May
16St. Helena High School Fair Tragedy
Two teens were tragically injured at St. Helena High School in Greensburg, Louisiana when they fell from the Zipper, a Ferris wheel-like ride Saturday evening. They fell 15 feet to the ground when the ride began moving while they were trying to disembark. They were flown to Our Lady Of The Lake Hospital. The ride is reportedly owned and operated…
Read More >Dec
1Mother Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Following Stun Gun Death
WRONGFUL DEATH A mother has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a Lafayette Parish sheriff and his deputy alleging her son suffered a fatal asthma attack following the deputy's use of a taser on him. 28-year-old Javon Rakestrau died last year in Lafayette after Sheriff's Deputy Chris Guidry attempted to stop and question the man as he walked along a…
Read More >Dec
5Worker Sues After Falling 85 Feet on Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit
JONES ACT, MARITIME AND OFFSHORE INJURIES An employee of National Oilwell Varco has filed a lawsuit in a New Orleans federal court against Alimak Hek, Inc. for injuries received while performing work on a mobile offshore drilling unit. Christopher Gonzales is seeking damages for injuries stemming from his 85 foot fall through an open elevator shaft on the Discoverer Deep…
Read More >Dec
6Louisiana Wrongful Death Suit Filed Over Crane Malfunction
WRONGFUL DEATH A maintenance technician's family has filed a wrongful death suit in connection with a crane accident which occurred last year. Nolan Knoblock, Jr. was killed while attempting to change a light bulb in the West Bridge section of the Louisiana Offshore Oil Port Marine Terminal after a crane he was using as a work platform malfunctioned. According to…
Read More >Dec
7MADD Vigil Raises Awareness About Risks of Impaired Driving in Lake Charles, Louisiana
CAR ACCIDENTS The Lake Charles chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) held a vigil this weekend to raise awareness regarding the impact drunk driving has on individuals and families in both Louisiana and nationwide. Community action site leader Barbara Daretz lost her only grandson, Ryan, due to the actions of a drunk driver more than three years ago. He…
Read More >Dec
9Louisiana Jones Act Claim Filed After Five Workers Fall 80 Feet Into the Gulf of Mexico
JONES ACT, MARITIME AND OFFSHORE INJURIES Five men have recently filed a Jones Act lawsuit against Tetra Technologies, Inc. in New Orleans federal court. The men are alleging they fell 80 feet into the Gulf of Mexico during removal of a bridge which connected two pieces of an oil production platform last May. The five offshore workers, Josue Olvera Armijo,…
Read More >Dec
13No Workers’ Compensation Exception in St. Landry Parish Landfill Death
WORKERS' COMPENSATION The Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently stated the parents of a man killed while working at the St. Landry Parish Sanitary Landfill failed to prove the intentional act exception to worker's compensation immunity applied to their son's accident. 22-year-old Martel Smith was crushed to death on April 22, 2008 while working at the 200 acre landfill.…
Read More >Dec
14Texting and Emailing Behind the Wheel on the Rise in Louisiana, Nationwide
CAR ACCIDENTS According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, text messaging or sending emails while behind the wheel is becoming an increasing problem. Approximately one-fifth of all drivers admitted to sending messages while driving in 2010, an increase of 50 percent over the previous year. Young drivers were even more likely to text or email while on the road.…
Read More >Dec
15Prairieville, Acension Parish Wal-Marts Sued for Premises Liability Negligence
PREMISES LIABILITY Last week, two new personal injury lawsuits were filed in Louisiana's 23rd Judicial District Court against national retailer Wal-Mart. On December 8th, Susan Imbraguglio of Acension Parish filed a negligence claim against the corporation and the store's general manager seeking damages for medical bills, pain and suffering, disability, lost wages and loss of enjoyment of life associated with…
Read More >Dec
19New Orleans Man Killed in Hit-And-Run Auto Accident on I-10
CAR ACCIDENTS, WRONGFUL DEATH A local barber was killed Friday morning after his vehicle burst into flames in a hit-and-run accident on Interstate 10 in New Orleans. 48-year-old Mitchell Baptiste was killed when his car spun out of control, hit a pole, and became engulfed in flames after a black Nissan with tinted windows and a large Fleur de lis…
Read More >Dec
20Three New Mesothelioma Lawsuits Recently Filed in Orleans Parish Civil District Court
MESOTHELIOMA Rivera seeks compensation for past and future medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, disability, and other damages. Three new asbestos lawsuits were recently filed in the Orleans Parish Civil District Court. After being diagnosed with mesothelioma in October, Juan Rivera filed a lawsuit against Avondale Industries, Inc. for exposure to asbestos between 1966…
Read More >Dec
21Another Fatality at Addis Intersection Where LSU Coach Miles’ Sister Was Killed in April
CAR ACCIDENTS A driver was killed and two passengers were injured at an allegedly dangerous intersection just north of Addis, Louisiana on Saturday. The accident occurred at the intersection of LA-1 and Sugar Plantation Road in West Baton Rouge Parish. The vehicle of the driver killed was sideswiped as it headed south and came to rest in a nearby ditch.…
Read More >Dec
22Ascension Parish Woman Sues After Construction Workers Drop Cabinet on Her
SHOULDER INJURY, SPINAL CORD INJURY Earlier this month, a nursing home employee filed a lawsuit against Shreveport, Louisiana based D&D Builders for injuries sustained after the company's employees allegedly dropped a cabinet on her. Sandra Duplessis of Ascension Parish claims she was injured while holding a door open for employees of D&D Builders who were engaged in transporting a cabinet…
Read More >Dec
26Louisiana Third Circuit Affirms Exemplary Damages Award for Injuries Caused by Drunk Driver
CAR ACCIDENTS Louisiana's Third Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a trial court judge's award of exemplary damages following an alcohol related motor vehicle collision. A judge awarded Steven Guillory $100,000 in exemplary damages for injuries sustained after he struck a work vehicle driven by Christopher Saucier as the vehicle turned onto Louisiana Highway 108. Immediately following the accident, Saucier…
Read More >Dec
27New Orleans Woman Sues Bank After Hand Trapped in Drive Through Teller Machine
PREMISES LIABILITY Earlier this month, a New Orleans woman filed a lawsuit against JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. and its insurance company in Orleans Parish Civil District Court for injuries she allegedly sustained while using a drive-through teller. Megan Henry alleges she was using a drive-through banking device at local Chase Bank branch when a door on the pneumatic tube…
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