After a serious wreck, the lawyer you pick shapes both what you recover and how hard the road there feels. Almost every personal injury firm in Shreveport works on contingency, so you pay nothing up front and the fee comes out of any recovery. Cases here run through the Caddo Parish courthouse in the First Judicial District Court, and Louisiana recently changed the deadline to sue.
Updated May 29, 202612 min readEditorially independent
Shreveport and the wider Caddo–Bossier area have a deep bench of injury trial lawyers, from firms that have represented accident victims since the 1970s to statewide names with a local office. The attorneys below appear consistently across Justia, Avvo, Super Lawyers, Expertise.com, FindLaw, and Martindale-Hubbell, with a verifiable personal injury focus. Nearly all offer a free consultation and take cases on contingency.
How we built this list: We reviewed legal directory listings (Justia, Avvo, Super Lawyers, Expertise.com, FindLaw, Martindale-Hubbell) along with board certifications, years in practice, and depth of Personal Injury work. Firms that appeared consistently across independent sources made the list. We do not accept payment for placement or write sponsored reviews. More on our methodology →
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Rice & Kendig Injury Lawyers
Shreveport, LAPersonal injury trial firm
Practice focus: Car and 18-wheeler wrecks, offshore injuries, wrongful death
A dedicated Shreveport trial firm representing Northwest Louisiana injury victims since 1970, where clients work directly with the partners rather than case managers. Founding attorney William F. Kendig has more than 40 years of experience and holds Martindale-Hubbell's highest AV Preeminent peer rating. The firm reports a 5.0 Google rating across 600+ client reviews and appears across Expertise, Justia, Avvo, and Martindale.
Practice focus: Auto and trucking crashes, offshore and industrial injury, wrongful death
A Louisiana-wide injury firm with a Shreveport office, known statewide for its high-volume practice and “Get Gordon” campaigns. Gordon McKernan has more than two decades of experience and a record of multi-million-dollar settlements in auto, 18-wheeler, and offshore cases. The firm is listed across Avvo and Expertise.
Practice focus: Car accidents, trucking, premises injury, wrongful death
One of the Gulf South's largest injury firms, with a Shreveport office and the well-known “One Call, That's All” slogan, handling a high volume of auto and accident claims across Louisiana. The firm is listed across Avvo and Justia.
Practice focus: Serious personal injury, insurance disputes, wrongful death
A Shreveport firm established in 2004 and built around the Pesnell family — Billy R. Pesnell, J. Whitney Pesnell, and W. Alan Pesnell — with more than 80 years of combined experience serving north and central Louisiana parishes. The firm is listed across Lawyers.com, FindLaw, and LawInfo.
Practice focus: Medical malpractice, nursing-home neglect, serious injury
A Shreveport firm formed in 1977 by Sydney B. Nelson and John L. Hammons, focused on medical malpractice, nursing-home negligence, and serious-injury cases for Northwest Louisiana clients. The firm is listed across Super Lawyers, Lawyers.com, and Justia.
Practice focus: Catastrophic injury, medical malpractice, product liability, wrongful death
Attorney J. Antonio Tramonte has roughly two decades of experience handling complex personal injury, wrongful death, and product-liability cases in Northwest Louisiana, with reported verdicts and settlements across the region. He is listed across Justia and Expertise.
Match the firm to your situation and the fight ahead. A simple, agreed case is a different job than a contested one that the other side will fight hard, and the right lawyer for one is not always the right lawyer for the other. Be honest with yourself about which kind of case you have before you choose.
Ask who will actually handle your file day to day, how many cases like yours the lawyer has handled near Shreveport, and exactly how the fee works. Because most firms here offer a free or low-cost first meeting, you can compare two or three before you commit — and you should.
What to look for in a Personal Injury lawyer
The firms above are a starting point, not a verdict. The right lawyer for you depends on your facts, your budget, and how you want to be treated. Use these five signals to compare them.
Relevant, recent experience. “We handle everything” is a weakness, not a strength. You want a lawyer who works Personal Injury cases in Shreveport regularly, not one who takes them occasionally between unrelated matters. Repeated, recent experience with situations like yours is the single best predictor of a good outcome.
Straight talk about your situation. A good lawyer tells you what is strong and what is weak at the first meeting, not just what you want to hear. If everything sounds easy and the outcome sounds guaranteed, be skeptical — real cases carry real risk, and an honest lawyer names it.
Communication you can live with. Most complaints about lawyers are not about losing — they are about silence. Ask who returns your calls, how fast, and whether you will reach the actual attorney or only a screener. Set that expectation before you sign, because it rarely improves later.
Fees in writing, in plain English. You should leave the first meeting knowing exactly what you will pay, what it covers, and what could cost extra. A clear written fee agreement is a sign of a well-run practice; a vague “don't worry about it” is a sign to keep looking.
Local knowledge. A lawyer who works in the Caddo Parish courthouse in Louisiana's First Judicial District Court regularly knows how the process actually runs here, how local outcomes tend to break, and which resolutions are realistic. That practical knowledge is hard to fake and easy to verify — just ask.
What a Personal Injury case looks like in Shreveport
Louisiana used to give injured people only one year to file a lawsuit — one of the shortest deadlines in the country. A 2024 law (Act 423) extended that to two years for most injuries that happen on or after July 1, 2024, but older claims may still fall under the one-year rule. Because which deadline applies depends on your accident date, confirm it with a lawyer right away. Louisiana also follows a pure comparative fault rule, so your recovery is reduced by your share of blame but is not cut off entirely even if you were mostly at fault.
What does a Personal Injury lawyer cost in Shreveport?
Almost all Shreveport personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee: no hourly rate, no money up front, and the lawyer is paid a percentage of what they recover for you. In Louisiana, that percentage commonly starts around one third of the recovery if the case settles before a lawsuit is filed and rises toward 40% if the case is litigated or tried. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney's fee.
Whatever the structure, get it in writing before you sign: the fee, exactly what it covers, what is billed separately, and what happens if your case becomes more complicated than expected. A good lawyer walks you through the entire agreement and answers your questions before you commit. If a fee quote feels vague or evasive, treat that as information.
Red flags to watch for
Guaranteed outcomes. No ethical attorney can promise a specific result. If a firm guarantees how your Personal Injury case will end before reviewing the details, walk away.
The disappearing senior lawyer. You meet a name partner at intake, then never speak to them again while someone junior runs the file unsupervised. Ask in writing who your day-to-day lawyer will be.
No verifiable track record. “We've handled thousands of cases” is marketing. Real evidence is named results, peer recognition such as Super Lawyers or board certification, and a clean record with the state bar.
Pressure to sign immediately. A reputable firm gives you the engagement letter in writing and time to read it. High-pressure intake is a sign of a volume mill, not a careful practice.
Vague fee terms. “Don't worry about the cost” is a red flag. Every legitimate firm puts the fee, what it covers, and what triggers extra charges in writing.
Questions to ask in your free consultation
Most firms on this list offer a free or low-cost first meeting. Use it, take notes, and compare at least two before you decide.
Who, specifically, will handle my case day to day? Get a name and an email, not just a firm brand.
How many cases like mine have you handled recently? You want a number, not a brochure line.
What is your fee, and what does it cover? Get the answer in writing before you sign anything.
What costs am I responsible for, and when? Out-of-pocket expenses surprise people. Ask up front.
What is the realistic range of outcomes here? A good lawyer gives you a range; a weak one promises the best case.
How long will this take? Ask for an honest estimate with the assumptions stated.
How and how often will I hear from you? Set the communication expectation now, not later.
What is the worst-case outcome? A lawyer who won't discuss downside risk is selling you something.
Talk to a Shreveport Personal Injury lawyer — free, no obligation
Tell us what is going on. We'll match you with vetted Shreveport firms from the list above. Most respond within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
Do I pay anything up front for a personal injury lawyer in Shreveport?
No. Shreveport injury firms work on contingency, so you pay no hourly fee and nothing up front. The lawyer's fee is a percentage of any recovery, and if there is no recovery, you owe no attorney's fee. Case costs are typically advanced by the firm and reimbursed from the settlement or verdict.
How long do I have to file an injury claim in Louisiana?
Louisiana extended its deadline from one year to two years for most injuries that happen on or after July 1, 2024, but older accidents may still fall under the old one-year rule. Because the deadline depends on your accident date and is unusually short, confirm it with a lawyer right away — missing it can permanently end your claim.
What if I was partly at fault for the accident?
You can still recover. Louisiana follows a pure comparative fault rule, so your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault but is not cut off even if you were mostly to blame. How fault is divided is frequently the central dispute, which is why documenting the scene helps.
How much is my Shreveport injury case worth?
It depends on how serious and permanent your injuries are, your medical bills and lost income, the available insurance, and how clearly the other side is at fault. No honest lawyer can value a case precisely at the first meeting. Be wary of anyone who promises a specific dollar figure before reviewing your records.
Will my case go to trial?
Most do not. The majority of injury claims settle with the insurer, often before a lawsuit is filed in Caddo Parish. Cases go to trial when fault or value is genuinely disputed. Hiring a firm willing to try the case can itself improve a settlement offer, because insurers know which lawyers will go the distance.
How long does an injury case take to resolve?
A straightforward claim with clear liability can settle in a few months once you finish treatment. A disputed or serious case filed in the First Judicial District Court can take a year or more through discovery, mediation, and trial. Your lawyer should give you a realistic range for your facts.
Should I talk to the insurance company myself?
Be careful. Adjusters may seem helpful but work to limit what the company pays, and early recorded statements can be used against you. It is reasonable to give basic facts to your own insurer and then let your lawyer handle the at-fault party's insurer.
How do I choose between two good Shreveport injury firms?
Compare who will actually handle your file, how many similar cases they have tried in Caddo Parish, how they communicate, and the exact fee and cost terms in writing. Both consultations are free, so meet with at least two before you sign.
One last thing. Choosing a Personal Injury lawyer is a real decision, and the right fit can change your outcome. Talk to two or three firms before you sign, ask each how they would handle a case like yours near Shreveport, and get the fee and costs in writing. — The LawFirmSquare team
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