Baton Rouge Injury Lawyer Blog

On Wednesday, a semi-truck carrying a tanker loaded with chemical waste tipped over on eastbound Interstate 10 near Slidell. The accident occurred around noon after 25-year-old Robert Muccino Jr. reportedly missed his exit and reversed his passenger car into the cab of the moving 18-wheeler. According to Louisiana State Police, 42-year-old Ned Robinson was unable to maintain control of the semi-truck after it was hit and the entire rig overturned in the median. Both drivers and a passenger in Muccino's vehicle were hospitalized following the crash.

The 18-wheeler was carrying 4,000 gallons of spent caustic retrieved from an Exxon refinery in Chalmette earlier in the day. Immediately following the accident, the corrosive waste began leaking from the tank it was being carried in. According to St. Tammany Parish 1st Fire Protection District Chief Larry Hess, the leaking chemical did not pose an inhalation threat but it was capable of causing contact chemical burns. State Police Hazardous Materials clean-up crews reportedly laid sand around the tank before drilling a hole in it to siphon out the liquid waste. The chemical waste was then transferred to another container before police hauled the mangled 18-wheeler away. Although the accident is still under investigation, Muccino was ticketed for improper backing.

Louisiana citizens spend countless hours in their automobiles each year. Unfortunately, so much time spent in motor vehicles means car accidents are also a grim fact of life. Automobile collisions are the leading cause of personal injury claims filed in our state each year. Car accidents like this one may be caused by a variety of factors including inattentive, reckless, or impaired drivers. Other causes can also include motor vehicle defects and hazardous road conditions. Although many motor vehicle collisions are simple fender benders, they can potentially result in tragic fatalities. Both drivers and passengers hurt due to someone else's negligence may be entitled to receive monetary damages for medical bills, disability, suffering, pain, loss of income, loss of enjoyment of life, and wrongful death. Whenever you are injured in a car accident, it is a good idea to discuss your case with an experienced personal injury attorney.

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A Transocean employee injured onboard the Deepwater Horizon semisubmersible drilling rig asked U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier to allow him to go forward with a separate trial. 44-year-old Buddy Trahan was onboard the vessel on April 20, 2010 when multiple explosions occurred while the rig was drilling BP's Macondo well in the Gulf of Mexico. The explosions killed 11 workers and severely injured dozens more. A nonjury trial to determine fault for the subsequent oil spill is set to begin in New Orleans on March 5th.

Judge Barbier has refused to consider personal injury and wrongful death claims associated with the Deepwater Horizon accident. Instead, he stated he will address such claims after a determination of fault is made against BP, Transocean, and other companies who had ownership in or performed work on the well. Trahan and the relatives of about a dozen other Transocean employees who have not settled their claims against BP have previously requested their personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits be allowed to move forward. Judge Barbier has failed to rule on their requests.

Trahan was arguably the most severely injured Deepwater Horizon accident survivor. He reportedly almost bled to death after being thrown more than 30 feet through a wall during the initial explosion. Both of his legs were broken, his knee was shattered, and his neck was pierced by flying metal. His clothes were also allegedly burned off of him. Since the disaster, Trahan has undergone nine surgeries and purportedly suffers from post-traumatic stress. His eardrums also burst during the rig explosions.

An accidental personal injury can occur in any number of settings. In Louisiana, a person hurt as a result of someone else's negligence can normally recover for mental suffering, physical suffering and pain, medical costs, disability, loss of enjoyment of life, and lost wages or lost earning capacity. The compensation a personal injury victim may receive depends heavily on the extent of his or her injuries, as well as the facts of each individual case. An experienced personal injury lawyer can assist you with evaluating your claim and negotiating a fair settlement.

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A man who survived an offshore helicopter crash filed a lawsuit against the aircraft's owner and manufacturer in New Orleans federal court. Ferris Clark Sr. is seeking $12 million in damages from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty AG, Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., and PHI Inc. for injuries he purportedly received as a passenger on a helicopter that crashed while transporting him from an offshore oil platform. Clark alleged the March 2011 crash was the result of a poorly maintained aircraft and a careless pilot.

According to Clark, the Bell manufactured helicopter began to lose altitude and spin in the air immediately before it crashed upside down into the Gulf of Mexico. Clark was allegedly trapped in the cabin by his seatbelt and claims it was extremely difficult to extricate himself from the helicopter's cabin.

The aircraft's manufacturer, Bell Helicopter Textron, is accused of various counts of negligence including producing an unreasonably dangerous product, breaching the express warranty of the manufacturer, providing inadequate operating guidelines, and providing inadequate warnings and instructions. The lawsuit accuses PHI Inc. of multiple counts of negligence including a failure to properly inspect, properly maintain, and properly service the helicopter. The company is also accused of operating an aircraft that was unfit for its intended use, allowing a careless, reckless, and unsafe pilot to operate the helicopter, failing to adequately train and supervise employees, and failing to conduct regular, periodic examinations of its employees.

Clark is seeking compensation for lost income, lost wages, lost earning capacity, disability, medical expenses, suffering, pain, mental anguish, disfigurement, and other damages. He also asked the court to award him interest and court costs.

Although Clark's injury occurred offshore, accidental injuries can happen in almost any setting. In the State of Louisiana, an individual who is injured as a result of someone else's negligence may be able to recover monetary damages for suffering, pain, medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, and lost wages or earning capacity. Because the compensation a personal injury victim may receive depends heavily on the facts of each individual case, it is highly advisable to consult with a knowledgeable personal injury lawyer after any accidental injury.

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A 14 year veteran of the New Orleans police force was arrested on hit-and run charges for an accident which allegedly occurred last September in the city's Lower Garden District. The New Orleans Police Department's Public Integrity Bureau also placed 38-year-old Roger J. Jones, Jr. on emergency suspension without pay based on allegations that he drove recklessly, ignored a traffic signal, hit a parked car, and left the scene of an accident.

Jones was previously booked on charges stemming from another hit-an-run crash which purportedly took place on the same day in Jefferson Parish. According to investigators, Jones allegedly crashed his New Orleans Police Department vehicle in Metairie. After a Louisiana State Trooper visited Jones' home, smelled alcohol on his breath, and observed damage to the cruiser, Jones told the Trooper he hit a curb and a pole. Upon further investigation, there was no sign of an accident where Jones claimed the damage to his vehicle occurred. While on the scene, an alleged hit-and-run by a police cruiser at another location was reported to police. Police became suspicious after learning the vehicle purportedly hit was red and part of the damage to Jones' cruiser included red paint streaks. Jones is currently awaiting trial in that case.

Jones previously served in the city's 8th District as a "quality of life" officer. Prior to his latest arrest, Jones was placed on desk duty over the charges in Jefferson Parish. A spokesperson for the New Orleans Police Department stated that more details regarding Jones' arrest will be revealed at a later time. Donovan Livaccari, Jones' attorney, believes the arrest was unnecessary and local police should have instead issued a summons in accordance with departmental policy. Of the 6,000 hit-and-run accidents in New Orleans last year, only 200 individuals were physically arrested.

Cars are an essential part of daily life for most Americans. Car accidents may be caused by a number of factors including drivers who disregard rules of the road, inattentive drivers, and those who drive while drunk or intoxicated. If you were hurt in a car accident, an experienced personal injury lawyer can help you evaluate your claim and determine the appropriate amount of compensation you deserve based on your injuries and the facts of your case.

Continue reading "New Orleans Police Officer Arrested for Second Hit-and-Run Accident" »

In yet another possible hit for the cruise industry this year, a ship scheduled to depart from the Port of New Orleans on Saturday was delayed for several hours due to a purported stomach virus outbreak. The Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas is one of three cruise ships in the United States suspected of a weekend norovirus outbreak. Two ships based out of Florida, the Ruby Princess and the Crown Princess, also reported a similar outbreak of illness.

According to Louisiana state epidemiologist Raoult Ratard, the nation's Centers for Disease Control (CDC) informed him of a possible outbreak on Friday before the Voyager of the Seas returned to port. The CDC did not disclose to him exactly how many arriving passengers were ill, however. It is estimated that approximately 200 passengers who returned on the ship Saturday suffered from vomiting and diarrhea due to the virus. Ratard also stated the outbreak was not large and up to 3,000 individuals may be ill due to norovirus exposure on any given day in the City of New Orleans alone.

The virus outbreak caused concern due to the close quarters associated with cruise travel. Any illness can spread quickly in such an environment. On Saturday, officials in New Orleans took extra precautions to thoroughly clean and sanitize the ship in the hopes of avoiding any additional passenger exposure to the virus on the 15-deck, 3,100-passenger cruise ship. After the ship was decontaminated, the Voyager of the Seas departed New Orleans on a seven day trip.

Accidental personal injuries can arise in any number of settings. In Louisiana, an individual who is hurt due to another person's negligence may generally recover for mental and physical suffering and pain, medical expenses, loss of enjoyment of life, and lost wages or earning capacity. The compensation a personal injury victim may receive is highly fact specific, and will depend heavily on the extent of the injury. A qualified personal injury attorney can help you evaluate your claim and negotiate a fair settlement.

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Two women were killed and two others injured after an 18-wheeler crashed into a passenger vehicle on LA 38 near Kentwood on Friday evening. According to Louisiana state troopers who responded to the crash, a sedan driven by Elizabeth "Gail" Pittman McDaniel, a member of the local school board, stopped on the roadway to make a left turn as an 18-wheeler driven by Stennis Taylor approached the vehicle from the rear. Taylor purportedly saw the sedan too late to stop successfully and instead attempted to pass the car on the left in an effort to avoid a collision. As he did this, Pittman McDaniel's vehicle began completing its left turn and the 18-wheeler struck the sedan on the driver's side. All four passengers in the sedan were extricated by local emergency personnel.

Following the accident, Pittman McDaniel and another female passenger were taken to the hospital in serious condition. They were both wearing a seatbelt at the time of the collision. Two other women in the sedan who were not wearing seatbelts were pronounced dead at the scene of the Tangipahoa Parish accident. The driver of the 18-wheeler, who was also wearing a safety belt at the time of the accident, was uninjured. Although toxicology reports are pending, neither driver is suspected of being under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the accident. Immediately following the accident, Taylor was arrested and charged with two counts of negligent homicide and two counts of negligent injuring in connection with the crash.

Americans spend countless hours in their vehicles each year. With so many people on the road at any given time, collisions are bound to occur. In fact, a majority of personal injury claims filed in this country each year relate to injuries sustained in a motor vehicle crash. Car accidents are caused by a wide variety of factors which may include inattentive or reckless drivers, vehicle defects, and hazardous road conditions. Increasingly, drivers must also watch out for individuals who are preoccupied by text messages, cell phones, and email. Any distraction can create a hazard for everyone on the road. Unfortunately, serious injury or death may result from a driver's inattention.

If you or a family member was injured in a car accident because of another driver's inattention or impairment, you may be eligible to receive compensation for medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, pain, disability, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life. Every automobile accident is different. An experienced personal injury lawyer can help you evaluate your claim and advise you regarding the amount of compensation you may be eligible to recover from the driver who caused your injuries.

Continue reading "Two Die, Two Injured in Kentwood 18-Wheeler Crash" »

Surprisingly, cruise vacation bookings in New Orleans have not slowed following the Costa Concordia cruise ship disaster off of the coast of Italy last week. Last Friday, the ship began taking on water after it struck a rock formation while carrying more than 4,000 people from across the world. About two hours later, the Costa Concordia became disabled and tipped on its side near Giglio Island. Following the accident, eleven bodies were recovered and 21 people still remain missing.

The Costa Concordia was reportedly traveling too close to the rocky Italian shoreline when it was damaged. A unit of Carnival Corporation, Costa Crociere, operated the cruise ship and has blamed the ship's captain, Francesco Schettino, for the disaster. According to Costa Crociere, Captain Schettino violated operating procedures when he deviated from the ship's approved course.

Local travel agents have stated the Costa Concordia tragedy has not had an effect on cruise bookings out of New Orleans during what is traditionally the busiest time of year for their agencies. The period from mid-January through late March is generally when most people book their cruise vacations for the year. One travel agent, Bob Wall, claims he has not had any customers cancel cruise vacation plans in response to the disaster, nor is he receiving calls requesting more information about the accident. Wall also said he cannot recall seeing such a dramatically disabled ship as the Costa Concordia during his 28 years working in the travel industry.

Many Louisiana travel agents believe cruise bookings have continued because human error purportedly caused the Costa Concordia tragedy. Wall has stated he thinks the cruise industry would be facing larger challenges as a result of the accident if instead the ship had failed numerous safety inspections or if Costa Crociere had a history of putting the lives of passengers in jeopardy.

In response to the Costa Concordia accident, Carnival Corporation has stated publicly the company is working hard to fully understand what caused the disaster. The Cruise Lines International Association also issued a press release reminding would be vacationers that this type of accident is exceedingly rare and cruising is generally a safe means of travel.

The director of cruise operations at the Port of New Orleans, Robert Jumonville, believes the accident will not have a major effect on worldwide cruise operating procedures. He also stated the likelihood a similar disaster would occur off of the coast of New Orleans is remote as the marshy, muddy shoreline of Louisiana is quite different than the rocky shoreline of Italy. Ships that get stuck in the mud generally need towed out, but do not begin taking on water. According to Jumonville, the biggest risk at the Port of New Orleans is the possibility of two vessels colliding.

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