Louisiana Personal Injury Lawyer Blog
Navigating an ERISA disability insurance claim through the courts can be a difficult task. The best ERISA disability isurance claim lawyers can help be your guide to ensure your rights are protected. The following case that arises out of the Federal Court system in New Orleans demonstrates the issues that can arise when you fail to timely provide the required documents to prove your case and your insurer denies your disability claim.
The case began when Angel Dix a two-year employee of Blue Cross Blue Shield Louisiana began experiencing back pain. Her doctors deemed her disabled for insurance purposes and she began receiving disability benefits under the company’s long-term disability program. Less than a month later, Dix was notified that she would no longer receive disability payments by her insurance company. The letter stated that the administrator found that the medical evidence “no longer supported a finding of disability.” The administrator considered medical opinions from treating and reviewing physicians, findings of an independent medical evaluation, and a vocational expert’s report. Dix appealed the decision.
During the initial review process, the administrator asked Dix whether she would like to submit additional documentation, and even gave Dix an extension on the deadline for submitting documentation. Dix failed to submit any additional information. The record was reviewed and the decision of the administrator was upheld. Then, approximately one year and three months after the administrator issued its final decision in her appeal, Dix submitted medical records, X-rays, MRIs, affidavits, and a favorable Social Security Administration decision. The affidavits were from two of her doctors stating that they do not recall speaking with the reviewing physician. The administrator declined to add the documents to the administrative record because Dix has exhausted her administrative remedies.
When multiple auto insurance policies are involved after an auto accident it may be difficult to tell which one is controlling. When a mother’s car broke down she borrowed a car from a friend to take her children to daycare. While on the way to drop her kids off she accidentally rear-ended the car of another driver on Highway 139 in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. When the time came to determine whose car insurance was controlling a lawsuit was filed to resolve this question.
Generally, a driver who is insured for a vehicle they own will remain insured if they use a vehicle they don’t normally use. To limit this, insurance policies commonly contain a regular use exclusion, which will exclude an insurance company from liability when the insured driver uses another vehicle they don’t own, but use regularly. In a recent case, the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal had to determine whether the exclusion in the defendant’s insurance policy applied to a truck the defendant drove as part of his work.
When plaintiffs sue based upon statutes, legal decisions often hinge upon how the statute is interpreted. In many cases, this can depend on how the court interprets the meaning of a single word within the statute. In order to interpret legal statutes, courts employ a process known as statutory construction. In this case the court utilized statutory construction to determine that the meaning of “claim” used in the Louisiana Revised Statutes did not apply to a final “judgment” issued by a court.
Automobile accidents can be terrifying experiences.
Concursus proceedings can be complicated. In a concursus proceeding, multiple parties assert competing claims to money or property. 
A car accident can create a significant change in one’s life. If nothing else, it can generate a large monetary cost that will be difficult to repay. Automobile insurance, which each person must have to a certain extent, can help with this cost. Other sources like governmental benefits may be of help to some, but it is essential to understand how public benefits and private insurance policies may interact. Louisiana law requires that a person who is suing an insurance company, such as the insurer of another driver at fault for a car accident, must exhaust any other insurance policies that the plaintiff may be entitled to benefits. 
In Louisiana, uninsured motorist coverage is mandatory. It seeks to protect drivers from motorists with no or insufficient liability coverage to pay for the damage they cause in accidents. In Louisiana, uninsured motorist coverage guarantees that anyone who purchases insurance on their car will automatically benefit from uninsured motorist coverage equal to the liability limits. This does not mean, however, that insurance companies can’t limit the scope of their uninsured motorist coverage. When coverage is denied, and lawsuits are filed, often times the issue is whether the accident falls within the insurer’s policy. A recent lawsuit in the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal is illustrative. 
Kenneth White’s road trip from Monroe to Shreveport, Louisiana wasn’t exactly uneventful. The Monroe man was involved in a traffic accident that led to a legal battle between insurance companies. White’s insurance dispute led to a significant change in the law, as the Court of Appeal held that a major auto carrier’s contract provision violated public policy.
How familiar are you with your motorist insurance policy? Are you fully covered for uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage? In Louisiana, uninsured motorist coverage protects you if you’re in an accident with an at-fault driver who doesn’t carry liability insurance. Underinsured motorist coverage, on the other hand, steps in when you’re in an accident with an at-fault driver whose liability limits are too low to cover the damage or medical expenses. Every insurance policy in Louisiana is considered to include uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage unless it is validly rejected. In a recent case, the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal found that an electronic signature on an online form was valid to uphold an insurance policy.