If you’re hit by a driver with no insurance, or not enough insurance, what happens next?
Attorney Arlen Braud of Braud & Gallagher explains why Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage is one of the most important protections on your auto policy.
After a crash, many people assume the at-fault driver’s insurance will cover their medical bills and lost wages. But if that driver has no insurance — or only carries the minimum limits — you could be left paying the difference.
That’s where UM/UIM coverage comes in. It can step in to cover:
✔ Medical expenses
✔ Lost wages
✔ Pain and suffering
✔ Other accident-related damages
The right coverage today can make all the difference tomorrow.
To learn more about protecting your rights after a crash, visit our blog: https://www.braudandgallagher.com/blog/
If you’re applying for an offshore or maritime job, chances are you’re eager to get to work. Many people walk into an office, rush through the paperwork, and focus on one thing: getting on the boat as quickly as possible. But according to Arlen Braud, attorney at Braud & Gallagher, slowing down during the application process could make a major difference in protecting your rights.
Why Rushing Through Paperwork Can Cost You
Whether you’re applying for a job on a vessel, rig, or any offshore operation, the forms you fill out matter. These documents don’t just determine whether you get hired — they can also affect what happens if you’re injured on the job.
Arlen Braud warns that one of the most common and costly mistakes offshore workers make is failing to disclose old injuries.
Always Disclose Past Injuries — Even Old Ones
Many workers think that injuries from years ago don’t matter. Maybe it was a knee injury from high school football, a shoulder problem from construction work, or a back injury from a car accident when you were younger. Because those injuries feel “long gone,” people often check “no” on the paperwork just to move things along.
That can be a serious mistake.
You should always disclose any prior injuries involving your back, knees, shoulders, or any other part of your body — even if they happened many years ago and don’t bother you today. In most cases, being honest about a past injury will not prevent you from getting hired.
The Real Risk: Losing Your Right to Medical Coverage
The biggest danger of failing to disclose old injuries isn’t losing a job opportunity — it’s losing protection if you get hurt.
If you don’t list a previous injury and later injure that same part of your body while working offshore, the company may argue that the injury was pre-existing. In those situations, they may try to deny maintenance and cure and refuse to pay for your medical treatment.
That could leave you responsible for medical bills, lost wages, and recovery costs — something no offshore worker should face alone.
Your Pre-Employment Physical Matters Too
Your responsibility doesn’t end with the paperwork. During your pre-employment physical, it’s critical that you tell the doctor about any prior injuries, conditions, or recurring issues. This creates a medical record that can help protect you if something happens in the future.
Slow Down, Be Honest, and Protect Yourself
Arlen Braud and the team at Braud & Gallagher encourage offshore workers to take a few extra minutes when applying for a job:
Read every document carefully
Disclose all prior injuries
Be honest during your physical
Keep copies of what you sign
Those small steps can make a major difference in protecting your health, your income, and your legal rights.
Above all, stay safe out there.
Have any additional questions? Call today to schedule an appointment.
After you’ve been injured in an accident, you don’t have any time to waste before the costs start to take their toll. When someone else is to blame for your accident, you may be able to hold them accountable by pursuing legal action against them. One way this can be done is by sending a personal injury demand letter to the liable party and/or their insurance company.
But, there is much that goes into these demand letters, and sending one can offer you some clarity on how long it will take to receive your injury settlement. Continue reading to learn more about what a personal injury demand letter contains and how long it might take for your settlement to be issued.
Components of a Louisiana Personal Injury Demand Letter
Your attorney will be responsible for writing your personal injury demand letter, but you may be wondering what exactly will be contained in yours. Generally speaking, as every case is different, a demand letter starts off by summarizing the events of the accident and confirming liability on the part of the party who will receive your demand letter.
From there, the letter should describe the injuries you sustained, the costs and expenses related to your medical treatment and care, and then detail the various economic and non-pecuniary losses you have endured. Your losses should be quantified at this point so the liable party has a complete understanding of how you and your attorney came to the overall amount you are requesting in the demand letter.
Finally, the demand letter should include supporting documentation of your injuries and losses so the at-fault party can see that you are fully prepared to bring your case to court should they choose to ignore your demand letter or refuse to settle your case.
General Timeline of Events in an Injury Settlement
Once your personal injury demand letter has been sent, the liable party and their counsel or the insurance company will have up to 45 days to respond. They may choose to ignore your letter altogether, or perhaps not even read it, depending on who receives the letter. In this case, a revised demand letter will be sent by your attorney.
This can prolong the amount of time it takes to obtain your injury settlement, and there is no guarantee that they will meet your needs as outlined in your demand letter. For this reason, it may be in your best interests to prepare for court to secure the compensation you may be entitled to.
Reach Out to a Louisiana Personal Injury Lawyer
The personal injury claims process can be quite complex, but when you issue a demand letter, there is a strong possibility that your chances of obtaining an injury settlement you deserve will increase.
You can get in touch with a highly trained Louisiana personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Braud & Gallagher to learn more about seeking compensation for your losses. We can be reached via the submission form located below or by phone at 1-800-256-5674.
If you work on or around the waters of New Orleans, you may be considered a maritime employee. Understanding your maritime employee status will be critical if you are seriously injured at work and will need medical attention of any kind.
Filing a maritime injury claim can be even more complex than a typical personal injury claim, as there are multiple types of maritime employees, each with their own types of benefits. Below, we have described two of the most common mistakes you should avoid when filing your maritime injury case.
1. Filing the Wrong Type of Injury Claim
Due to the fact that there are different types of maritime employees and acts under which you can obtain financial support following a work injury, we often find that injured maritime workers will file a claim under the wrong act. If you want to ensure that you don’t make this mistake, you need to understand which type of maritime employee you are and which act you should file a claim under.
Maritime employees are broken up into two categories: seamen and other maritime employees, like harbor workers, shipyard workers, longshoremen, and those who work on oil rigs. Injured seamen are protected by the Jones Act, while other maritime employees can collect benefits under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA).
It is often easier to obtain benefits under the Jones Act, as the burden of proof essentially states that if a ship is deemed unseaworthy as a result of an injury, the injured seaman will be entitled to benefits. LHWCA benefits are similar to workers compensation benefits, except only maritime employees can obtain benefits under this act.
2. Misunderstanding Your Benefits as a Maritime Worker
The other mistake that is commonly made is for the injured maritime employee to misunderstand what benefits they are entitled to, which makes sense, since many claimants make the mistake of filing a claim under the wrong act for their maritime injuries.
Jones Act recipients are entitled to all of the same types of losses that someone filing a personal injury claim would potentially be able to recover, such as pain and suffering, diminished quality of life, and lost income, to name a few.
In addition to these losses, injured seamen are also entitled to what is known as maintenance and cure. Cure refers to the complete coverage of your injury-related medical expenses, and maintenance consists of your living expenses, including rent or mortgage payments, groceries, and utilities, among other costs.
This is different from benefits under the LHWCA, which consist of full coverage of your medical expenses, a disability benefit amounting to approximately 66 percent of your average weekly wages, and job training if your condition will prevent you from continuing to work as a maritime employee.
Reach Out to a New Orleans Maritime Injury Lawyer
Federal maritime laws are complex, and when you have questions about how you can obtain benefits for your work injury, a New Orleans maritime lawyer may be able to help. To schedule your free consultation at the Law Office of Braud & Gallagher, simply give our firm a call at 1-800-256-5674 or fill out our contact form on the bottom of this page.
The time period immediately following a serious accident can be chaotic. Not only are you likely dealing with the physical pain and suffering of your injuries, but you’ll also have household responsibilities that need attention, and steadily be accruing medical bills and other expenses while you recuperate. This leaves many injury victims wondering, “What’s next?”
When someone else is to blame for causing your injuries, you may be able to bring them to justice by pursuing civil action against them. We understand how overwhelming filing a lawsuit can seem, which is why we’ve described the timeline of a standard Louisiana personal injury claim below, so you can better prepare yourself for what to expect if you choose to seek repayment of your losses.
Establishing Fault
Once you have made the decision to file a civil claim, and have retained legal representation, the first step in the timeline of your claim is to establish fault.
This is where we will investigate the cause of the accident you were involved in and gather evidence against the culpable party that will show, based on a preponderance of the evidence, that the named party is responsible for causing your injuries.
Damages You Can Recover
After fault has been determined, we move on to calculating the value of your claim. This is done by taking into consideration not just your medical expenses and lost wages, but also lost quality of life, pain and suffering, emotional distress, the loss of companionship and love, and many other economic and non-economic damages.
Negotiating with the Insurer
From there, we file an insurance claim and prepare to negotiate with the insurance adjuster. The insurer isn’t likely to simply settle your claim and pay out the amount that you may be entitled to. Insurance companies are known for employing underhanded tactics to reduce the settlement amount they need to pay you.
Going so far as to manipulate provided statements and issue lowball settlement offers, your attorney will be well-prepared for negotiations and do everything possible to ensure you aren’t taken advantage by a profit-driven insurance company.
When to Head to Court
If the negotiations with the insurance company are successful, and we are able to obtain a settlement that adequately meets your needs, then heading to court might not be necessary. But if the amount the insurer settles for doesn’t cover your losses in their entirety, or if we are unable to get the insurer to see reason, then going to court may be the best way to obtain full compensation for your losses.
Meet with a Personal Injury Lawyer in Louisiana
If you are ready to regain control of your life after an accident but aren’t sure where to begin, reach out to an experienced Louisiana personal injury lawyer at the Law Office of Braud & Gallagher. You can give our firm a call at 1-800-256-5674 or fill out the quick contact form we have included at the bottom of this page to schedule your free, no-obligation claim review.
