After a car accident caused by someone else, you naturally want to know what your claim is worth. No attorney can guarantee that you will recover a specific amount of compensation. However, our Lafayette car accident lawyers will carefully evaluate your case, establish and value all your current and future damages, consider the available sources of compensation, and provide you with an estimate of what we believe your claim is worth, so you know what a fair settlement of your case would be.
If you were hurt in a crash, a Lafayette personal injury lawyer at Anderson Blanda & Saltzman can look at all of it and tell you where your claim stands. Call us today at (337) 233-3366 or complete the short form on our contact page and schedule a free consultation.
Start With What Can Be Added Up
Louisiana splits damages into two groups. The first, special damages, or economic damages, are losses that can be easily calculated. They include medical bills, prescription costs, physical therapy, lost wages, property damage, and other financial expenses and losses.
Expenses that you have already incurred are typically pretty straightforward. But what about future costs? If your orthopedist says you’ll likely need a second surgery in five years, that surgery has a value. But the insurance company won’t pay for it on your word alone. It must be documented, ideally by the doctor who’s been treating you all along.
Then Include the Non-Economic Damages
General damages, also known as non-economic damages, cover what the crash took from you that doesn’t show up on a bill. This category includes the pain, the sleepless nights, the anxiety every time you get behind the wheel, scars and disfigurement, and the loss of enjoyment of life.
Louisiana gives judges and juries a lot of room to decide these amounts, and appeals courts rarely second-guess them. So the way your story matters.
A Quick Example of How Fault Changes the Math
Say a jury decides your total damages are $150,000. If the other driver is found 100% at fault, that’s what you’re owed. If the jury decides you were 20% at fault, maybe for going a little over the speed limit, your recovery drops to $120,000.
Now suppose the jury finds you were 51% or more at fault. Under La. C.C. Art. 2323, as amended effective January 1, 2026, you get nothing. Insurers work hard to shift blame to you so they can minimize how much they have to pay or even avoid paying you anything at all.
Recent Changes That Affect What Insurers Offer
Louisiana’s tort reform laws have changed how adjusters value claims, and a few of those changes deserve a closer look.
Starting in 2026, juries can consider what was actually paid to your medical providers, not just what they billed. When a hospital bills $40,000 but the health insurer paid $14,000, that difference can now show up at trial. We review every bill with this in mind.
For crashes after May 28, 2025, La. C.E. Art. 306.1 also did away with the old presumption that an injury was caused by the accident just because symptoms showed up afterward. Now the medical evidence has to connect the dots. Skipping appointments or waiting weeks to see a doctor makes that harder.
And if you were driving uninsured, Louisiana’s No Pay, No Play law, La. R.S. 32:866, now generally keeps you from recovering the first $100,000 of bodily injury damages and the first $100,000 of property damage.
Coverage Puts a Ceiling on Most Claims
Even a strong case runs into the question of who can pay. Plenty of drivers in Louisiana carry only the minimum liability coverage, and that’s often nowhere near enough for a serious injury.
Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage under La. R.S. 22:1295 may make up some of the difference. If the other driver was working at the time, an employer’s policy may apply too. Finding every policy early can change a case’s outcome.
Why Insurers Pay Attention to Who Represents You
Insurance companies keep track of which firms actually try cases. Our attorneys have taken more than 60 cases before juries and have been named among the National Top 100 Trial Lawyers. When we tell an adjuster we’re ready for trial, they know we mean it. That tends to produce better offers.
Talk With an Experienced Lafayette Car Accident Lawyer
We have a proven record of securing maximum compensation for our clients, and we want to do the same for you. Call our Lafayette personal injury attorneys from Anderson Blanda & Saltzman at (337) 233-3366 or visit us online for a free consultation.