A group of healthcare providers sued a number of insurance companies alleging that their worker’s compensation bills were discounted under a preferred provider agreement without notice as required by Louisiana state law. When the judge was deciding whether or not to certify the group of healthcare providers as a class,…
Articles Posted in Class Action
Louisiana Supreme Court Finds Binding Arbitration Clause Fair and Reasonable to the Client
The Louisiana Supreme Court has recently undertaken a case deciding whether arbitration clauses in attorney-client retainer agreements are appropriate. In the past, Louisiana has favored the enforcement of arbitration clauses in written contracts. Arbitration avoids taking a case to trial and is a thrifty and efficient way to conduct the…
High/Low Agreement Proves Fatal to Plaintiff’s Cause of Action
Settling with an insurance company out of court is commonplace in the legal world. However, entering into a “High/Low” agreement prior to trial can come back to hurt a plaintiff and should be carefully worded and considered before executed. The cost of this kind of failure is exemplified in Soileau…
Understanding the Federal National Flood Insurance Program as Hurricane Season Approaches
The Federal National Flood Insurance Program (“NFIP”) is a federal program that allows homeowners to protect against flooding because most homeowners insurance does not cover flooding (You can check out their website here). It is offered to homeowners, renters and some business owners. The federal government works with private insurance…
Attorney Jeffrey Berniard makes New Orleans Magazine top lawyers list
Licensed attorneys in New Orleans were asked which attorney they would recommend to residents in the New Orleans area. Attorney Jeffrey Berniard, of the New Orleans-based Berniard Law Firm, LLC, was named one of the best mass litigation and class action attorneys in New Orleans in the November 2012 issue…
What is a Class Action? Who is the “Class?”
In Jane Doe v. Southern Gyms, LLC arising out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a class action suit was filed involving a local branch of the national gym, Anytime Fitness, was accused of taking pictures of 250-300 women changing in a locker room. The plaintiffs filed on behalf of all women…
Mandeville, Louisiana, Couple Fights Installers of Chinese Drywall
Jason and Renee Niemann, a couple from Mandeville, Louisiana, purchased a home in 2007 in the Lakeside Village Subdivision in Mandeville, Louisiana. Unbeknownst to them, a subcontractor, Calmar Construction Company, installed Chinese drywall in the home during construction in 2006, and the Niemanns have been fighting the builder, subcontractor, and…
Supreme Court Required to Rule on Discrepancies in Results of Louisiana Code
Kevin and Corliss Stenson, Et Al. v. City of Oberlin and Meyer, Meyer, LaCroix and Hixson, Inc. is a very interesting and very important case to come out of the Parish of Allen. The case resulted in divergent opinions between the trial and appelate courts of the Allen Parish, ultimately…
Happy Mardi Gras!
As a Louisiana law firm, our practice takes great pride and enjoyment from Fat Tuesday and all of the history that follows. For all of our readers in the New Orleans area, have a safe and happy holiday. Postings will resume shortly. In the meantime, laissez les bon temps rouler!
Vehicle Defect Leads to Redhibition Claim in Louisiana
Redhibition is defined as “the nullification of sale because of a defect in the article sold of such nature as to make it totally or virtually unusable or as to have prevented the purchase if known to the buyer.” An automobile redhibition case involves some hidden defect in the car…