Lake Charles Car Accident Lawyer

Lake Charles, LA Car Accident Attorney

Car accidents occur frequently in Lake Charles, as in other US cities. When a car accident is caused by someone else’s negligence, they should pay for the victim’s expenses. If you have been a victim of a car crash and sustained injuries, a Lake Charles car accident lawyer from Sanchez Burke can help you pursue compensation for your associated losses.

Being involved in a motor vehicle accident can have lasting repercussions that can impact the rest of your life. Victims may be coping with chronic medical conditions or even traumatic brain injury after their accident.

Whether your resulting losses are minor or severe, a dedicated car accident lawyer from Sanchez Burke can support you with your post-accident legal needs. Located in Calcasieu Parish, our law firm has a team of dedicated, qualified, and experienced lawyers who can fight aggressively for what you’re owed.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Car Accidents in Lake Charles?

In Lake Charles, Louisiana, there are many factors that can lead to a car accident. Often, multiple factors are combined to influence the outcome of an accident. By understanding the common causes of car accidents, you can equip yourself with the knowledge needed to avoid such accidents in the future or determine whether the driver who caused your accident could be sued in a personal injury case.

Driving Under the Influence

Alcohol is one of the most commonly used drugs before getting behind the wheel, and it can severely impair the judgment of a driver. Driving under the influence increases the risk of car accidents. Alcohol can cause drivers to miss suddenly passing objects, such as passengers or bicycles, and it can result in dangerous actions, such as running red lights, drifting into the other lane, and rolling through stop signs.

DUI doesn’t just refer to alcohol intoxication. Marijuana use and driving is also a rising issue in the state of Louisiana, as there is a misconception that driving under the influence of the drug is not dangerous. However, marijuana consumption before and during driving can delay reaction times, causing crashes. It can also lead to dangerous driving behaviors, such as lane drifting and driving too fast or too slow.

Prescription drugs that are taken as advised by a doctor or abused can negatively influence the driving ability of drivers. Interactions between prescription drugs and other drugs, such as alcohol, can also impact a person’s capacity to drive.

If you have been injured in a car accident that was a result of another person driving on alcohol or drugs, you may be entitled to compensation for the damages you sustained. Because DUI is a criminal offense, proving negligence can be easier than in other cases. A car accident lawyer from our law firm can help you understand whether your car accident case has grounds for a personal injury lawsuit.

Driving While Distracted in Lake Charles

Another common cause of car accidents in Lake Charles is distracted driving. Fastening a seatbelt late, putting on makeup, eating or drinking, changing the car’s settings, checking directions on a phone, and responding to text messages are all common distractions that can easily lead to car accidents.

It’s important to note that Louisiana has outlawed several actions related to driving and using your phone. Distracted driving, such as being on a phone call in a school zone during school hours, being on social media, or engaging in text communication, is illegal. There are stricter laws that apply to drivers who are under the age of 18 or who have a learner’s permit.

If your car accident involved a distracted driver, then you may be entitled to compensation for pain and suffering as a result of your injuries, coverage of medical bills and treatment, and damage to your car. An experienced car accident lawyer can help you build your case to work toward the accident coverage your case calls for.

Other Common Car Accident Causes

It’s critical to note that there are many other causes of car accidents that are not related to distracted driving or driving under the influence. Car crashes can be due to other factors such as a driver operating their vehicle while tired, aggressive driving behaviors such as speeding or running red lights, and certain hazardous road conditions.

While using defensive driving techniques and staying alert can aid you in avoiding accidents, they are still unavoidable in some circumstances. If you are a victim of a car accident caused by the recklessness or negligence of another individual, then you, despite the specific cause, may be entitled to pursue compensation through a personal injury claim.

What Injuries Can Result From a Car Accident?

Car accidents can result in a variety of injuries that range in severity depending on multiple factors associated with the accident, such as how fast each vehicle was going before the crash occurred and the size of each vehicle with respect to one another. A knowledgeable car accident attorney can help you get compensation for the injuries associated with your wreck, including:

• Deep cuts, bruises, and burns
• Sprains, tears, and broken bones
• Hearing loss or a perpetual ringing in the ears
• Injuries that affect sight
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord and head injuries
• Paralysis, including paraplegia or quadriplegia
• Amputation or permanent limb damage
• Whiplash and other neck injuries

An experienced car accident lawyer will be able to understand the value of the expenses associated with your injuries before and after the lawsuit occurs. If your injuries are severe, such as those resulting in a chronic condition, then you can get compensation for future required medical expenses.

What Compensation Is Available to Car Accident Injury Victims?

If you have been injured as a result of a car wreck, you are likely entitled to receive compensation from the liable party that will cover all expenses associated with your injury. Whether they’re financial or psychological, you deserve compensation for your damages. A Lake Charles car accident lawyer can help you recover compensation for the following:

• Lost wages. You can be compensated for the time that you would have worked if you had not been injured. This can cover future and past lost wages.
• Hospital bills. Any emergency care that you received as a result of your injury can be compensated for.
• If you have required or will require rehabilitation sessions as treatment of your ailment, then this can be covered.
• Prescriptions and medications. Sometimes, a car wreck injury can require medicine in order to heal. Compensation can include expenses spent on medication, such as painkillers.
• Clinic visits. Even if you were not hospitalized as a result of your injury, you may be required to attend healthcare visits in order for a medical professional to assess the progress of your healing.
• Scans and Tests. As a result of your injury, you may have to have expensive diagnostic tests run, such as a CT scan, MRI, or blood analysis. Car accident injury compensation can cover such tests.
• Pain and suffering. If your car accident has resulted in a long-term injury that leads you to experience chronic pain, then you can receive compensation for this.

The costs associated with a car accident injury vary on a case-by-case basis. Therefore, it’s important to ensure that you are working with an experienced Lake Charles car accident lawyer who can help ensure you receive adequate compensation. Your award should cover all of the expenses related to your case.

Proving Liability in a Lake Charles, LA, Car Crash

It can be difficult to prove whether one party is liable for a Lake Charles car accident. In Louisiana, there is a legal scheme called pure comparative negligence, which is used to prove which individuals are liable in a car accident. Under pure comparative negligence, all parties in an accident can be considered liable. In such a case, they are required to pay for the damages of the wreck in a way that is proportional to their liability.

Because multiple drivers can be at fault for a car accident in Louisiana, this means that you could be entitled to have your compensation paid for by two or more parties involved in your car accident. If the individuals driving were on the clock, their employer or company could be liable as well.

If your car accident happened as a result of a vehicle malfunctioning, then the company who manufactured your vehicle could also be determined a liable party. Additionally, if an individual or organization repaired your car and made a mistake while doing so, and it led to your accident, they can also be held liable.

In the case that your car accident happened as a result of faulty infrastructure, then you may also have a case to sue the Department of Transportation or whichever departments were responsible for failing to maintain infrastructure conditions.

In the case that you are partially liable for the damages in the car wreck, you may also be entitled to compensation. For example, if your car accident results in $10,000 in damages, and you are considered to be 20% at fault for the wreck, you can still be entitled to $8,000 in damages.

Determining the liability of a car accident can become a complex task, especially if there were multiple parties involved in the accident. A car accident lawyer from Sanchez Burke can help you prove the liability of other parties and help you obtain the compensation you are entitled to.

What Is the Statute of Limitations for a Lake Charles Car Accident?

When it comes to pursuing compensation for damages after a car accident, there is, unfortunately, only a limited period of time that victims have to file a claim. A statute of limitations is the amount of time between the day of the car accident and the filing of the claim that can pass before the victim is no longer entitled to compensation.

In Lake Charles, Louisiana, the statute of limitations is one year, which means that if a claim is filed after this one-year period, you might not be compensated for your damages. For this reason, it’s important to reach out to a Louisiana personal injury lawyer so that you can have support with meeting critical bureaucratic deadlines.

How Can a Lake Charles Car Accident Lawyer Support Me?

When it comes to a Louisiana car accident, hiring a personal injury lawyer is indispensable to getting the support you need. A car accident lawyer from Sanchez Burke can assist you if you have been injured in a car accident as a result of someone else’s wrongdoing or negligence.

Our legal team can support you by negotiating on your behalf with insurance companies to ensure that they pay an adequate and fair amount. We can also help you look into filing a personal injury claim for additional damages. For example, if you or a loved one has incurred serious injuries that the other party’s insurance company won’t cover, our team can help you pursue additional compensation through a personal injury claim.

We can help you gather evidence related to your case, including interviews with potential witnesses, and help rebuild the car accident scene. We can analyze all of your evidence and work with expert witnesses to build up your case. In addition, we can ensure all paperwork is filed correctly and on time. A car accident lawyer from Sandez Burke has the persuasive power needed to help you optimize your case outcomes.

Get the Car Accident Compensation You Deserve With Sanchez Burke

If you have been injured in a Louisiana car accident, you may have suffered serious injuries and might not have the physical or emotional bandwidth to advocate for yourself and receive compensation. A car accident lawyer from Sanchez Burke can help you compile all of the necessary evidence and leverage their negotiation and advocacy skills to help you get an optimal case outcome. Reach out to one of our lawyers today to get started.