A passenger vehicle weighs thousands of pounds, is made from components that can break into jagged pieces if they sustain substantial damage, and runs on fuel and other flammable and potentially explosive substances. Operating such a machine is inherently dangerous. Everyone who drives must obey traffic laws, pay attention to their surroundings, and act responsible behind the wheel.
Experienced personal injury attorneys recognize that one driver’s misconduct can lead to other innocent motorists and pedestrians suffering life-altering injuries. If you have been hurt in a wreck because of someone else’s fault, a Ponchatoula car accident lawyer from Tomeny | Best could assist you in navigating the complex legal system and ensure your rights are protected.
Proving Another Driver’s Fault for a Wreck
A driver’s responsibility to act lawfully and carefully while driving is known in legal terms as a duty of care. Someone who commits a traffic violation, drives distracted or intoxicated, or acts irresponsibly behind the wheel has breached this duty. If a driver breaches their duty and causes a collision that injures someone else, then the accident meets all the criteria for legal negligence, and it may be possible for the injured person to file a civil suit over the wreck.
The above was a brief explanation of how negligence works. Successfully building a civil case against another person based on negligence could require extensive evidence from multiple sources. A knowledgeable car accident attorney in Ponchatoula could help gather, preserve, and effectively use witness testimony, police reports, traffic camera footage, and more in pursuit of a fair financial recovery.
Navigating Legal and Procedural Roadblocks
Legal counsel could also help proactively prove that an injured person did not act negligently to cause or unnecessarily worsen their injuries. This can sometimes be critical to case success because of the pure comparative fault system outlined in Louisiana Civil Code §2323, which allows a civil court to assign a percentage of fault to an injured person for their role in causing their injuries. This system reduces the compensation awarded based on the degree of fault assigned by that same percentage.
Another potential obstacle is the statute of limitations codified under Louisiana Civil Code §3493.1, which grants most people injured by another’s negligence a maximum of two years to file suit against that negligent person, starting from the date of their initial injury. Without assistance from a qualified lawyer handling auto accident cases in Ponchatoula, getting paid fairly for all losses resulting from such mishaps within this strictly enforced deadline could be challenging.
Seek Help From a Competent Ponchatoula Car Collision Attorney Today
Traffic collisions are one of the most common causes of personal injury in our country. However, that does not mean filing a civil lawsuit over a car crash is always easy, even if it is evident that a specific other person is to blame for your harm.
Fortunately, a seasoned Ponchatoula car accident lawyer could work tirelessly and tenaciously to secure the compensation you deserve for your injuries and damages. Call Tomeny | Best today for a free initial consultation to discuss your case and potential next steps.
