With so many strange Louisiana laws, many people don’t know the road rules for mobility scooters. Some assume they must follow pedestrian laws, while others consider them more like a car, small motorcycle, or bicycle. Due to this general lack of knowledge about their public use, mobility scooters are often traffic hazards. These motorized vehicles …
Louisiana’s Stressful Work Commutes
In March, 2013, the U.S. Census Bureau named Louisiana as one of the states with the worst work commutes. While commuting refers to a worker’s travel from home to work, this newest report looks at America’s “mega-commuters.” Mega-commuters are defined as people who travel more than 90 minutes and 50 miles to work. Using that …
Should I Buy Flood Insurance for My House?
According to FEMA, floods are the number one natural disaster in the United States every year. Living in Louisiana, this comes as no surprise. Many people believe that flood insurance is unavailable or too expensive to carry, but that is just one of many misconceptions. It is also important to understand what is and what …
Event Data Recorders: Bringing Black Boxes to Car Accidents
After airplane accidents, officials often evaluate the plane’s “black box” or Event Data Recorder (EDR) to determine what caused the accident. Although many people do not realize it, modern cars have event data recorders as well. EDRs can record information such as vehicle speed, engine speed, steering angle, throttle position, braking status, force of impact, …
Distracted Driving and Laws Against Texting and Driving
Distracted driving involving handheld devices is becoming an increasing hazard on the road. Legislators across the country are rushing to address the growing public hazard. The National Transportation Safety Board notes that it has already become common protocol when investigating a car accident injury to request the cell phone records of all drivers involved. These …
Police Reports: Hard Facts to Help Your Case
As the Plaintiff in a car accident lawsuit, we hold the responsibility of proving the facts of the case. Personal injury attorneys gather and use evidence to do that. We need to know the Who, What, Where and When about the car accident. One of the best and easiest ways to get those questions answered …
Car Accident Injuries with an Uninsured Motorist
Car accident injuries are already stressful. Discovering the driver who damaged your car and injured you did not have car insurance can make a bad situation worse. If you are involved in a car accident injury with an uninsured motorist, you may still be able to recover for your injuries and damage to your vehicle. …
Do I Have Enough for a Bodily Injury Claim with a Car Insurance Company?
Victims involved in car accidents often assume, for various reasons, that they cannot pursue a bodily injury claim against a car insurance company for a personal injury. For example, several of my clients have reported to me their concerns of not being able to file a car accident injury claim because their injuries were simply …
Motorcycle Accident Injuries & Laws
This morning, as I was stopped in traffic on I-10, I noticed something out of my passenger-side mirror: a motorcycle rider was speeding through stopped traffic in the median between an entrance ramp and the right lane. He kept right on going; however, I thought about what would happen to him if someone entered the …
Communicating with Your Personal Injury Attorney
“To listen well is as powerful a means of communication and influence as to talk well.” – Chief Justice John Marshall One of the most common complaints made about the legal profession is the lack of communication clients receive from their personal injury attorneys. Or perhaps, the client’s only communication regarding their personal injury case is …
Power of Attorney: What Is It?
No one wants to imagine a time when we are no longer capable of managing our own affairs. But, the sobering truth is that every day, families find themselves caring for and handling the affairs of a loved one who is sick, missing, injured, deceased, or simply incapable of doing so. If you are ever …
Taylor v. Louisiana DHH Stops Medicaid Balance Billing
In Taylor v. Louisiana DHH the United States District for the Middle District of Louisiana held that a health care provider who accepts Medicaid coverage for services rendered to an accident victim cannot seek to recover the difference between the Medicaid reimbursement rate and the pre-reduction billed amount. This does not mean that health care …
FEMA Federal Disaster Declarations in 2012 (Infographic)
How does FEMA Respond to a Natural Disaster? There are many different kinds of disaster types such as tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, severe winter storms, and ice storms. When a disaster is declared it is the local government’s job to respond first with emergency services. The governor can request federal resources be mobilized through the U.S. Department …
Fatal Fetal Injuries in Car Accidents
When we think about car accident injuries, we think about the passengers and the driver, family members and friends. However, injuries to fetuses resulting from car accidents also occur to thousands of families each year. The trauma, emotional distress and mental anguish resulting from the loss of an unborn child can be devastating to an …
Auto Insurance: What Coverage do I Need?
Have you ever reviewed your automobile insurance policy and wondered what your insurance will cover if you’re involved in a car accident? For many of us, deciding what insurance is the right insurance for our needs can be a difficult process. Understanding the various coverage options available is necessary to make the right decision. An …
Pedestrian Safety at New Orleans Jazz Fest
It’s that time of year again – with April showers and May flowers comes the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, a two-weekend festival experience that brings a stellar music lineup, the best New Orleans food, and local arts and crafts vendors to the New Orleans Fairgrounds every year. With the festival comes large crowds …
Self-Driving Cars: Automobiles of the Future
You may have heard recently that a number of companies, including Google, are road-testing self-driving cars. These futuristic automobiles will make it possible for a driver to safely text, talk on the cell phone, or even sleep while being transported to their final destination. Self-driving carsmay be the future of automobile technology. In fact, many …
Infographic: Tougher Seat Belt Laws Reduce Fatal Car Accident Injuries
By now, we have all heard the phrase, “Seat belts saves lives.” The saying may be cliché, but the phrase is more relevant now than when it was first uttered. According to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), in 2010, more than 22,000 people died in car accident injuries. Of that statistic, approximately 45% of …
Commercial Truck Accident Injury: Take Action
When a 40-ton tractor truck is involved in an accident with a passenger vehicle, physics has already determined who will lose. The steps an individual should take right after a tractor trailer accident are based on safety and common sense: Remove Yourself and Others from Danger This takes precedence over anything else. Busy highways are dangerous …
Drunk Driving Accidents During Festival Season
It is never a good idea to get behind the wheel if you’ve consumed any alcohol, but during festival season it can be an exceptionally bad idea. Law enforcement in Louisiana has been cracking down on drunk driving in recent years, and the courts in general have little tolerance for alcohol behind the wheel. During …
Infographic: FDA Recalls for Medications in 2012
Recalls are actions taken by a firm to remove a product from the market, or a correction is made to the product because it is either defective or potentially harmful. Recalls may be conducted on a firm’s own initiative, by FDA request, or by FDA order under statutory authority. Sometimes a company discovers a problem and issues …
Watch those Red Lights: Car Accidents at Intersections
Car accident injuries at intersections are a major problem in the United States. In 2009, 676 people were killed and an estimated 113,000 were injured in red light crashes, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Of that number, 123 car accident fatalities occurred in Louisiana. The number of fatal auto accident injuries at …
Loss of Consortium With Personal Injury Claims
Loss of consortium with personal injury claims is a specific type of damage sometimes awarded after an accident. It may be recoverable when a person suffers an injury that prevents them from providing their spouse with the companionship, love, affection, and sexual relations they did before the injury. If you experienced a loss of consortium, …
Infographic: Economic and Environmental Impact from the BP Oil Spill
There is no doubt that the Deepwater Horizon oil rig accident and the resulting BP oil spill will have a long-term impact upon both humans and animals alike. However, it has also had a dramatic and negative effect on businesses small and large. The impact of the spill is vast, and extends geographically and economically …
How does the FDA Recall Process Work?
We have often heard about products being pulled from the shelf due to defects in the manufacturing, packaging, or some other sort of health risk. Those who use the products—especially when they are medications—must take action immediately to protect their health and well-being. But how do they find out and what should they do? This …
Road Rage Leads to Car Accident Injuries
Road rage and aggressive driving seem to be becoming more common these days and, unfortunately, most of us have experienced it in one way or another. Experts don’t know for certain the causes, but many attribute it to the economy, unemployment and political dividedness. Aggressive driving includes acts such as driving fast, tailgating, slamming on …
Check Your Automobile Insurance Coverage Before an Accident Injury
Being involved in an auto accident injury is dangerous, both physically and financially. If someone else causes the accident, that person and their insurance company should be responsible for the damages to your vehicle and your health. But, what happens when you don’t know who caused the accident or when the person who caused the …
Drunk Driving Accidents Over Spring Break
Spring Break and Drunk Driving Accidents The months of March and April bring thousands of college kids to New Orleans and the Gulf Coast each year to celebrate Spring Break. While we love having the kids visit, whether New Orleans is their destination or they’re just passing through Louisiana and Mississippi on the way to …
The High Price of Motorcycle Accident Injuries
Riding a motorcycle provides the thrilling sensation of pure freedom and an unrivaled adrenaline rush. But, like any other driver, motorcycle riders are subject to the same laws and same responsibilities of the road: heeding traffic signals, obeying speed limits, avoiding driving while under the influence, avoiding driving between lanes, paying attention and avoiding distractions. …
Top Tips to Protect Your Teen Driver from Car Accident Injuries
Chances are that your teenager can’t wait to get a driver’s license. Among teenagers, a driver’s license is a status symbol and a ticket to freedom! It’s quite the milestone for parents, as well. Parents are proud of their child’s accomplishment and are often relieved that they are no longer the child’s only mode of …