Baton Rouge Attorney

A personal injury case means that someone has harmed you and you seek compensation for the damage that you have suffered because of the defendant’s conduct. 

What qualifies as a personal injury?

A car accident caused by another

An assault or battery caused by another

A trip and fall because of an unreasonably dangerous condition

A slip and fall because of an unreasonably dangerous condition

Any other kind of accident or injury caused by another

Wrongful death, which means someone in your family was wrongfully killed by another.

Survival action, which is a lawsuit a person would have had had they survived the injuries that killed them.

What is the average settlement for a personal injury?

All cases are different, and depend on your injuries, your medical bills, your lost wages and other factors. No competent or honorable lawyer will promise you a settlement amount before he gets into the facts of the case.  Beware of those who will.

What are the 3 types of damages?

• General damages include pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and mental anguish. They cannot be computed to an exact figure but depend on the judge or jury to assign an appropriate amount for your compensation.
• Special damages are your damages that can be computed exactly, like your medical bills or your lost wages.
• Punitive damages punish the conduct of the individual and serve as a deterrent to others from repeating this kind of conduct. In Louisiana, punitive damages are limited to damages caused by drunk drivers, and criminal sexual behavior with juveniles.

How long do I have to file suit?

The general rule is that in Louisiana,  you have one year from your injury to file suit. In certain situations, like in a crime of violence or a sexual assault, you may have longer. Contact a lawyer for the specifics of your case.

Personal injury cases can be complex. Hiring the right lawyer is the difference between settling for much less than you deserve and full compensation. Joe Long does not advertise other than this website, but instead relies upon personal referral and his reputation for getting results. He funds his own cases, so he does not have the financial pressure that other attorneys face because of their advertising budgets. That means he can afford to take your case to trial, if necessary and get you the maximum recovery. Joe is a real trial attorney, with over 20 years’ experience, rather than just the face of a TV law firm.

When Joe takes your case, he will be involved in every step of the litigation process. And when the case goes to trial, Joe will be lead attorney, along with his many years of litigation experience. Insurance companies know which lawyers settle quickly and which lawyers don’t. Joe’s reputation as an aggressive advocate for his clients is well known.  If you have been hurt because of the acts of another, contact Joe Long for an appointment now.

You’ve been arrested.  You need to know what you are up against. The police department has all the resources of your city or parish at its disposal. It has dozens of police officers, detectives, scientists and other employees whose job it is to convict you of the crime you have been arrested for. It has virtually an unlimited budget to investigate your case, to find witnesses and evidence against you, and to make sure it sticks.  Then they hand it over to the District Attorney, who has a staff of lawyers, paralegals, investigators and legal assistants who screen your case, charge you and prosecute you. The State literally has an army of people trying to convict you of the charged crime.

Faced with these odds, you need a lawyer who will fight for you like you are his only client.  You need someone who is aggressive, who understands his adversary, and who has the analytical skills and experience to get you your best result. You need a lawyer who can find the weakness in the State’s case, who can plan and organize your defense and who can win at trial. You need an experienced trial lawyer who is not relying on a favor or a friendly prosecutor to get you your best result.

Joe Long graduated from LSU law school in 1998. He was number one in his class in Criminal Law and his 20 plus years of experience has demonstrated a strong reputation for aggressive trial work and great results. His background as a US Army infantry officer has given him the analytical tools to see the objective and plan backwards to achieve the desired goal, as well an ingrained attention to detail that most lawyers don’t possess. While others are doing the same old cookie cutter defense strategy, Joe tailors your strategy to the facts of your case. While they play checkers, he plays chess and the results reflect his drive, intelligence and attention to detail. Don’t take his word for it. Read the client comments. 

Many different lawyers can get you a good plea deal. They spend their time cultivating relationships to cut the best deal they can. This style, though, means they often cannot try the case without making enemies, so they sometimes sacrifice you to keep up their relationships with police and prosecutors.  Some are great at trial work but are too abrasive or adversarial and get on the prosecutor’s list to not help, no matter what. They don’t care that they are hated and often don’t treat the prosecutor with respect. As a result, they are limited to the cases that can only go to trial. Only a few lawyers can do both well. Joe Long is the lawyer to hire when your freedom depends on it.

“The State gives you a badge and a gun and a radio. It gives you the power to arrest, the power to detain, the power to kill. Many drawn to police work are addicted to its power, the close bond with other officers and the Thin Blue Line. This mandates an ‘Us against Them’ culture and a Code of Silence at all costs.  While only a few police brutalize the citizens, many others are complicit because they say nothing and do nothing.  They lie about what they saw. They cover up what happened. The brutalizers depend on the Thin Blue Line for protection. This culture of corruption puts good cops in harm’s way. It has always been this way in Louisiana. Today, because of technology, the unblinking eye of the camera bears witness on what really happens in these encounters and the public gets to see. The brutality is not new.  Only the cameras are new.”

-Joseph Long

Holding the Police accountable for their crimes is not for every lawyer. The police are against you. The prosecutors are against you. The judges are against you. The law is against you.  Most lawyers don’t want to fall on the wrong side of power. They don’t want the police to hate them. They don’t want the District Attorney to hate them. They don’t want to be known as those lawyers who sue police or the city or the State.

Joe Long holds the police accountable. It is a thankless job, but a job that must be done. Joe has been blessed to be very successful in personal injury work and is now financially independent.  In 2010, he decided to dedicate the rest of his career to giving the people of Louisiana an advocate when those in power abuse that power and harm citizens. Usually, this means police brutality, but not always.

Because this kind of litigation is so difficult, Joe is very selective in the cases he takes. It is not enough that you got your feelings hurt by a rude police officer or got roughed up a little during an arrest. No jury is going to blame the police unless the damage is serious, and the liability is clear.  Also, if you plea bargain your criminal case, you will likely forfeit your civil rights claim. Civil rights litigation is complex and before you make any decision, you should contact a lawyer well versed in civil rights litigation.

Joe handles the following cases:

• False arrest with serious injury
• Police brutality
• Excessive force
• Wrongful death by police
• Rape in prison by guards
• Killings in prison by guards
• Serious injury caused by guards or staff in prison

It is important to know that you have one year from the arrest and/or injury to file in Federal Court under these types of cases.  Contact me as soon as you are injured so that I can get involved in the criminal matter too. Experience counts and most criminal lawyers do not understand the impact of their acts on your civil rights claim. This could lead to them getting you a good deal on your criminal case, but causing you to forfeit your civil rights case.

POLITICS

Elected officials want to be seen as pro-police. This includes judges, sheriffs and other politicians. This is why Joe almost always files his civil rights lawsuits in Federal Court, where they are very familiar with the law, the judges are appointed for life and so don’t have to have police support to be reelected, and the Court is usually much more sympathetic to plaintiffs who have suffered at the hands of corrupt police. Lawsuits under 42 USC 1983 must be filed within one year of the action; either arrest or injury. It is critical, therefore, to call our office as soon as possible.

EXPERIENCE MATTERS

Above all else, get a lawyer who is experienced in these types of cases. I cannot tell you how many lawyers take these types of cases thinking they are like a car accident and lose on a technicality they didn’t know about. They are good lawyers but are afraid of federal court or don’t understand all the complex law involving this kind of case. As a result, the plaintiff loses his case because he didn’t hire the right kind of lawyer. I have handled dozens of these kinds of cases in Federal Court. I stay current on the law. I know the players and understand how to win.  If you or someone you love has been killed or injured because of police excessive force, call me today.

“The brutality is not new. Only the cameras are new.”