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Gulfport Personal Injury Attorney

A personal injury accident can be devastating physically, financially, and emotionally.  It can be difficult to know where to turn for qualified, competent legal assistance that really cares about you, your family, and your situation.  If you or your loved one needs a law firm that will stand by your side and do everything possible to help you, call Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC at (228) 872-8752.

With over two decades of experience in personal injury law around the Gulf Coast area, we can determine if you qualify for compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.  If you are due monetary compensation, we will help you take legal action, and will fight tirelessly to maximize your financial recovery for your losses.

At Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, our Gulfport personal injury lawyers are:

  • Professional and seasoned litigators;
  • Knowledgeable and up-to-date on case law; and
  • Experienced and reliable.

Call us today in Gulfport to schedule your free case evaluation by phone, Zoom or FaceTime, or in person.  At Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, your case is a priority, and we look forward to serving you. Our personal injury lawyers in Gulfport, Mississippi pride themselves on providing the highest quality legal representation possible.

Gulfport Personal Injury FAQs

Let Our Gulfport Personal Injury Attorneys Help You

At Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, our legal team of personal injury attorneys handle more than car accident claims.  If you are in need of legal representation after an accident, we can help.

We handle a wide range of personal injury cases, including, but not limited to the following:

In any personal injury claim, Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC will protect you from insurance companies and their tactics to lessen or lower your payout, advise you of your best legal strategies, and uphold your legal rights. We help hold the negligent party accountable.

Being involved in an auto accident or another type of accident can cause physical, financial, and emotional distress. If you are a personal injury victim, do not hesitate to speak with one of our experienced Gulfport attorneys today.  The sooner we start the legal process, the faster we can secure fair compensation, justice, and a sense of closure on your behalf.

Gulfport personal injury attorney

What Can a Gulfport Personal Injury Attorney Do for Your Case?

A personal injury lawyer fights for your legal rights and full compensation for your losses.  He or she does this by building the strongest legal case possible for your personal injury claim.

Preparing a trial-ready legal claim involves the following, and more:

  • Gathering all relevant evidence regarding your accident;
  • Identifying any liable parties for your injuries;
  • Pursuing every source of compensation;
  • Assessing your total economic and non-economic losses, both current and future;
  • Hiring needed experts;
  • Corresponding with creditors and insurance companies on your behalf;
  • Being sure that all litigation and paperwork is filled out before the statute of limitations;
  • Negotiating and settling your claim for a fair and just amount; or
  • Filing a lawsuit and proceeding towards trial.

Contact Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC to learn more about these services and the support we offer to our personal injury clients.  You deserve more, and at Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, we strive every day to provide more to each of our clients.

At Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, we look forward to answering your legal questions and helping to ease the burden of your personal injury claim.

What Is a Personal Injury Claim?

A personal injury is a harm one person suffers due to the negligent actions or recklessness of another person, company, or governmental entity.  A personal injury claim is a civil claim.  Any personal injury lawsuit gets filed in civil, not criminal court.

A personal injury claim, or resulting lawsuit, is the means by which an injured person seeks compensation for those injuries and any accident-related losses.  Money damages in a personal injury claim are to compensate the victims and to hold negligent parties responsible for the injuries they cause.

What is Negligence? 

Negligence occurs when someone has failed to exercise reasonable care and that failure causes harm or injury. When someone has been negligent in causing your illness or injury, they are liable for any damages resulting from the incident. This means that they are responsible for compensating you for any medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, etc. that arise from the incident. 

In order to prove negligence in a personal injury case and receive compensation, you must demonstrate four key elements: duty of care, breach of duty of care, causation, and damages. 

Duty of care refers to the responsibility one person has to another not to cause harm or injury; all drivers on the road have a duty of care towards each other not to cause an accident. 

Breach of duty occurs when someone fails to meet this responsibility; if a driver runs a red light or speeds through an intersection, they have breached their duty of care by behaving recklessly or negligently while driving. 

Causation refers to whether the breach caused your injury; if you were injured in a car accident due to another driver running a red light or speeding through an intersection—that other driver’s breach was the direct cause of your injuries. 

Lastly, damages refer to the losses incurred due to the incident; these could include medical bills associated with treating your injuries, lost wages resulting from time taken off work due to recovery from your injuries, or any other financial loss associated with the accident.

What Type of Compensation Is Available for Personal Injury Accidents?

Whether a personal injury claim ends in settlement or a successful trial, compensation for personal injuries depends upon the nature and extent of the victim’s injuries and the victim’s prognosis for recovery.  Any injury award should account for current and future medical and accident-related expenses.

Recovery for personal injury claims can include any of the following, and more:

  • Medical expenses; for routine follow up appointments, and emergency intervention, etc;
  • Loss of income;
  • Lost earning potential;
  • Property damage;
  • Physical therapy and rehabilitation;
  • Accommodations for disabilities;
  • Pain and suffering;
  • Mental and emotional anguish;
  • Scarring and disfigurement;
  • Loss of interest in life;
  • Loss of quality of life; and
  • Wrongful death.

Mississippi caps (limits) damages for non-economic losses, those for pain and suffering, and other damages to calculate losses, according to a defendant’s net worth.  There is no cap on economic damages such as medical bills, lost wages, and loss of earning potential.

A judge may also award punitive damages, or damages meant as a punishment, to set an example of a defendant in cases where there is extreme recklessness or egregious behavior on behalf of a defendant.

How Much Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Cost?

The most common way for personal injury lawyers to charge is on a contingency fee basis. This type of fee arrangement means that you won’t pay any money upfront for legal representation, nor will you pay anything out-of-pocket if your lawyer doesn’t win your case. Instead, the lawyer will only receive payment from the compensation you receive as part of the settlement or verdict in your case. 

Contingency fees are a percentage of the total amount awarded to you in your case – usually between 33% and 40%. So, if your claim is settled for $30,000 dollars, then your attorney would take $10,000 dollars as their cut of the settlement if you agreed to a rate of 33%.

Note that some attorneys may also require payment for other fees like filing fees and costs associated with obtaining medical records related to your case—but these charges should be discussed up front before agreeing on any course of action. 

Statute of Limitations in Mississippi 

In Mississippi, the statute of limitations for personal injuries is three years from the date of injury or the from the date when the injury was or should have reasonably been discovered. This means that if you suffer an injury due to someone else’s negligence, you must file your lawsuit within three years from either the date of your injury or when it could have reasonably been discovered by an average person in similar circumstances.

It’s important not to delay seeking legal counsel because if too much time passes since discovering an injury, your chances at receiving compensation for your losses could be significantly diminished or even lost altogether.

What Is the Personal Injury Claims Process in Gulfport, MS?

The personal injury claims process consists of five basic steps.  However, step five is generally unnecessary as most personal injury claims settle outside of court, before any trial.

  1. Claim submission.  The victim or their attorney files a claim with both the victim’s insurance company and the at-fault party’s insurance company;
  2. Proof of claim.  The insurance company appoints a claims adjuster to prove the claim and associated losses after the crash or other accident;
  3. Evaluation of settlement offers.  The claim is denied, or there is a settlement offer;
  4. Negotiations.  The victim’s attorney makes a counteroffer and enters negotiations;
  5. File a lawsuit.  Without a mutual agreement, a lawsuit begins, and settlement attempts continue until trial.  At trial, the attorneys argue for their sides and present evidence.  The judge makes a ruling on the evidence.

Contact a Gulfport Personal Injury Lawyer Today

If you want to know more about Mississippi’s damage caps and other potential damage awards available in Mississippi, contact the skilled personal injury attorneys at Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC.  At Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC, we know how complex and confusing personal injury law and each personal injury case can be for you and your family.  That is why we want to meet with you, confidentially and at no cost, to answer your questions and ease your mind about moving forward with your claim.

Do not hesitate.  Contact Haug, Farrar & Franco, PLLC today.