Wrongful Death Lawyer in Evangeline Parish

Over $100 Million Recovered. Every Case Built Around Your Family’s Future.

A wrongful death claim doesn’t just ask who caused the accident. It asks what your family can lose for years, even decades, to come. Since 2003, we’ve served families throughout Evangeline, St. Landry, Acadia, and Lafayette parishes, and since 1999, our firm has won settlements and verdicts exceeding $100 million across more than 17,000 resolved cases. We build every wrongful death case around the long-term financial picture, because a fair recovery means accounting for far more than the day someone died.

We approach each case personally, investing time, expert resources, and genuine care to support our clients for the long term, not just the lawsuit.

How We Build a Wrongful Death Case

The core challenge in any wrongful death claim is proving what a family can go without going forward: income, benefits, household contributions, guidance, companionship. We work with life care planners, vocational experts, and economists on nearly every case to make that picture concrete and defensible. These aren’t consultants we bring in occasionally. They’re part of how we prepare every file.

We also prepare every case as if it will go to trial. That posture matters when negotiating with insurance companies, who may move faster toward fair resolutions when they know the other side is ready to go the distance.

Louisiana Wrongful Death Law: What Evangeline Parish Families Should Know

Louisiana Civil Code Article 2315.2 governs wrongful death claims in our state. When a person dies due to another party’s fault, the law allows certain surviving family members to seek compensation in a defined priority order: first the surviving spouse and children, then surviving parents, then siblings, then grandparents. Only one class may bring the claim, starting with the highest-priority class that includes living members.

The prescriptive period under Article 2315.2 is one year from the date of death or two years from the date of the underlying injury, whichever is longer. Medical malpractice wrongful death claims follow a separate rule, prescribing one year from the date of death. Missing this window can bar the claim, so acting promptly matters. Wrongful death cases in Evangeline Parish are filed in the 13th Judicial District Court, located at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse in Ville Platte.

Survival Actions vs. Wrongful Death Claims

Many families are surprised to learn that two separate claims can arise from the same death. A wrongful death claim, under Article 2315.2, compensates survivors for their own losses: lost financial support, loss of companionship, grief, and mental anguish. A survival action, governed by Louisiana Civil Code Article 2315.1, is different. It carries forward the deceased’s own claim for the pain, suffering, and losses they experienced before death.

Both claims pass to the same priority classes of family members. If no eligible beneficiary exists, a survival action may be brought by the succession representative of the estate. A survival action prescribes one year from the date of death or two years from the date of injury, whichever is longer, with a separate discovery-based rule for medical malpractice. Because both claims can be filed simultaneously, understanding which apply to your situation is an important early step.

Start with a Free Consultation

We handle wrongful death cases on a contingency basis. There are no upfront legal fees, and we don’t get paid unless we recover compensation for your family. Our goal is to remove barriers between your family and the representation you need during an impossibly difficult time.