State Rep. Austin Badon is continuing his battle to ban all cell phone use while driving in Louisiana. Badon introduced a bill this month that seeks to ban all cell phone use while operating a motor vehicle in the state, with the exception of hands-free devices. For the past four…
The Governor’s Task Force on DWI and Vehicular Homicide recently suggested that the state require judges to sentence all convicted drunk drivers to some jail time. In light of the upcoming legislative session, Sen. Jonathon Perry now intends to introduce a bill that would mandate jail time for DWI offenders…
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…
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…
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…
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…
In Williamson v. Mazda, the Supreme Court ruled that a deceased woman’s relatives could sue her vehicle’s manufacturer for failing to install lap-and-shoulder belts, even though the manufacturer had complied with all relevant federal safety regulations. The decedent, Mrs. Williamson, was killed while riding in the backseat of a Mazda…
If you are hurt, an expert witnesses may play an important role in your case In personal injury cases, lawyers may hire expert witnesses to provide an expert opinion based on his professional knowledge and expertise. In a plaintiff’s claim for personal injuries caused by an automobile collision, for instance,…
Authorities are cracking down on drunk driving across the nation and in Louisiana . In 2009, the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) recorded the lowest number of drunk-driving fatalities nationally in nearly a half a century . In 2009, 10,839 people were killed in alcohol-related collisions. For statistical…
Every accident is different: sometimes many people are responsible for the plaintiff’s injuries; other times, the plaintiff’s fault may have partially caused his injures. Comparative fault and contributory fault are general defenses a defendant may raise in an attempt to reduce the damages a defendant must pay. Contributory fault means…