The case of American Zurich Insurance v. Caterpillar arose from a truck fire that took place in Natchitoches Parish on April 7, 2010. American Zurich insured the truck and Caterpillar manufactured the truck’s engine. American Zurich opened up a loss file on the truck the day of the fire. American…
Injuries can happen anywhere but do not always lead to successful legal suits. Larry Modicue was directed by Rose Kennedy, an insurance agent for State Farm Fire & Casualty Co. in West Monroe, Louisiana, to have a seat in her office, which resulted in the chair collapsing. Modicue is a…
A case appealed from the Parish of Claiborne, arising from an incident in Homer, Louisiana, raises a couple of important issues regarding lawsuits against insurance providers. In this case, the plaintiff was a passenger in a car that met the defendant, driving her own car, at an intersection. The plaintiff…
In its earlier opinion, the Court of Appeals held that Lawrence E. Metz’s 2003 Chevrolet Avalanche was in fact covered by the Safeway Insurance Company during an accident that happened in Bossier City, Louisiana. The Court of Appeals looked to the language of the policy that stated “when two or…
The method by which a contract’s ambiguous language is interpreted can decide who wins the case. A slight difference in statutory interpretation can acquit or convict a person charged with a serious felony or a petty misdemeanor. There are two main theories of interpretation: textualism and purposivism. Proponents of the…
Both trial and appellate courts found Janssen Pharmaceutica liable for damages under the Louisiana’s Medical Assistance Programs Integrity Law (MAPIL). The issue was whether the Attorney General could bring this action without alleging actual damages, as MAPIL requires. The courts considered the legislative intent behind the law to determine that…
In a suit by a commercial tenant and their insurance company against the landlord, Mr. Ducet, the landlord defended by arguing that the terms of the lease prevented the tenant from recovering damages. If the tenant was unable to recover damages the insurance company would also be unable to recover…
Along with a much-needed economic boom, the recent shale frenzy in northwestern Louisiana has brought the typical controversy. Accidents and spills have raised environmental concerns and caused some to question whether the new jobs are safe. For one Caddo Parish couple, however, the shale boom has brought a very unique…
As is often the case, an accident between two vehicles can subsequently involve further vehicles not initially involved in the initial rear-ending accident. The driver of the subsequent vehicle which becomes involved in an accident after the initial crash may be unsure whether they are for damages caused by their…
In this auto-related blog post, plaintiff Fartima Hawkins seeks to recover damages resulting from a February 5, 2008, automobile accident in Baton Rouge Louisiana. The accident occurred when Ms. Hawkins’ vehicle was broadsided by a government vehicle being driven by Sergeant Sean Fowler, a recruiter for the United States Army.…