An automobile accident can leave you dealing with physical pain, medical appointments, vehicle damage, missed work, and uncertainty about how your expenses will be paid.
At Marino & Ehle, LLC, we understand that recovery involves more than resolving an insurance claim. Injured clients may need appropriate medical care, reliable information, and help managing the legal and financial problems caused by the accident.
Our attorneys handle select automobile-accident and personal-injury cases in Jefferson Parish and the greater New Orleans area. We investigate the accident, communicate with insurers, identify available insurance coverage, document the client’s losses, and pursue fair compensation so that the client can focus on recovery.
Marino & Ehle, LLC represents clients in appropriate cases involving:
Every case is different. The available claims and sources of recovery depend on how the accident occurred, who was at fault, the nature of the injuries, and the insurance coverage available.
Your health and safety should come first. Seek emergency care when necessary and obtain medical attention promptly if you are experiencing pain or other symptoms.
When possible, you should also:
Some injuries are not fully apparent immediately after an accident. A quick settlement before the nature and extent of an injury are known may fail to account for future treatment, lost earnings, or continuing limitations.
Prompt medical attention is important both for your health and for documenting the injuries caused by the accident.
Depending on the injuries, treatment may involve:
Marino & Ehle, LLC can help clients understand how medical bills may be addressed through health insurance, medical-payments coverage, liability insurance, or other available sources.
We can also help identify medical providers when a client does not already have appropriate care. The treatment itself must remain based on the client’s medical needs and the independent judgment of qualified healthcare professionals.
After an accident, an insurance adjuster may contact you quickly and request:
The adjuster may appear helpful, but the insurance company is evaluating the claim for its own financial interests. An early offer may be made before the full extent of the injuries, medical expenses, lost earnings, or available insurance coverage is known.
Before accepting a settlement, important questions include:
Once a valid settlement and release are signed, the injured person may be unable to seek additional compensation even if the injuries later prove more serious than expected.
Responsibility for an accident is not always assigned entirely to one person.
For accidents governed by Louisiana’s current comparative-fault law, an injured person who is found to be 51% or more at fault is not entitled to recover damages. If the injured person is less than 51% at fault, compensation may still be recovered, but it is reduced according to the percentage of fault assigned to that person.
For example, if an injured person has $100,000 in proven damages but is found 20% at fault, the recoverable damages may be reduced by 20%.
Insurance companies may attempt to shift fault to the injured person by arguing that the person:
Because fault can directly affect whether compensation is available and how much may be recovered, evidence concerning the accident should be preserved promptly.
A thorough investigation may include:
Video may be erased, vehicles may be repaired, and witnesses’ memories may fade. Early involvement gives the attorney a better opportunity to locate and preserve important evidence.
Depending on the facts of the case, an injured person may seek compensation for:
The value of a case depends on the evidence, the nature and duration of the injuries, the effect on the client’s life and employment, the degree of fault, and the amount of collectible insurance or other assets available.
No attorney should promise a specific result before the evidence and damages have been fully evaluated.
Many automobile-accident claims are resolved through negotiated settlements without a trial. A settlement may occur before a lawsuit is filed, during litigation, at mediation, or shortly before trial.
A negotiated settlement can provide certainty and avoid the delay and risk of trial. However, settlement is appropriate only when the client understands the value of the claim, the available insurance coverage, the effect of any medical liens, and the rights being released.
When a fair resolution cannot be reached, filing a lawsuit may be necessary.
Litigation may involve:
Preparing the case as though it may proceed to trial can improve the attorney’s ability to evaluate settlement offers and respond to disputed issues of fault and damages.
Louisiana law imposes deadlines for bringing personal-injury claims.
For injuries or damage sustained on or after July 1, 2024, ordinary delictual actions are generally subject to a two-year prescriptive period beginning on the date the injury or damage is sustained. Different deadlines, transition rules, and exceptions may apply depending on the date and circumstances of the accident.
A claim against a governmental body, a claim involving an out-of-state defendant, or another unusual circumstance may involve additional notice or procedural requirements.
You should not wait until the filing deadline approaches. Important evidence can disappear long before the right to file suit expires.
The other driver’s basic liability policy may not be the only potential source of recovery.
Depending on the facts, coverage may be available through:
Identifying all available insurance can be especially important when the injuries are serious or the at-fault driver has minimal coverage.
When a driver was working at the time of the collision, the employer may have legal responsibility under certain circumstances.
Commercial cases may involve:
These claims may involve larger insurance policies and additional evidence concerning employment, training, supervision, vehicle maintenance, and company safety procedures.
A fatal automobile accident may give qualifying family members the right to bring wrongful-death and survival claims.
These cases may involve compensation for losses such as:
Wrongful-death cases require careful attention to which family members have the legal right to bring the claim and the deadlines governing the action.
When Marino & Ehle, LLC accepts an automobile-accident case, our work may include:
Clients receive direct guidance about the process, the strengths and weaknesses of the claim, and the available options.
Joseph A. Marino III and Davidson S. Ehle III bring decades of combined experience negotiating with attorneys, insurers, and other parties involved in contested legal matters.
Although criminal defense remains the principal focus of Marino & Ehle, LLC, the firm handles select automobile-accident and personal-injury cases in which its experience, personal attention, and courtroom background can benefit the client.
We understand that an injury claim is not simply a file or claim number. It involves a real person dealing with pain, disrupted work, medical treatment, damaged property, and uncertainty about the future.
If you have been injured in an automobile accident in Jefferson Parish or the greater New Orleans area, seek medical attention and obtain legal advice before signing a release or accepting a final settlement.
Contact Marino & Ehle, LLC at (504) 362-0666 for a confidential consultation with attorneys Joseph A. Marino III and Davidson S. Ehle III.
There is no fee for the initial personal-injury consultation. Attorney fees and case expenses should be explained in a written representation agreement before the firm is retained.
Past results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every claim depends on its own facts, injuries, evidence, insurance coverage, and applicable law.
Davidson Ehle is a seasoned AV-rated trial attorney recognized for criminal defense victories, appellate advocacy, and respected leadership in the Jefferson Parish bar.
