We have all read headlines about lawsuits filed against gas and energy companies by workers who have developed health problems at their facilities. But what happens when a plaintiff files a lawsuit which could be barred by a workers’ compensation act? Will the claim be able to withstand a peremptory…
Articles Posted in Industry Spill
Louisiana Restaurant Evades Liability For Speculative Slip-and-Fall Claim
Slip-and-fall cases are prevalent in the restaurant industry. In handling various kinds of food and drink, it makes sense that sometimes, things end up on the floor and can cause a slip hazard for customers. But when a customer falls without a clear cause, how can the court determine who…
Petroleum Corporation Releases Millions of Gallons of Toxins Harming Many in Calcasieu Parish
What happens when the same wrongdoer injures several people? Typically, in cases like this, the court may consolidate the actions to promote the efficient use of judicial resources. However, these cases may be complex and lengthy and require expert testimony, as exemplified by the following lawsuit out of Lake Charles,…
An Examination of Interlocutory Appeals and Collateral Order Doctrine
In April 2010, an offshore drilling rig, the Deepwater Horizon, exploded and sank into the Gulf of Mexico. Eleven workers died and crude oil from the well spilled into the Gulf for months after the accident. The result was a mass of litigation involving multiple defendants. In order to deal…
Louisiana’s Act 312 and its Impact on the Environment and Oil Exploration
La. R.S. 30:29 (“Act 312”) was in enacted in 2006 and became effective in June of that year. Act 312 provides a procedure for the remediation of oil field sites as well as oil exploration and production sites. Generally, remediation is “the action of remedying something, in particular of reversing…
Environmental Damage Appeal Focuses on Mineral Lease, Oil
In January, the Louisiana Supreme Court considered an appeal from the Vermilion Parish School Board. The appeal centered on environmental damage to land that was subject to a mineral lease. The mineral lease allowed those leasing the land to look for and remove any mineral, including oil, that they found…
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…
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…
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!