East Baton Rouge | West Baton Rouge | Ascension | Livingston | Iberville | Pointe Coupee | West Feliciana | East Feliciana | St. Helena
When you’re injured on someone else’s property due to unsafe conditions, you deserve attorneys who will prepare your case for trial from day one. Our partners personally manage every case, ensuring direct access to experienced legal counsel.
Combined Experience
Trial Lost in Over 20 Years
Property owners in Louisiana have a legal duty to maintain safe conditions for visitors. When they neglect this responsibility, the injuries can be serious, the medical bills can pile up fast, and the path forward can feel uncertain.
These challenges are difficult to face while you’re trying to heal. Having an attorney who knows how to build a strong case can make a real difference in your recovery.
At Melancon, Rimes & Daquanno, we have represented clients in slip and fall accidents, dog bites, swimming pool incidents, and negligent security cases throughout the Baton Rouge area as part of our personal injury practice. We understand how insurance companies try to minimize these claims and what it takes to counter their tactics effectively.
Our attorneys prepare every case for full litigation from the start. We never assume a case will settle, which means we gather evidence, consult experts when needed, and build the strongest possible claim. If a fair settlement cannot be reached, we are ready and prepared to take your case to trial.
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 one of our attorneys, you get the collective expertise of our entire firm. Our partners collaborate on strategy and share their knowledge to pursue the best possible outcome for your situation. Learn more about our firm.
You work with Jason, Robert, or Lee personally throughout your entire case. You're not handed off to junior associates or paralegals for important decisions.
We build every case as if it's going to trial. Insurance companies know this, and it often leads to better settlement offers.
You'll have your attorney's direct contact information. When you have questions or concerns, you get answers from the lawyer handling your case.
We want you to understand exactly how your case will proceed so there are no surprises. Here’s the process we follow from your initial call through the final resolution of your claim.
You’ll never be left wondering what’s happening with your case. We believe in transparent, consistent communication and keeping you informed at every step of the legal process.
We listen to your account of what happened, document all relevant details, and assess whether you have a viable legal claim to pursue.
We gather evidence from the scene, obtain medical records, and identify every party who may bear responsibility for your injuries.
We work with medical experts and other specialists when necessary to establish liability and fully document the extent of your injuries.
We negotiate aggressively with insurance companies or take your case to trial, depending on what will achieve the best result.
Throughout every stage, you receive regular updates and have direct access to your attorney until your case reaches resolution.
You pay nothing out of pocket to get started. We advance all expenses and only collect a fee if we win your case.
Our track record in court gives us leverage in negotiations. Insurance companies take our cases seriously.
Your case receives an individual strategy based on your specific circumstances, not a cookie-cutter approach.
We understand Baton Rouge courts, local judges, and how to effectively present cases in this community.
Injuries from wet floors, uneven surfaces, poor lighting, or unmarked hazards on commercial or residential property. If your slip and fall occurred at work, you may also have a workers’ compensation claim.
Injuries caused by animals whose owners failed to properly restrain or control them.
Drowning incidents, slip and falls, or injuries from defective pool equipment or inadequate supervision.
Assaults or injuries that occurred due to inadequate security measures on a property.
Injuries from merchandise, fixtures, or other items that fall due to improper storage or maintenance.
We measure our success by the outcomes we achieve for our clients. While every case is different, our track record shows what’s possible when attorneys prepare thoroughly and fight hard.
A child was severely attacked by a neighbor’s dog. The insurance company offered less than $100,000. We rejected their offer, took the case to trial, and secured more than 3.5 times what they offered.
In this case, we gathered testimony from multiple neighbors about the dog’s history of aggressive behavior. We worked closely with the client’s plastic surgeons and social workers to document both the physical and emotional injuries. The jury verdict included compensation for facial scarring and lasting psychological trauma.
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is evaluated on its individual facts and circumstances.
Let us help you!
Your initial consultation is completely free with no obligation to hire us. We’ll evaluate the facts of your situation, answer your questions honestly, and explain what legal options may be available to you.
We handle property injury cases on a contingency fee basis. You pay nothing upfront, and we advance all case expenses including court filing fees, expert witness fees, and costs to obtain medical records. Our fee is one-third of the recovery if we resolve your case without filing a lawsuit, or 40% if litigation becomes necessary. If we don’t recover compensation for you, you owe us nothing.
"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."
Much of our business comes from referrals by former clients and other attorneys who trust us with their cases. That trust reflects the relationships we build.
Our three partners bring distinct strengths and decades of combined legal experience to every case we take on. Jason Melancon, Robert Rimes, and Lee Daquanno each personally manage their cases from the initial consultation through final resolution. Unlike many firms, we don’t delegate the important work to junior associates or hand your case off once you’ve signed.
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.
Partner since 2022, graduated magna cum laude from Southern University Law Center and served as senior editor of Southern University Law Review.
All Louisiana state courts, U.S. District Courts (Middle, Eastern, Western Districts), Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court
Super Lawyers and Rising Star designations for excellence in personal injury law
Louisiana Association for Justice, Baton Rouge Bar Association
Our attorneys have handled cases in federal courts across Louisiana, Georgia, Texas, California, and New York, giving us a broad perspective on effective litigation strategies.
Premises liability is the area of law that holds property owners responsible when someone is injured due to unsafe conditions on their property. In Louisiana, owners must maintain reasonably safe conditions and warn visitors of known hazards. If they fail to do so and you’re injured as a result, they may be legally responsible for your medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages. The specific facts of how your injury occurred determine whether you have a valid claim.
Louisiana law generally gives you two years from the date you knew or should have known about your injury to file a lawsuit. This deadline is called the statute of limitations. However, evidence can disappear quickly, witnesses forget details, and surveillance footage gets deleted. We strongly recommend speaking with an attorney as soon as possible after your injury to preserve important evidence and protect your legal rights.
To succeed in a slip and fall case, you generally need to show that a dangerous condition existed on the property, the owner knew or should have known about the hazard, they failed to correct it or adequately warn visitors, and that failure directly caused your injury. Our attorneys investigate these elements thoroughly, gathering evidence such as incident reports, witness statements, maintenance records, and surveillance footage to build the strongest possible case.
Yes. Louisiana follows a comparative fault system, which means you can recover compensation even if you share some responsibility for the accident. Your recovery is reduced by your percentage of fault. For example, if a jury finds you were 25% responsible, you would receive 75% of the total damages awarded. During your consultation, we can discuss how comparative fault might apply to your specific circumstances.
Every case is unique, and the value depends on several factors: the severity of your injuries, your total medical expenses, wages you’ve lost and may continue to lose, how the injury affects your daily life and activities, and the strength of the evidence establishing the property owner’s negligence. During your free consultation, we can review the specific facts of your situation and give you a realistic assessment of what you might recover.
Most property injury cases resolve through settlement before trial. However, we prepare every case as if it will go before a jury. This approach often produces better settlement offers because insurance companies understand we’re fully prepared to litigate. If the insurance company refuses to offer fair compensation, we won’t hesitate to take your case to trial. Our track record in court gives us credibility at the negotiating table.
Your initial consultation is free, and we handle these cases on contingency. You pay no money upfront. We advance all case-related expenses and only collect a fee if we successfully recover compensation for you. This arrangement means you can access experienced legal representation regardless of your current financial situation. The risk is on us, not you.
Our firm represents clients who have been injured on someone else’s property throughout the greater Baton Rouge area. Our deep roots in this community give us valuable insight into local courts and how to present cases effectively here.
East Baton Rouge | West Baton Rouge | Ascension | Livingston | Iberville | Pointe Coupee | West Feliciana | East Feliciana | St. Helena
If you’ve been hurt due to unsafe property conditions anywhere in these communities, contact us to discuss your case.
Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
Friday: 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM