Insurance Dispute Lawyer Blog
When it comes to personal injury claims resulting from slips, trips, or falls, the concept of open and obvious defects plays a significant role. Failing to act reasonably or being harmed by an apparent defect may hinder your ability to recover compensation for your injuries. This case exemplifies the importance of these factors in determining liability.
Ray Eskine was a permanently disabled individual who used a walker to move around. When trying to see how long the grass was on his lot across the street, he walked across an elevated walkway in front of his house. One of the wheels on his walker slipped, causing him to fall into a ditch and get injured.
Eskine and his wife filed a lawsuit against the City of Gretna and its insurer, claiming the walkway was defective and presented an unreasonably dangerous condition. They claimed the City of Gretna was responsible for the care of the walkway and had knowledge of the defective condition that resulted in his injury.
Family businesses can present challenging legal issues. Although you might feel like you can trust your family members to do the right thing, this is not always true, especially when large sums of money are involved. This case illustrates the complexities that resulted from agreements related to ownership of a family business, which was only resolved following multiple appeals. 
When considering a legal malpractice claim, it is crucial to understand that proving your attorneys’ negligence alone is insufficient. To establish the merit of such a claim, you must demonstrate an underlying loss resulting from their negligence. This requires presenting compelling evidence that your original claim would have been successful had your attorneys not been negligent. The case of Shawn Cupit, who pursued a wrongful death lawsuit, highlights the significance of providing admissible evidence and the challenges involved in proving a legal malpractice case.
Sufficient evidence is required to prevail in any lawsuit. Generally, each side obtains additional evidence through the discovery process. However, what happens if a court grants a summary judgment motion for one party before the other party has time to complete adequate discovery? The following case helps answer this question.
One tool courts can use to manage litigation is a Special Master. A Special Master issues reports that a court can consider when ruling on a case. However, what happens if a court disregards the recommendations in a Special Master’s report? This situation raises intriguing questions about the authority and discretion of the court, leaving us to ponder the implications of such actions, as discussed in the case below.
Imagine, for a moment, you’re organizing a large-scale event with a long checklist of details to manage. Now imagine missing one tiny detail and having it cost you a whopping quarter-million dollars! That’s precisely the scenario that unfolded for Star Financial Services, Inc., a prominent ATM operator, in their dealings with Cardtronics, USA, Inc. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit reversed the District Court’s grant of summary judgment in favor of Cardtronics.
Imagine attending a routine medical appointment at your local doctor’s office. You enter the premises expecting a standard check-up, but unexpectedly, you trip over a defective threshold and fall onto a hard terrazzo floor. This unsettling scenario is precisely what Lois J. Tate encountered in their accident, sparking a personal injury action against Touro Infirmary and Louisiana Children’s Medical Center. The Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed the Trial Court’s decision to grant summary judgment in favor of the defendants, Touro Infirmary, and Louisiana Children’s Medical Center.
Hurricanes can result in significant property damage, including flooding with contaminated water. When faced with such a situation, homeowners may wonder if they have a viable lawsuit against the responsible parties, such as the company responsible for the contaminants or the city involved in managing the wastewater system. The following case sheds light on the legal considerations surrounding property damage caused by contaminated floodwater and the potential liability of the responsible entities.
We all cherish the idea of collecting vacation days, envisioning the blissful trips we’ll take in the future. But what if you find yourself resigning from your job with a surplus of accrued vacation days that you haven’t had the chance to use? 
If you are involved with a lawsuit, you probably imagine your day in court involving a jury listening to the evidence and rendering a decision. After all, the US Constitution protects our right to a trial by jury. But what happens if the court issues a notice scheduling your trial to be heard in front of a judge instead of a jury?