On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Maritime accidents on Thursday, May 17, 2012
Maritime workers have some of the most dangerous jobs out there. Hazards abound for deckhands and other seamen due to the unstable and unpredictable conditions aboard a ship. While these employees accept some level of risk, they also have the right to expect the companies they work for to provide the safest environment possible.
A deckhand from Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, claims his employer failed to provide adequate equipment to ensure his safety, and that as a result he became injured. It was late March when he was working aboard a ship, helping to tie off two empty barges and a crane barge by putting a stepladder against one of the empty barges. But the unstable ladder gave way, causing him to fall to the deck of the crane barge. He injured his lower back when he hit the deck and a steel bit on the crane barge.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Civil litigation on Thursday, May 10, 2012
Two former football players for Louisiana State University are defendants in a Baton Rouge civil lawsuit filed by four men who were involved in an off-campus bar fight last summer. The suit also names the owner of the bar where the fight occurred, claiming he neglected to provide adequate security to prevent the fight.
One of the plaintiffs says he knows the two players and that they beat and kicked him after a heated verbal exchange. He claims that although he didn't know the other plaintiffs, he tried to help one of them, who was beaten unconscious by several people, including some LSU football players. Both men suffered severe injuries, including fractured bones and teeth, a herniated disk and multiple cuts and bruises. The other two men listed as plaintiffs also suffered severe cuts and bruises.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Class action litigation on Thursday, May 3, 2012
You don't have to be a football fan to understand that the hits that players regularly take to their heads and bodies have the potential to be extremely damaging. Yes, they wear helmets and more padding than most other professional athletes. But the effects of a concussion can be life-long, according to a class action lawsuit filed by a number of NFL players.
The football players say they have developed mental and physical problems from the concussions they suffered over the course of their careers. Their lawsuit, which also names several of their spouses as plaintiffs, alleges that the NFL and the manufacturer of their helmets concealed the risks associated with head injuries.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Car accidents on Thursday, April 26, 2012
It's an unfortunate fact that sometimes no matter what precautions we take behind the wheel, a car accident can happen due to the actions of other drivers. Sometimes it amounts to little more than a fender bender. But if injuries or death occur, it's reasonable to expect some form of compensation.
Drunk driving is a prime example of negligence that can cause a car accident. Louisiana State Police officials say a drunk driver caused a crash that happened over the weekend in Holden, Louisiana, which is near Baton Rouge.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Negligence on Thursday, April 19, 2012
A Louisiana seaman has filed a lawsuit against two of his employers, claiming 18 years of exposure to benzene led to his diagnosis of aplastic anemia, a life-threatening blood disorder. When left untreated, the disease can lead to death, often within six months. Even if treated properly, relapses can occur and a bone marrow transplant may be necessary.
The man was diagnosed with the disease in October after working for 18 years on various vessels for two different companies, loading and unloading barges containing thousands of barrels, many of them filled with benzene-containing chemicals and solvents such as gasoline, diesel and crude oil. The plaintiff claims he wasn't provided respiratory protection, gloves or chemical suits that could have prevented exposure to the harmful chemical.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Civil litigation on Thursday, April 5, 2012
When a shopper experiences an injury at a store, who should be held responsible? The question has been at the center of countless personal injury lawsuits, some of which are egregious and others entirely warranted. The fault and resulting consequences must be determined on a case-by-case basis, of course. If the store is proven to have been negligent in addressing the problem that caused the injury, the victim is entitled to compensation for their pain and suffering, including any medical bills incurred.
A woman from Lafayette, Louisiana, suffered a particularly damaging injury that she says led to her miscarriage. She says she was shopping at a Dollar General store in Reserve when the accident happened. As she walked down one aisle of the store, she slipped on an "uncommonly dangerous" liquid substance on the floor, causing her to fall. According to her resulting lawsuit, she suffered serious injuries, including a miscarriage.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Car accidents on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Metro Council is considering settling a lawsuit filed by a woman who claims a car accident with a city police officer caused her "suicide disease," a nickname for a serious medical condition characterized by intense bouts of pain.
The January 2007 crash happened when a Baton Rouge police captain rear-ended the minivan the woman was riding as her husband drove. The impact caused the van to hit the car in front of it, injuring both the woman and her husband in the process. The sergeant retired in November of that year, and the couple filed a civil lawsuit one month later, claiming that since the accident, the woman has suffered from trigeminal neuralgia, a condition that causes "episodes of intense, stabbing, electric shock-like pain" in areas around the face, according to the lawsuit.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Class action litigation on Thursday, March 22, 2012
There's something exciting about buying a brand-new car. In addition to that smell auto dealers like to talk about, it's refreshing to step into a vehicle that's perfectly clean, shiny and full of new technology. And unlike your old vehicle, perhaps, everything works perfectly.
At least it's supposed to. A Louisiana man has filed a class action against Ford Motor Company, claiming that the voice recognition software in his new Edge is defective. The software is necessary to use the vehicle's sound system, navigation, hands-free phone and other technology.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Car accidents on Thursday, March 15, 2012
Could Louisiana become the next state to ban drivers from using handheld cellphones? Two state lawmakers have proposed a bill that's expected to have a tough fight, but if effectively enforced, could lead to fewer car accidents.
Louisiana already prohibits texting while driving, and it's against the law for drivers under 18 to use their cellphones in any capacity. Now two state representatives want to make it illegal to talk and drive without a hands-free device. The reaction so far has been mixed, with some wondering how the law would be enforced. "I'm not sure how it would be policed, but I think anything that would help contribute to the safety on the highway is a good idea," said one driver. Another said it sounded like a good way for police departments to earn revenue.
On behalf of Keogh, Cox & Wilson, Ltd. posted in Car accidents on Thursday, March 8, 2012
Oftentimes when fatal car accidents happen, family members of the victims will hold drivers presumed to cause the crash responsible. But sometimes defects in the road construction or design are blamed, as in a current lawsuit in Baton Rouge state court.
A head-on collision on Interstate 10 killed five people last March. A mother, three children and another adult died after a pickup truck crossed the median and struck a car. The family of the mother and children is suing the state Department of Transportation and Development, claiming the state knew or should have known about the large number of median crossover accidents on I-10 in that area of East Baton Rouge Parish. The suit says the state should have known that installation of guardrails or cable median barriers "would have greatly reduced the risk of and/or completely prevented" the crash.
