An East Baton Rouge court closed the book on a 2013 serious injury collision that killed five people.
Citing their “immaturity and stupidity,” District Judge William Morvant ordered 34-year-old David Leger and 27-year-old Kelsye Hall to pay $5.5 million to the families of the five victims. According to evidence presented at trial, Mr. Leger and Ms. Hall played a high-speed game of “cat and mouse” after a road rage incident. Mr. Leger, whose BAC was well above the legal limit, lost control of his pickup truck. The vehicle shot across Interstate 10’s grassy median and smashed into Effie Fontenot’s car. The ensuing fireball killed all five people in the car. [Read more…] about Court Orders 'Immature And Stupid" Drivers To Pay $5.5 Million
The Bayou State: A Great Place To Work
The workplace accident rate in Louisiana dropped to its lowest rate in fourteen years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Only the District of Columbia had a lower workplace accident rate than Louisiana’s 1.9 per 100 full-time workers. That figure is almost half the national average, and Louisiana has been below the national average since recordkeeping began. Louisiana Workers’ Compensation Executive Director Ava Dejoie remarked that the encouraging numbers are but another step in the ongoing effort “to continually improve safety until we reach zero incidents.” In terms of specific sectors, workplace accidents declined almost all across the board, including real estate (0.9 decrease), retail trade (0.6), professional services (0.5), and management (0.4). [Read more…] about The Bayou State: A Great Place To Work
Multi-Milliondollar Verdict In Wrongful Death Case
An Ascension Parish jury ordered the State of Louisiana and a negligent driver to pay a father and mother $4.4 million after a truck accident killed two of their children.
In June 2014, 9-year-old Sarai Lanus, 6-year-old Daylon Lanus, their father David Lanus, and several other people were fishing near the side of Bluff Road in Prairieville, when 47-year-old Shawnette Taylor’s UV left the road, slid down a steep embankment, and slammed into the group of fishers. The Lanus children were pronounced dead at the scene, and their father was seriously injured. In the truck accident lawsuit, the plaintiffs claimed that the road’s defective design contributed to the crash, an allegation which the state Department of Transportation and Development flatly denied. The jury disagreed, dividing fault 60-40 between the state and the tortfeasor (negligent actor). Ms. Taylor had argued that David Lanus was responsible for the deaths and another vehicle got too near the center line, forcing her to leave the road to avoid a collision, but the jury disagreed with those contentions as well. [Read more…] about Multi-Milliondollar Verdict In Wrongful Death Case
Good Samaritan Rescues Children From Burning Vehicle
A mother faces multiple charges after she allegedly drove off the road while intoxicated, causing serious injuries to her four children.
State troopers say that 29-year-old Kate Davis lost control of her 2005 Buick while northbound on U.S. Highway 165 near State Highway 101. The van left the road, entered a ditch, smashed into a culvert, and went airborne before eventually coming to rest in another ditch. The vehicle caught fire, and a passing motorist — whose name was not released — pulled the children out of the burning wreckage, sustaining severe burns in the process. All the serious injury victims were transported to local hospitals, but they are all expected to survive. [Read more…] about Good Samaritan Rescues Children From Burning Vehicle
Common Insurance Company Defenses
Part of being an aggressive and effective advocate for victims means working hard to develop a winning case. Since the plaintiff has the burden of proof, a successful case is built with solid evidence. An attorney must also have a clear theory of the personal injury case, and be able to explain the applicable law to the jury.
At the same time, an attorney must also anticipate the arguments that the other side will make. Despite what TV commercial jingles often imply, the insurance company is not “on your side.” In fact, insurance company lawyers are committed to minimum compensation for victims, because insurance companies lose money when they pay personal injury claims. What are some common tactics to reduce or deny recovery? [Read more…] about Common Insurance Company Defenses
What's The Difference Between 'Fault' And 'Liability?'
Two people were seriously injured in a truck wreck in Iberia Parish, and legal responsibility is unclear even though the fault seems clear cut.
According to state troopers, a passenger vehicle carrying three people crossed from the westbound to the eastbound side of Louisiana Highway 14 near the U.S. Highway 90 interchange. The car then hit the front wheels of a sugar cane truck before it careened into the rear wheels, causing the truck to flip over. All three people inside the car were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries; the other driver was not injured in the truck wreck. [Read more…] about What's The Difference Between 'Fault' And 'Liability?'