When a caller dials 911 to report an emergency, it is not uncommon for the operator to transfer the caller to the local service provider that is best suited to respond to the incident. For instance, a caller who reports an auto accident can expect to be connected with the nearest ambulance service. In the
According to the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure, a defendant can file an “exception of prematurity” to challenge whether the plaintiff’s cause of action has “matured to the point where it is ripe for judicial determination.” A classic (mis)application of the exception is found in the 1999 case, Steed v. St. Paul’s United Methodist Church.
Over the course of the last century, products liability law has become more detailed and specific in terms of protecting consumers from injury caused by products. If a product is found to be defective, in most cases any sellers along the chain of sale can be held liable. This means that, from the manufacturers to
The term “venue” refers to the particular court where a plaintiff should file his suit. In the case of car accidents and other tort actions, the Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure gives the plaintiff a choice of venue. The plaintiff can file the suit in the parish where the accident occurred or, alternatively, in the
A person’s worst fear when undergoing an invasive surgery, is for something to go wrong. For one patient, this fear came true when his doctor operated on the wrong knee. This severe error was not disputed by the Doctor, who admitted he erroneously operated on the plaintiff’s right knee when he intended to treat the
As discussed previously on this blog, the primary duty of Louisiana’s Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is to maintain the public roadways in a condition that is reasonably safe and which does not present an unreasonable risk of harm to motorists who exercise ordinary care. As outlined in this recent post, a plaintiff must
As we have explored in several prior posts on this blog, claims brought against healthcare providers under the Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act must be examined by medical review panel before proceeding to court. Just over a year ago, the First Circuit Court of Appeal issued guidance to plaintiffs on the procedure they must follow if
Under the Louisiana Workers Compensation Act, an employer takes a worker as he finds him or her. A worker who is more susceptible to injury is entitled to no less protection than a healthy one. The Louisiana Appellate Court held that employees, who are injured during the performance of their job duties, are to be
On June 23rd in Hammond, Louisiana, there was a fatal vehicle crash in the southbound lanes of Interstate 55. A Mercedes SUV, driven by Gwendolyn Jackson, was heading the wrong way and collided with a Hyundai driven by 18 year-old Caleb Perricone. The vehicles collided head on and both Jackson and Perricone were transported to
Medical Malpractice Claims Against Public Sector Health Providers Must Be Submitted to a Medical Review Panel The State of Louisiana Division of Administration, headquartered in Baton Rouge, requires that that medical malpractice claims against public sector health care providers must be processed through its administrative procedure, starting with the submission of the claim to the
Jeffrey Berniard is a specialized injury attorney with over 21 years of experience fighting for Louisiana families.