The enormous need to rebuild houses after Hurricane Katrina and the end of the housing boom caused American homebuilders and companies to search for cheaper alternative materials to build houses with. The simplest and cheapest solution to this problem for these homeowners was to purchase imported drywall from China. That plan seemed great at the
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, thousands of Louisiana families rebuilt their homes only to find they had moved into a new nightmare: toxic Chinese drywall. What began as a strange odor quickly turned into a multi-billion dollar legal battle involving corroded electronics and failing health. Understanding the legacy of these claims is vital for
A malfunctioning traffic signal located in Rosepine, Louisiana, caused much confusion for two drivers one October morning in 1978. Going about their day, both drivers were given the green signal from their respective sides of the signal. As both drivers moved forward expecting the other to stop they collided. One driver filed suit, and the
How does the law treat someone bringing a lawsuit who may be somewhat at fault for the incident? Let’s assume an injured Louisiana resident wants to sue another driver for crashing into her vehicle. In his defense, the defendant driver argues that the plaintiff failed to properly yield, and is therefore at least partly to
The first bellwether case for Chinese drywall litigation began yesterday. The case is important because of the potential precedent for culpability it will establish for Chinese manufacturers and importers over the faulty wallboard brought into the country in the wake of a variety of hurricanes and home development. While more than 2,000 families have claims
86 year old Margie Davis of Columbia was shopping in the West Monroe Wal-Mart store during Thanksgiving week when she was tragically killed. A shelf full of holiday towels fell on Ms. Davis and she died a day later from her injuries. In responding to the Davis family’s lawsuit against Wal-Mart, the retail giant has
After roughly 35 Floridians protested outside of a campaign fundraiser, state Governor Charlie Crist attempted to ease the concerns of residents facing the struggle of Chinese Drywall. The News-Press reports Gov. Charlie Crist walked over to a group of about 35 protesters who have defective drywall at about 7 p.m. today and told them what
In what may come as good news to some and bad to others, the first Chinese Drywall case may be ruled upon soon. For the unfortunate homeowners stuck in limbo while the pre-trial hearings and litigation was handled, any sort of forward progress is welcome news. However, for the various manufacturers and distributors of the
As reported in the St. Charles Herald Guide in August 2009, two separate plane crashes occurred less than 24 hours apart. Both happened on private air strips, involved experienced pilots, and occurred while the planes were still on the ground. The first crash was on August 23rd. James F. Miller was undergoing pilot re-certification at
The son of a woman who died in her Bastrop apartment last September has filed a civil lawsuit seeking “damages for the fear, pain and ultimate death of his mother and the grief and mental anguish he experienced from her death,” according to reports from the Monroe News-Star. The victim, Merrimac Ellis, died from injuries
Jeffrey Berniard is a specialized injury attorney with over 21 years of experience fighting for Louisiana families.