Whether you’re cruising Lakeshore Drive or piloting your motorcycle throughout the other corners of Mandeville, you have a right to ride in safety. If someone violated that right by hitting you, running you off the road, or causing you to crash into a fixed object or motor vehicle, you should demand justice. Getting compensation for a motorcycle collision is easier said than done, so let a Mandeville motorcycle accident lawyer from Smiley Law Firm fight for you.
Our firm does not let insurance companies underpay, mislead, or take advantage of our clients. We go on the offensive, presenting our demands and standing behind them. Call Smiley Law Firm today at (504) 822-2222 for your free consultation, and don’t wait.
We have helped many injured riders get compensation for their medical bills, pain and suffering (often including post-traumatic stress disorder), bike repairs, and other damages. While each of these clients has had unique injuries and damages, many of them:
In other words, being in a motorcycle accident takes a lot out of you. Rather than struggling to acquire fair compensation in such a difficult circumstance, let Smiley Law Firm do it for you.
St. Tammany Parish is its own world, distinct from the city across the Causeway. We understand this because we are local, with an office at 121 Girod Street, just a bead’s throw from the Lakefront. Having your motorcycle accident attorney in Mandeville means:
Our team eats the same gumbo as our clients, our children go to the same schools, and we drive the same roads on which motorcyclists suffer serious injuries. This shared experience brings us closer to clients, fostering the trust vital in a client-attorney relationship.
Our deep ties to Mandeville are just one of many reasons you should choose your attorney from our team. Some more compelling reasons to hire your Mandeville motorcycle accident lawyer from Smiley Law Firm are:
The number of motorcycle accidents and rider deaths has been on a general upward trend since 2000. We have seen this statistic translate to an increasing number of accidents in the New Orleans area, including Mandeville. Smiley Law Firm has been there when injured riders needed help, which means:
An experienced lawyer is a lawyer you can trust, so long as they bring ethics with their experience. Our attorneys offer both.
Attorney Seth Smiley graduated from Loyola New Orleans and attended Louisiana State University (LSU). His and his team’s commitment to clients in Louisiana is intentional.
We know our operating territory because we narrow our focus to Mandeville, New Orleans, and Metairie. We know the streets, often lead cases in local courts, and have a feel for our clients. This is the Smiley Law Difference.
We don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach to cases like yours. Each client gets a personalized plan from a lawyer invested in their betterment as a person and client.
A personalized approach to your case means:
Your case revolves around you. We will never forget that. Also, when you call your lawyer or reach out to other members of Smiley Law Firm, expect us to know you and your case details.
Our firm is dynamic. Whether seeking a settlement from an insurance company or making your case in a Mandeville courtroom, we intend to secure the compensation you deserve. With Smiley Law Firm leading your case, no strategy is off-limits.
Do not wait to contact our team, as Louisiana law typically imposes a strict filing deadline for motorcycle accident cases. Call Smiley Law Firm today at (504) 822-2222 for your free consultation about how a Mandeville motorcycle accident lawyer can move forward with your case today.
Remember that our approach for other riders might not be the exact one we use in your case. We believe in customized legal services.
That being said, there are several duties that motorcycle accident lawyers almost always handle for their clients, which are:
Our lawyers have a strong idea of what your case will require. However, we also know that there will be unforeseen challenges, potential bad-faith tactics from insurance companies, and demands we will only identify once we get into the case.
Our attorneys and support staff are resilient, well-versed in insurance rules and Louisiana law, and ready to handle every step of your case. Let us go to work for you.
You don’t need a degree in engineering to see why motorcycle riders are at such great risk when accidents happen. As a rider, you:
You might also be vulnerable to shattered glass, dangerous debris, fire, and other hazards that often result from collisions. We have seen just how severe riders’ injuries can be, so we are prepared for whatever condition you are in.
We must evaluate your injuries and identify the damages for which you deserve compensation. There are a few categories of damages we often see riders suffer, which are:
Our lawyers have a strong grasp of medical jargon. We have to, as injuries are central to most cases we handle. Your Mandeville motorcycle accident lawyer will track the cost of all your accident-related medical services.
Each injured rider’s injury profile is unique. We will work with your doctors, rely on our experts, and determine the cost of all your accident-related diagnostics and treatment.
Pain and suffering is one of the classes of damages that many injured riders don’t fully understand. We are here to clarify what “pain and suffering” means, as this can refer to:
Sleep disturbance and certain other conditions can also qualify as pain and suffering. If you develop chronic conditions, this may increase the financial value of your pain and suffering. We will seek compensation to cover all treatment costs if you need treatment for your pain and suffering.
Returning to work after a motorcycle accident is, for most, not practical in the least. You may need a week, months, or longer to recover from your collision, which can cause you to lose:
You might also suffer psychologically and emotionally without the ability to work. Our Mandeville motorcycle accident lawyers are compassionate to what riders endure, including the weight of professional damages.
Our team will determine whether your bike can be repaired, and we will lean on knowledgeable technicians to make this determination. We will seek compensation to cover the repair or replacement of your motorcycle.
If you need temporary transportation or face any other property-related expenses, we will include those expenses in your case.
No group is more vulnerable to fatal accidents than motorcycle riders. Because they share the road with motor vehicles, riders may be at greater risk than pedestrians.
If you have lost a loved one in a fatal motorcycle collision in Mandeville, Smiley Law Firm is here for you in your time of need. We have handled many wrongful death cases involving riders, and survivors’ damages can include:
We seek justice for survivors while shielding them from the distressing aspects of their cases. Let us do this for you.
RECENTLY ASKED TOPICS
Lane splitting is illegal in Louisiana. If you were riding between lanes of traffic when the accident occurred, insurance companies will argue comparative fault that reduces your compensation. However, you can still recover damages reduced by your fault percentage under Louisiana’s comparative fault system.
Even if you were lane splitting, the other driver may still bear primary responsibility for the accident. For example, if a driver changed lanes without checking mirrors and struck you, their negligence was the primary cause regardless of your lane position. Your attorney must demonstrate how the other driver’s actions caused the accident and minimize arguments about your comparative fault. The key is proving that the other driver’s negligence was more significant than any riding behavior on your part. Honest discussion with your attorney about the circumstances allows proper case evaluation and strategy.
Yes. You can recover the full value of your motorcycle including custom parts, modifications, and aftermarket accessories, plus damaged riding gear like helmet, jacket, gloves, boots, and other equipment destroyed in the accident.
Insurance companies often try to pay only base model values for custom bikes, ignoring thousands of dollars in modifications and accessories. Proper documentation is crucial: keep receipts for parts and labor, photographs of your bike before the accident, expert appraisals of your motorcycle’s value, and documentation of all damaged gear. Your attorney ensures insurance companies pay full replacement value for everything destroyed. For vintage or rare motorcycles, expert appraisers may be necessary to establish true value. Don’t accept lowball property damage offers—your bike’s value is an important part of your total compensation.
Louisiana’s statute of limitations gives you one year from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit under Louisiana Civil Code Article 3492. This is one of the shortest deadlines in the United States, making immediate legal consultation critical.
This one-year deadline is strictly enforced with few exceptions. Missing it typically means losing your right to pursue compensation through the courts forever, regardless of how severe your injuries or how clear the other driver’s fault. Property damage claims may have different deadlines. While most cases settle without filing lawsuits, having an attorney early ensures preservation of your litigation rights if negotiations fail. Don’t wait months to seek legal advice—evidence disappears, witnesses’ memories fade, and approaching the deadline weakens your negotiating position. Contact an attorney immediately after your accident.
Drunk driving strengthens your case significantly. Intoxicated drivers who cause accidents face criminal prosecution and civil liability. You can recover compensatory damages for all injuries and losses, and Louisiana courts may award punitive damages to punish the drunk driver and deter similar conduct.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, drunk driving kills thousands annually. Louisiana prohibits driving with blood alcohol content of 0.08% or higher under Louisiana DUI laws. Criminal conviction for DUI provides strong evidence of negligence in civil cases. Drunk driving cases often involve higher insurance policy limits, and if the driver was visibly intoxicated when served alcohol, you might have claims against the establishment that served them under Louisiana’s dram shop laws. Punitive damages in drunk driving cases can substantially increase your total compensation beyond compensatory damages.
Proving fault requires evidence including police reports documenting violations and fault determinations, witness statements corroborating your version of events, traffic camera or surveillance footage showing the collision, accident reconstruction analysis, vehicle damage patterns consistent with your account, and violations of traffic laws like failure to yield or distracted driving.
Louisiana law requires drivers to exercise reasonable care toward motorcyclists and yield right-of-way appropriately. Common evidence of driver fault includes failure to check blind spots before lane changes, turning left in front of oncoming motorcycles without yielding, following too closely and rear-ending stopped motorcycles, distracted driving proven by phone records, and violating traffic control devices. Your attorney investigates thoroughly to gather all available evidence, consult experts when necessary, and present compelling proof of the other driver’s negligence while refuting any suggestions that you were at fault.
Louisiana requires all motorcycle riders to wear helmets under Louisiana Revised Statutes 32:190. Not wearing a helmet doesn’t automatically bar compensation but may reduce your recovery through comparative fault if injuries would have been less severe with proper helmet use.
Insurance companies will argue that failure to wear a helmet contributed to your injuries, particularly head and brain injuries. However, helmets don’t prevent all injuries—many motorcycle accident injuries affect the body, limbs, and internal organs unprotected by helmets. Your attorney must demonstrate which injuries the helmet wouldn’t have prevented and prove the other driver’s negligence was the primary cause. Even if you face some comparative fault for helmet non-use, Louisiana’s pure comparative fault system under Louisiana Civil Code Article 2323 allows you to recover damages reduced by your fault percentage.
Motorcycle accident case value depends on injury severity, medical treatment costs, permanent disability, lost income, pain and suffering, property damage, liability strength, and insurance coverage available. Severe injuries common in motorcycle crashes often result in higher compensation than typical car accidents due to greater damages.
Values range from tens of thousands for moderate injuries to millions for catastrophic injuries with permanent disability. Factors affecting your case include the extent and permanence of injuries, total medical expenses including future care needs, lost earning capacity if you cannot return to your profession, degree of pain and disfigurement, impact on your quality of life and ability to ride, clarity of the other driver’s liability, available insurance policy limits, and whether punitive damages apply. Multiple severe injuries common in motorcycle accidents typically warrant higher compensation than single injuries.
Seth Smiley – Mandeville Motorcycle Accident Attorney
Injured riders and those affected by wrongful deaths do not have to lose sleep over the cost of hiring an attorney. We ensure that with our contingency fee agreement. You will pay us nothing upfront. Your attorney will receive an agreed-upon recovery percentage if we secure your compensation.
If you or a loved one was injured in a motorcycle accident you should always reach out to a personal injury attorney as soon as possible, Our firm faithfully serves Mandeville, in part because this is where our team lives and works. Call Smiley Law Firm today at (504) 822-2222 for your free consultation. Let us answer your questions and explain the next steps in your case.
121 Girod St
Mandeville, LA 70448
Phone: (504) 822-2222
Hours: M-F, 9AM-5PM
Smiley Injury Law
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