If you lost a loved one in a crash, Louisiana law may allow you to pursue compensation and get justice on their behalf. Our team helps families whose loved ones died in traffic accidents build wrongful death cases and hold the at-fault drivers legally responsible. A Lake Charles fatal accident lawyer from the Morris Bart law firm is here to help you understand your rights.

Trust a Lake Charles car accident lawyer from our team with your Calcasieu Parish wrongful death case. We provide free initial consultations with an attorney so you can learn more.

Victims’ Families Recover Damages for Lake Charles Fatal Accidents

The state’s wrongful death law, La. Civ. Code Art. 2315.2, allows certain immediate family members to seek and receive compensation after their loved one dies because of a careless or reckless driver. At the same time, they can seek additional damages through a survival action under La. Civ. Code Art. 2315.1.

Our attorneys use these laws to pursue economic and non-economic damages for our clients. Depending on the case facts, this could include:

Medical bills related to the accident, their injuries, and death
Funeral and burial costs
Loss of future income
Loss of benefits
Loss of inheritance
Loss of services
Loss of companionship
Loss of consortium
Pain and suffering and emotional anguish

For a free legal consultation with a Fatal Accident lawyer serving Lake Charles, call 800-537-8185

Morris Bart Serves Families Who Lost Loved Ones in Lake Charles Crashes

At the Morris Bart law office in Lake Charles, our attorneys know how to pursue fair payouts for clients who lost loved ones in fatal collisions. We understand the importance of developing strong support for claims by investigating what happened and gathering evidence to build a compelling case.

If you lost a loved one in a Lake Charles crash, you do not have to navigate the claims process alone. Our attorneys and team members understand that you need to focus on other things in life right now. We will handle your legal claim or lawsuit while you spend time with your family, mourn your loved one, and return to work.

For more than 40 years, our team has fought to protect our clients’ rights and get the best possible outcome in their cases. Today, we have 16 offices to serve you. We provide legal services and representation in all areas of four states across the Gulf South. This includes:

Louisiana
Alabama
Arkansas
Mississippi

Our attorneys provided representation and recovered compensation for more than 5,600 clients in 2022. This included a wide range of serious and catastrophic crash injury recoveries and numerous fatal collision cases. We know what it takes to recover money for our clients.

The Morris Bart law firm handles fatal accident cases based on contingency fees. We charge a percentage of the total payout in the case as our attorney’s fees. Our clients never need to pay a retainer or other upfront costs. This ensures all who want to hire our team can get the representation and support they deserve. We will not charge any attorney’s fees if we do not win your case.

Louisiana Law Limits Who Files Wrongful Death Lawsuits and Recovers Compensation

Our wrongful death car accident lawyers from the Morris Bart law office in Lake Charles know how these cases work and the laws that outline the process. Under Louisiana law, only certain family members can file a wrongful death action and recover compensation. This includes:

The surviving spouse
Any surviving children
The surviving mother or father, or both, if there is no spouse or children
Any surviving siblings, if there are no parents, children, or spouse
Surviving grandparents, if no closer related relatives exist

Our attorneys help families identify who should represent them as the plaintiff or claimant in these cases. Those closest to the decedent generally suffer the most losses—financially and emotionally—and often recover most or all of the money in these cases.

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Pursuing Compensation Based on Your Loved One’s Lake Charles Fatal Injury Crash

There are two ways we seek and recover compensation for our clients who lost loved ones in these crashes:

File an insurance claim based on the at-fault driver’s auto liability policy and negotiate a fair settlement
File a wrongful death lawsuit and ask the jury to award fair compensation based on a civil trial

Most cases settle out of court. A lawsuit is only sometimes needed, and a jury trial is even rarer. However, our attorneys take the necessary steps to get justice for our clients. We might advise a client to sue the at-fault driver after a fatal accident for several reasons. This could include:

The deadline is approaching
The insurance company will not offer a fair settlement
The insurer will not accept that their policyholder is liable
There are unique details in the case facts that make it a good idea

When we need to sue the liable party in a wrongful death case, we must pay careful attention to the applicable deadline. Louisiana law generally gives families only one year from the victim’s date of death to begin this process. The deadline applies directly to filing the initial paperwork in the parish court to begin the lawsuit.

Exceptions exist to statutes of limitations that could give plaintiffs more or less time to file their complaint to start the suit. Connect with an attorney as soon as possible to ensure you meet all applicable deadlines.

Speak to an Attorney About Your Loved One’s Death for Free Today

At the Morris Bart law firm, we offer free case consultations with a car accident attorney in your area. You can speak to a lawyer about your rights, the next steps, and how our team navigates the process. You do not have to handle your claim on your own.

Questions?Call 800-537-8185
to find a Morris Bart office near you.