Kopfler & Hermann served as co-counsel with the Beasley Allen Law Firm on a wrongful death case arising from an Alabama dram shop incident. A patron was overserved alcohol and subsequently caused a fatal collision. The surviving family pursued a civil claim against the establishment under Alabama’s dram shop statute, which holds licensed alcohol vendors accountable when they continue serving visibly intoxicated patrons who later cause harm to others.

The case required careful coordination between Louisiana and Alabama counsel, navigation of out-of-state venue rules, and detailed reconstruction of the night in question — including obtaining receipts, surveillance footage, and witness testimony about the patron’s level of intoxication when last served. Working alongside Beasley Allen, our firm helped develop the liability case and supported the family through the litigation. The case ultimately resolved for $2 million for the surviving family.

If you have lost a loved one in a fatal accident caused by an intoxicated driver, please contact Kopfler & Hermann. We work with co-counsel across state lines when the facts of a case require it.

Kopfler & Hermann represented a group of subcontractors who were injured while performing Hurricane Ida cleanup and recovery work as FEMA contractors in South Louisiana. The case raised complex issues about which insurance policies applied to subcontractors operating on FEMA-funded projects, what statutory immunities did or did not protect the prime contractors, and how to value future medical care for workers whose injuries occurred in the chaotic conditions of post-hurricane debris clearance.

The matter was litigated in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana, where we navigated jurisdictional questions specific to federal disaster response work, the interplay between Louisiana workers’ compensation law and federal contractor liability, and the documentation challenges that come with field work performed in the immediate aftermath of a Category 4 hurricane. The case concluded for $835,000 on behalf of the injured workers.

If you were injured during disaster cleanup or as a subcontractor on a federal recovery project, call Kopfler & Hermann. These cases require attorneys who understand both the federal contracting framework and Louisiana injury law.

A Lafourche parish lady was visiting her friend in the Lockport area, at an apartment complex.  Upon exiting the apartment, she headed back to her automobile. The sidewalk she utilized had an abrupt elevation in the sidewalk catching her shoe and  causing her to trip forward and fracture her wrist. After multiple surgeries, the injured lady sought help through Kopfler & Hermann. Again, utilizing the services of an expert architect and thorough investigation, it was proven that the sidewalk was defective. After the institution of the lawsuit and numerous depositions, the lady was compensated for her personal injuries, pain and suffering, and medical expenses. Subsequent to the resolution of the lawsuit, the property owner demolished the defective sidewalk and rebuilt them to correct the defect.  A local victory for pedestrians!

In a wheel chair accident case, Kopfler & Hermann represented a disabled individual who was attempting to enter a municipality jail to bail out a loved one. The jail had been constructed a number of years ago. The area where a handicapped individual would park required access to the jail along a side walk. The parking lot for the municipality had been designed improperly, and there were no wheel stops for the vehicles.  As a consequence, any vehicle that parked with the wheels resting against the side walk blocked access for a wheelchair bound individual. 

As it turned out, a vehicle blocking the side walk was parked there by an employee of the municipality. Her actions blocking the sidewalk required the wheelchair bound individual to leave the sidewalk to get around the vehicle blocking access. The grassy area she was required to traverse had a hole that caused her wheelchair to tip forward breaking one of her legs. Utilizing an expert architect and standards for construction of parking lots and sidewalks, Kopfler & Hermann was able to reach a successful settlement for the wheelchair bound patient’s injuries, pain & suffering, and medical expenses. Before the lawsuit was settled, the municipality installed wheel stops on all of the parking spaces so that any vehicles parking would not intrude on the sidewalk. A local victory for wheelchair bound individuals! 

If you, your family, or friends suffer an injury due to the failure of a commercial business or municipality to provide adequate wheelchair access, please contact Kopfler & Hermann so we can explore your right and remedies under the American Disability Act and other related laws.

A truck driver/trainer who slipped and fell in the diesel bay of a truck stop received fair compensation for his injuries during a meditation at the offices of Kopfler Personal Injury Attorneys. There was no question that a large amount of diesel had been spilled in the bay, that the store employees knew it was there but took no steps to clean it up. Diesel on any surface is very slick, and the lack of appropriate lighting at this particular facility made the condition even more hazardous.

Two sandblasters in a helicopter transporting them offshore sustained compression fractures in their vertebrae when the helicopter dropped into the Gulf of Mexico as a result of co-pilot error. Both workers recovered full damages.

An oyster fishermen and three family members who helped with the fishing and culling operations inhaled a poisonous combination of gases emitted from a derelict oil well in the marsh of South Louisiana while he was on his way to the oyster grounds. The gas inhalation resulted in temporary loss of consciousness of two of the family members, who were evacuated from a small slither of barrier island by helicopter to a local hospital. They received compensation from the operator of this shut-in well.