How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Calcasieu Parish?

For injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years from the date of injury to file under [La. C.C. Art. 3493.1](https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=1386443). For injuries before that date, the prior one-year deadline applies under [La. C.C. Art. 3492](https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=110515). Product liability claims keep a one-year prescriptive period regardless of the injury date. Some exceptions extend these deadlines. The discovery rule applies when an injury was not apparent at first. The deadline is tolled for claimants under age 18. Claims against the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the City of Lake Charles, or a state agency follow the same two-year prescriptive period, but once suit is filed [La. R.S. 13:5107(D)](https://codes.findlaw.com/la/revised-statutes/la-rev-stat-tit-13-sect-5107/) requires service of citation to be requested within 90 days of filing. Because a Calcasieu Parish suit that misses prescription is usually dismissed even when liability is clear, the safer course is to consult counsel promptly rather than assume time remains.

What if I was partly at fault for the accident?

For accidents occurring on or after January 1, 2026, Louisiana applies a 51% bar under [La. C.C. Art. 2323](https://www.legis.la.gov/legis/Law.aspx?d=109387). If you are 50% or less at fault, you recover your damages reduced by your fault percentage. If you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. For accidents before January 1, 2026, pure comparative fault applies and your damages are reduced by your percentage no matter how high it runs. Fault is allocated on the evidence, so partial fault does not automatically end your claim. Early investigation and documentation produce a more accurate account of what happened.

What happens if the driver who hit me had no insurance or too little?

Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may be your primary source of recovery. Louisiana requires insurers to offer UM coverage, but a driver can reject it in writing, and many people have without realizing it. Pull the declarations page for every policy in your household and confirm whether UM/UIM was accepted and at what limits. If you were in a commercial vehicle, rideshare, or bus, that vehicle's insurer may add coverage. Counsel can identify every available source before treatment bills force an early settlement.

My case involves an industrial plant or a maritime job. What changes?

Calcasieu Parish injuries often arise on petrochemical sites, refineries, and waterborne work along the Calcasieu Ship Channel, and those settings carry rules beyond ordinary negligence. When a third party's negligence causes a workplace injury, [La. R.S. 23:1101](https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=83361) preserves your right to pursue a civil claim against that party in addition to workers compensation. Maritime workers may have rights under the federal Jones Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act rather than state workers compensation. Which body of law governs depends on where you worked and your status, so an early review of the facts matters.

My case involves the City of Lake Charles or a state road. What changes?

Suing a government defendant does not shorten your deadline. The general two-year prescriptive period applies to claims against the City of Lake Charles, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, or a state agency such as [LaDOTD](https://www.dotd.la.gov/); Louisiana imposes no pre-suit notice of claim and no pre-suit review process for these ordinary tort claims. The 90-day rule comes later. Under [La. R.S. 13:5107(D)](https://codes.findlaw.com/la/revised-statutes/la-rev-stat-tit-13-sect-5107/), once the suit is filed you must request service of citation on the government defendant within 90 days of filing, or the suit may be dismissed without prejudice as to that defendant. If a road defect, a dangerous condition, or a government vehicle contributed to your injury on a Calcasieu Parish road or a state highway, contact an attorney promptly so the claim is filed and served correctly.

Where will my Calcasieu Parish injury case be filed and tried?

Civil injury suits for Calcasieu Parish are filed in the [14th Judicial District Court](https://www.14jdc.org/) at 1001 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles. If the case does not settle, a 12-person Calcasieu Parish jury decides it, and 9 of the 12 jurors must agree to reach a verdict in a civil case. The Calcasieu Parish jury pool is drawn from the parish population, which is its own community distinct from the Cameron Parish or Jefferson Davis Parish pools. Some cases instead proceed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana when federal jurisdiction applies.

Does it cost anything to hire Morris & Dewett?

There is no attorney fee unless the firm recovers compensation for you. The fee is a contingency percentage agreed in writing before representation begins. Court costs and case expenses are advanced by the firm and deducted from the recovery if the case succeeds. The initial consultation is free.

Calcasieu Parish Injury Lawyers

Q: What is the No Pay, No Play rule in Louisiana?

Louisiana's No Pay, No Play law ([La. R.S. 32:866](https://legis.la.gov/Legis/Law.aspx?d=88612)) applies to drivers who carried no automobile insurance at the time of a crash. Since August 1, 2025, an uninsured driver cannot recover the first $100,000 in bodily injury damages or the first $100,000 in property damage, even when the other driver was entirely at fault. Maintaining coverage protects both your legal obligations and your right to recover if you are hurt.

Calcasieu Parish Injury Claims: Where They Are Filed and How They Work

Calcasieu Parish sits in the southwest corner of Louisiana, with Lake Charles as its parish seat and the regional hub for energy, petrochemicals, healthcare, and shipping. If your injury claim does not settle, it is where the case will be tried.

Louisiana is a civil law state, and that distinction shapes how a negligence claim is built. Claims here run on the duty-risk analysis of La. C.C. Art. 2315, not the common law framework used in most other states. You must establish duty, the scope of the risk, breach, causation, and damages, each on the evidence.

Civil injury suits for Calcasieu Parish are filed in the 14th Judicial District Court at 1001 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles. The Fourteenth Judicial District serves Calcasieu Parish alone. Crashes south of the parish line in Cameron Parish are filed in the 38th Judicial District Court in Cameron instead, so the parish line is also a courthouse line.

Serving Calcasieu Parish

Served from our Lake Charles office.

4865 Ihles Road
Lake Charles, LA 70605

337-242-3138

Open 24/7 for injured Calcasieu Parish residents

Get directions →

What Types of Cases We Handle in Calcasieu Parish

Morris & Dewett represents clients in Calcasieu Parish and the surrounding parishes in cases involving:

Wrongful death claims for Calcasieu Parish families proceed under La. C.C. Art. 2315.2, which lets surviving spouses, children, and other named relatives recover for their own losses. Defective-product claims run under the Louisiana Products Liability Act, La. R.S. 9:2800.52, which sets the exclusive theories against a manufacturer.

Most Calcasieu Parish injury cases stay in state court at the 14th JDC. Federal court in the Western District of Louisiana, which holds court in Lake Charles, takes jurisdiction when the parties are citizens of different states and the amount in dispute exceeds $75,000, or when a federal statute controls. Maritime cases tied to the Calcasieu Ship Channel can also reach federal court. Morris & Dewett handles cases in both the Fourteenth Judicial District Court and the Western District, depending on the facts of the claim.

What We Handle

Calcasieu Parish Practice Areas

The corridors that move Calcasieu Parish traffic also generate its crash volume. I-10 runs east to west through Lake Charles, carrying freight between Houston and Baton Rouge and crossing the Calcasieu River on the high-rise bridge that funnels the parish’s heaviest traffic. I-210 loops south of the interstate through Lake Charles and Sulphur, serving commuter and commercial traffic between the two cities. U.S. 90 and the surface routes through the industrial corridor carry plant traffic and tankers. Each corridor presents a different injury profile, from high-speed interstate truck collisions on I-10 to intersection crashes on the I-210 loop.

The parish economy widens the range of injury contexts. Calcasieu Parish anchors one of the largest petrochemical and industrial concentrations in the country, with refineries, liquefied natural gas terminals, and chemical plants clustered along the Calcasieu Ship Channel between Lake Charles and the Gulf. Maritime and dock work on the channel adds a second layer of hazardous employment, and gaming and hospitality along the lakefront contribute commercial premises activity. When a third party’s negligence causes a workplace injury, La. R.S. 23:1101 preserves the right to pursue a civil claim against that party in addition to workers compensation benefits. Injuries to maritime workers may instead fall under the federal Jones Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, depending on the worker’s status and where the work occurred.

Proving Negligence in Louisiana

To recover, you must prove the defendant was negligent. Louisiana’s duty-risk analysis requires five elements, and each must be established with evidence.

Duty. The defendant owed you a legal duty of care. Drivers owe a duty to others on the road. Property owners owe a duty to lawful visitors.

Scope of the risk. Your injury fell within the range of harm the duty was meant to guard against.

Breach. The defendant failed to meet the duty. Running a red light on Ryan Street is a breach. Leaving a wet floor unmarked in a Sulphur store is a breach.

Causation. The breach caused your injury. The connection between the conduct and the harm must be shown.

Damages. You suffered actual harm. Without measurable injury or loss, there is no compensable claim.

Negligence Per Se

When a defendant violated a safety statute and that violation caused your injury, the violation can establish duty and breach without separate proof. Traffic violations are the common example: a driver who ran a signal and struck you supplies the duty and breach, and the focus shifts to causation and damages.

Government and Premises Claims

Some Calcasieu Parish injuries involve a government defendant rather than a private one. If the City of Lake Charles, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, or LaDOTD contributed to your injury through a road defect, a dangerous condition, or a government vehicle, the general two-year prescriptive period still governs; Louisiana requires no pre-suit notice of claim for these ordinary tort claims. The 90-day requirement is procedural and applies after filing: under La. R.S. 13:5107(D), service of citation on the government defendant must be requested within 90 days of commencing the suit, or it may be dismissed without prejudice as to that defendant.

Louisiana’s Comparative Fault Law and the 51% Bar

Louisiana follows comparative fault, the rule that divides responsibility when more than one party contributed to an accident.

For causes of action arising on or after January 1, 2026, the state applies a modified comparative fault system under La. C.C. Art. 2323, enacted by Act 15 of the 2025 Regular Session (HB 431). If you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. If you are 50% or less at fault, your damages are reduced by your percentage of fault.

In practice: say you were 20% at fault and your total damages are $100,000. You recover $80,000. At 51% fault, you recover zero.

That one-percentage-point line between 50% and 51% separates partial recovery from no recovery. Insurance carriers now have a direct financial incentive to argue you were more than half at fault, because pushing your share past 50% does not just shrink the payout, it eliminates it. Documentation, early investigation, and evidence preservation carry more weight in a Calcasieu Parish case because of this rule.

For injuries before January 1, 2026, pure comparative fault applies, and your damages are reduced by your fault percentage no matter how high it is.

Representative Results

$409 Million Wrongful Death

A tragic case where an impaired driver of a commercial vehicle ran a red light, then collided with our client, causing serious bodily injury to the mother and the loss of life of her daughter.

$49 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

An impaired driver of a stolen vehicle driving the wrong way collided with our client head-on, resulting in brain injury and multiple broken bones.

$32.2 Million Industrial / Workplace

Failure to maintain proper safety protocols led to an explosion at an industrial plant causing a series of catastrophic injuries from broken bones, burns, spinal injury, and mental anguish.

$31.5 Million Industrial / Workplace

Brain and spinal injuries followed an oil-field company failing to maintain equipment and provide a safe work site.

$17.2 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

Client was struck head-on by a disconnected load of an 18-wheeler that crossed the median causing broken bones and amputation.

$13 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

On the interstate, an 18-wheeler failed to yield right of way then made an unsafe lane change causing the accident which resulted in major bone breaks, damaged organs, and ultimately a leg amputation.

$12.1 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

A commercial vehicle failed to stop at a red light subsequently crashing into our client causing serious brain injury and permanent loss of function.

$7 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

When the other vehicle struck our client, the result was a major hemorrhage and a stroke.

$7 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

An 18-wheeler cut across traffic on an illegal left turn and hit our client, who suffered neck and back injuries.

$6.2 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

A fatigued commercial-vehicle driver fell asleep at the wheel and rear-ended our client, leaving our client with severe neck and back injuries.

$5 Million Wrongful Death

A hydraulic line exploded at a job site, taking the life of our client's loved one.

$4 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

Our client's vehicle was struck by the at-fault vehicle, resulting in neck and back injuries.

$3.2 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

While our client was stopped, the at-fault driver rear-ended our client's vehicle and set it on fire, leaving our client seriously hurt.

$3.1 Million Wrongful Death

An 18-wheeler caused a fatal collision that took the life of our client's loved one.

$3 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

A commercial vehicle struck and killed our client's loved one, who was on foot.

$3 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

Out on the highway, the at-fault driver hit our client.

$2.9 Million Motor Vehicle Accident

Our client was rear-ended by the other driver and seriously injured.

$2.8 Million Commercial Vehicle Accident

On the highway, an unsecured load came off an 18-wheeler and struck our client's vehicle, causing orthopedic injuries.

Past results do not guarantee future outcomes; each case is decided on its own facts. See our full case results.

Louisiana Tort Reform: What Changed and When

Louisiana’s personal injury law changed substantially between 2024 and 2026. Here is what directly affects Calcasieu Parish claims.

Filing deadline. For injuries on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years to file suit (La. C.C. Art. 3493.1), enacted by Act 423 of the 2024 session. This replaced the one-year deadline in place since 1825. Product liability claims keep the one-year prescriptive period. Injuries before July 1, 2024 remain governed by the one-year rule. A prescriptive period is the legal filing deadline, and a Calcasieu Parish suit filed after it runs is usually dismissed even when liability is strong.

No Pay, No Play. Since August 1, 2025, a driver who carried no automobile insurance at the time of a crash cannot recover the first $100,000 in bodily injury damages or the first $100,000 in property damage, even if the crash was not their fault (La. R.S. 32:866).

Causation standard. For injuries on or after May 28, 2025, the absence of prior similar symptoms no longer creates a presumption that the accident caused the injury (La. Code Evid. Art. 306.1). Medical or expert testimony is now required on causation, so prompt and documented treatment matters more than before.

Medical expense recovery. For causes of action on or after January 1, 2026, recovery of past medical expenses is limited to amounts actually paid by your health insurer or Medicare plus your out-of-pocket costs (La. R.S. 9:2800.27).

Seat belt evidence. Since January 1, 2021, failure to wear a seat belt is admissible in civil cases and can support a comparative fault argument.

These changes apply prospectively. The law that governs your claim depends on when your injury occurred.

Damages You May Recover

If negligence is established, two main categories of damages are available.

Economic damages are measurable financial losses backed by bills, pay records, and repair estimates.

Past and future medical costs
Rehabilitation costs
Lost wages and income
Lost earning capacity
Property damage

Non-economic damages compensate for human harm that carries no fixed bill.

Pain and suffering
Mental anguish
Emotional distress
Loss of enjoyment of life
Loss of consortium and companionship

Punitive damages are a separate category aimed at punishment, not compensation. In Louisiana they apply only in narrow circumstances, such as DWI crashes and certain other statutory cases, and are not available in ordinary negligence claims.

There is no statutory cap on damages in general personal injury cases in Louisiana. Medical malpractice cases carry a separate $500,000 cap under La. R.S. 40:1231.2, which does not apply to car accidents, truck accidents, premises liability, or other general tort claims.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage

Approximately 12% of Louisiana drivers carry no automobile insurance, according to Insurance Research Council data, roughly one in eight on Calcasieu Parish roads. Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is the part of your own policy that pays when the at-fault driver has none. Underinsured motorist (UIM) coverage activates when the at-fault driver’s insurance is not enough to cover your damages.

Louisiana requires insurers to offer UM coverage, and you can reject it in writing. Many drivers have rejected it without understanding what they gave up.

If an uninsured driver injured you, review your own policy before concluding there is no recovery. The fastest practical step is to pull the declarations page for every policy in your household, then confirm in writing whether UM/UIM was accepted and at what limits. That documentation helps your lawyer find available coverage before bills and lost wages push you toward an early low settlement.

Common Injuries

Physical injuries in these cases range from soft tissue damage to catastrophic harm. Common injuries include:

Not every injury shows at the scene. Concussion, internal bleeding, and disc injuries can develop over days, so prompt medical evaluation matters regardless of how you feel immediately after a crash. Burns and chemical-exposure injuries from the parish’s industrial sites can also worsen over the hours after the incident.

Psychological injuries are recognized under Louisiana law. Anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and adjustment disorder can follow a serious accident and require diagnosis and documentation from a licensed mental health professional to support a claim.

Your Calcasieu Parish Injury Attorneys

Founding partners Trey Morris and Justin Dewett lead every Calcasieu Parish injury case Morris & Dewett takes.

What to Do After an Accident in Calcasieu Parish

1. Get medical attention

Seek evaluation even if you do not believe you were seriously hurt.
Records from the date of the accident are important evidence.
Attend all follow-up appointments and follow your doctor’s instructions.

Prompt treatment protects your health and creates dated records that tie the accident to your injuries. Gaps in treatment are among the first things an insurer uses to challenge a claim. Lake Charles Memorial Hospital operates the parish’s Level III trauma center, and CHRISTUS Ochsner St. Patrick Hospital provides emergency care in Lake Charles; the most severe trauma is sometimes transferred to a higher-level center.

2. Report the incident

In a car accident, call the police.
In a workplace injury, notify your supervisor in writing.
A formal report documents that the accident occurred.

A police report is among the first documents your attorney will request. It establishes that the accident happened, identifies the at-fault driver, records any citations, and captures the responding officer’s assessment. The Louisiana State Police work crashes on the interstates and state highways through Calcasieu Parish, including I-10, I-210, and U.S. 90; city streets in Lake Charles fall to the Lake Charles Police Department, and unincorporated parish roads to the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office.

3. Gather evidence

Photograph the scene, your injuries, and the property damage if you are able.
Collect witness names and contact information.

4. Consult an attorney before speaking to the other side’s insurer

Adjusters may contact you quickly after a crash.
Their goal is to resolve the claim for as little as possible.
A recorded statement given before you understand your injuries can be used against you.
An attorney can advise you before that conversation happens.

5. Track deadlines and preserve documents

Save towing invoices, pharmacy receipts, mileage logs, and every insurer letter or email in one place.
Ask your providers for complete records and itemized billing, not just visit summaries.
Early organization helps your lawyer value damages and avoid preventable deadline mistakes.

Why the 14th Judicial District Matters for Your Case

Calcasieu Parish civil injury cases that go to trial are heard in the 14th Judicial District Court at 1001 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles. A civil jury seats 12 people, and 9 of the 12 must agree to return a verdict.

The Calcasieu Parish jury pool is drawn from the parish population, a different community than the Cameron Parish pool to the south or the Jefferson Davis Parish pool to the east. The demographics, community context, and local knowledge jurors bring differ across parishes, and an attorney who understands the Calcasieu Parish pool has a practical advantage in deciding how to frame a case. The 14th JDC also carries its own local rules, case management procedures, and judicial assignments, which come from working in that courthouse rather than from a statute book.

Why Choose Morris & Dewett

Morris & Dewett Injury Lawyers handles personal injury cases in Calcasieu Parish, Cameron Parish, and throughout Southwest Louisiana. The firm represents clients injured in car and truck crashes, on industrial and petrochemical sites, and in maritime work along the Calcasieu Ship Channel.

The firm is a member of the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, a national organization that recognizes trial attorneys for significant case results. View our case results to weigh the track record for yourself.

Morris & Dewett represents personal injury clients on a contingency fee basis. There is no attorney fee unless the firm recovers compensation for you. The fee percentage is agreed in writing at the outset, and court costs are advanced by the firm and deducted from the recovery. The initial consultation is free. If you want to talk through your case, contact us.

What clients say

★★★★★
I hired Morris and Dewett back in November of 2025.
They helped me get through my hard times of being off work, stress, and worry. Anytime I had a question I could call and they always had an answer. Very nice and professtional people. Thank you Morris and Dewett for making this an easy process for me and my family.
jonathan ChandlerShreveport Office · Jun. 27, 2026
★★★★★
Morris and Dewett and their team of attorneys and staff go above and beyond.
They always were there to support me and answer all my questions after a shoulder injury that included multiple surgeries. They are caring and compassionate and that goes a long way! Highly recommended!
Carolyn LawsonMinden Office · Jun. 26, 2026
★★★★★
Thanks Morris and Dewett for the excellent work you have done on my behalf.
I want to personally thank Sarah for her kindness.
Lydell ScottCovington Office · Jun. 18, 2026
★★★★★
Morris & Dewett does things the right way!
They put their clients first in measurable and impactful ways.
Brooke BirkeyRuston Office · Jun. 11, 2026
★★★★★
First time being injured and needing a lawyer they where very helpful.
They answered my questions Id have very well. Highly recommend them.
Sarah StarlingLake Charles Office · Jun. 5, 2026
★★★★★
Wonderful experience with Morris and DeWitt, everyone was articulate and punctual, and open to all my questions about the process.
My case couldn't have been handled by a better team! Caity Nerren, Jessica Christian, and Meghan Nolen were all fantastic and helped every step of the way. Thanks again for all of your hard work.
Taylor ThorneShreveport Office · Jun. 20, 2026

Reviews reflect individual client experiences. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

How to Request Records in Calcasieu Parish

The hospitals, police agencies, and courts that serve a Calcasieu Parish injury claim are mapped in the sections above, beside the steps where you need them. This is how to pull the documents those agencies hold.

Accident reports. The Lake Charles Police Department releases reports for city crashes; allow a few business days after the crash. The Louisiana State Police, which work crashes on I-10, I-210, U.S. 90, and other state highways, post reports at crashreports.dps.la.gov, typically 10 to 15 business days after the crash. For unincorporated parish roads, the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office records division handles the request. If you are unsure which agency responded, your attorney can obtain the report once you provide the date, location, and names of the parties.

Court filings. Civil suits are filed with the 14th Judicial District Court for Calcasieu Parish at 1001 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles; civil filings run through the Calcasieu Parish Clerk of Court at 1000 Ryan Street. Crashes in Cameron Parish file instead in the 38th Judicial District Court in Cameron.

Driving records. Driving and vehicle-registration records come from the Louisiana OMV ExpressLane portal. A defendant’s prior violation history can be relevant evidence in some cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do I have to file a personal injury lawsuit in Calcasieu Parish?: For injuries occurring on or after July 1, 2024, you have two years from the date of injury to file under La. C.C. Art. 3493.1. For injuries before that date, the prior one-year deadline applies under La. C.C. Art. 3492. Product liability claims keep a one-year prescriptive period regardless of the injury date. Some exceptions extend these deadlines. The discovery rule applies when an injury was not apparent at first. The deadline is tolled for claimants under age 18. Claims against the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, the City of Lake Charles, or a state agency follow the same two-year prescriptive period, but once suit is filed La. R.S. 13:5107(D) requires service of citation to be requested within 90 days of filing. Because a Calcasieu Parish suit that misses prescription is usually dismissed even when liability is clear, the safer course is to consult counsel promptly rather than assume time remains.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?: For accidents occurring on or after January 1, 2026, Louisiana applies a 51% bar under La. C.C. Art. 2323. If you are 50% or less at fault, you recover your damages reduced by your fault percentage. If you are 51% or more at fault, you recover nothing. For accidents before January 1, 2026, pure comparative fault applies and your damages are reduced by your percentage no matter how high it runs. Fault is allocated on the evidence, so partial fault does not automatically end your claim. Early investigation and documentation produce a more accurate account of what happened.
What happens if the driver who hit me had no insurance or too little?: Your own uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may be your primary source of recovery. Louisiana requires insurers to offer UM coverage, but a driver can reject it in writing, and many people have without realizing it. Pull the declarations page for every policy in your household and confirm whether UM/UIM was accepted and at what limits. If you were in a commercial vehicle, rideshare, or bus, that vehicle's insurer may add coverage. Counsel can identify every available source before treatment bills force an early settlement.
What is the No Pay, No Play rule in Louisiana?: Louisiana's No Pay, No Play law (La. R.S. 32:866) applies to drivers who carried no automobile insurance at the time of a crash. Since August 1, 2025, an uninsured driver cannot recover the first $100,000 in bodily injury damages or the first $100,000 in property damage, even when the other driver was entirely at fault. Maintaining coverage protects both your legal obligations and your right to recover if you are hurt.
My case involves an industrial plant or a maritime job. What changes?: Calcasieu Parish injuries often arise on petrochemical sites, refineries, and waterborne work along the Calcasieu Ship Channel, and those settings carry rules beyond ordinary negligence. When a third party's negligence causes a workplace injury, La. R.S. 23:1101 preserves your right to pursue a civil claim against that party in addition to workers compensation. Maritime workers may have rights under the federal Jones Act or the Longshore and Harbor Workers' Compensation Act rather than state workers compensation. Which body of law governs depends on where you worked and your status, so an early review of the facts matters.
My case involves the City of Lake Charles or a state road. What changes?: Suing a government defendant does not shorten your deadline. The general two-year prescriptive period applies to claims against the City of Lake Charles, the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, or a state agency such as LaDOTD; Louisiana imposes no pre-suit notice of claim and no pre-suit review process for these ordinary tort claims. The 90-day rule comes later. Under La. R.S. 13:5107(D), once the suit is filed you must request service of citation on the government defendant within 90 days of filing, or the suit may be dismissed without prejudice as to that defendant. If a road defect, a dangerous condition, or a government vehicle contributed to your injury on a Calcasieu Parish road or a state highway, contact an attorney promptly so the claim is filed and served correctly.
Where will my Calcasieu Parish injury case be filed and tried?: Civil injury suits for Calcasieu Parish are filed in the 14th Judicial District Court at 1001 Lakeshore Drive in Lake Charles. If the case does not settle, a 12-person Calcasieu Parish jury decides it, and 9 of the 12 jurors must agree to reach a verdict in a civil case. The Calcasieu Parish jury pool is drawn from the parish population, which is its own community distinct from the Cameron Parish or Jefferson Davis Parish pools. Some cases instead proceed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana when federal jurisdiction applies.
Does it cost anything to hire Morris & Dewett?: There is no attorney fee unless the firm recovers compensation for you. The fee is a contingency percentage agreed in writing before representation begins. Court costs and case expenses are advanced by the firm and deducted from the recovery if the case succeeds. The initial consultation is free.