Thibodaux Car Accident Lawyer

Thibodaux Car Accident Attorney

Motor vehicle collisions can range from fender benders to catastrophic accidents. Any collision can be traumatic. Many accidents cause damages, including personal injury, the cost of treating that injury, mental and psychological trauma, and property damage. When someone else is to blame for the crash, you should not be responsible for the cost of these damages. A Thibodaux car accident lawyer can help you file a claim and recover the costs of your losses.

Hammond Law Firm, LLC: Holding Negligent Drivers Liable

An insurance or civil claim can help you protect your financial future after a car collision. At Hammond Law Firm, LLC, we want to make this process easier. It can be frustrating to deal with insurance companies on any day, and it is harder after a traumatic and painful collision. Our firm can manage your claim for you and keep you informed. You can take the time to physically recover with the knowledge that your claim is in good hands.

Car Accidents in Thibodaux and Lafourche Parish

Lafourche Parish includes Thibodaux, Lockport, Golden Meadow, and rural Lafourche. In the entire parish in 2024, there were 2,051 crashes. Of these crashes, 74.70% were property damage-only accidents. There were nine fatal crashes or 0.44% of all crashes in the parish.

Thibodaux saw more total crashes and involved individuals than Lockport and Golden Meadow and fewer than rural Lafourche. There were 113 suspected injuries and 104 individuals with no apparent injuries. Eleven of these 217 total involved alcohol.

However, despite having more injury crashes than Lockport and Golden Meadow, Thibodaux reported no fatal crashes. There were 14 reported fatalities in the nine fatal crashes, 10 of which occurred in rural Lafourche, three in Lockport, and one in Golden Meadow.

How Do You Prove Liability?

Most car accidents are resolved through insurance claims, and you can file a claim with the insurance provider of the driver to blame for the crash. To prove liability for a car accident, you must prove the following:

1. Duty of care: The driver owed you a duty of care. Drivers on the road typically owe a reasonable duty of care to consider the safety of others on the road.
2. Breach of duty: The driver breached this duty of care through an action or inaction. This is typically due to negligence, but it may also be through misconduct.
3. Proximate cause: The breach of duty led to the accident. Many drivers are negligent, and it does not always cause an accident. If the crash was caused by other factors, a driver’s negligence may not be sufficient to hold them liable.
4. Damages: You must show the damages that you suffered and that they were the result of the injuries you suffered in the accident.

A driver may be liable for several reasons, including being distracted, failing to yield, or running a stop sign. It may also include driving under the influence. After a crash, the insurance companies of the drivers who were involved will conduct investigations into the cause of the accident to determine liability. Working with an experienced attorney will enable you to conduct a third-party investigation that looks out for your interests.

Who Can Be Held Liable for My Motor Vehicle Accident?

Drivers are the most common at-fault party in motor vehicle accidents, but there are cases where other parties are to blame. This could include:

• The owner of the vehicle, if they failed to maintain their vehicle
• A manufacturer of car parts, if the accident was caused by malfunctions or unreasonably dangerous components
• Mechanics, if the accident happened due to improper maintenance
• Companies that are vicariously liable for negligence of employees, such as construction, bus, or truck companies
• Agencies that design and maintain the roadway, if the accident was caused by hazards in the road or inherent in its design

These parties may be entirely liable or partially liable for your injuries in an accident. An attorney can help investigate the cause of the accident and review your unique circumstances to determine which parties can be held liable.

What Injuries Are Common in a Motor Vehicle Accident

Even seemingly minor car accidents can result in severe injuries. When you are more seriously injured, the cost of your damages increases. A worse injury requires more significant and more costly medical treatment and often requires you to take more time off work. More serious injuries are also more likely to have severe long-term consequences on your life. Some of the common injuries in car accidents include:

• Cuts, scrapes, lacerations, and road rash
• Bruises, strains, and other soft tissue injuries
• Fractured bones
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Neck and back injuries, including whiplash
• Head and facial injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions
• Internal bleeding, organ damage, and other injuries
• Spinal cord injuries, including full or partial paralysis
• Amputations
• Wrongful death

Certain motor vehicle accidents are more likely to lead to catastrophic injuries. Collisions between smaller cars and commercial trucks are one example. Collisions between vehicles and more vulnerable individuals like motorcyclists, bicyclists, or pedestrians can have much more severe consequences for these individuals.

How Long Do I Have to File a Claim for a Motor Vehicle Accident?

You should act quickly after an accident and get in touch with a car accident attorney. There is a legal deadline for filing civil personal injury claims, and there is typically even less time to file an insurance claim. Working quickly will help preserve evidence and give your attorney more time to build a strong claim.

When you work with an attorney, they will be aware of these deadlines during the filing and negotiation process. If insurance claim negotiations are unsuccessful, a civil claim needs to be filed prior to the legal statute of limitations. If it is not, then you may be unable to recover any compensation for the accident.

Find the Right Car Accident Lawyers in Thibodaux

You don’t have to deal with the aftermath of a car accident alone. An experienced attorney can protect your interests and your peace of mind against insurance companies. Hammond Law Firm, LLC, can help you recover the damages you are owed. Contact our firm today.