Louisiana – Baton Rouge – Prairieville – Motor Vehicle Accident -
Attorney
If you have been injured in a
motor vehicle accident in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area, you may be entitled
to money damages not only for your pain and suffering and damage to your car,
but also for lost time from work, unpaid medical expenses, and loss of
companionship to your family. You need to talk to an attorney who can answer
your questions and help you bring your case to the courts. Contact the Sotile
Law Office. I am Vincent J. Sotile, Jr. I care about your case and I want to
help you get the money damages that you deserve.
Helping
victims of motor vehicle accidents receive the money damages they deserve.
Call me
anytime.
(225) 677-5500
Motor Vehicle Accidents - An
Overview
Cases arising out of
automobile accidents are by far the most common type of personal injury case
in our court system today. This is not surprising, given that every 10
seconds, someone in the United States is involved in a car accident, according
to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Except in those states
where legislation eliminating fault as an issue has been passed (no-fault
laws), these cases are typically governed by the law of negligence. Generally,
people who operate automobiles must exercise "reasonable care under the
circumstances." A failure to use reasonable care is considered negligence. A
person who negligently operates a vehicle may be required to pay for any
damages, either to a person or property, caused by his or her negligence. The
injured party, known as the plaintiff, is required to prove that the defendant
was negligent, that the negligence caused the accident, and that the accident
caused the plaintiff's injuries. If you have been involved in a motor vehicle
accident, you must not hesitate to seek legal counsel from a personal injury
attorney experienced in automobile accident cases in order to best protect
your interests.
As with other types of
accidents, figuring out who is at fault in a traffic accident is a matter of
deciding who was negligent. In many cases, your instincts will tell you that a
driver, cyclist or pedestrian acted carelessly, but not what rule or rules
that person violated. Fault issues can be complicated, and an experienced
attorney will look to a number of sources, such as police reports, state
traffic laws, and witnesses, to help you determine who was at fault for your
accident.
Injuries and Compensation
Generally, an individual
injured in an automobile accident may bring a claim or lawsuit to recover the
actual expenses associated with property damage and medical costs, economic
damages, and emotional and physical pain and suffering. Litigation involving
motor vehicle accidents can be extremely complicated. Retaining an experienced
lawyer familiar with motor vehicle accident damages will place you in the best
position to receive the recovery that you deserve.
Insurance Claims Dos &
Don'ts
Do call your
agent as soon as a covered event takes place. As soon as you get home from the
car accident, or even before you go to the doctor, call your agent.
Do review
and understand your coverage before talking to your insurer or your agent.
Read the "Coverage" and "Exclusion" sections of you policy in particular.
Uninsured or Underinsured
Motorists
Many drivers ignore motor
vehicle insurance requirements, cannot afford to purchase insurance, or carry
insufficient insurance. Uninsured motorist coverage is a form of insurance
that pays for bodily injury that results from an accident with a driver who is
legally responsible for the injuries, but has no liability coverage.
Underinsured motorist coverage pays for bodily injury that results from an
accident with a driver who has liability insurance with limits that are lower
than the injured party's underinsured motorist coverage limits. If you have
been involved in an accident with an uninsured or underinsured driver, it is
important that you contact an attorney at an experienced personal injury law
firm immediately so you do not waive valuable legal rights.
No-Fault Insurance
The laws of the state in
which the accident occurs determine who pays for the damages from an
automobile accident. Basically, in a no-fault insurance state, fault is not
placed on either party, and each driver generally submits a claim to his or
her own insurance company instead of establishing blame. Many states,
including Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and others, have some form of no-fault
insurance laws. No-fault auto insurance is widely misunderstood, and is
applied differently in every state that offers it. If you are in an automobile
accident, you should contact an experienced personal injury firm to discuss
how the relevant state law views fault and to determine how fault or no-fault
laws may affect your right to recover damages for injuries.
What to do if you are in an
accident
If you are involved in an
automobile collision, stop. Most states require an individual not to leave the
scene of an accident, even a minor one, without first stopping to see whether
there are damages or injuries. A person may be criminally prosecuted for
leaving the scene of an automobile accident.
