At the Law Office of Chip Forstall we work on a contingent contract, which means we do not charge anything up front and do not get paid unless & until you get a settlement. Our job is to take all the financial pressure off of you so you can focus on getting better.

It depends on how long treatment lasts and how serious the injury is, or other issues that prolong a case. Rushing usually helps the insurance company, not you. Our goal is to move it forward while still getting a fair result.

Whatever you have: crash report info, photos, insurance details, and any medical paperwork. If you don't have everything, don't stress—we can still start and help gather the rest.

You may still have options through your own policy, like uninsured/underinsured coverage. We'll check every possible coverage so you're not stuck holding the bag.

Be careful. Adjusters are trained to get statements that help the insurance company. It's usually best to keep it simple and let us handle the conversations so nothing gets twisted.

No. Insurance companies look for posts to minimize injuries, even innocent photos or "I'm fine" comments. The safest move is to stay quiet online until the case is over.

You may still have a case. Many claims involve shared fault, and you can often recover even if you were partially responsible. We'll break down the facts and tell you where you stand.

Deadlines can sneak up fast and missing one can kill a claim. The safest move is to talk to us ASAP so we can lock in the key dates, preserve evidence, and protect your rights. General Auto Injury cases now have a 2 year prescriptive date.

Sometimes bills still come in while the case is open. We help you understand your options and work to reduce the financial pressure while your case moves forward.

Most cases settle without ever seeing a courtroom—but we prepare every case as if it will. That readiness is exactly what pushes insurance companies to offer fair value. And if a fair settlement isn't on the table, we're fully prepared to take it to court and fight for you.

Yes. Many of our clients don't have health insurance when they're hurt, and we can connect you with trusted providers who will treat you now and wait to be paid out of your settlement. You get the care you need without paying upfront, so you can focus on healing while we handle the rest.

These cases often involve bigger insurance policies and more parties—an Uber or Lyft driver's coverage, a trucking company, or a commercial insurer. That can mean more value, but also more complexity and a more aggressive defense. We know how to track down every source of coverage and hold the right parties accountable, whether it's a rideshare, a delivery van, or an 18-wheeler.

Yes—Louisiana is unlike anywhere else, and it genuinely affects your case. We're the only civil-law state in the country: here you can often file directly against the at-fault driver's insurance company, and under our pure comparative fault rule you can still recover even if you were partly at fault (your award is reduced by your share). Filing deadlines—called "prescription"—are strict, and if you were driving uninsured, Louisiana's "No Pay, No Play" law can limit what you collect. Knowing the local parishes, courts, and insurers is a big part of getting it right.

Louisiana law sets a specific order. The right belongs first to the surviving spouse and children; if there are none, it passes to the surviving parents, then to surviving siblings, and then to surviving grandparents. Only the highest-ranking class can bring the claim. If you've lost a loved one and aren't sure where you stand, call us—we'll walk you through it with care.

They're two separate claims Louisiana lets the family pursue together. A wrongful death claim compensates the family for their own losses—loss of love and companionship, support, and funeral costs. A survival action recovers what your loved one experienced before passing, like their pain, suffering, and medical bills from the injury. We handle both, so nothing your family is owed gets left on the table.