The law has a wide variety of rules in place to force a clean route to evidence, especially from authorities on the topic, like people present or involved with the case’s topic. Hearsay is a statement, other than one made by the person themself while testifying at the present trial…
Articles Posted in Insurance Dispute
Physical Rehabilitation Damage Leads to Difficult Ruling, Appeal of Facts
Scott Ramocitti lost three fingers on his left hand in a work-related accident that occurred while he was using a saw blade in May of 2008. During his treatment Mr. Ramocitti was referred by his work insurance company to the defendant in this case, Helping Hand Physical, for physical therapy…
Tractor Accident Leads to Question of Responsibility for Dead Tree Causing Incident
In 2009, a Louisiana man was driving a tractor/trailer in Caddo Parish when he suddenly hit a large pine tree that had fallen across the road. Despite having already made this same trip on the same road several times that day, since the last time he had made the pass,…
Slip at Large Retail Store Leads to Summary Judgment and Subsequent Appeal
A summary judgment is strong medicine. When a trial court grants a motion for summary judgment, it precludes the non-moving party from having their case go to the jury and in some cases from presenting any evidence at all. Because this remedy is so potent, the granting of a motion…
Statute of Limitations Key to Alleged Insurance Fraud Case
Many laws or actions include a statute of limitation which provides for a certain length of time for claims to be brought. After that time runs out, the claim can no longer be brought in court. The case of Joseph v. Bach & Wasserman illustrates just how important the statute…
Understanding Comparative Fault/Negligence and How it Impacts Judgments
You have probably heard the phrase “accidents happen.” But if you are in an accident, the first thing that you want to ask is who is at fault. With all of the chaos that can be part of an accident, sometimes the answer to this question isn’t always clear. This…
How Underinsured Motorist Coverage Applies to Passengers of an Accident
Automobile accidents create questions of coverage and liability – the only problem is how to answer those questions. Who is liable? Are you covered? If you are covered, to what extent are you covered? If you are covered, are your passengers covered? The final point is a more complex question…
Abandonment Examined by Appellate Court in Construction Lawsuit
A Saint Martinville, Louisiana, construction company, Cole’s Construction Crews, Inc., recently had a judgment against it reversed and remanded back to the trial court. Back in 2007, Cole’s had filed a lawsuit against J-O-B Operating Company. A few months after filing suit, Cole’s requested production of documents and sent interrogatories…
Comparative Fault and Reduced Court Fees for Victims
Louisiana, like many other jurisdictions, has adopted the doctrine of comparative fault. Prior to comparative fault, many plaintiffs were denied recovery from a negligent wrongdoer if they also were negligently at fault (according to the doctrine of contributory negligence). Comparative fault alleviated this harsh rule of contributory negligence and, for…
The Threshold Issue in Negligence Lawsuits – Explanation of Duty
A high percentage of personal injury lawsuits are based upon claims of negligence. Negligence and intentional torts are both similar in that they result in harm to others. However, negligence actions differ from intentional torts because they are the result of a non-intentional action. There are essentially four elements of…