People just like you make up the clientele we serve. From deckhands to galley hands, housewives to husbands, welders to blasters and painters, ordinary people from all walks of life have sought our help. We are committed to the basic principles of honesty, integrity and hard work, and we also see our clients as friends who are not forgotten when a case is resolved. Presented below are a few of the many types of cases we have handled over the years. You can see from these case spotlights the divergence of the clients themselves and the variety of ways injury and disability strike the unfortunate.
A 65-year-old oiler/gauger at an oil and gas inland separation facility suffered burns over a large part of his body when a corroded high pressure line burst, spewing natural gas into the air which ignited in a fireball where the gauger was performing his work. We discovered records that the owner of the facility had placed underground piping in corrosive and acidic soil conditions without any type of covering or protective tape, causing the pipe to almost disintegrate within five years. Unfortunately for the oiler and gauger, the burst occurred while he was on the premises. A long series of debridements and skin grafting at a special burn unit in Baton Rouge were crucial in the gauger’s ultimate recovery. Although he was not physically disabled from working and could cover up his scars with clothing, the burn was so severe that the case settled for more than $2 million.
A crane-involved collision occurred in Tangipahoa Parish, leading to a third-party liability claim brought in the 21st Judicial District Court. Kopfler & Hermann resolved the case for $202,000 for our injured client.
Crane and heavy-equipment accidents require a coordinated investigation into multiple potential defendants: the crane operator’s employer, the equipment owner, the equipment manufacturer, any inspector or rigger involved in the lift, and the property owner where the work was performed. Each layer can contribute additional insurance coverage and additional sources of recovery for the injured worker. Our firm developed the case to identify and pursue all responsible parties.
If you or a loved one has been injured by a crane, a forklift, or any other piece of heavy equipment — whether on a construction site, at a port, or on an offshore platform — please call Kopfler & Hermann.
Kopfler & Hermann represented a client who was involved in an industrial crane accident and subsequently developed post-traumatic stress disorder from the experience. The case was filed in the 32nd Judicial District Court for Terrebonne Parish and resolved on behalf of our client.
Psychological injury cases in the workers’ compensation and personal injury context require careful documentation. The diagnosis of PTSD must be made by a qualified mental health professional, the symptoms must be tied causally to the traumatic incident, and the practical impact on the client’s ability to return to work and to ordinary daily life must be established with detailed treatment records. Our firm worked with a treating psychiatrist and an independent vocational expert to document both the disability and the long-term impact on earning capacity.
If you have suffered a psychological injury from a workplace accident, a serious collision, or another traumatic event, please contact Kopfler & Hermann. PTSD and other trauma-related conditions are real injuries and deserve serious representation.
A welder on an offshore semi-submersible drilling rig slipped and fell in hydraulic fluid leaking from a nearby valve. His spinal injury prevented him from returning to the offshore welding industry, and evidence showed that the hydraulic fluid presented an unreasonable risk of injury to workers on the rig.
An offshore wireline worker was struck in the back by a falling cable and knocked to the deck, resulting in injuries which have severely reduced his earning ability. The case is pending in the United States District Court in New Orleans.
