Rick Sheppard, an inmate in the custody of the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections, injured his left shoulder two separate times while participating in the Angola Prison Rodeo. After seeing two specialists, Sheppard maintained that the medication and physical therapy regimen he had been following was ineffective. When Sheppard…
Articles Posted in Litigation
Medical Malpractice Lawsuit Tossed Due to Louisiana’s Prescriptive Period
A man is in the hands of a facility tasked with providing sufficient medical care. Instead of meeting this standard of care and due diligence, the facility fails to adjust the man’s diet, and he chokes on solid food that he should not eat, leading to his death. When his…
Louisiana Engineering Company Not Liable for Trampled Worker in Geismar Plant Explosion
A chemical plant explosion, sudden and dangerous, causes chaos when the workers try to escape. During that exodus, a worker is trampled by his colleagues as they attempt to flee. Who then bears responsibility for the injuries caused by this trampling? Is it the other workers? Is it their managing…
Where There’s Smoke, There’s a Lawsuit: Determining Liability for a Car Accident Resulting from a Marsh Fire
The phrase, “where there’s smoke, there’s fire,” is often used to describe situations where one thing almost certainly indicates the presence of another. However, establishing a contributing factor to a car accident and liability for negligence does not always follow so direct a relationship. Shortly before Tropical Storm Lee reached…
Houma Residents Injured by Termite Treatment Shut Out of Court for Failure to Offer Qualified Expert Witnesses
Expert testimony is one tool litigants can use to prove their arguments in a court of law. Expert witnesses are highly credible individuals with advanced knowledge in a particular field in a lawsuit. The testimony of experts is meant to assist the court in understanding the evidence in matters of…
No Pay, No Play, No Problem? Uninsured Motorist Injured in Car Accident Obtains Jury Award
Car accidents are traumatic experiences that occur every day across Louisiana. An accident can cause initial damage upon impact, but many accident victims also spend months and sometimes years coping with accident-related injuries. On June 27, 2014, Jasmine Raymond, a twenty-four-year-old driver who did not have auto insurance as required…
Iberia Parish Educator Learns Expensive Lesson in Pro-Se Lawsuit Against Former Attorney
Aleashia Clarkston’s employment with the Iberia Parish School Board was terminated in April 2013 after she was accused of abusing the school’s Leave of Absence policy. She had been on medical leave since September 2012. Clarkston objected to what she believed was a wrongful termination. In addition, she claimed she…
Baton Rouge Car Dealer Escapes Vicarious Liability Claim in Accident Involving Motorcyclist
It’s a common scenario: a potential buyer visits a car lot, finds a vehicle he’d like to test drive, and heads out onto the road with the salesperson in the passenger seat. What happens, though, if an accident occurs during the test drive? Suppose the potential buyer loses control of…
Monroe Car Accident Shows Importance of Proper Strategy in the Trial Court
Lawsuits resulting from car accidents can raise many difficult questions. Determining the precise events that led to an accident can be complicated and require courts to make close calls about witnesses’ credibility. Furthermore, parties may question whether they are entitled to certain damages if they prevail in their lawsuit. These…
Injured Driver Wins Favorable Jury Verdict and Still Appeals in Ouachita Parish Car Accident Case
Car accidents are unfortunate but commonplace occurrences in modern life. The resulting lawsuits can involve complicated arguments over the allocation of fault between the drivers involved and the appropriate amount of damages awarded by the Court. Such questions arose in a lawsuit involving a car accident in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana. …