Jacob Hargett
Top rated Personal Injury attorney in Lafayette, Louisiana
Welborn & Hargett Injury Attorneys
Practice Areas: Personal Injury, Transportation & Maritime, Products Liability
Licensed in Louisiana since: 2009
Education: Loyola University New Orleans College of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2024 
Free Consultation Welborn & Hargett Injury Attorneys
1540 W Pinhook RdLafayette, LA 70503 Phone: 337-234-5533 Email: Jacob Hargett Visit website
Details
Jacob Hargett was born and raised in Lafayette, Louisiana, and is now a proud husband and father. He attended the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, then went on to receive his Master of Business Administration from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Thereafter, he attended Loyola University College of Law where he received a Juris Doctorate.
While attending Loyola, Mr. Hargett served as the President of Loyola's Trial Advocacy Program and was a member of the Loyola Trial Advocacy National Team. While serving as President of Loyola's Trial Advocacy Program, Mr. Hargett organized the first National Trial Advocacy Competition held at Loyola University College of Law. This was competition was a massive undertaking and helped put Loyola's Trial Advocacy Program on the national map. In addition, Mr. Hargett was inducted into the National Order of the Barristers and was awarded the Blue Williams Award for Excellence in Trial Advocacy in 2009.
From 2009 to 2012, Mr. Hargett worked for a large defense law firm in Lafayette handling all types of cases. From 2012 to present, Mr. Hargett has exclusively represented plaintiffs in various types of personal injury matters, who are in need of true representation.
First Admitted: 2009, Louisiana
Professional Webpage: https://www.wandhlawfirm.com/attorney-profile
Educational Background:
- Degree in Business Administration., 2004
- Masters Degree of Business Administration, 2005
- Juris doctorate at Loyola College of Law - New Orleans, 2009
Bar/Professional Activity:
- Louisiana, 2009 U.S. District Court Eastern District of Louisiana, 2009 U.S. District Court Middle District of Louisiana, 2009 U.S. District Court Western District of Louisiana, 2009 U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 2009, 2009
Representative Clients:
- I recently recovered $2,265,000.00 for a 51-year-old woman injured while at a stop in traffic in Lafayette, Louisiana. The defendant driver was driving a 15,000 pound tow truck, failed to stop when three vehicles in front of him stopped. The Defendant’s tow truck rear-ended plaintiff’s vehicle with significant force causing her vehicle to collide with the two stopped vehicles in front of her vehicle. Following the collision, the defendant driver failed a drug screen for marijuana. However, this was not the first drug screen failure by the defendant driver. Indeed, there were multiple prior failed drug screens in the defendant driver’s employee file with the tow truck company. The tow truck company attempted to hide the drug screens during the pendency of the case, however, after taking the issue up to the Louisiana Supreme Court, I was able to obtain the defendant driver’s medical and drug testing records. This proof went a long way in helping to obtain just compensation for my client., 2020
- I recovered $1,800,000.00 for a woman involved in a motor vehicle collision with an 18-wheeler truck tire that became disconnected from the truck while traveling on Interstate 10., 2018
- I recently recovered $1,800,000.00 for a man injured in Opelousas, Louisiana. Specifically, my client was stopped, waiting to exit a Walgreen’s parking lot, when an Furniture Store’s box truck attempted to turn into the parking lot. Unfortunately, the box truck turned too sharp and collided with the driver’s side of my client’s truck. The investigating officer determined that my client was in a proper exit lane at the time of collision. The defense attempted to dig deep into the plaintiff’s past medical records and argue the plaintiff’s injuries were all pre-existing. However, my client had a normal MRI prior to the collision and significant changes on his MRI scan following the collision. That helped him recover for his injuries, as well as his lost past and future income as a contract welder., 2020
Verdicts/Settlements:
- I received a Jury verdict of $5,000,000.00. I went to trial on a case where a Box truck rear-ended a police cruiser. The plaintiff, a police officer in a marked unit, was traveling down Hwy 167 towards Abbeville, when a box truck rear-ended his vehicle. The box truck’s speed at impact was 65 mph. The impact knocked the police cruiser forward 150 feet and off the roadway. Plaintiff suffered lumbar and cervical spine injuries, as well as bilateral shoulder injuries, and a mild concussion. The plaintiff underwent a two-level lumbar fusion, a spinal cord stimulator, and a right shoulder surgery. Further, the plaintiff was required to undergo Botox injections for migraine headaches. Lastly, the plaintiff was diagnosed with depression and PTSD. Prior to the subject collision, the plaintiff had been a body builder and a police officer in vermillion parish for nearly 30 years. After the spine surgery, his treating physicians restricted him to only lifting 20 pounds occasionally and restricted him from ever returning to work as a police officer. The out of state trucking company failed to comply with the DOT requirements for vetting its driver. Specifically, the trucking company had no knowledge that its driver had four prior collisions with his immediate prior employer. Additionally, while employed with the defendant trucking company, the driver had two collisions prior to the one made the basis of the instant lawsuit. Indeed, if the defendant trucking company followed its own driver hiring and evaluation guidelines, the subject collision would not have occurred. We sued the truck driver and the trucking company for independent claims of negligence. Two weeks prior to trial, all defendants filed an “irrevocable stipulation of liability” into the record, accepting 100% liability and documenting the trucking company was vicariously liable for its driver. After five days of testimony, 26 witnesses, the jury returned a verdict (in less than two hours, right after lunch) for the plaintiff in the amount of $5,000,000.00. The award included $3,231,941.87 in general damages., 2022
- We obtained a total settlement of over $690,000.00 for an offshore worker who was being transferred from a jack-up vessel to a supply vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, the crew change was taking place at night, in high winds (27 m.p.h.), and rough seas of over six (6) feet. Our client suffered a knee injury and a back injury. Prior to trial, the plaintiff had a knee surgery and had a recommendation for a back surgery., 2023
- I recovered $750,000.00 for a man who suffered a hip injury after an 18-wheeler attempted a right turn into his lane of travel from a side street. , 2022
- I recently obtained a policy limits settlement of $1,300,000.00 for a 75 year-old woman that rear-ended an 18-wheeler at night. Initially, the insurance company argued that the plaintiff was the at-fault party for rear-ending the 18-wheeler. However, after engaging the services of an accident reconstructionist and being able to prove that the truck was negligently entering the roadway from the shoulder of the highway, the insurance companies paid their policy limits. , 2023
- In November of 2022, I obtained a verdict in the matter of Robinson v. Pelican Waste, in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana. In that case, Mr. Robinson was injured as a result of a trash truck backing into his vehicle at a speed of less than five (5) miles per hour. As a result, Mr. Robinson underwent a series of three epidural steroid injections which alleviated 90% of his pain. Mr. Robinson then had a one-year gap in treatment. Thereafter, Mr. Robinson had a resumption of symptoms, and sought additional care. After full presentation of trial on the merits, the jury awarded the past medicals of $29,732.00 and made a general damage award of $280,000.00. The total award received in the Robinson matter was $555,700.00. Additionally, the defendant, Prime Insurance Company, had to pay all of the plaintiff's costs., 2022
- I recently recovered $2,265,000.00 for a 51-year-old woman injured while at a stop in traffic in Lafayette, Louisiana. The defendant driver was driving a 15,000 pound tow truck, failed to stop when three vehicles in front of him stopped. The Defendant’s tow truck rear-ended plaintiff’s vehicle with significant force causing her vehicle to collide with the two stopped vehicles in front of her vehicle. Following the collision, the defendant driver failed a drug screen for marijuana. However, this was not the first drug screen failure by the defendant driver. Indeed, there were multiple prior failed drug screens in the defendant driver’s employee file with the tow truck company. The tow truck company attempted to hide the drug screens during the pendency of the case, however, after taking the issue up to the Louisiana Supreme Court, I was able to obtain the defendant driver’s medical and drug testing records. This proof went a long way in helping to obtain just compensation for my client., 2020
- I recovered $1,631,000.00 for an injured Jones Act seaman who was being transported via a john boat. Specifically, the plaintiff was being transported in a 1979 john boat that was in a state of disrepair through the coastal waters of Louisiana when the vessel was confronted with dangerous sea conditions. Due to the captain's negligent operation of the vessel through the dangerous sea conditions, the plaintiff sustained a lumbar injury. The plaintiff underwent a two-level lumbar fusion. After the lumbar fusion did not resolve the plaintiff's pain, a spinal cord stimulator was implanted. Prior to my involvement, the defendants were only paying the plaintiff LHWCA benefits. I won a motion for summary judgment on seaman status, which completely changed the valuation of the subject case. , 2019
- I recovered $1,800,000.00 for a woman who was injured when an eighteen wheeler tire blew out while traveling down Interstate 10. After the blow out, it became detached from the tractor truck, then collided with our client's vehicle. The client suffered a back and knee injury. Shortly after the collision, she underwent two knee surgeries. After two years of struggling with back pain, she underwent a lumbar fusion surgery. The case was mediated without success. The case was mediated without success. The insurance company only offered $450,000.00 at mediation. Four days before trial, the insurance company finally offered $1,800,000.00., 2019
- I recently recovered $1,800,000.00 for a man injured in Opelousas, Louisiana. Specifically, my client was stopped, waiting to exit a Walgreen’s parking lot, when an Furniture Store’s box truck attempted to turn into the parking lot. Unfortunately, the box truck turned too sharp and collided with the driver’s side of my client’s truck. The investigating officer determined that my client was in a proper exit lane at the time of collision. The defense attempted to dig deep into the plaintiff’s past medical records and argue the plaintiff’s injuries were all pre-existing. However, my client had a normal MRI prior to the collision and significant changes on his MRI scan following the collision. That helped him recover for his injuries, as well as his lost past and future income as a contract welder., 2020
Honors/Awards:
- I was nominated and accepted by Super Lawyers in 2023., SuperLawyer, SuperLawyers, 2023
- I was accepted to the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum. , Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum, The Top Trial Lawyers in America, 2021
- , 2023 Litigator of the Year - Louisiana, American Institute of Trial Lawyers, 2023
- Prior to turning 40, I was selected to the Top 40 under 40 by The National Trial Lawyers. Thereafter, I was selected to the Top 100 Trail Lawyers., Top 100 Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, 2021
Pro bono/Community Service:
- A woman was at a complete stop in her vehicle at a red light, when she was rear-ended by another vehicle at 55 m.p.h. The rear of her vehicle was crushed by three feet. Our client incurred more than $50,000.00 in medical bills after just three days in the Hospital. Unfortunately, the offending driver only had $15,000.00 in liability insurance coverage. I recovered the policy limits for her. Given her injuries and damages, I felt compelled to help this person for free. , 2023
- I recently handled a woman's food poisoning case pro bono. This was a highly contested case and the defendants only paid after numerous depositions were taken and we mediated the case. The case resolved for $50,000.00., 2022
- I handled a motor vehicle collision for free and recovered $30,000.00 for the client. , 2021
Office location for Jacob Hargett
1540 W Pinhook Rd
Lafayette, LA 70503
Selections
2 Years Super Lawyers
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2024