insurance coverage

July 12, 2019

I Filed My Louisiana Lawsuit and Got it Served on the Other Side, But They Did Nothing in Response. Now What Do I Do?

The above question is not an unreasonable one. It’s one among many circumstances that illustrate how many different challenges or unique things can happen in your Louisiana injury case. Many of these may be things for which you are unprepared or, at least, are not equipped (in terms of legal knowledge) to utilize to your maximum advantage. So, if you have sued and the party who injured you filed his pleadings too late, or did not file anything at all, there may be ways to obtain a judgment in your favor without the other side’s participation and without requiring a full trial. For the advice and representation you need when unusual things like this happen, be sure you’re equipped with a skilled Louisiana injury attorney on your side.

When the other side does not respond in a timely manner or doesn’t respond at all to your lawsuit filing, you can choose from several different options. One of these is called a default judgment. A default judgment is a judgment ordered by the court in which the judge says that you filed your lawsuit properly, that you laid out all of the required elements of the claims you asserted, that the other side did not respond, and that you are entitled to a judgment in your favor on all claims as a result. This kind of judgment is just as binding as if you went through a full trial and received a jury verdict in your favor.

July 11, 2019

Managing Your Louisiana Auto Accident Case When You Want to Settle With Some Defendants and Litigate Against Others

by Cardone Law Firm

I’ve been injured in an auto accident by a delivery driver driving a car belonging to another person. What is the best way to proceed with my case?

In modern slang or metaphorical language, the phrase “lots of moving parts” or “a lot of moving parts” is considered to be an alternate way of saying that something is complex or has numerous working pieces to manage. Many times, your Louisiana auto accident case can be something that has lots of moving parts. There is the identification of the proper defendants, including possibly the driver, the driver’s employer, the vehicle’s owner and one or more insurance companies. There’s the pre-trial discovery process and the collection of evidence. There’s decision-making like whether to settle or to take the case to a jury verdict. These, of course, are just to name a few.

July 10, 2019

Someone Pulled Out in Front of Me and Caused My Louisiana Injury Accident. How Do I Make Sure He is Held 100% Responsible for My Damages?

by Cardone Law Firm

Sometimes you are injured in a crash through absolutely no fault of your own. Another driver does something ill-advised and negligent, and there is nothing you can do to avoid the collision. When that happens, you’ll probably want to seek compensation in court and you’ll likely argue that the other driver was 100% at fault and 100% liable for your damages.

In a case like that, the defendant driver and/or their auto insurance company may argue that you, the injured plaintiff, were actually to blame for the accident, at least in part. All drivers in Louisiana are required to drive at a safe speed, keep a proper lookout and keep their vehicles under control at all times. A defendant driver may try to claim, in an effort to reduce their damages (or avoid them entirely,) that you failed to do one or more of those required things. When that happens, you need an experienced Louisiana injury attorney to help you defeat those arguments.

July 9, 2019

The Terrible Toll ‘Road Rage’ Driving Has Taken Here in Louisiana

by Cardone Law Firm

Road rage and aggressive driving are problems everywhere. When drivers give in to this urge, terribly bad things can (and often do) happen. The Pelican State has seen many road rage tragedies, including the deaths of two NFL players with New Orleans-area ties (Will Smith and Joe McKnight.)

This spring, the Louisiana Supreme Court will hear arguments in one of the more horrifying road-rage accidents of recent years. In the case, two drivers were allegedly engaged in a game of road-rage-motivated “cat and mouse” along westbound Interstate 10 near Baton Rouge. The encounter ended with the vehicles bumping into each other. One vehicle, a pickup truck, spun out of control, crossed a median and slammed into a sedan in the eastbound lanes. The sedan caught fire, killing a mother, her three young sons and the woman’s teenage co-worker, The Advocate reported.

July 5, 2019

A Serious Elevator Accident in a Neighboring State is a Reminder of How Harmful Louisiana Elevator Accidents Can Be

by Cardone Law Firm

According to statistics compiled a few years ago, elevator and escalator accidents seriously injure about 17,000 each year, killing roughly 30.

A recent headline was a reminder of that, as a nurse nearly died as a result of a malfunctioning elevator. The accident, reported by NBC DFW, occurred outside Louisiana, but it just as easily could have happened here. The nurse entered an elevator one day at work on the tenth floor of her hospital in Fort Worth, Texas. The elevator continued moving after it should have stopped. The nurse’s foot became trapped and, ultimately, the elevator crushed the nurse. The nurse managed to survive but spent a month in a coma. The elevator accident inflicted massive internal injuries and also left the nurse with brain damage. According to the NBC DFW report, the nurse “is expected to have a long-term recovery from injuries that are expected to impact her throughout her life.”

July 3, 2019

Taking on Multiple Insurance Companies When You’re Injured in a Louisiana Commercial Truck Accident

by Cardone Law Firm

If you’re a tractor-trailer truck driver, and you’re involved in a serious accident caused by another driver, such as one that causes your rig to overturn, your legal case can many different aspects. Certainly, the driver of the car who lost control and hit your rig is potentially liable, so you may be able to sue the driver and his insurer for the driver’s negligence.

That may not be enough. In Louisiana, the state minimum coverage requirements for auto insurance are quite low. For example, a driver is only required to have coverage that provides “payments of $15,000 for bodily injury to one person.” That means that obtaining a full recovery main entail taking on multiple insurance companies, including the other driver’s insurer, as well as separate underinsured/uninsured motorist (UIM) coverage insurers. To be sure you’re getting everything you deserve out of your case, be sure you have an experienced Louisiana injury attorney on your side.

June 12, 2019

How Much is My Traumatic Brain Injury Worth?

by Cardone Law Firm

Individuals who have suffered a catastrophic personal injury not only face serious health consequences but also financial issues. From costly medical bills to an inability to return to work, survivors of personal injuries can face heavy economic damages.

When facing a life-changing injury such as a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), victims may have many questions. One such question we here at the Cardone Law Firm frequently receive is, “How much money is my traumatic brain injury worth?”

May 22, 2019

Causeway Officer Saves Two Lives

by Cardone Law Firm

Since the tender age of 12, local police officer Christian Coyle knew it was his mission to save lives.

In 2005, Officer Coyle was riding with his father across the Causeway when their vehicle suffered a flat. An impaired driver would end up rear-ending their vehicle. While Christian survived the accident, his father, unfortunately, did not.

May 14, 2019

Riders Take Precaution During “Bike to Work” Week

by Cardone Law Firm

Bike riders and drivers, please take extra caution this week. We are celebrating Bike to Work Week and some very important rules must be followed in order to avoid a serious accident.

At Cardone Law Firm, our New Orleans personal injury attorneys want you to be safe this week and at all times when using a bicycle, whether it’s for exercise or personal transportation.