Insurance Dispute Lawyer Blog

Dow Chemical leak in Hahnville, Louisiana

Published on: July 8, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

The Dow Chemical Plant in Hahnville experienced a chemical spill on Tuesday, leading residents of Southeast Louisiana to experience a myriad of physical ailments while nearby residents were forced from their homes.

Per a NOLA.com article, the spill/leak involved ethyl acrylate, “a chemical used in the manufacture of a wide variety of household and cleaning products.” The leak led to a horrific smell that carried all the way into the downtown/metro area as winds and storms carried across the state. According to reports, the plant was notified of the leak around 6 a.m. Tuesday morning and employees and cleanup crews worked through the night to control the matter. However, nearby residents are still unable to return to their homes.

The article further profiles concerns relating to the leak

New Orleans resumes first international flights since Katrina

Published on: July 7, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, hundreds of services and plans were either indefinitely delayed or removed altogether as the city worked to rebuild and reestablish. One of those discontinued normalcies of New Orleans life included international flight service from Louis Armstrong International Airport. That changes today.

In an article written by the Associated Press, the service provides a pleasant story to remind Gulf Coast residents that New Orleans continues to bring back some of its pre-Katrina traits details how flights from MSY to Mexico are returning. Starting today, AeroMexico’s will be establishing a route to Mexico City.

The AP reports

Interesting article on Chinese Drywall

Published on: July 6, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

The NOLA.com recently ran a synopsis on Chinese Drywall and the various developments that have come from this very complicated issue, including discussion of a conference held in New Orleans on the issue.

A summary

Amid the welter of questions about tainted Chinese drywall, from the exact source of the product’s defect to how to address it, one thing is clear: the litigation the drywall has spawned is going to be complex, expensive and time-consuming.

NOAA Hurricane Outlook for 2009

Published on: July 5, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a governmental agency focused on monitoring the ocean and atmosphere throughout the year, has released its 2009 figures for what it expects to see this hurricane season:

While this might not seem like much, it is a more positive outlook than we saw last year. In last year’s predictions, there was a 65% prediction of more hurricanes than normal, as compared to 25% this year. As such, the Gulf Coast region may get a calm this season which would be a very welcome reality given the past decade and the amount of devastating storms that came through recently.

For tips on how to prepare for hurricane season, check out our section on hurricane and storm tips found here.

Happy 4th of July from the Berniard Law Firm

Published on: July 4, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

We hope each and every one of you is enjoying an enjoyable Independence Day. Enjoy your barbeque and relaxation on this very important national holiday!

Timeline anew for Katrina lawsuits

Published on: July 3, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

Catching up on June happenings, it is important for those individuals affected by Hurricane Katrina to know that the timeline in which they may file for claims involving damage from the epic storm has been reset.

From NOLA.com

The class action allegations against insurers in the consolidated levee breach litigation have been dismissed, restarting the clock for anyone who is dissatisfied with the results of their Katrina claim and allowing them to file a lawsuit against their insurer nearly four years after the storm.

How to report Chinese drywall claims

Published on: July 2, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the overarching body responsible for product reliability and keeping dangerous products out of the country, is the governmental source to make claims to regarding Chinese drywall. While the CPSC has not been able to find a definitive way in which home or property owners can know if their drywall is the same faulty product imported by China, there are several telltale signs. Physical symptoms of exposure to Chinese drywall include:

itchy eyes

respiratory problems

City publishes helpful hurricane preparedness guide

Published on: July 1, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

As a heartening sign that lessons of the past have been learned, one city’s government has published a hurricane preparedness guide that is a solid tool for anyone in the Gulf Coast region to utilize.

Available off of their website, the City of Boynton Beach has published a PDF that walks users through how to be best prepared in the event of a storm. As they put it

The best way to cope with a hurricane is to prepare a plan in advance. The 2009 Hurricane Preparedness Guide is a compilation of the best advice from experts at the City of Boynton Beach, the American Red Cross, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and other knowledgeable sources. It was written specifically for residents of Boynton Beach and contains important telephone numbers and locations of Publix stores and gasoline service stations with generators

Houston’s museums prepare for hurricane season

Published on: June 30, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

Olivia Flores Alvarez had an entertaining blog post about how museums in the Houston area are preparing for hurricane season that’s worth a read. Available here, the article takes a lighter approach to the issue of tropical storm preparation for buildings in the Gulf Coast region that house priceless works of art.

An excerpt

Hurricane Ike, which pretty much shut Houston down for a couple of weeks, didn’t affect the Aurora Picture Show’s programming schedule last year. “We continued with the screening we had planned,” says Tepper. “The city was still a wreck and the turnout was extremely modest, but we went ahead. We actually served Hurricanes, the drink, during the show. A lot of people still weren’t driving after the storm, so it was just people from the area. Everyone came over; we had air-conditioning and Hurricanes. It actually was a fun, little community event.”

FEMA speaks out on importance of flood insurance

Published on: June 29, 2009 | By Berniard Law Firm

FEMA recently came out to publicly encourage residents of Florida and the Gulf Coast to get flood coverage, regardless of how susceptible to risk they may be. In doing this, the government is bringing more attention to the need for proper insurance policies and to prevent having to help out thousands of people who thought it ‘could never happen to them.’

Matt Gilmour of the Tallahassee Democrat highlights this important step on the part of FEMA

With hurricane season under way, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is reminding Florida residents about the importance of flood insurance, even if they don’t live in high-risk areas.