In a prior post, we explored the elements that a plaintiff must prove in order to recover against the owner of a business due to an unsafe condition on the property. There, the plaintiff, Lisa Beckham, tripped and fell over some loose asphalt in an unpaved parking lot of a…
The parties to a legal dispute, such as the payment of damages resulting from a car accident, can reach an agreement between themselves to resolve the matter and avoid litigation. This agreement, under which the parties “give and take” to arrive at a solution that is satisfactory to both, is…
In injury cases, general damages aim to compensate the victim for mental or physical pain and suffering, inconvenience, loss of quality of life, or other “intangibles.” Because these damages cannot easily be quantified in monetary terms, the jury (or judge in a bench trial) is tasked with assessing and awarding…
Louisiana law requires owners of businesses to use reasonable care to ensure that their parking lots, sidewalks, entryways, and other areas are safe for the public. If a customer is injured by an unsafe or defective condition, he or she must prove the following four elements in order to recover…
According to state police, and reports in LaPlace’s L’Observateur, two men died and two others were injured in a car accident a little over a month ago on Louisiana Highway 3127 in Wallace. At about 5:14 p.m. on Friday, September 24th, James Davis and Kerry Rodrigue of Plaquemine were killed…
Falling victim to a sexual assault is a nightmare that too many people in the Gulf Coast, and across America, are forced to fear. While most people think of such an incident in the realm of criminal charges, there are very real civil elements to such an event that are…
Resuming where we last left off in this important case… The court then turned to the deposition of Rigoberto Garcia, an employee of Maxum. Garcia had testified that while he was at work the day before the accident, all safety barricades were set up. He said that Maxum employees never…
The Third Circuit Court of Appeals for Louisiana released their decision in Cotone v. Corrosion Control Systems, Inc. The case highlights the importance of the plaintiff’s “divide and conquer” strategy when litigating against multiple defendants. Additionally, it illuminates the challenges defendants and plaintiffs may both face in lawsuits involving injuries…
In Louisiana, a tort suit must be filed within a certain period of time after the incident occurs. This is called the “prescriptive period,” and serves several purposes. It puts the defendant on notice within a reasonable period of time that a plaintiff has a possible claim against him and…
Faulty Jury Instructions in Iberville Parish Accident Result in De Novo Review by Appellate Court On the afternoon of June 20, 2005, Jesse Brooks, an operating engineer who worked for Industrial Plant Maintenance in St. Gabriel, was driving a backhoe along the shoulder of La. Highway 30. Brooks was followed…