Motor vehicle accidents involving drunk drivers are all too common in the New Orleans area.  Because of the obvious danger that drinking and driving poses to innocent drivers, Louisiana has enacted special laws that take effect when a personal injury lawsuit involves a drunk driver.  These provisions are designed to protect individuals hurt by drunk drivers and impose additional penalties upon such drivers.

When a person is injured by a driver intoxicated or impaired by alcohol or drugs, the injured party may pursue additional damages – called punitive damages – against the drunk driver.   Punitive damages are additional compensation awarded to the injured party above the amount granted to cover the costs of medical treatment, lost wages and pain and suffering.  The sole purpose of punitive damages is to punish the drunk driver for such dangerous conduct, and to act as a deterrent to similar conduct in the future.

Lawsuits against drunk drivers are one of the few occasions in which punitive damages may be pursued in Louisiana.  In most other personal injury cases arising from a motor vehicle collision, they cannot be pursued. 

Aside from the possibility of being awarded punitive damages, there are other advantages when pursuing a personal injury lawsuit involving a drunk driver.  Since the evidence of intoxication will, in most cases, be admissible at trial, it is usually much easier to prove the drunk driver’s responsibility for causing the collision.

If you or a loved one has been injured by a drunk driver, we would be more than happy to provide legal advice.  Please feel free to call our office at 504-355-0057 or 855-GERTLER.

The first good place to look is to ask a friend if they’ve ever retained an attorney and would recommend a certain one for your situation.  The important thing is to find a personal injury attorney that has handled multiple car accident matters before and has a good reputation in the community.

Most law firms offer a free face-to-face consultation to discuss your case and give you the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.  This presents a good situation to evaluate the attorney and make sure you feel comfortable having them handle your matter.  It is most important to not be afraid to take the time and find the right personal injury attorney for you.

If you have been involved in an auto accident in the New Orleans area, call us at 1-504-581-6411.

Most of the jobs for which people normally hire a lawyer – real estate transactions, preparing wills, etc. – require the person to pay the lawyer out of pocket. When hiring a New Orleans personal injury attorney, however, the lawyer is not paid in the same manner as when hiring a lawyer for other purposes.

Personal injury attorneys almost never receive any money up front from the injured party before beginning work on the case. Instead, payment is usually deferred until the case is resolved. If the case is successfully resolved, the personal injury attorney receives a previously agreed upon percentage of the damages awarded to the injured person.

This is great news if you are unable to work because of your injuries or otherwise feel that you simply cannot afford a lawyer. In a personal injury case, you will not be required to come up with any money up front, and your personal injury lawyer’s fee will be based on the amount recovered in the lawsuit. As a result, if the damages you are awarded turn out to be lower than you expected, your lawyer will consequently earn a lesser fee.

The idea behind this payment method is that it gives your attorney greater incentive to work hard and obtain the best result possible for you. A personal injury attorney on a contingency fee contract does not get paid until you do and must be successful to earn a fee.

This means that you can begin pursuing compensation for your injuries without worrying about money to pay your attorney. If you have suffered a personal injury, don’t let financial concerns keep you from obtaining the damages you deserve to recover. Please feel free to contact us at 504-355-0057 or 855-GERTLER. We would be happy to help you.

An attorney will most likely set up a contingency fee agreement with you for the case. Thus, if money is recovered as the result of the settlement or a win at trial, the attorney will only take a certain percentage of the money for his fee.

In most jurisdictions in Louisiana, the percentage is usually 33 1/3% but can increase depending on the difficulty of the case or if the case does go to trial and becomes a very involved matter. It is important to meet with an attorney and, during the first consultation, discuss all of your questions with him or her including matters of their fee.

If you need an injury attorney, contact the Gertler Firm at 504-581-6411.

If you have signed a release with the insurance company, it is likely that you cannot reopen the case.

Your ability to make any future claims with the insurance company concerning that auto accident has ended.  I would discuss with your attorney whether there might be a chance that you can reopen the case given certain circumstances.

However, once you sign a release form with the insurance company, you’re ability to collect any more potential settlement money is likely not available.

If you need to speak with an experienced New Orleans Injury Law Firm, call us at 504-581-6411.

It is always a good idea to find an attorney who handles a lot of the types of cases that you might have.  It’s important in your initial consultation with the attorney to ask them about their experience in handling car accident cases and see if they might be the right person to handle your case.

Also, it is very important to be comfortable with the person you hire because you will need to work together to get your case resolved.

If you have been involved in a car accident, why not speak to some of the most talented New Orleans Injury Attorneys for free.

The issue of fault cannot be determined solely from these facts.  A personal injury attorney will look at all of the available evidence as well as listen to your recollection of the events.

Your attorney will then review the totality of the case and advise you on whether you can collect for your possible injuries that occurred on private property.

Call the New Orleans Auto Accident Lawyers with the Gertler Firm if you have been injured in a Car Accident….the call is free.

The answer is yes.  Assuming you were injured in each car accident, you can make two separate claims even though they occurred so closely in time.  You will need to prove that the injuries you suffered in the first accident are directly related to that driver’s negligence.  Similarly, you need to prove that the injuries you suffered from the second accident are directly related to that driver’s negligence and not resulting from the first accident.

It is important to let your attorney know of both accidents as your injuries might overlap.  A good personal injury attorney in New Orleans will be able to parse out the two accidents and get you the compensation you deserve from both accidents.

Hiring a personal injury attorney is the first step to make sure you are fully compensated for the car accident.  An experienced personal injury attorney that has handled a lot of car accident claims will be able to give you a rough estimate of what your case is worth after the initial consultation and some subsequent research.

Some of the amounts that your attorney will want to claim on your behalf are difficult to quantify like pain and suffering.  However, there are tools the lawyer can use to help determine an amount for those types of items.  The medical bills and lost wages are more easily determinable.  Contact a personal injury attorney immediately to help you determine the amount you should settle for.

If you or a family member has been injured in an auto accident, why not pick up the phone and talk to an experienced auto accident lawyer in New Orleans to find out if what will happen and what you should do.

If you are interested in hiring an attorney to file a law suit for this accident, it would be a good idea to see a doctor as soon as possible.  The other driver’s insurance company will want to find any evidence that might hurt your claim.

If you hold off to see a doctor, they might use that fact to show how you were at fault for the ultimate severity of your injuries.  The insurance company will ultimately want to show that your injuries weren’t as serious from the accident and your medical bills attributed solely to the accident are much lower.

Thus, it is very important to see your doctor and also contact an auto accident attorney in New Orleans right away to help protect your potential lawsuit.