Asbestos was once used to make many common products including insulation, roofing materials, automobile brake pads, and other household and commercial goods. In the 1960s asbestos was used in the petroleum industry, where the the high heat-resistance of asbestos made it a useful additive to drilling mud. Drilling mud is…
A July CNN report has brought to light a lawsuit filed against Louisiana school officials for repeatedly handcuffing and shackling a 6 year old. The lawsuit has been filed by rights advocates and the child’s parents on behalf of children in the Louisiana Recovery School District, a statewide entity managed…
Car accidents oftentimes are not simple, clear-cut events that lend a clear idea of who was right and who was wrong. Instead, many times it is left to a court to decide what the circumstances were that led to the collision and the amount of responsibility each party had for…
A power failure at Chalmette Refining LLC has led to a thin layer of white powder descending upon Southeast Louisiana, raising concerns about the toxicity and potential harm that could emerge from exposure. Citing a power failure for the reason that up to one ton of catalyst were released into…
In November of 2005, Shane Kerry checked into the ER at West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital in Sulphur, Louisiana after fracturing the heel bone in his right foot. Kerry was examined by Dr. Charles Pearson, who discharged him later in the day with instructions to report for a follow-up at the…
In the town of Duson, a mother of a child slain in a car accident is frustrated and discouraged by the legal system after years of delay in the prosecution of the responsible driver. What’s more, there now remains the possibility that charges may be lessened against the man charged…
John C. Elliott, 26, of Zavalla, Texas was driving a 1999 GMC pickup east on LA.8 and he lost control while passing another vehicle in a curve. He collided with several trees before the truck stopped on La. 8 facing the other direction. Elliot was injured seriously and taken to…
In November 2000, Debra Anne Addis of Addis, Louisiana filed a request for review with the Louisiana Patient’s Compensation Fund alleging that Mary Eschette M.D. of LSU Medical Center acted negligently in changing her prescription medications and violated the appropriate standard care in failing to properly diagnose a problem with…
In certain situations, a person that witnessed another get physically injured has a legal claim against the person that caused the physical injury—even when the witness suffered only mental anguish, without any direct physical injury. The rule allowing this recovery is known as the bystander recovery rule. Louisiana’s bystander recovery…
In a tort case based on negligence, a plaintiff must be able to show that the defendant owed a duty to the plaintiff and that the defendant breached that duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff. In some circumstances, though, it can be difficult for a plaintiff to obtain clear…