FAQ

Federal laws regulate things like how many hours truck drivers can work, required rest periods, and routine vehicle inspections.

It's generally not advisable to settle without involving insurance or legal counsel, as it could result in you receiving less compensation than you deserve.

Call the police, document as much as you can about the vehicle that fled, get witness statements if possible, and report the incident to your insurance company.

A TBI can occur when a sudden trauma, like a car accident, causes damage to the brain. It can have long-lasting physical and cognitive effects.

Yes, if you're unable to work due to injuries sustained in the accident, you may be able to recover compensation for lost wages.

Some injuries may not be apparent immediately and may appear days or even weeks later, highlighting the importance of seeking medical attention after an accident.

Similar steps apply as for car accidents – ensure safety, gather information, document the scene, seek immediate medical attention, and consult with an attorney experienced in 18-wheeler accidents.

Common causes include driver fatigue, mechanical failures, improper cargo loading, and other drivers' actions.

Due to their size and weight, 18-wheeler accidents often result in more severe injuries and damage. Additionally, claims can be more complex due to multiple potentially liable parties.

Potentially liable parties include the truck driver, the trucking company, the truck's owner, the shipper, and the manufacturer of the truck or its parts.

Victims may be eligible to recover for medical expenses, lost income, property damage, pain and suffering, and in some cases, punitive damages.

Settlement amounts vary widely based on factors like injury severity, fault, and insurance coverage. Consult with an attorney for a more accurate estimate.

This depends on your state’s statute of limitations. In Louisiana, it’s generally one year from the date of the accident.

Even for minor accidents, consulting with a lawyer can ensure you’re adequately compensated and your rights are protected.

You may need to file a claim with your own insurance company under your uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage.

The process generally involves a consultation, investigation, negotiation with insurance companies, and potentially going to trial.

Yes, emotional distress is a type of damage that victims can seek compensation for in personal injury claims.

Answer: In such tragic cases, you may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to seek compensation for your loss.

Yes. Different lawyers will see cases differently. Some attorneys may not be familiar with the type of case or may not be willing to spend the time and money required—which can be substantial—to get your personal injury case ready for trial. If your case is rejected by one lawyer, it is always a good idea to seek a second opinion.

You should retain a Louisiana personal injury lawyer as soon as possible after your accident. Unfortunately, after being seriously injured in an accident, you are immediately placed at a distinct legal disadvantage. While you are dealing with your injuries, the at-fault driver and his insurance company have already begun working against you. Your accident attorney will often arrange for an investigator to take pictures of the accident scene, take statements from witnesses, and preserve any physical evidence. You want to make sure that all relevant evidence is preserved.

The insurance company representing the person(s) at fault for the accident will have a team of adjusters, investigators, and personal injury attorneys working on their behalf. In order to have any chance at getting what you deserve, you should get assistance from a personal injury attorney and their team. If you have a serious personal injury case, you need the assistance of a Louisiana personal injury attorney to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your injuries. No matter how nice insurance adjusters may sound on the phone, they are paid to have one goal in mind: to pay you as little as possible.

This decision should be made by you and your health care provider(s). In getting treatment for the injuries from your auto or other accident, remember that the focus should be on your health, not the legal consequences arising therefrom.

It is best to use your primary care physician and/or their referral for any treatment. While we can certainly refer you to a doctor for your injuries, it’s typically a sign of good faith on behalf of the opposing side when they do in fact see that you were treated by your primary care or a referral therefrom. They will usually respect the diagnosis and be willing to negotiate from a better place. We do understand sometimes our clients did not have a primary care physician. In such cases, we can direct you to a doctor who can treat you for your injuries and get you feeling better. Likewise, if your doctor requires paying the entire bill upfront and you are unable to do so, we can direct you to someone who can work with you and treat you until you are able to pay, at settlement or resolution of your case.

If you have medical insurance, your insurance company will likely cover your medical bills. If there are any leftover bills or if you had no medical insurance, the at-fault driver insurance company will be responsible for paying those medical bills. If the amount in which the at-fault driver is insufficient to cover medical bills, you can then depend on your uninsured/underinsured motorist insurance in auto accident cases.

Yes, we handle tort claims involving truck accidents. The same issues arise in big rig truck collisions except of course the amount at stake since big rig truck accidents involve insurance policies much greater than the typical two-car accident. As such, it is crucially important to retain an attorney very early on in the case because the opposing side will begin setting up a defense right away to protect their exposure.

As discussed above, it is impossible to predict when your case will settle. Upon reaching a settlement, we are required to place the funds in an IOLTA Trust Account. So, we will typically call our client in when the check has arrived and have them sign both a settlement statement, breaking down fees, and the check. We will then place the check into the client’s trust account. Once the check clears, we can then write you a check for your portion of the funds. We have no control over the process, however. It is one in which we MUST follow.

Under the collateral source rule in Louisiana, you are entitled to be compensated for your medical bills regardless of whether or not they have been paid by your health insurance. The law does not punish one for protecting themselves on the front end by obtaining medical insurance. The premiums you have paid is what ultimately allowed you to have those bills paid. You pay premiums for your medical insurance and the benefit derived therefrom is for your benefit. If your medical bills were paid by Medicaid or Medicare, the answer is different. Though typically you will be allowed to recover for those bills, Medicaid and/or Medicare will usually place a lien on your settlement. Our team has experience with dealing with such liens and resolving them as to not slow down the settlement process.

Your personal injury claim will not require much of your time, unless of course we have to go to trial. After the initial interview, our team will do almost all of the work for you. Your job is to recover. If we do make it to trial, things certainly change. We would need to meet with you to prepare you for trial.

If we are unable to reach a settlement offer, our team will take your case to trial. In most cases, the choice will be yours because the other side will usually make some sort of settlement offer, even if it’s very low. Because our team carefully screens personal injury cases, most of our clients receive reasonable offers to settle the case before making it to trial.

It is essentially impossible to guess how long it will take to settle a particular case. It depends on the insurance company on the other side of the table and the willingness for the at-fault driver/insurance company to admit liability, among many other factors. With that being said, we strive to settle cases as quickly as possible so that you can be restored, as much as the system allows, back to how you were before the accident.

Predicting the trial value of any Louisiana personal injury case is impossible because there are too many factors that can affect the value of a case. Your attorney can only give you a general idea of the value of your case based on cases we have handled with similar injuries and through quantum studies. That said, our lawyers generally are able to give our clients a settlement range that they can reasonably expect after we have reviewed the client’s personal injury case.

In Louisiana, uninsured/underinsured motorist (UI/UIM) coverage applies in two general situations: Uninsured: The at-fault driver has no liability insurance at all. Underinsured: The at-fault driver has insufficient liability insurance limits. Essentially uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage is insurance coverage that covers your accident just as your liability insurance provides compensation for the people that you might injure through careless driving. This coverage typically extends to family members who live with you and anyone who is injured in your vehicle.

Personal injury is a broad term that means any kind of accident that leads to bodily injury. Check here for the specific areas of Personal Injury our law office focuses on representing.

Damages in a Louisiana personal injury case consist of three primary categories: medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This money is intended to restore your loss and is generally not subject to federal or state taxation. If the party was under the influence of alcohol, you can then recover for punitive damages as additional punishment, which can sometimes be large in sum. Contact us for more details.

A: To recover damages as a result of an accident or medical malpractice in Louisiana you must have suffered an injury to your person or property as the result of someone else’s negligence. The person or company who caused the harm must be at fault for the accident.

It’s not enough that the other person was ticketed for the accident. The at-fault party’s insurance company has a right, which they typically exercise, to investigate an accident on their own and choose whether or not they will voluntarily pay for the damages. Medical malpractice is different.

Not only must the medical professional be at fault, but Louisiana has also enacted the Medical Malpractice Act which requires the complaining party to assert such claim within 1 year to a medical review panel. Only after presenting the case to the medical review panel can you then file suit. The MMA also limits recovery to $500,000.

You will meet with our team to discuss together what would be best for you and your family. The decision will ultimately be your decision to make. Our team will certainly advise you throughout the process and, through our experience, help you make the best decision for you and your case.

In Louisiana, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is one year from the date of the accident. For medical malpractice, the period is a bit tricky. You should consult with a lawyer ASAP after an incident so that you can preserve your right to be made whole.

No. You pay only if and when your case is resolved favorably. The Burrell Firm LLC deals with personal injury cases on a 100% contingency fee basis. Our law firm is compensated only if we obtain a financial recovery for you.