Case Results

A 74-year-old man who lost his wife of 50 years to the hands of a drunk driver received $650,000.00 in settlement of his case. The drunk driver, who had left Memphis, Tennessee, early that morning and who had apparently been drinking all day, struck the rear of the client’s wife’s vehicle at more than 90 mph, propelling the wife’s vehicle into the rail of the Hale Boggs Bridge in Luling, Louisiana, resulting in her instantaneous death.

A computer software developer was rear-ended in two accidents that occurred four days apart. While both accidents involved relatively minor property damage, the software developer actually ruptured a disc in his neck as a result of one or both of these impacts and underwent neurosurgery in Houma, Louisiana at Terrebonne General Medical Center. The insurance companies for each accident pointed the finger at the other accident as causing the damage, and the software developer eventually reached a settlement with insurers for both accidents for fair compensation. This case is extremely significant because it showed unequivocally that even minor property damages can result in serious personal injuries to drivers and passengers in the vehicle. Studies have shown this fact time and time again, but the insurance industry continues to prejudice jurors and potential jurors with untruthful statements regarding the “low impact collision.”

A mentally disabled man crossed West Park Avenue in Houma and was struck by a speeding motorist. The disabled man suffered grievous injuries and was required to be placed in a nursing home. The nursing home was covered under a government assistance program known as Supplemental Security Income and Medicaid. Utilizing a special needs trust, Kopfler Personal Injury Attorneys were able to preserve all benefits for the disabled man and provide many of life’s pleasures he was not able to afford under SSI and Medicaid, including prepayment of his burial insurance, regular haircuts, cable TV, medical and dental expenses, entertainment, clothing, equipment, spending money, electronic equipment, travel programs, grooming, treatment and essential dietary needs.

A woman was a guest passenger with her husband traveling on U.S. 90 in Boutte, Louisiana. The husband pulled into the center lane of the otherwise four-lane highway to make a left turn when, at the same time, a deputy sheriff illegally crossed the lanes of traffic and struck the vehicle on the passenger door where the lady was positioned. She suffered a shoulder injury and was required to undergo shoulder surgery to correct a torn rotator cuff. The Sheriff’s Office denied liability, claiming the crash was the fault of the lady’s husband. The matter was tried to a local judge and liability was found 100% against the deputy sheriff. The lady received an award for her injuries and medical treatment.

A minor impact rear-end collision caused disabling injuries to the forward vehicle’s passenger, causing the insurance company to mount its defense on the premise that a minor impact cannot cause spinal injuries. Modern biomechanical and biomedical evidence overcame those defenses so that the passenger attained full compensation for her injuries.

A job superintendent for large petroleum pipeline projects injured his neck when his vehicle was hit from behind. While the superintendent chose not to undergo any type of surgical intervention, MRI and physical evidence clearly showed the existence of internal derangement of one or two disc levels in his neck which would have the effect in the future of causing him headaches and limitation of mobility.

A worker returning home was struck head on by a vehicle which had previously run off the road into a pothole on the shoulder. The action against the state, as the owner of the road, required proof that the pothole created an unreasonable risk of injury to motorists who inadvertently run off the road as well as those, like the worker we represented, who are innocent victims of roadway defects and driver negligence. Road design and safety experts presented crucial evidence of the effect of potholes on the steering actions of motorists who strike them, resulting in a resolution of the case for full damages.

A family was traveling on Thanksgiving day to visit relatives on Highway 90 in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, when, traveling in the opposite direction, a large 18-wheeler carrying a full load of sugar cane lost a wheel from its trailer. The trailer wheel crossed the median and struck the family’s van, causing the driver to suffer a fractured leg and injuries to all the passengers. After an investigation, and extensive discovery, it was determined that the trailer was owned by a large sugar cane concern which had a contractual relationship with sugar cane farmers and truck drivers. Although there was a serious dispute as to who was responsible for the wheel coming off the trailer, we were able to successfully conclude the entire case for all the passengers involved.

A Chevrolet van was traveling on U.S. Highway I-59 in the State of Mississippi when it was negligently rear-ended by a tractor trailer, killing three of the passengers. There was a dispute as to the condition of the van and whether it had recently pulled from the shoulder into the lane of the oncoming 18-wheeler. Utilizing accident reconstruction experts, we were able to prove that the truck driver was at fault. Our personal injury lawyers represented the adopted daughter of a passenger who was killed in the crash. The adopted father was paralyzed before the accident and had adopted his wife’s daughter some four years before. Although they did not see each other much after her mother and father had separated, they kept in contact and had a close relationship. Following protracted discovery and settlement negotiations, the matter was compromised and settled in favor of the adopted daughter for the wrongful death of her father.