East Baton Rouge | West Baton Rouge | Ascension | Livingston | Iberville | Pointe Coupee | West Feliciana | East Feliciana | St. Helena
A car accident can change your life in seconds. Medical bills pile up, you miss work, and insurance companies start calling with lowball offers. You need attorneys who will fight for what you actually deserve, not push you toward a quick settlement that benefits the insurance company more than you.
Combined legal experience among our partners
Trial Lost in Over 20 Years
After a car accident, you’re dealing with injuries, lost wages, and mounting stress. Meanwhile, the insurance company has trained adjusters working to minimize what they pay you. Their goal is to protect their bottom line.
You shouldn’t have to fight this battle alone while you’re trying to heal. Having experienced attorneys on your side changes how insurance companies treat your claim.
At Melancon, Rimes & Daquanno, car accidents make up the majority of our personal injury practice. With over 50 years of combined experience, we’ve seen every tactic insurance companies use to minimize payouts. We know how to counter them effectively because we’ve done it thousands of times before.
We prepare every case for trial from day one. We never assume your case will settle, and we don’t rush toward quick payouts that leave money on the table. When insurance companies know you have trial-ready attorneys, they take your claim more seriously and offer more.
We represent Clinton residents in a wide range of personal injury matters. Our experience includes:
Rear-end collisions, hit-and-runs, and drunk driving accidents are causing serious injuries
Commercial truck crashes, including cases involving defective equipment and driver negligence
Animal attacks resulting in facial injuries, scarring, and emotional trauma
Premises liability cases involving unsafe property conditions
Industrial accidents, machinery incidents, and exposure to hazardous materials
Injuries from manufacturing flaws, design defects, and inadequate warnings
Fatal accidents caused by negligence, providing families with compensation for their loss
Misdiagnosis, surgical errors, medication mistakes, and nursing home negligence
Severe burns requiring specialized treatment and long-term care
Abuse or inadequate care in nursing facilities
Traumatic brain injuries with lasting cognitive and physical effects
Crashes involving motorcyclists struck by negligent drivers
Whether your injury happened on Clinton’s roads, at a local business, or at work, we evaluate your case and pursue full compensation for your losses.
When you hire our firm, you’re not just getting one attorney. You’re getting the collective knowledge and experience of our entire legal team working together on your behalf to maximize your recovery.
You work directly with experienced partner-level attorneys throughout your case. You won't be handed off to junior associates or paralegals for important decisions.
We build every case as if it's going to trial. Insurance companies consistently offer more when they know your attorneys won't back down from a courtroom fight.
You'll have your attorney's direct phone number for calls and texts. When you have questions or concerns, you get answers quickly, not voicemail or delays.
Our three partners bring decades of trial experience to your case, including federal court work in Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, California, and New York.
We’ve designed our process to let you focus on your recovery while we handle all the legal complexities. Here’s how we move your case forward from the first call to resolution.
Throughout this entire process, you’ll receive regular updates on your case. We believe in keeping you informed and involved at every stage so there are no surprises.
Call us or complete our online form. We'll listen carefully to what happened and assess your legal options at no cost.
We gather police reports, medical records, witness statements, and any available electronic data from vehicles involved.
Our team works with medical experts and accident reconstructionists when needed to fully document your injuries and losses.
We pursue maximum compensation through settlement negotiations first. If the insurance company won't offer fair value, we take your case to court.
Hospital bills, surgeries, physical therapy, rehabilitation, medications, medical equipment, and anticipated future medical care related to your injuries.
Income you've already missed from work, plus future earning potential if your injuries affect your long-term ability to work or advance in your career.
Compensation for the physical pain you've endured, emotional distress, anxiety, depression, and the overall reduction in your quality of life.
Repair or replacement costs for your vehicle, as well as any personal belongings damaged or destroyed in the accident.
Compensation for how your injuries have affected your relationships with your spouse and family members.
Our track record shows what thorough preparation and real courtroom experience can achieve for car accident victims in Louisiana. These results reflect our commitment to fighting for maximum value.
The defense claimed our clients were speeding. The judge dismissed that argument entirely.
Insurance company disputed causation. We proved injuries through extensive medical records.
Federal court case. A similar case handled by another firm settled for only $500,000 in state court.
Electronic data from the truck proved the driver accelerated through the red light instead of stopping.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Every case is different, and results depend on the specific facts and circumstances involved.
Let us help you!
Your initial consultation is completely free with no obligation. We’ll evaluate your case, answer all your questions, and explain your legal options. You can make an informed decision about whether to move forward with us.
We handle all car accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay nothing upfront and owe us nothing unless we win your case. Our fee is one-third of your recovery if we settle without filing a lawsuit, or 40% if litigation becomes necessary. We advance all case expenses, including court filing fees, expert witness fees, and medical record costs.
"Great experience. They were very professional and were there whenever I called or needed them. My settlement was well worth the wait. I recommend them to anyone needing legal services. They will fight for you and get you what you deserve for your injuries. I didn't just gain good legal representation, I also gained friends and a law firm that cared."
"Great people who really care about your situation. They did everything possible to take care of my family. I would highly recommend Jason, Robert, and the whole team. Top notch."
"I couldn't be more pleased with choosing Jason and all of the associates at Melancon & Rimes. I was told by several people throughout the duration of my litigation that I was in good hands with one of the best attorneys in Louisiana, and the results did not disappoint. A very efficient group that worked diligently to win my case and keep me well informed along the way."
The majority of our clients come to us through referrals from satisfied former clients and other attorneys. That trust is earned through results and communication.
Our three partners bring complementary strengths to every car accident case we handle. Jason Melancon serves as lead litigation attorney with a background in biological engineering, which proves valuable when understanding complex injury cases. Robert Rimes leads our personal injury practice with particular strength in trial advocacy and negotiations. Lee Daquanno manages firm operations and graduated magna cum laude from law school.
Graduated from LSU Law School where he served as Senior Associate with Louisiana Law Review. He’s been recognized as a Super Lawyers Rising Star (2013-2015) and Super Lawyer (2018-2021).
Earned his law degree from Loyola University School of Law where he was a member of the Moot Court Staff. He leads our personal injury section with extensive trial experience.
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Partner since 2022, graduated magna cum laude from Southern University Law Center and served as senior editor of Southern University Law Review.
Jason Melancon can handle cases at the highest levels of the American court system if needed.
Multiple years of peer-recognized excellence among Louisiana attorneys demonstrates respected expertise.
We've handled cases in federal courts in Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, California, and New York.
Legal scholarship and writing skills that strengthen briefs and courtroom arguments.
Our attorneys maintain active memberships in the Louisiana Association for Justice and the Baton Rouge Bar Association. We stay current on developments in personal injury law.
Louisiana law generally gives you two years from the date of your accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. This deadline is called the statute of limitations, and missing it typically means losing your right to sue entirely. However, certain circumstances can affect this timeline, including cases involving government vehicles or minors. Evidence also becomes harder to preserve as time passes, and witnesses forget details. We recommend consulting with an attorney as soon as possible after your accident so we can evaluate your specific situation and ensure all critical deadlines are met.
Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your own auto policy may provide compensation when the at-fault driver lacks adequate insurance. Louisiana law requires insurers to offer UM/UIM coverage to policyholders, though drivers can reject it in writing. We can review your policy documents to identify all available coverage options. If you have this coverage, you may be able to recover damages through your own insurance company. We handle claims against UM/UIM carriers regularly and know how to maximize recovery from these policies.
Every car accident case is different, and the value depends on multiple factors. These include the severity of your injuries, your total medical expenses, how long you’re unable to work, whether you’ll need ongoing medical care, the available insurance coverage limits, and how clearly fault can be established. During your free consultation, we can discuss the specific factors that will affect your potential recovery. We don’t make promises about specific dollar amounts before reviewing your case thoroughly. Anyone who guarantees a specific result before understanding your situation isn’t being honest with you.
We generally advise against giving recorded statements to the other driver’s insurance company before speaking with an attorney. Insurance adjusters are professionally trained to ask questions in specific ways that can hurt your claim later. They may ask about prior injuries, get you to downplay your pain, or lock you into statements before you fully understand your injuries. Anything you say can and will be used to minimize your compensation. You’re not legally required to give a recorded statement, and having legal representation protects your interests during this process.
Louisiana follows a comparative fault rule for personal injury cases. This means you can still recover damages even if you were partially responsible for the accident. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if you’re found 20% at fault and your total damages are $100,000, you could recover $80,000. Insurance companies often try to shift blame to accident victims to reduce what they have to pay. We work to ensure fault is assigned accurately based on the evidence, not insurance company tactics.
Car accident cases typically resolve anywhere from a few months to three years, depending on complexity. Factors that affect the timeline include the severity of your injuries, whether you’ve reached maximum medical improvement, disputes over fault or the extent of damages, available insurance coverage, and whether we need to file a lawsuit. We prepare every case for trial, which can take longer but often produces significantly better outcomes. During your consultation, we’ll give you realistic expectations based on your specific circumstances.
If your car accident occurred while you were working, you may also have a workers’ compensation claim in addition to your personal injury case.
Our office is located in Baton Rouge at 6700 Jefferson Highway, but we represent car accident victims throughout the greater Baton Rouge region. We’re familiar with local courts, judges, insurance adjusters, and the specific challenges of accidents on area roads.
East Baton Rouge | West Baton Rouge | Ascension | Livingston | Iberville | Pointe Coupee | West Feliciana | East Feliciana | St. Helena
If you or a family member has been injured in a car accident anywhere in the greater Baton Rouge area, contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case.
Hours:
Wed 8:30am – 4:30pm