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 husband and wife enjoying a road-side fishing expedition were seriously injured when an out-of-control 18-wheeler crashed into their vehicle during a heavy thunderstorm. Kopfler & Hermann used sophisticated computer animation to show the severity of the impact and resulting injuries. A 15-minute video settlement brochure, which incorporated the computer animation with real life video scenes and still photos, provided the key tool in educating the truck company’s insurers of the seriousness of the couple’s 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.
A shrimp trawler and his mate, a shrimp picker, were injured when a tugboat pushing a barge overtook their stern at night and nearly swamped their vessel in Bayou Grand Caillou near Dulac, Louisiana. We were able to prove that the tug boat was traveling at a high rate of speed and either ignored its radar readings or its radar beam was deflected by cargo on the barge it was pushing. The trial judge awarded damages to the shrimper and his mate but reduced the award to the shrimp boat captain because the Judge found that the shrimp boat did not have adequate lighting.
A customer at a local Wal Mart store slipped and fell on dried dog food which had been left in the aisle by store personnel. Extensive discovery showed that the department manager had failed to provide adequate cleanup for the store-created hazard.
A school teacher who suffered a severe shoulder injury when she tripped on a lump of carpet at the entrance to a large department store received just compensation in a post-mediated settlement agreement. The carpet in the narrow foyer entrance of the store had lumped up over the passage of time, creating a tripping hazard to customers entering the building. That is exactly what happened to this teacher, who had to undergo a surgical procedure to repair her shoulder injury.
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.
A roofer broke his hip when a rotted face board caused him to lose his balance and fall atop an air conditioning compressor. The owner’s knowledge of the rot resulted in a jury verdict for the roofer against the homeowner’s insurer.
