New Orleans Personal Injury Law Blog

The recent "no texting while driving" movement is a prime example of how activists and concerned drivers have tried to make roads a little safer here in Louisiana and across the country. Now the Department of Transportation has created a new "two second" safety guideline that it hopes will contribute to a decrease in the number of car accidents that occur as a result of distracted drivers.

Under the new guidelines, vehicles should be designed to allow drivers to not need to take their eyes off the road for more than two seconds at a time or 12 seconds total in a series of short glances. The new guidelines apply to any number of instruments and devices installed in newer vehicles, including phones and messaging devices, GPS and other navigation equipment, entertainment options and other technology. The guidelines would have exemptions for police, fire, military and any other emergency vehicles. A separate guideline involving hand held devices is being developed and will be released at a later date.

Three years have passed but the saga of the BP oil spill continues. The civil trial to determine negligence has been in session since February 25, 2013. The offshore accident is recorded as America's worst environmental disaster.

The civil suit centers around determining if the actions of BP should be classified as gross negligence or willful misconduct. Gross negligence would multiply the Clean Water Act penalties to a whopping four fold increase. New Orleans federal court has been the site for testimony from a variety of BP officials. BP seeks to limit its liability by pointing the finger at other contractors that provided services for the Deepwater Horizon rig prior to the accident.

Ever since the untimely death of the King of Pop in 2009, both his family and admirers, including his countless Louisiana fans, have been crying out for justice. Some cries were answered when Michael Jackson's personal physician, Conrad Murray, was later convicted of involuntary manslaughter. Jackson's mother and children have taken one more step towards justice recently by filing a wrongful death suit against AEG Live.

AEG Live was the company responsible for promoting Jackson's 2009 comeback tour. The case centers on a charge of negligent hiring regarding Dr. Murray. In response, AEG stated that Murray was Jackson's longtime physician who continued to treat Jackson in preparation for his tour. Their role was only to pay Dr. Murray on behalf of the pop star. According to AEG, Murray was not their actual employee. However, the Jackson family believes that AEG's role went far beyond that of funding; Jackson's relatives have provided a host of emails to bolster their position. The trial begins this April and is expected to continue for several months.

Every day Americans head out to work assuming that they will return home again. Unfortunately, those involved in fatal workplace accidents will never return home. One wrong move performing a mundane task in the workplace can sometimes result in a loss of life. For the families of most workplace accident victims, the workers compensation system will provide limited death benefits. The employer is immune from a civil lawsuit if it pays workers compensation benefits, but if there was some negligence on the part of a non-employer third party, a wrongful death suit may be an additional remedy available to surviving family members.

A 56-year-old Grammercy man lost his life while working at the Motiva Refinery recently. The man worked for a maintenance company. The exact cause of the accident is still under investigation but it appears that he lost his life while loading equipment unto a flatbed truck. The equipment allegedly shifted and heavy cylinders fell on top of him. He died at St. Charles Hospital in Luling. The man had worked for his employer for over 30 years before his untimely death.