Louisiana Injury Lawyer Blog

Louisiana State Police Traffic Accident Crash Reports are now available online at the Louisiana State Police website. According to the LSP website, "you can easily find official reports for crashes that have occurred in every Parish across the state. Once you have found your report, you can see a limited preview and then purchase that report to see the entire document. After completing purchase of a report, you will be able to instantly download a permanent PDF copy of the complete report." In order to search for an accident report, the user must enter the first and last name of the driver or pedestrian involved in the accident, the parish where the accident occurred, and the date of the accident. A log-in must be created to finalize the $8.50 credit card transaction.

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The State of Louisiana's Office of Risk Management is being privatized. Louisiana Commissioner of Administration Angele Davis announced that F.A. Richard & Associates, Inc. (FARA) will take over the adjusting and management of all property and casualty claims and loss prevention for the State of Louisiana's self-insured risks. It is estimated that the State of Louisiana will save at least $20 million over five years.

According to the press release issued by the Louisiana Governor's office, Office of Risk Management (ORM) Director Bud Thompson said, "I commend my staff for their yeoman's work in the research, preparation and execution of this RFP, especially their commitment to evaluate the proposals objectively and analyze the advantages, disadvantages and projected cost-savings to our in-house program in the long-term best interest of the State. Anticipated advantages of privatization include access to state-of-the-art technology improvements; reduced claims and program costs; management flexibility; and the transition from day-to-day claims and loss prevention to enterprise risk management.

It is estimated that 85 Louisiana state employees will lose their state jobs, but those employees will be offered positions by FARA at salaries based on its existing pay scales.

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A motorcyclist trying to enter Interstate 20 in Shreveport, Louisiana, was killed on November 14, 2009, when his motorcycle struck a barrier on the overpass and then plunged about thirty feet onto Interstate 20 below.

Often times, overpass curves, guardrails, or barriers are defectively designed or maintained and can contribute to vehicle accidents. Motorcyles and automobiles being operated under normal or expected conditions should not vault over a guardrail or other overpass barrier.

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Kirk Guidry and Scott Andrews settled a product liability case involving multiple burn injuries and deaths from a fuel-fed fire for a confidential amount. On August 6, 2002, five passengers were severely burned and two of them died from their severe burn injuries after their 2000 Chrysler/Plymouth Grand Voyager mini van (NS body 1996-2000) climbed upon and straddled a metal guard rail on Interstate 55 (I-55) in Kentwood, Louisiana, after sustaining a tire blow-out. A metal I-beam supporting the guard rail sliced the mini van's unprotected high density polyethylene fuel tank which was located forward of the rear axle.

The Baton Rouge, Louisiana burn injury lawyers at Due', Price, Guidry, Piedrahita & Andrews brought a product liability action under the Louisiana Products Liability Act, La. La.R.S. 9:2800.51, et seq., against the mini van's manufacturer, DaimlerChrysler Corporation, alleging that the numerous skid plates, metal shields and other protective devices used on many all wheel drive vehicles and most SUVs are designed to prevent fuel tank puncture from guard rails, road debris, curbs, sign posts, etc., and were capable of preventing the fuel-fed fire that caused plaintiffs' injuries, and therefore should have been incorporated into the design of the mini van's fuel system. A claim was also brought against the State of Louisiana, through the Department of Transportation and Development for the unreasonably dangerous condition of the metal I-beams supporting the guard rail.

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