As the last couple posts have described, some aspects of asbestos cases do not fit within the traditional mold of other personal injury cases. Because these cases continue to be treated as personal injury matters, some of the rules must be relaxed or modified. The Louisiana Supreme Court dealt with…
Articles Posted in Civil Matter
Assessing Multiple Defendants’ Liability in an Asbestos Case
As research has revealed more about the dangers of asbestos and the mechanics of how it causes certain types of lung disease and cancer, medical and social opinion of asbestos has changed. Likewise, the law of asbestos-related injuries has changed in the last half century. For example, one of our…
Berniard Law Firm Unveils Facebook Page Dedicated to BP Oil Spill
For all of our readers who are on Facebook, our firm has unveiled a new Page dedicated to the BP oil spill as a means to keep abreast of the latest news and more. Click here to add us!
Determining When an Asbestos Injury Has Occurred
Because of the nature of asbestos related diseases and the way victims contract them, injury cases involving asbestos can be complicated. Lengthy exposure to asbestos in Louisiana and the long latency, or development, of asbestos caused diseases takes these cases outside the realm of typical personal injury cases. While this…
Previous Injury and the Eggshell Plaintiff Rule
Accidents happen and when they do people wonder just how much can be considered when calculating damages. Many wonder “what happens when someone who is already injured is in an accident?” What’s more, if someone already had a bad knee, for example, can the defendant be held responsible for further…
Contract Indemnity Provision Voided Under Louisiana Oilfield Anti-Indemnity Act: Legislative Intent Irrelevant When a Statute is Clear
Samuel Silverman Jr. was injured while working for BJ Services Company, a contractor for Bass Enterprises Production Company, hired to provide services on an oil well in Cado Parish. The injury was to Silverman’s knee and occurred because a hoist operator employed by another contractor at the site, Mike Rogers’…
How the Law Approaches Medical Malpractice in Pregnancies
More than 98,000 people are killed each year as a result of medical errors. The rights of the deceased are protected in court through what is called a survival action, which allows the relatives to file a claim in place of the deceased for conscious pain and suffering, damage to…
Elected Officials Recognize the Dangers of Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is a huge problem in Louisiana. In fact, according to a study of the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission, at any given time, at least one of every eleven cars on the road is driven by someone using a cell phone. The Study was commissioned by the legislature in…
Medical Malpractice Claims Must Be Handled With Care
Almost every person who is admitted at a hospital has had to deal with a nurse at some point. Nurses, like doctors, are responsible for providing medical care to patients and can be subject to liability if they deliver treatment that falls below the standard set forth by the law…
Louisiana Roads in Bad Shape: Poor Roads Lead to More Accidents
According to a recent study published by the Road Information Program (a nonprofit group that evaluates highway data), Louisiana has the second highest auto fatality rate in the nation. In 2008, Louisiana had 2.02 deaths for every 100 million miles traveled. Montana was the one state with more deaths, at…