State transportation officials began the next phase of its 22 ½ mile project to a build cable barrier along I-10’s median between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Studies suggest that cable barriers are an effective means of preventing deadly crossover crashes. Crossover accidents can occur when a driver loses control…
Articles Posted in 18-Wheeler Accidents
Deadly New Orleans 40-vehicle pileup could implicate municipality liability
An investigation following the 40-vehicle pileup in New Orleans East this month revealed that the city’s street lights on the interstate near the scene of the accident were not functioning properly, according to a New Orleans city spokesperson. The pileup killed two people and injured over 50. Investigators believe that…
Medicare Set-Asides and your settlement
The Medicare Secondary Payer (MSP) statute is a federal statute that governs the receipt of Medicare payments. Under the statute, Medicare is a secondary insurer that may only be used after an individual exhausts any other available means of insurance. Accordingly, in workers compensation claims, workers compensation should be the…
Louisiana Distracted Drivers Aided by Lawmakers
Distracted driving remains a serious problem across America. Nonetheless, the Louisiana Legislature killed two bills targeting distracted driving in the state and approved a controversial bill permitting TV screens in the dashboard. Pending Governor Jindal’s approval, the controversial “Dashboard TV” bill will become Louisiana law. Under Louisiana’s current law, television…
Louisiana’s Dangerous Drivers Targeted
The Louisiana Legislature’s 2011 Regular Session convened on April 25. In the midst of this fiscal session, the Legislature introduced three new state-wide bills relative to distracted driving, including a potential ban on the use of handheld cell phones in automobiles. Last session, Governor Jindal signed into a law a…
Louisiana Car Crash with Uninsured Motorist? : Are you covered
Uninsured Motorist (UM) insurance permits its holder to recover in an automobile accident if the party who caused the collision is underinsured or uninsured. A plaintiff may receive UM benefits in several ways. If you are in an accident in your vehicle with an uninsured motorist, you may receive UM…
Lake Charles Jury Awards $10.8M in Wrongful Death Trucking Case
A Calcasieu Parish jury awarded a total of $10,800,240.35 in a wrongful death trucking accident case. That sum included a $5,000,000.00 exemplary damage award, $2,000,000.00 for each parent for the loss of their only child, $1,395,956.06 for the injuries to the mother, $142,558.59 for the injuries to the father, and…