Blake R. David

Blake R. David and Reed K. Ellis obtain $2M Settlement for Client Rear-ended in Vermilion Parish

August 28, 2024 | by Broussard, David & Moroux

On June 12, 2020, our client was on his delivery route as a local beverage distributor in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, when his work vehicle was rear-ended by another truck which pushed him into the stopped car immediately in front of him. As a result, he sustained significant physical and mental injuries, including a documented traumatic brain injury, resulting in ongoing psychotherapy, medication dependency, and injection therapy.

Before the incident, the plaintiff was a healthy father and husband with goals to advance his career into upper management. Though he continued to work at a reduced capacity with the same employer, his treating physicians concluded that he was permanently impaired from this crash and required job accommodations and substantial future medical care.

Blake and Reed remained steadfast in their pursuit of justice for our client, meticulously gathering the evidence needed to build our client’s case. Their efforts ultimately led to a settlement of policy limits of $2 million before mediation or trial. The firm takes great pride in meeting our clients where they are and assisting them during difficult times. Service is one of the firm’s core values, and that service is epitomized by the selflessness and dedication shown by our attorneys and staff daily in thier relentless pursuit of justice in this case.

Blake R. David’s $5.4 Million Win for Maritime Client Under the Jones Act

August 19, 2024 | by Broussard, David & Moroux

Maritime law governs activities on navigable waters and includes the Jones Act, a sector specifically created to protect seamen. The Jones Act federally regulates maritime commerce in the United States and, although originally intended to protect seamen, its effectiveness has eroded over the years due to various factors. Today, seamen face a perilous landscape if they are injured due to a company’s negligence while aboard a vessel.

Despite this challenging environment, our partner Blake David continues to represent clients in maritime cases that are covered by the Jones Act. Blake has moderated and lectured at many Louisiana maritime conferences over the last two decades, including the Louisiana Association for Justice’s(LAJ) High Stakes on the High Seas Maritime Law Conference and the Louisiana State Bar Association’s Admiralty Symposium (where Blake is chair). Blake and Jerome Moroux have served as the LAJ Maritime Section chair multiple times. This year, Blake was recognized by Acadiana Profile magazine as a 2024 Top Lawyer in Maritime Law. He, along with all the attorneys at Broussard, David & Moroux, continues to seek justice for our clients.

Blake represented our client who was seriously injured on a vessel due to the company’s negligence. The incident occurred when our client was working offshore, and the vessel collided with a piling, causing him to slam into the cab of the boat. The pilot coworker onboard was distracted and speeding.

Jury Awarded Plaintiff Over $2 Million for Injuries in a Boating Accident

August 1, 2023 | by Broussard, David & Moroux

A Jefferson Parish jury awarded a widow $2,860,000.00 for the death of her husband following a double-fatality boat crash. The decedent was a passenger in a $1,000,000.00 high-performance MTI racing catamaran owned and operated by his friend on the Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. Just prior to the crash, Garmin data proved the boat had been traveling over 120 miles per hour when the boat struck a wake caused by a nearby yacht, causing the MTI Cat to lose control and flip over killing both occupants. All parties contested liability and who was operating the vessel at trial.

The case involved the two widows of close friends suing each other’s husband’s estates (a factor not lost on the jury in voir dire or deliberations). No settlement offer was ever made by the defendants.

The jury assessed fault solely against the owner, and the jury awarded $1,500,000.00 in pecuniary losses, $680,000.00 for loss of consortium, and $680,000.00 for mental anguish to our client as a result of her husband’s death. The judgment totals $2.86MM, before post judgment interest. This was the second multi-million-dollar jury verdict for counsel for plaintiff in under one week.