Passionate – Dedicated – Professional

Louisiana’s Trusted Severe Injury & Wrongful Death Attorneys.

Severe and permanent injuries destroy lives. The wrongful death of a loved one devastates families. The severe injury and wrongful death attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have recovered billions for victims of vehicle crashes, industrial accidents, offshore injuries, harmful and defective products, and preventable deaths in Louisiana and across the country. We have been widely recognized by numerous professional organizations for our proven success in these areas of the law. We have the experience you need to fight for the resources necessary to rebuild your life so that you and your family can focus on recovering.

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Over 40 Years of Protecting The Rights of Accident Injury Victims

There are a number of personal injury law firms throughout the state of Louisiana. However, not many can claim they have won more than $10 Billion Dollars for their injured clients and families. We can. We have been fighting for maximum recovery for severely injured victims in Louisiana for over 40 years. Let the Louisiana injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault put our expertise and tenacity to work when you suffer an injury.

Trusted attorneys for severely injured victims in Louisiana Since 1982!

Louisiana Wrongful Death Lawyers | Central Louisiana Fatal Accident Attorneys

When wrongful conduct ends your loved one’s life on Louisiana’s roads, offshore rigs, or industrial sites, you need Louisiana’s trusted wrongful death attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault who understand your devastating loss and will fight for your family to recover damages from the liable parties through a wrongful death claim or lawsuit.

Our attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have represented grieving Louisiana families for over 40 years, pursuing maximum wrongful death recoveries against those responsible for the tragedy. Our wrongful death attorneys are consistently rated as top attorneys in Louisiana wrongful death cases.

Why Louisiana Families Choose our Central Louisiana Law Firm for the Wrongful Death of a Loved One

We provide personal attention to each wrongful death case while aggressively pursuing justice for families throughout Louisiana. Our top-rated attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have a combined 150+ years of experience representing spouses, children, and families after the tragic death of a loved one and have recovered over 10 billion dollars for severely injured individuals and families.

In Central Louisiana and statewide across Louisiana, common instances of wrongful death that we have the necessary expertise to handle:

  • Vehicle Crashes:
    • 18-wheeler collisions on I-49, I-20, I-10, surrounding state highways, and local intersections;
    • Motorcycle fatalities;
    • Pedestrian deaths at crosswalks and on shoulders of the roadways.
  • Workplace/Industrial Fatalities:
    • Oil rig explosions and catastrophic drilling accidents;
    • Refinery accidents such as explosions and chemical exposures;
    • Falls and serious injuries from scaffolds, ladders, roofs; In Louisiana’s private industries, construction has the highest number of fall-related fatalities in the state.
    • Serious injuries and fatalities resulting from logging, timber, and agricultural operations;
  • Premises Liability:
    • Shootings, sexual assaults, and criminal violence at businesses and apartments because of negligent security;
    • Burn deaths and smoke inhalation fatalities from fires and explosions at residential and commercial properties;
    • Drownings at apartment complexes and hotels
  • Maritime/Jones Act Deaths:
    • Offshore platform explosions
    • Vessel collisions and crush injuries
    • Drowning incidents
    • Equipment failures and falls
    • Inadequate safety measures
  • Mesothelioma/Asbestos Deaths:
    • Refinery and shipyard workers exposed to asbestos
    • Construction trades exposure
    • Power plant exposure
    • Paper Mill employees
    • Exposures leading to mesothelioma and other asbestos-causing cancers and diseases
  • Medical Malpractice:
    • Surgical errors
    • Misdiagnosis
    • Emergency Room Negligence
    • Medication Errors
    • Birth Injuries
  • Defective Product Deaths
    • Vehicle defects causing crashes
    • Industrial equipment failures
    • Dangerous pharmaceuticals
    • Defective medical devices
    • Toxic chemical exposure

Louisiana’s Survival Actions Claims

Separate from the family’s wrongful death claim for the death of a loved one, a survival action may entitle separate recovery for:

  • Pain and Suffering: Before death
  • Fear and Mental Anguish: Knowing death was imminent

Compensation Available in Louisiana Wrongful Death Cases

  • Economic Damages
    • Medical Bills and Funeral Costs: Medical treatment incurred before death and burial costs after death
    • Lost Income: Lifetime earnings lost due to a loved one’s death
    • Lost Benefits: Retirement and pensions
    • Loss of Services: Household contributions
  • Non-Economic Damages
    • Loss of Love and Affection: Compensation to the spouse for lost companionship and support
    • Loss of Guidance: Children needlessly losing the guidance and support of a parent entitles children to damages
    • Mental Anguish: Family’s grief and suffering
    • Loss of Support: Lost emotional and moral support

Call Our Louisiana Wrongful Death Attorneys for Compassionate Legal Help During Your Darkest Hour

We understand that no amount of money can bring back your loved one. But holding at-fault parties accountable for your loved one’s death can provide financial security for your family’s future and can prevent future tragedies from taking place.

Our attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have decades of experience handling, winning, and maximizing your family’s recovery from complex wrongful death cases in Central Louisiana and surrounding communities throughout the entire state.

    Contact Our Louisiana Wrongful Death Lawyers Today:

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)- Louisiana Wrongful Death Claims:

How is wrongful death different from criminal charges?

Wrongful death in Louisiana is a civil claim for monetary damages due to the death of your loved one. Criminal charges (like vehicular homicide charges after a motor vehicle fatality) are separate and apart from a civil wrongful death claim and survival action. You can, and should, call for an evaluation of pursuing civil damages even if criminal charges are not filed.

What if my loved one was partially at fault?

Louisiana’s comparative fault law allows recovery even with partial fault. For example, if your loved one was 30% at fault, the family of the deceased can still recover 70% of damages. Our Louisiana wrongful death attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault fight to minimize fault attribution to your loved one and maximize recovery for the family.

Who can bring a wrongful death claim, and how are wrongful death awards divided?

Louisiana law specifies distribution based on a priority ranking of survivors. Surviving spouses and children take priority. If your loved one left behind no spouses or children, the parents of the deceased can bring the wrongful death claim and survival action. If no surviving parents, other surviving family members may be the priority to bring the claims on behalf of the lost loved one. Our Louisiana wrongful death attorneys can assist your family in evaluating who may be able to bring a claim for your loved one’s death.

Do we have a claim if death occurred months after the accident?

Yes, a wrongful death claim or lawsuit can be brought even if the death did not immediately occur at the time of the original injury, as long as the death resulted from the original incident. Each case requires specific analysis and guidance. Our top-rated Louisiana wrongful death attorneys have the expertise to guide you through this evaluation. We take immediate action to investigate, preserve critical evidence such as autopsy results and police reports, and we work with accident and medical experts to prove causation.

What if the person who caused the death has no insurance?

Our Louisiana wrongful death attorneys investigate all potential sources of recovery to provide your family with the maximum recovery from this tragic event. We thoroughly investigate all sources of liability, including the employer, the premises owner, uninsured motorist coverage, personal assets, and parent company liability in commercial matters. Our qualified attorneys leave no stone unturned. Please call us today so that we can work on behalf of your family in your time of greatest need.

Central Louisiana’s Burn Injury Lawyers- Experienced Burn Injury Attorneys Fighting for Burn Victims Throughout Louisiana’s Industrial Corridor

When fire, explosions, or chemical burns result in significant and disabling injuries, you need Louisiana burn injury attorneys who understand the devastating physical and emotional trauma you’re facing. Neblett, Beard & Arsenault represents burn victims and the families of loved ones who have been injured in explosions and exposures. Our attorneys have represented victims with catastrophic injuries at Louisiana refineries, industrial sites, and offshore rigs and platforms for over 40 years. From the drilling sites of Northwest Louisiana, to the oil refineries in Central Louisiana, through the seaman on offshore platforms, we have the experience you can trust to get the help you deserve.

Why Burn Victims in Louisiana’s Oil, Gas, and Offshore Industries Trust Neblett, Beard & Arsenault

Unlike firms that rarely handle catastrophic injury cases, we’ve spent decades representing Louisiana workers and families devastated by life-long injuries and fatalities, including:

  • Louisiana Refinery Explosions: Toxic chemical leaks and oil and gas combustions resulting in burns, significant injuries, long-term illnesses, and disease.
  • Gulf Coast Offshore/Maritime: Platform explosions, vessel fires, and hot oil burns.
  • Pipeline Accidents: Natural gas explosions along Louisiana’s pipeline corridors.
  • Louisiana Chemical Plants: Acid burns and petrochemical and caustic chemical exposures.
  • Oilfield Services: Fracking accidents, well blowouts, and transport crashes in Louisiana’s oil patch and Gulf oil operations.
  • Power Plants: Burns and electrical injuries at Louisiana’s fossil-fuel, natural gas, petroleum, and biomass power plants.
  • Welding/Industrial/Construction: Manufacturing burns throughout Louisiana’s industry corridors, onshore and offshore job sites.
  • Residential/Commercial Fires: Injuries and death to families caused by house fires, utility explosions, code violations, faulty wiring and repairs, and defective products.

Dangerous Realities for Louisiana’s Maritime, Oilfield, and Chemical Industries

Serious burn injuries are all too common among the many workers in Louisiana’s maritime, oilfield and refinery industries. Victims often have catastrophic and disfiguring injuries with deep emotional, physical, and mental scars. The initial injury itself and the subsequent treatments are exceptionally painful and often necessarily repeated over the long term.

Common Causes of Severe Burns in Louisiana:

  • Flash Fires: Rapid ignition of vapors and flammable substances.
  • Explosions: BLEVE, pressure vessel failures, and explosions on drilling sites and platforms due to well blowouts, electrical malfunctions, equipment failures, and improperly stored chemicals.
  • Electrical Burns: Arc flashes, power line contacts, improper grounding, and energized equipment.
  • Hot Surface Burns/Scald Injuries: Pipes, equipment, high-pressure steam, and hot liquids.

Severe Injuries and Fatalities Resulting from Residential and Commercial Building Fires in Louisiana

Residential and commercial building fires claim numerous lives and cause catastrophic injuries to Louisiana residents every year. In 2024, there were over 50 home fire fatalities in Louisiana, many of which in Central Louisiana and surrounding rural parishes.

Residential Fire Burns: Home fires spread rapidly, trapping victims and causing severe burns within minutes:

  • Electrical Fires: Faulty wiring, overloaded circuits, and outdated electric systems throughout older homes in Louisiana’s rural parishes.
  • Landlord Negligence: Absent or non-working smoke detectors, blocked exits, code violations in rental properties.
  • Defective Appliances: Dryers, water heaters, HVAC systems, and home components catching fire or exploding due to manufacturing defects.

Commercial Building Fire Burns: Louisiana business fires can trap multiple victims, causing mass injury and casualty events:

  • Restaurant Fires: Grease buildups, faulty hood systems, inadequate fire suppression.
  • Hotel/Motel Fires: Non-functioning sprinkler systems, blocked emergency exits, inadequate evacuation plans, and failures to comply with Louisiana fire codes.
  • Retail Store Fires: Overloaded electrical systems, improper storage of flammable materials.
  • Apartment Complex Fires: Fire spreading between units due to inadequate firebreaks, missing fire doors, and faulty repairs and maintenance.
  • Nightclub/Bar Fires: Overcrowding, locked exits, pyrotechnics, and inadequate emergency lighting.

Common Injuries and Fatal Causes in Residential and Commercial Fires

When fires claim lives, Louisiana families may pursue both wrongful death and survival claims for burn injuries:

  • Smoke Inhalation: Many fire deaths result from the victim inhaling toxic smoke.
  • Flash Burns: Explosive, high heat fires cause instant and sometimes fatal burns.
  • Trapped Victims: Barred windows, locked exits, collapsed stairways and corridors preventing escape from the danger.
  • Children and the Elderly: Most vulnerable to fatal burns and smoke inhalation due to mobility limitations and physical impairments.
  • Night Fires: Victims overcome by smoke and rapidly spreading flames while sleeping, especially without working smoke alarms.

Understanding Burn Injury Severity and Catastrophic Complications from Burn Injuries:

Your skin is the largest organ of your body. Damage from burns can cause immediate pain and suffering, long-lasting physical complications, and take months or years of costly surgeries and rehabilitation, resulting in massive medical bills and a lack of income from work.

Neblett, Beard & Arsenault’s experienced Louisiana burn injury attorneys can help you and your family navigate these challenging and complex injuries. How long it will take you to recover depends on how severely your skin tissue was damaged:

First-Degree Burns

  • Affects outer skin layer (epidermis)
  • Healing time: 10-20 days
  • Red, painful, no blistering

Second-Degree Burns

  • Damages epidermis and dermis
  • Healing time: Several weeks to months
  • Painful blisters, risk of infection

Third-Degree Burns

  • Destroys all skin layers
  • May damage muscle, bone, nerves
  • Requires skin grafts
  • Permanent scarring likely

Fourth-Degree Burns

  • Extends through skin to muscle/bone
  • Often requires amputation
  • Life-threatening injuries
  • Permanent disability common

Catastrophic Complications from Burn Injuries

Immediate Complications:

  • Shock: Life-threatening blood pressure drop.
  • Infection/Sepsis: One of the leading causes of burn-related deaths.
  • Respiratory Failure/Lung Injury: From smoke/chemical inhalation.
  • Hypothermia: Body can no longer regulate temperature due to skin damage.
  • Hypovolemia: Dangerous fluid loss.

Long-Term Consequences:

  • Surgeries: Painful debridement and skin grafts.
  • Contractures: Skin tightening limiting movement.
  • Disfigurement: Permanent scarring.
  • PTSD: Trauma from fire or explosion requiring mental health treatment.
  • Chronic Pain: Nerve damage, phantom pain, pain with movement and ambulation.
  • Depression: From appearance changes, limitations, and the loss of activities of daily life.

Real Costs for Victims of Burn Injuries

Besides the physical and mental pain and suffering, burn injury victims may have massive medical bills and a lack of income due to disabling injuries. This can cause added strain and stress at an already devastating time in the lives of the burn injury victim and his or her family:

Medical Expenses:

  • Emergency Medical Care: Can be thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars for severe burns.
  • Burn Unit Stays: Thousands of dollars per day.
  • Surgeries: Multiple procedures needed for survival including skin grafts, debridement, reconstructive surgeries, and possible amputation.
  • Rehabilitation: Months to years of physical and mental therapy.
  • Home Care: Specialized wound treatment, compression garments, and at-home medical devices.

Hidden Costs Families of Burn Victims Face:

  • Lost Wages During Recovery: Burn victims often cannot work and earn a living during recovery, if they can return to employment at all.
  • Travel/Time-Off Work: Spouses and children missing work for their needed presence by a loved one’s side.
  • Psychological Counseling: Victims of fire and explosions often face a difficult mental road to recovery.

If you or a loved one has sustained a burn injury, it is vital that you speak with a Louisiana burn injury attorney from our firm. We have helped many burn injury victims and their families across Louisiana and are prepared to guide you through this traumatic time. Neblett, Beard & Arsenault’s catastrophic injury attorneys are passionate about pursuing compensation for severely injured victims and have been doing so in Louisiana and the surrounding Gulf South Region for over 40 years.

Worker’s Compensation vs. Third-Party Claims

When Workers’ Comp Isn’t Enough for Louisiana Burn Victims:

Many Louisiana employers tell burn victims they’re limited to workers’ compensation. This can be FALSE. You may have additional claims against:

  • Equipment Manufacturers: Defective systems and equipment failures
  • Contractors: Negligent work practices and failure to conduct proper maintenance and repairs
  • Property Owners: Unsafe conditions on the premises/site
  • Chemical Suppliers: Improper labeling/handling/storage
  • Engineering Firms: Design defects

Maritime/Jones Act Claims:

Louisiana’s offshore workers may have special rights beyond workers’ comp:

  • Maintenance and cure
  • Jones Act negligence claims
  • Unseaworthiness claims

Get the Experienced Louisiana Burn Attorneys You Need

Our attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have over 150 years of combined experience handling complex cases involving catastrophic injuries and wrongful death to Louisiana workers and residents.

If you have been seriously burned at sea, on an offshore oil rig, or in an industrial accident at Louisiana’s refineries, plants, or drilling sites, our attorneys have the resources and experience to develop an effective plan of attack to help you and your family recover what you deserve. We take immediate action to preserve evidence before the site is cleaned up, obtain OSHA/BSEE reports and regulatory filings, interview witnesses before company pressure, and can retain necessary fire origin and cause and industry-specific experts to build your case.

Our Central Louisiana burn attorneys have built a strong reputation handling severe burn injury cases throughout Louisiana’s industrial corridor. We help victims suffering from catastrophic burn injuries across the State of Louisiana—from the Haynesville Shale drilling sites, to the refineries and chemical operations along the I-20 corridor, to the industrial and power generation facilities in the Alexandria area, through the port and gulf areas leading offshore.

If you have suffered burn injuries at your home or a business caused by a fire, or suffered an industrial burn accident on-site, contact us immediately so that we can review the circumstances of your injury and get started putting our legal skills to work on your behalf.

Contact Our Alexandria Burn Injury Lawyers Now:

Frequently Asked Questions- Louisiana Burn Injuries

What if I or my spouse was burned in an industrial accident?

Industrial accidents, like explosions at a Louisiana refinery or the combustion of chemicals at a plant, often involve multiple liable parties beyond just you or your spouse’s employer. Our Louisiana burn attorneys act immediately to investigate equipment suppliers, the manufacturers of defective products, contractors, and safety system failures. Contact us so we can investigate what claims you may have beyond workers’ comp.

What about scarring and disfigurement?

Louisiana law allows for compensation for permanent disfigurement caused by burns. The amount depends on the severity, location, longevity, and the impact on your life. Call us today so that we can help you evaluate your claim and maximize the recovery you are owed.

Can I work again after severe burns?

Many burn victims cannot return to manual physical labor or their jobs in the industrial Louisiana sector due to the severity of their injuries. We work directly with vocational experts to calculate lost earnings and wages to fight for you and your family’s financial security after a devastating explosion or fire.

What if OSHA or a Louisiana Regulatory Agency finds violations?

OSHA citations can strengthen your case but aren’t required for recovery. Our Louisiana burn injury attorneys conduct independent investigations to find violations OSHA or your employer may have missed.

What happens if I was burned out-of-state or offshore?

Our attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have the experience required to navigate severe burn injuries to Louisiana residents no matter where they occurred—we handle severe injury claims whether they occur offshore, on a vessel, or at an out-of-state work-site. Contact us immediately so we can help pursue at-fault parties no matter where the burns occurred.

Alexandria Back and Neck Injury Lawyers | Central Louisiana’s Spine Injury Attorneys

Our Louisiana Back and Neck Injury Attorneys Relentlessly Fight for Injured Victims across the State

When a car crash on Louisiana’s roads leaves you with debilitating back or neck injuries, you need Alexandria injury lawyers who understand these injuries can destroy your ability to work and enjoy life. Neblett, Beard & Arsenault has spent over 40 years representing spine injury victims in Alexandria, the Central Louisiana region, and all across the state. Our attorneys have a proven track record of relentlessly fighting for injured victims’ rights against companies that try to minimize the life-changing impact of their back and neck trauma.

Why Louisiana Back & Neck Injury Victims Choose Our Alexandria Law Firm

Our Central Louisiana neck and back injury attorneys have over 150 years of combined experience securing top settlements and large trial verdicts for our clients suffering from catastrophic spine injuries, herniated discs, and severe cervical and lumbar pain. We know back and neck injuries often linger for weeks, months, or even years, causing pain, difficulty with mobility, and a total change to the lifestyles of Louisiana injury victims and their loved ones. We know it takes experienced and aggressive Louisiana lawyers—your boots on the ground from Shreveport to Opelousas, North and Central Louisiana, and all our local communities in between—to protect your rights and obtain the compensation you and your family deserve for your neck and back injuries.

Our Alexandria injury attorneys provide dedicated personal attention to your traumatic event, which is why we have been chosen time and time again for 40+ years by victims of catastrophic accidents occurring down Louisiana’s interstate corridors, to industrial and construction sites, to inshore drilling sites and offshore platforms. A severe neck or back injury is a complex matter that needs immediate attention and experience you can trust.

Our Comprehensive and Relentless Approach to Back & Neck Injury Accidents

Our attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault are comprehensive in our investigation of your accident, and we are relentless in our pursuit of maximum compensation for your neck and back injury.

We take immediate action on:

  • Preserving evidence from the accident scene
  • Interviewing witnesses
  • Assisting you in finding the necessary medical care for your injuries and
  • Investigating all liable parties.

We Use Decades of Experience to Build Your Case:

  • Obtain expert accident reconstruction and medical opinions.
  • Work with spine specialists and surgeons.
  • Calculate mounting medical costs and lost wages.
  • Document the impact on your daily life.
  • Prepare for trial if needed.

How Do Companies and Insurers Try to Minimize Your Back & Neck Injuries?

It can be challenging to determine the full scope of back and neck injuries immediately after a car crash, slip and fall, or incident at a work site. In some cases, what first seems like a minor injury can progressively worsen into a complicated and long-term neck or back injury requiring hospitalization, surgery, rehabilitation, and extended time missing work. And even minor soft tissue injuries can have a significant impact on your everyday life.

At-Fault Companies and Insurers Want to Diminish Your Neck and Back Injuries:

  • Painful soft tissue injuries often don’t show up on X-rays.
  • Pre-existing conditions worsened by a car crash are used to deny injury claims.
  • “Degenerative changes” are blamed instead of the accident that started your cervical or lumbar pain.
  • Quick settlements are attempted before the full scope of your neck and back injuries is known.
  • The need to continue working through pain to provide for your family is used to claim you are not really hurt.

Our Louisiana Neck and Back Injury Attorneys Fight the Tactics Used to Minimize Your Neck and Back Injuries

  • We challenge accusations of pre-existing conditions.
  • We counter low-speed impact claims with medical and expert evidence.
  • We resist quick, lowball settlement offers.
  • We demand the future costs of medical treatment and lost earnings.
  • We take cases to trial when necessary to maximize your recovery.

Common Causes of Back & Neck Injuries in Louisiana

  • Vehicle Accidents (38% of traumatic spine injuries):
    • 18-Wheeler Crashes: I-49, I-20, I-10, and LA Highway collisions.
    • Rear-End Collisions: Highway 28 traffic backup crashes.
    • Intersection Accidents: MacArthur/Jackson Street T-bones.
    • Motorcycle Accidents: Highway 171 through Leesville; Highway 71 to 190.
    • Rollover Crashes: Traumatic accidents on challenging Central Louisiana roads.
  • Slip and Fall Accidents:
    • Retail Stores: Wet floors at Louisiana grocery stores.
    • Restaurants: Food and drink spills, crowded walkways.
    • Hotels/Casinos: Poorly maintained walkways and parking lots.
    • Apartment Complexes: Broken stairs, inadequate lighting, leaks on property.
  • Workplace Injuries:
    • Construction/Industrial Falls: From ladders, roofs, scaffolds, and platforms. In Louisiana’s private industries, construction has the highest number of fall-related fatalities.
    • Equipment Accidents: Forklift injuries, defective equipment.
    • Oilfield Injuries: Falling and swinging equipment, heavy machinery, falls, and crushes.
  • Maritime/Offshore Accidents:
    • Vessel Injuries: Being thrown during rough Louisiana seas, or falling on slippery decks.
    • Platform Falls: Slips on rig decks.
    • Crane Accidents: Struck by equipment and machinery.
    • Diving Injuries: neck and back trauma from impact.

Workers’ Comp v. Personal Injury Claims:

You may have rights of recovery for your neck or back injury against at-fault parties beyond Louisiana’s workers’ compensation laws:

  • Third-Party Liability: Equipment and product manufacturers, contractors, and companies responsible for site operations.
  • Vehicle Accidents: During your work duties.
  • Premises Liability: Injuries at work sites due to trips, falls, and injuries.
  • Maritime Claims: special rights for offshore workers under Louisiana laws.
  • Intentional or Grossly Negligent Acts: Taken by your employer.

Our Louisiana Neck and Back Injury Attorneys Understand the Complex Nature of Spine Injuries

The Complexities of the Spine:

  • Cervical Spine (Neck): C1-C7 vertebrae control head/neck movement
  • Thoracic Spine (Upper Back): T1-T12 supporting rib cage and torso
  • Lumbar Spine (Lower Back): L1-L5 bearing body weight, gateway to lower extremities
  • Intervertebral Discs: Shock absorbers between vertebrae
  • Spinal Cord: Critical nerves, joints, and soft tissue structures controlling body function

Back and Neck Injuries We Specialize in Handling:

  • Herniated/Bulging Discs
    • Disc trauma resulting in material pressing on nerves
    • Causes radiating pain, numbness, and weakness
    • Often requires injections and surgery (fusion, discectomy, decompression, etc.)
    • Common in vehicle crashes
  • Fractured Vertebrae
    • Fractures from falls and high-speed interstate collisions
    • May require surgery, hardware installation, and ablations
    • Long-term mobility limitations, increased risk for chronic pain
  • Soft Tissue Injuries/Whiplash
    • Can result in chronic pain requiring specialized long-term management
    • Ligament tears, muscle strains in motor vehicle accidents
    • Requires aggressive legal representation to prove your injuries
  • Spinal Cord Injuries
    • Partial or complete paralysis
    • Loss of sensations at or below the injury site
    • Lifetime medical care, medical expenses, and home modifications
    • Catastrophic impact on families

A significant spinal cord injury can lead to devastating consequences like difficulty walking and moving, loss of spousal intimacy, diminished ability to control bladder and bowel functions, and long-term debilitating pain and sensory loss.

The experienced and aggressive lawyers at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have helped back and neck injury victims in Alexandria and all over Louisiana obtain compensation for their injuries. Contact us today so we can be your legal advocates through this traumatic time.

Our Central Louisiana Neck & Back Attorneys Understand the True Impact of Back & Neck Injuries:

Immediate Consequences:

  • Emergency Treatment: Ambulance, ER, imaging
  • Hospitalization: Average of 11 days for spinal injuries
  • Surgery: May be required immediately or long-term after failed conservative measures.
  • Rehabilitation: Average 35 days of initial rehab
  • Work Absence: Immediate loss of income.

Long-Term Effects Often Overlooked:

  • Chronic Pain: Affecting 60-80% of spine injury victims, with approximately 1/3 experiencing severe chronic pain and chronic neuropathic pain.
  • Depression/Anxiety/PTSD: Lifestyle changes, difficulty sleeping, mental trauma from the accident.
  • Family Impact: Inability to participate in family activities, actively play with children.
  • Career Changes: Can’t return to physical or manual labor, diminished wages and salary.
  • Finances: Medical bills mounting into the thousands and even hundreds of thousands for long-term treatment needs.

Our Louisiana Neck & Back Injury Attorneys Can Help You with the Compensation You Deserve

Economic Damages:

  • Medical Expenses: Surgery, therapy, medications, and scans
  • Future Medical: Lifetime treatment costs
  • Lost Wages: Current and future earning capacity
  • Medical Equipment: Braces, TENS units, mobility aids
  • Home Modifications: If mobility-impaired

Non-Economic Damages:

  • Pain and Suffering: Physical pain endured
  • Mental Anguish: Depression, anxiety, PTSD
  • Loss of Enjoyment: Activities you can’t do
  • Loss of Consortium: Impact on marriage, burden of care on spouses and loved ones
  • Permanent Impairment: Reduced quality of life

Calculating the True Value of Your Neck and Back Injuries

Our Louisiana injury attorneys will make sure at-fault parties fully account for your life-changing needs after a severe neck and back injury:

  • Future surgeries
  • Medication costs over decades
  • Lost promotions and necessities of early retirement
  • Lifetime Pain Management
  • Lost ability to share special moments with family and friends

Contact Our Alexandria Neck & Back Injury Lawyers Today:

A significant neck or back injury can be incredibly difficult to manage for you and your family, but you do not have to go at it alone. Our top-rated Louisiana injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have been fighting to obtain maximum compensation for back and neck injury victims across Central Louisiana and all across the state for over 40 years. The careful and thorough pursuit of damages for your neck and back injury is vital to an injured victim and his or her family, especially if you cannot return to work or perform essential family duties, and our skilled attorneys will work relentlessly to hold the negligent parties liable and accountable.

Contact us today so we can help you evaluate your case and prepare the best possible strategy for protecting the rights of you and your loved ones.

Proudly serving back and neck injury victims throughout Louisiana: Our back and neck injury lawyers have helped injury victims across Louisiana including Alexandria, Pineville, Shreveport, Monroe, Natchitoches, Many, Winnfield, Jena, Marksville, Bunkie, Leesville, DeRidder, Opelousas, Ville Platte, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and in communities in between. Take a moment to fill out our online contact form anytime, day or night, for a free case evaluation today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)- Louisiana Back and Neck Injury Victims

What do I do first if I’ve suffered a back or neck injury?

Critical First Step: Seek immediate medical attention. Even if you believe your injuries are “minor”, adrenaline can mask pain, and spinal injuries can worsen without treatment and proper care.

Warning signs requiring immediate medical attention may include:

  • Numbness or tingling in extremities
  • Severe pain and increased pain with movement
  • Weakness in arms or legs
  • Difficulty walking or balancing

Diagnostic Tests you may need:

  • X-rays (can show fractures)
  • MRI (reveals disc trauma/soft tissue damage)
  • CT Scan (detailed bone imaging)
  • EMG (nerve damage testing)
  • Discography (disc-specific testing)

How much is my back or neck injury case worth?

Every case differs based on injury severity, treatment needed, and immediate impact on work/life, in addition to long-term complications. Contact us today so our experienced Louisiana neck and back injury attorneys can help you evaluate the compensation you deserve for your injuries.

What if my neck or back pain prevents returning to my job?

We work with vocational experts to calculate lost earning capacity. This includes not just current wages but lost benefits, promotions, and the need to change careers.

I don’t think my neck or back injury is too severe. Should I still seek legal advice?

It can be challenging to determine the full scope of back and neck injuries immediately after an accident. In some cases, these injuries can develop into serious complications weeks or even months following the initial injury. If you aren’t sure about your circumstances following an accident, our experienced Louisiana injury attorneys can help you learn more about your rights and legal options.

Proudly serving back and neck injury victims throughout Louisiana: Our back and neck injury lawyers have helped injury victims across Louisiana including Alexandria, Pineville, Shreveport, Monroe, Natchitoches, Many, Winnfield, Jena, Marksville, Bunkie, Leesville, DeRidder, Opelousas, Ville Platte, Lake Charles, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, and in communities in between. Take a moment to fill out our online contact form anytime, day or night, for a free case evaluation today.

Central Louisiana Traumatic Brain Injury Lawyers- Experienced Louisiana Brain Injury Attorneys Fighting for TBI Victims

When a catastrophic accident occurs in Louisiana that results in a traumatic brain injury to you or a loved one, you need attorneys who understand these “invisible” injuries can destroy lives despite companies and insurers claiming “you look fine.” The Alexandria brain injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have represented accident victims with brain injuries from Shreveport to Lafayette and all across the state, securing lifetime care and compensation these devastating injuries require.

A brain injury is one of the most serious and potentially life-altering conditions a person can overcome. It can be caused by several factors, including stroke, chemical exposure, oxygen deprivation, trauma, and even infectious diseases. However, when the brain injury and resulting damage are caused by physical force or impact, it is termed a traumatic brain injury or “TBI.”

Why Families Across Louisiana Trust Our Alexandria Law Firm for Traumatic Brain Injuries

Unlike “high-volume” firms, we limit our caseloads to provide intensive, specialized attention to complex and severe injury cases throughout Louisiana, including TBIs. Traumatic brain injuries are unique because they affect who you are—your personality, memory, abilities, and future. While broken bones may heal, brain damage causes permanent changes that can negatively impact every aspect of your daily living and place an immense burden on your loved ones.

For over four decades, the catastrophic injury attorneys have zealously represented victims in the Bayou State for accidents resulting in complex and traumatic brain injuries:

Vehicle Collisions

  • 18-wheeler and commercial vehicle crashes on I-49, I-20, I-10, and Louisiana’s Highways.
  • Motorcycle accidents without helmet protection on scenic bike rides.
  • Rollover crashes on local highways like US 165, 71, and LA 28.
  • Head-on collisions from crossing centerlines.
  • Collisions causing head impact inside a vehicle in high-impact crashes.

Industrial & Workplace Accidents

  • Explosions causing blast injuries.
  • Falls from scaffolding at construction sites.
  • Head impacts from falling equipment at Louisiana’s oilfield drilling sites.
  • Toxic chemical exposures at Louisiana facilities that affect brain function and cognition.

Traumatic Falls (a leading cause across all ages – half of TBI-related hospitalizations)

  • Unintentional falls resulting in hospitalizations (Louisiana’s leading cause of non-fatal injuries)
  • Elderly falls in nursing homes and healthcare facilities
  • Falls from heights at Louisiana construction sites.
  • Falls on stairways and defective premises in apartments and retail stores.

Maritime/Offshore Brain Injuries

  • Platform explosions in the Gulf resulting in head trauma.
  • Head impacts from loads, cranes, and unloading equipment on vessels.
  • Falls on vessel decks resulting in head injuries from rough Louisiana/Gulf seas.
  • Diving accidents (decompression).
  • Equipment failures resulting in brain injury.

Recognizing TBI Symptoms- Not Always Obvious, and Always Challenging to Prove

Our Louisiana injury attorneys have over 150 years of combined experience handling catastrophic injury cases for Louisiana victims, and our lawyers specializing in brain injuries can see deep past the superficial surface of the victim’s injuries. We know traumatic brain injuries can destroy capable performance at your workplace and complicate quality time with loved ones at home. Recognizing TBI symptoms after an accident is key for Neblett, Beard & Arsenault to get started on your case:

Immediate Symptoms:

  • Loss of Consciousness (even for seconds or a few minutes)
  • Confusion or disorientation
  • Slurred speech or problems with conversation
  • Memory loss
  • Nausea, dizziness, and loss of balance
  • Severe headaches and sensitivity to light
  • Pupil dilation and blurred vision

Delayed Symptoms (Hours/Days/Weeks Later):

  • Persistent, worsening headaches
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Memory problems and forgetfulness
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Ongoing sensitivity to light and noise

Debilitating Long-Term Effects

  • Personality changes, irritability, and mood swings
  • Depression, anxiety, and loss of impulse control
  • Inability to function at work
  • Communication issues
  • Difficulty interacting with family and friends
  • Cognitive decline

Severity Classifications of Brain Injuries and Their Impact

Mild TBI (i.e., Concussion)

  • Brief or no loss of consciousness
  • No abnormalities identified on brain CT/MRI scans
  • Requires expert testimony to prove, and is often “dismissed” by companies and insurers
  • BUT it can still cause permanent, long-term issues

Moderate TBI

  • Unconsciousness for more than a few seconds or minutes
  • Possible abnormal brain imaging
  • Possible observable personality changes and some loss of cognitive functioning
  • Often requires rehabilitation
  • Often requires missing an extended period of work, and may prevent return to work

Severe TBI

  • Coma or unconsciousness for an extended period
  • Brain damage or abnormalities from imaging
  • Long-term, and often lifetime medical and home care needs
  • Unable to complete some activities of daily living independently
  • Often prevents work of any nature, causing severe financial strain

The Hidden Financial Strains of Brain Injuries on Louisiana Families

Immediate Medical Expenses

  • Emergency transport or even Life Flight to trauma centers
  • Brain surgeries and acute trauma care
  • ICU stays at Louisiana trauma centers
  • Neurological testing and monitoring
  • Specialized rehabilitation facilities

Long-Term Care Requirements

  • Additional procedures and neurological testing
  • Cognitive rehabilitation
  • Speech, language, occupational therapy
  • Physical therapy
  • Psychological counseling
  • Medication management

Lifetime Costs Impacting Louisiana Victims and Families

  • Lost earning capacity (often for the remainder of life- 55% of TBI victims are never able to return to any employment)
  • 24/7 home care for severe cases
  • Home modifications and medical equipment
  • Transportation to appointments and lifetime therapies
  • Family counseling

*The lifetime costs for a TBI victim can be millions of dollars or more.

Special Considerations for Louisiana’s Most Important Assets- Children’s Brain Injuries

Why Are Children’s TBIs Different?

A child’s brain is still developing, meaning head trauma may not show the full scope of impact for years. What seems like a “mild” concussion to your child at age 6 could cause difficulties in functioning and learning at age 10.

It is essential to understand how brain injuries can affect children and what types of injuries can lead to head trauma and the potential for TBI in our youngest loved ones. Young children may not be able to tell you that an accident has occurred, may not be able to convey symptoms, and may not understand the danger from waiting to seek treatment.

Common Causes of Children’s TBIs in Louisiana:

  • Playground falls at school
  • Youth sports (football, baseball, basketball)
  • Bicycle accidents without helmets, especially when impacted by a vehicle.
  • ATV accidents at rural properties
  • Auto Accidents (even when seat-belted correctly in the backseat, or restrained in a car seat).

Warning Signs in Children After an Accident:

  • Won’t stop crying
  • Change in eating/sleeping
  • Loss of interest in favorite activities, or disinterest in loved ones
  • Regression in toilet training
  • New learning difficulties
  • Behavioral changes at home or school

Get the Specialized TBI Representation You Need Today from Our Central Louisiana Brain Injury Attorneys

No Recovery Means No Attorney Fees. Costs to prove a TBI case, including specialized experts, can be extremely expensive. Your recovery depends upon selecting representation with the right expertise and skills to handle complex brain injury claims.

Our Alexandria brain injury attorneys understand the devastating impact of a traumatic brain injury, and we have fought countless times to secure the lifetime support Louisiana families need in these tragic circumstances.

Contact us today for a free consultation and let our brain injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault fight for you:

24/7 Direct Line: (318) 561-2500

Online: Contact Us For a Free Evaluation of TBI Injuries

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Louisiana Traumatic Brain Injuries (“TBI”):

What if the ER said I was “fine” but I have symptoms?

Emergency rooms often miss indicators of TBI, particularly if your accident resulted in other visible trauma, which took priority at the hospital (bleeding, broken bones, etc.) If you have symptoms of a TBI following an accident, like persistent headaches, memory issues, or personality changes, follow-up medical care is critical.

How do I prove brain damage?

Cognitive symptoms are an important indicator of possible TBI, particularly after head trauma. Unlike a laceration or bruise, a brain injury often has no objective “eye test”. However, neuropsychological testing, advanced imaging (DTI, PET scans), expert testimony, and documentation of how your life has changed all work towards proving your claim. Our brain injury attorneys work with leading neurologists and brain injury specialists to document your TBI trauma.

I was on my bike and hit by a vehicle- Can I recover for a brain injury if I wasn’t wearing a helmet?

Yes. In Louisiana, you can still recover the compensation you need and deserve, even if you are not wearing a helmet at the time of an accident. Louisiana’s comparative fault law allows recovery even if partially at fault. While helmet use may reduce damages depending on the specific facts of your injury, it may not necessarily bar recovery 100%. Many TBIs occur even with helmets on. Our Louisiana brain injury attorneys have experience handling these complex issues and will work relentlessly to diminish any fault for failure to wear a helmet. Let us help [online form] evaluate the circumstances of your accident and what impact that may have on the outcome of your case.

What’s the deadline for filing a lawsuit for my brain injuries in Louisiana?

Louisiana has a two-year statute of limitations from the accident date. That means you must commence your case within this time, or your claims may forever be barred. However, TBI symptoms sometimes appear much later than immediately after a collision. Contact us immediately if you suspect a brain injury, even if it has been months after the initial impact.

My personality has changed since the accident. Is this related?

Personality changes are common with brain injuries, especially those causing trauma to the frontal lobe. Irritability, impulsiveness, depression, and anxiety often result from TBIs.

Should My Child Return to Sports After a Concussion?

Follow strict return-to-play protocols from your child’s physician or medical specialist. Any head trauma with children is extremely serious, and any second impact can cause further complications.

Louisiana’s Paraplegic & Quadriplegic Injury Attorneys—Representing Paralyzed Victims in Alexandria and Across Louisiana

The spinal cord injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have tenaciously represented victims who are paralyzed in traffic wrecks, falls, and offshore and industrial accidents for over 40 years. We have the experience you can trust to secure the compensation our Louisiana families need when a loved one sustains a significant spinal cord injury in an accident.

If you have suffered a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis, paraplegia, or quadriplegia due to the fault of another person or company, you need Louisiana spinal cord injury lawyers who understand these life-altering injuries demand maximum compensation for the lifetime care you need.

Understanding Spinal Cord Injuries- Paraplegia and Quadriplegia

Types of Spinal Cord Injuries

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, a spinal cord injury can either be “Complete” or “Incomplete”:

  • Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury: victims still have some feeling, function, and muscle control below the site of their injury.
  • Complete Spinal Cord Injury: no nerve communication below the injury site. Victims lose muscle control, feeling, and function below the injury level.

Injury Levels and Potential Impact on Spinal Injury Victims

Direct impact on the spinal cord itself, or damage to the vertebrae surrounding the spinal cord in an accident, injuring a victim’s neck or back, can cause a spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis, paraplegia, hemiplegia, or quadriplegia:

  • Cervical Spine (neck injury): C1 to C7 spine levels in the neck control the neck and shoulders, arms and hands, and diaphragm.
  • Thoracic Spine (mid-upper back injury): T1 to T12 levels control signals to chest muscles, some muscles in the back, and many vital organ systems.
  • Lumbar Spine (Low back injury): L1 to L5 levels of the spine control signals to thighs, lower legs, feet, and some signals to external sexual organs.
  • Sacral Spine (Lower back injury): S1 to S5 levels in the lowest area of the back control some signals to the thighs, legs, and feet, and most of the external sexual organs.

What Is Paraplegia?

Paraplegia is paralysis of the lower half of the body, involving both legs, typically the result of an injury to the spinal cord. The spinal cord trauma blocks nerve signals between the brain and lower body, often resulting in a debilitating loss of functioning:

  • Loss of movement in the legs
  • Loss of sensation at or below the level of injury
  • Loss of bowel and bladder control
  • Chronic pain and spasticity

What is Quadriplegia?

Quadriplegia (or tetraplegia) is the loss of motor or sensory function, most often caused by a neck injury (trauma to the cervical spine). Most cases of quadriplegia result in the victim being permanently paralyzed with the inability to walk or run ever again.

Common Accidents & Injuries Responsible For Paraplegia in Louisiana

Motor vehicle accidents and serious falls are the most common causes of spinal cord injuries in the United States.

Other leading causes include industrial and workplace accidents, which Louisiana workers face with regularity at rigs and oilfields, on offshore platforms, vessels, and diving injuries, and on heavy construction sites.

Other accidents can result in a significant spinal cord injury and paralysis. Playing the sports we love in Louisiana accounts for approximately 8% of spinal cord injuries, and this includes our children suffering serious injury playing sports in school. Victims of violence (i.e., gunshots, assaults, and physical battery) account for nearly 15% of spinal injuries, sometimes the result of negligent security or attacks at residences or businesses.

The Devastating Long-Term Impact Of Paralysis

Sobering studies show the average age of Louisiana victims with spinal cord injuries is 29 years old, with motor vehicle crashes accounting for 36% of the accidents in patients studied. For young individuals, significant spinal cord injuries can significantly reduce life expectancy.

The long-term impacts of paraplegia for victims and their families are felt physically, emotionally, and financially. The medical costs of a loved one sustaining a significant spinal cord injury can be overwhelming for any family. According to the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, first-year costs for paraplegia are around $500,000, with subsequent costs of nearly $70,000 annually. These costs can be nearly double for quadriplegia.

These estimates do not include immediate and indirect costs and impacts for a paralyzed loved one:

Immediate Medical Costs to Spine Injury Victims:

  • Emergency transportation (ambulance or flight) to special trauma centers
  • Immediate spinal surgeries and ICU stays
  • Acute rehabilitation

Long-Term Costs Louisiana Families Face:

  • Home modifications and wheelchair-accessible vehicles
  • Medical equipment (medical beds, lifts, wheelchairs, computer-assisted technology)
  • Home care or lost spousal income as caregiver

Secondary Complications Requiring Continuous Care

  • Pressure sores
  • Bladder and bowel problems, including UTIs
  • Respiratory issues, pneumonia
  • Blood pressure spikes and blood clot development from immobility
  • Depression, anxiety, and social isolation

Paraplegia and quadriplegia lead to devastating effects on the spouses of the injured victim. Loss of love, support, and affection, and the burden of caring for your spouse, is likely compensable, separate and apart from the underlying injury under a loss of consortium claim.

Get Compassionate, Experienced Representation from Our Louisiana Paralysis Attorneys

The long-term impacts of paraplegia have far too many life-altering aspects to list, as every part of the spinal injury victim’s life is affected.

If you or a loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury resulting in paraplegia or quadriplegia due to another’s negligence, contact Neblett, Beard & Arsenault today so our firm can take the needed steps to protect your rights and the financial security of your family. Our attorneys have represented thousands of injury victims. They are known throughout Louisiana for handling complex personal injury accidents, like spinal cord injuries suffered in motor vehicle accidents, industrial sites, and offshore.

     Contact Our Louisiana Paralysis Injury Lawyers Today for a Free Evaluation:

Paralysis changes everything. Our complex personal injury attorneys have over 150 years of combined experience and have assisted Louisiana injury victims from Shreveport, Monroe, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge—and all of Louisiana’s surrounding communities in between.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Paralysis Injury Victims and Families

What’s the difference between paraplegia and hemiplegia?

While paraplegia typically affects your legs and the lower half of your body, hemiplegia is slightly different in that it affects one side of your body—either left or right—and it can involve your arm, leg, or one side of your face, or a combination of all three.

Is it possible to recover from paralysis?

Depending on the area of injury, some recovery is possible. The degree of recovery is dependent upon the location of the injury, its severity, and the amount of time between the accident that caused the injury and treatment. We hope that further advances through emerging treatments are not far in the future. The National Institute of Health has reported on the ongoing development of groundbreaking new treatments for patients with spinal cord injuries. Our injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault have experience accounting for both current needs and future treatment possibilities when helping you value your spinal injury claim.

What kind of research is currently conducted for spinal cord injuries and paraplegia?

Ongoing research includes functional electrical stimulation, exoskeleton technologies, and the regeneration of damaged nerve cells. These studies include neurotransmitters, potassium channel blockers, Nogo blockers, Glatiramer, and stem cell research.

What will happen in rehabilitation?

Once a spinal cord injury is stabilized, the injured person enters the rehabilitation phase of treatment. The focus of rehabilitation is to prevent further complications related to your spinal cord injury and for you to learn how to carry out daily functions under new circumstances. Depending on the location of your injury, you may need to learn how to manage bowel and bladder function, perform daily tasks, and use methods to deal with emotional trauma from the injury.

How do you prove negligence in a spinal injury claim?

Our experienced Louisiana injury lawyers immediately begin to build your case, which includes proving the negligence and liability of the persons and companies responsible for the catastrophic injury. These are severe injuries, often resulting from complex accidents, and Neblett, Beard & Arsenault has decades of experience handling matters requiring accident reconstruction, product defect investigation, premises liability evidence, and expert medical reports. Contact Us today.

Louisiana Medical Malpractice Lawyers | Proven Medical Injury Attorneys

Decades Fighting for Patients Harmed Throughout Louisiana’s Healthcare System

Medical malpractice cases are highly complex, and it is crucial that you obtain the assistance of a Louisiana medical malpractice attorney. At Neblett, Beard & Arsenault, we have helped many medical malpractice victims by utilizing our experience and extensive background to evaluate our clients’ cases, thoroughly investigate the incident, and establish liability. We also arrange testimony from medical experts that can demonstrate errors in treatment and dealing with difficult insurance companies. Finding a medical malpractice attorney that is qualified to handle your case can mean the difference between winning the settlement amount you deserve and walking away empty-handed.

The Importance Of Hiring A Louisiana Medical Malpractice Lawyer With Experience

When medical negligence at a Louisiana hospital causes long-term injuries, or you have experienced the death of a loved one during a surgical procedure, you need experienced medical malpractice lawyers who understand Louisiana’s complex medical review panel requirements and will fight hospitals that defend doctors and physicians over their patients. Medical malpractice cases are some of the most complicated and nuanced injury claims in Louisiana’s justice system.

Neblett, Beard & Arsenault has spent over 40 years holding Louisiana healthcare facilities accountable for medical injuries—Alexandria to Shreveport and Monroe, and Central Louisiana to Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Baton Rouge—from misdiagnosis in emergency rooms, to surgical errors in operating rooms, to fatalities in Louisiana’s elderly and long-term care facilities. Our Louisiana medical malpractice attorneys have secured justice for Louisiana families that have been devastated by preventable medical mistakes.

Let our medical injury attorneys handle your malpractice claim, and we will tenaciously pursue just compensation for you and your family. Contact us today so that we can review the circumstances of your medical injury and develop the best strategy for how to proceed.

What Exactly Is “Medical Malpractice”?

In Louisiana, medical malpractice refers to professional mistakes or medical errors committed by a healthcare professional or provider, including a doctor, surgeon, or a hospital employee. Cases of medical malpractice may involve misdiagnosis, emergency room errors, medication mistakes, or a failure in treatment that allowed a disease or condition to worsen or progress.

When we think of medical malpractice lawsuits and claims, we usually think of surgeons or doctors as the responsible party. But any number of medical professionals may be liable too, including anesthesiologists, emergency room employees, nurses, and even pharmacists. Liability can even extend to multiple Louisiana facilities and providers, as the shared negligence of multiple parties may cause your medical injury. Mistakes resulting in medical injuries can involve hospitals, emergency rooms, nursing homes, urgent care centers, and even home health care. Providers may be liable for a range of medically negligent issues: improper care, medication errors, negligent patient transport, and even sanitation issues that lead to disease or infections.

Medical Malpractice – A Common Occurrence, Especially in Louisiana

Diagnostic errors are the most common and most dangerous mistakes made by American doctors. They are estimated to cause up to 160,000 permanent injuries or deaths each year, according to a landmark study by researchers at medical malpractice claims in the United States over the past 25 years. Researchers found that the majority were related to diagnostic errors and that those errors frequently led to severe harm to the patient. Most diagnostic errors were missed diagnoses, rather than delayed or wrong ones.

A sobering study in the Journal of Patient Safety found a much higher number of medical mistakes- between 210,000 and 440,000 patients each year go to the hospital for care and suffer preventable harm that contributes to their death.

Unfortunately, recent studies place Louisiana first nationwide with the highest rate of medical malpractice. In Louisiana, there were 14,629 adverse action reports filed in the Bayou State between 2013 and 2023—an average of 1,330 reports filed every year.

Do You Have A Medical Injury and Malpractice Claim?

If you developed an unexpected illness or medical condition after being treated by a healthcare professional in a Louisiana medical facility, you may wonder whether medical malpractice occurred. Our Louisiana medical malpractice attorneys can answer that question by hearing the facts of your medical injury and consulting with our medical experts.

Any of these types of common medical mistakes may have contributed to you or a loved one’s medical injury or condition:

  • You were given the wrong medication or wrong drug dosage
  • A medical instrument or sponge was left inside you after a surgical procedure
  • A surgeon operated on the wrong body part or cut another body part or organ during the procedure
  • You developed a potentially fatal staph infection after your hospital stay
  • A doctor made the wrong diagnosis or missed your diagnosis altogether
  • You developed serious complications after receiving anesthesia
  • You sustained injuries while being transported for care or moved around the medical facility
  • You, your spouse, or your elderly parent suffered an injury due to a failure to follow a medical plan of care

The scenarios listed above, and many others, may indicate medical malpractice occurred during your care and treatment. However, you must also demonstrate that negligence by a healthcare professional resulted in harm or injury. The laws on medical malpractice claims are complex, and the help of a legal professional can make all the difference in the success of your case.

Actions Medical Malpractice Injury Victims Should Take

If you believe you’ve been the victim of medical malpractice, take the following steps immediately:

  • Request copies of all your medical records immediately. Waiting to recover medical documents can result in falsified or altered chart information or lost documentation. Even if you are unsure whether or not you have a medical malpractice case, secure your medical records immediately.
  • Write down everything that has happened up until this point and continue to keep a daily journal. It is best to start a journal immediately before any details are lost and record the emotional, physical, and financial impact that the injury or harm is having on your life. Keep every receipt for expenses incurred in connection with the potential malpractice case, including travel receipts. Any extra cost incurred as a result of your injury should be documented. Keep very detailed records of all of the lost income caused by the malpractice injury.
  • See another doctor regarding your injury. It is essential to get an outside opinion on your condition or injury. Your attorney may recommend a specialist who can help you determine the severity of your injury or condition.
  • Seek legal counsel. Speak with an attorney on an immediate basis. The earlier you contact an attorney, the stronger your case can be. An attorney can assist you with gathering documents and ensure that all the correct steps are taken at the right time. He or she can protect your right to compensation and prevent insurance companies from taking advantage of you.

How Our Louisiana Medical Malpractice Attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault Can Help With Your Malpractice Claim

The medical injury attorneys at Neblett, Beard & Arsenault can help you determine if you have a valid claim and develop a strategy for recovering the compensation you deserve. Our injury attorneys have over 150 years of combined experience holding negligent parties accountable for causing injury, and we’ll help you obtain damages for your medical injury, including medical costs to overcome your injuries. We’ll also help you recover for your lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages caused by the medical negligence.

In the state of Louisiana, you must act quickly if you think you have a medical malpractice case. The deadline for filing a claim is short. It is vital that you speak with one of our experienced Louisiana injury attorneys as soon as possible so that we can get to work building a strong case for you.

Contact Our Medical Malpractice Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation

If you’ve been subjected to medical malpractice, suffered an injury that occurred at a healthcare facility, or a loved one has been harmed in the medical care of a provider, contact us immediately:

what our clients are saying

Over forty years fighting for injured victims in Louisiana. Thousands of lives changed. Here’s what matters the most – our clients’ thoughts about our relentless advocacy:

Quotes Dark

My experience here was the best. I chose an out-of-town attorney who felt I would not win my case, and gave up on us. If you have second thoughts about Mike Koch, don’t do it. He’s the best as soon as we sat in his office he assess all paperwork pictures of our case and immediately said we can win. From that day forward, he became not only our attorney, but family his heart went out to us. Losing our father was the worst thing ever, especially how he was taken away from us was devastating. He never gave up on us and always gave his full undivided attention. It could be late night or early morning I would think of something about the case and text him. I never expect a return text because it was after hours and he would probably respond back during business hours, but to my surprise I got a response. I’ll look into it tomorrow great find or we would text back-and-forth. He always thought about us and called to make sure we were OK, and didn’t need anything. He didn’t have to do that but he did. Even after the case is over he still check on us and make sure we’re OK. Mike Koch would forever be my attorney/ family …..

Victoria D. – Wrongful Death Client

Quotes Dark

Wesley Gralapp has been an absolute lifesaver for me! After being involved in two separate car accidents, I was completely overwhelmed and unsure of what to do. Thankfully, I found Wesley, and he expertly guided me through every step of the process. His knowledge and expertise in handling car accident cases are unmatched. He took the time to listen to my concerns, thoroughly investigate the incidents, and build a strong case on my behalf. What impressed me most was his dedication and commitment to ensuring I received fair compensation for my injuries and damages. Wesley’s professionalism, empathy, and genuine care for his clients make him an outstanding attorney. I highly recommend him to anyone in need of legal assistance after a car accident. He truly goes above and beyond to achieve the best possible outcome for his clients.

Skye S. – Car Accident Client