Is the Failure to Observe a “Do-Not-Resuscitate” Order Medical Malpractice? A common element in medical malpractice cases we have previously examined on this blog is the role of Louisiana’s medical review panel. As a brief review, claims brought against healthcare providers under Louisiana’s Medical Malpractice Act (“MMA”) must be reviewed by a medical review panel
Our previous post discussed the various principles of contract law at work in the Mendoza case, which can be viewed here. This case involved a dispute between an injured worker’s employer and another company with which that employer had a contract. A provision of this contract provided for indemnification, the assuming by one entity of
Understanding 42 U.S.C. § 1981: Federal Protection for Contract Rights Section 1981 is a powerful federal law that prohibits race discrimination in the “making and enforcement of contracts.” Unlike Title VII, it doesn’t require a specific number of employees and has a longer statute of limitations. However, to bring a Section 1981 claim, a plaintiff
A defendant who wishes to challenge a jury’s damages award can petition the court for a new trial. As this is often an undesirable path for both the defendant and the plaintiff, Louisiana law offers an alternative approach: when the trial court believes that the verdict is “so excessive … that a new trial should
Gambling is a tricky form of entertainment that has very serious legal implications surrounding it despite all of the fun, lights and glamour surrounding these games of chance. One legal issue that is intrinsically tied to gambling is the idea of borrowing and/or the financial backing of a player in a game. Often, casinos extend
When apportioning fault between two or more parties in a negligence action, the finder of fact is given great deference on review. An appellate court may not set aside a trial court’s finding unless there is “manifest error” or it is “clearly wrong.” Cole v. Dept. of Public Safety & Corrections. In order to reverse
Transferring from the deck of your boat to an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico to begin your day’s work should not be a terrifying experience. While the transfer involves getting into the personnel basket that transfers you onto the platform and little else, the process itself is not as simple as one plain
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed in principal part, the trial court’s ruling granting a longshoreman damages for a workers’ compensation claim. Benjamin McCuller and his wife, Miranda McCuller, sued Nautical Ventures, L.L.C., under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), 33 U.S.C. § 905(b), after Benjamin, who
The Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a $550,840 jury-verdict award based on a medical malpractice claim. The verdict accounted for both wrongful death and survival damages, all of which were awarded for the benefit of the decedents 8 surviving children. In order to prevail in a medical malpractice lawsuit, the plaintiffs must
One of the first things that must be determined in any potential tort claim is whether the statute of limitations bars the claim. An otherwise legitimate lawsuit may be invalid simply because the injured party waited too long to file the claim. In the State of Louisiana, the statutory period in which a claim must
Jeffrey Berniard is a specialized injury attorney with over 21 years of experience fighting for Louisiana families.
Is the Failure to Observe a “Do-Not-Resuscitate” Order Medical Malpractice? A common element in medical malpractice cases we have previously examined on this blog is the role of Louisiana’s medical review panel. As a brief review, claims brought against healthcare providers under Louisiana’s Medical Malpractice Act (“MMA”) must be reviewed by a medical review panel
Our previous post discussed the various principles of contract law at work in the Mendoza case, which can be viewed here. This case involved a dispute between an injured worker’s employer and another company with which that employer had a contract. A provision of this contract provided for indemnification, the assuming by one entity of
Understanding 42 U.S.C. § 1981: Federal Protection for Contract Rights Section 1981 is a powerful federal law that prohibits race discrimination in the “making and enforcement of contracts.” Unlike Title VII, it doesn’t require a specific number of employees and has a longer statute of limitations. However, to bring a Section 1981 claim, a plaintiff
A defendant who wishes to challenge a jury’s damages award can petition the court for a new trial. As this is often an undesirable path for both the defendant and the plaintiff, Louisiana law offers an alternative approach: when the trial court believes that the verdict is “so excessive … that a new trial should
Gambling is a tricky form of entertainment that has very serious legal implications surrounding it despite all of the fun, lights and glamour surrounding these games of chance. One legal issue that is intrinsically tied to gambling is the idea of borrowing and/or the financial backing of a player in a game. Often, casinos extend
When apportioning fault between two or more parties in a negligence action, the finder of fact is given great deference on review. An appellate court may not set aside a trial court’s finding unless there is “manifest error” or it is “clearly wrong.” Cole v. Dept. of Public Safety & Corrections. In order to reverse
Transferring from the deck of your boat to an offshore platform in the Gulf of Mexico to begin your day’s work should not be a terrifying experience. While the transfer involves getting into the personnel basket that transfers you onto the platform and little else, the process itself is not as simple as one plain
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently affirmed in principal part, the trial court’s ruling granting a longshoreman damages for a workers’ compensation claim. Benjamin McCuller and his wife, Miranda McCuller, sued Nautical Ventures, L.L.C., under the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act (LHWCA), 33 U.S.C. § 905(b), after Benjamin, who
The Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeals recently affirmed a $550,840 jury-verdict award based on a medical malpractice claim. The verdict accounted for both wrongful death and survival damages, all of which were awarded for the benefit of the decedents 8 surviving children. In order to prevail in a medical malpractice lawsuit, the plaintiffs must
One of the first things that must be determined in any potential tort claim is whether the statute of limitations bars the claim. An otherwise legitimate lawsuit may be invalid simply because the injured party waited too long to file the claim. In the State of Louisiana, the statutory period in which a claim must