) 233-3366 or visit our contact page now and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.