Power company pays $4,350,000.00 in damages for injuries caused by power line contact

A police officer, while investigating an automobile accident in which a truck struck a power pole, was hit in the head by a 22,000 volt power line. Electricity coursed through the officer's skull and out the bottom of his feet. Miraculously, the officer lived. But he suffered from extensive burns and neurological injuries. The power company claimed that the police officer was totally responsible for his own injuries, and that he walked into a power line he should have seen. Broussard & Hart was able to show, through extensive accident reconstruction, that the power line was initially at a safe height, and was seen by the power company's lineman who first responded to the crash - but the lineman ignored the dangerous situation that was created and inexplicably failed to cut the power. That power line later fell on the officer. In one of the most hard fought cases Broussard & Hart has ever handled, including numerous battles fought in the appellate courts on Writ Applications, the power company settled this case on the eve of trial.

Grocery store settles for $1.5 million for back injuries caused by patron’s slip and fall

Grocery store janitor was mopping the floor and failed to follow grocery store's own safety rules regarding placement of warning signs. Client, a grocery store patron, slipped on the wet floor and fell hard onto his back. Client suffered serious injuries, for which he had several surgeries. After fully preparing this case for trial, the casino settled at mediation.

Five month old baby’s cardiac arrest and brain injury caused by medical negligence -- $1,123,929.60 recovered

A five month old infant went in for a routine esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) procedure, in which a flexible tube is inserted through the mouth, down into the stomach for an inside view of the child's upper digestive tract. For reasons the doctors could not - or would not - explain, the child suffered a cardiac arrest during the EGD procedure. The baby was without a heartbeat for over 10 minutes, and suffered permanent brain damage. After assembling a team of medical experts from the West Coast, Broussard & Hart was able to prove that the physician performing the EGD procedure negligently perforated the child's esophagus. Air from the scope's tip, pumped into the baby by the defendant doctor, quickly filled the baby's mediastinum, shutting off the blood supply to the child's heart and causing cardiac arrest. Damages recovered were the maximum allowable by law, which places statutory limitations on recoverable damages.

FAA found liable for airplane crash; wrongful death claims settled after trial for $1,500,000.00.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was found to be liable for an airplane crash in which four people were killed, including the pilot. The crash was a direct result of the actions of an FAA controller at Lake Charles (Louisiana) Municipal Airport. The controller closed the tower with the airplane in trouble and only a few miles away because the controller would not be paid overtime for manning his post after 10:00 p.m. The controller knew that the plane, with four passengers on board, had just missed a landing at the Welsh airport due to fog. The pilot had radioed the controller in Lake Charles and asked the controller to remain on duty until the plane landed, but to no avail- the tower was shut down while the pilot was seeking help in landing at the Lake Charles airport. Minutes after the tower was shut down, the plane crashed near Country Club Road south of Lake Charles. The pilot's survivors did not join into the damage suit against the government.

18-Wheeler found liable for striking stalled vehicle; $4,507,788.00 Judgment

This case arises out of a multi-vehicle crash, which occurred on I-10. The client and her children filed suit against the defendant, who operated a waste management business. A heavy trash truck hit the client's vehicle. The client was found over one hundred feet from her vehicle, after having been apparently dragged that distance by the defendant's truck. The client suffered injuries including: a fractured collar bone, a gash to the back of her head, burns/abrasions on her arms, legs, and stomach, a shattered kidney, fractured pelvis, a broken right foot, and loss of bone in her lower right leg from abrasion. Client underwent numerous surgeries, including removal of her damaged kidney and multiple skin graphs. The client was left with many disfiguring scars. At trial, client and defendant presented starkly different views on how the accident occurred. In fact, defendant contended that it never struck the plaintiff's vehicle, or her body. Multiple experts on both sides were presented, including three different accident reconstruction experts, two biomechanical experts, two physics professors, and multiple computer simulations of the crash. The court completely rejected the defendant's version of the accident and found the waste management truck 100% at fault.

Casino settles liquor liability death case for $5,950,000.00

A head on collision between two vehicles resulted in the death of both drivers early one morning in Cameron Parish. As a result of intoxication, one of the drivers had crossed the centerline into oncoming traffic. The intoxicated driver had been over-served with alcohol by the casino while he gambled all night. Casino employees allowed the intoxicated driver to gain access to his vehicle and drive off of the premises. In pretrial rulings that were litigated and affirmed all the way to the Louisiana Supreme Court, Broussard & Hart was successful at having the courts determine that maritime law applied rather than Louisiana's dram shop immunity statute, and that maritime punitive damages were available. The pretrial rulings on the applicable law were critical to the case resolution.

Medical Malpractice Wrongful Death $600,000.00 Judgment.

Clients' baby died during delivery due to the obstetrician's and the hospital nurses' negligence. The jury assigned 80% of the fault to the doctor, and 20% to the hospital nurses. The client labored for a long period of time, which caused the perfectly healthy baby to go into fetal distress. When the doctor finally arrived at the hospital and retrieved the child from the mother, the once healthy baby boy was stillborn.

Surgical Error Results in Medical Malpractice Judgment of $508,605.00

The client initially went into the hospital for bladder suspension surgery. During the operation, the defendant surgeon mistakenly sutured a nerve, causing the plaintiff permanent leg pain and disability.

18-Wheeler Crash $245,000.00 Settlement

An 18-wheeler attempting to cross through the median in a divided highway stopped halfway through, blocking a portion of one lane. Client's mother was killed when she did not see the 18-wheeler partly blocking her lane and collided with the rear wheels.

18- Wheeler Crash $850,000.00 Settlement

An 18-wheeler made a left turn in front of oncoming traffic resulting in the plaintiff and his family striking the 18-wheeler. The husband/father suffered the most significant injuries, including a broken ankle, broken knee and a ruptured cervical disc.

18-Wheeler Crash $425,000.00 Settlement

The client was driving home one afternoon with her infant daughter as a rear-seat passenger. Only a couple of miles from home, the client caught the last traffic signal and was forced to stop on the highway. The weather was clear and dry. As the client and her baby sat waiting at the red light, an 18-wheeler tractor, driven by the defendant, closed on the plaintiff's car from the rear. The 18,000 lb. truck failed to stop, crashing into the back of the client's car. The client's car was knocked 217 feet from the point of initial impact. On its path to final rest, the client's vehicle also collided with the rear of a third vehicle, which had legally entered the intersection. The client's car was a total loss. The police responded to the accident call. The investigating officer suspected the 18-wheeler truck driver was drunk. The defendant showed obvious signs of intoxication and failed the police officer's field sobriety test. The defendant was charged with D.W.I., but refused to provide a breath test. Even though the injuries suffered by the clients were moderate, the threat of punitive damages resulted in this large settlement.

Head on Collision $563,491.00

Client was driving her vehicle when a left turning truck crashed head on into her. The client suffered a back injury, requiring a lumbar two level fusion. Although the client had a pre-existing back condition, Broussard and Hart were able to prove that the crash aggravated the condition and caused additional symptoms and the need for surgery.

Premises Liability for Defectively Designed Convenience Store Restroom; $140,000.00 settlement

The client received injuries to her legs when she was exiting an outside rest room at a convenience store and was struck by a car. The area immediately adjacent to the rest room had no protective bumpers to prevent cars from inadvertently driving into the side of the building. The case was settled after the appellate court reversed the trial court's dismissal of the claim on the defendant's motion for summary judgement.

Products Liability/Defective Chair; Back Injury, $150,000.00

Client, a State Trooper, was working the desk shift and when he went to sit down in his swivel chair. The chair's spindle broke, causing him to flip over backwards. The client had back surgery as a result of his injuries. A case was settled after extensive discovery and plaintiff's metallurgical expert's work showing the chair spindle was defective.

Medical Malpractice; Gall Bladder Surgery $612,499.00 Settlement

The plaintiff's common bile duct was severed during a gall bladder removal operation. Client suffered severe infection and permanent injuries.

Hotel Fire Death; Smoke Alarms Defective $750,000.00

Client's husband was killed in a hotel room as a result of a fire, caused by a dropped cigarette. Broussard and Hart successfully proved that the smoke alarms were negligently maintained and that in many rooms, the alarms were defective. Because the fire was started by a cigarette in the sofa and took hours for the fire to develop, a properly functioning smoke alarm could have prevented this needless tragedy.

Propane Gas Explosion; Severe Burns, $6,300,000.00 Settlement

Client was badly burned in a propane explosion at a trailer park. Client had rented a house trailer. Two days after moving in, the client attempted to light the stove. He turned on the propane tank and unsuccessfully tried to light the pilot light on the stove top. When he tried to light the oven, the stove exploded. Client sustained second and third degree burns over 60 percent of his body. Jogging shorts protected the plaintiff from the waist to mid thigh. His face was not burned. The fire self-extinguished, causing little damage to the trailer. Investigation revealed that the stove was disconnected from the open propane line. Broussard and Hart proved that the propane company failed to do a leak test at the time the propane was delivered. Further, Broussard and Hart proved that the propane did not contain the proper amount of odorant, so that the leak could not be detected by smell. The case settled just days before trial.

Helicopter Crash $1,771,573.00 Jury Verdict

Client was injured when the helicopter in which he was riding as a passenger, crashed on takeoff from an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The crash occurred as a result of fractured tail rotor shaft, which should have been detected during a routine inspection. A review of maintenance records disclosed that the manufacturer of the helicopter knew of the potential for problems with the tail rotor shaft, but neglected to see that the problem was corrected. The client recovered from all of his injuries, except for a knee injury that caused permanent problems. Both the Appellate Court and Louisiana Supreme Court affirmed the Jury's verdict. Through expert testimony and extensive discovery, Broussard and Hart were able to prove that their client was unable to perform his previous job duties because of the numerous stairs and ladders he had to climb every day. The jury verdict included over $800,000.00 for future lost wages.

Electrical Contact Case, $ 1,250,000.00 Settlement

A General Contractor was performing remodeling work at a motel. Plaintiff was on the roof of the motel doing carpenter work. As the plaintiff was installing a piece of metal flashing, he received an electrical injury when the flashing came into contact with an improperly placed high voltage electrical line. Plaintiff suffered electrical burns, which resulted in permanent disability. A key issue in this case was the location of the high voltage conductor at the time of the accident. Immediately after the accident, the defendant moved the conductor without documenting its location. Broussard and Hart retained experts who were able to reconstruct the conductor's location using photographs and survey work, proving the defendant's negligence.

Airplane Crash, $297,268.00 Judgment

A student pilot was killed while taking flying lessons. The instructor had caused plane to go into an emergency dive, giving the student insufficient time for emergency recovery. Both the student and the instructor were killed on impact. Case involved life insurance issues and a wrongful death claims of student's parents' against the instructor. Broussard and Hart convinced the Court that life insurance exclusion for airplane pilots did not apply to the student and that the crash resulted from the sole negligence from the instructor.

Products Liability/Defectively Designed fan guard on air compressor $280,000.00 Settlement

Client received severe injuries to his hand as he was cleaning an industrial air compressor while it was running. The air compressor did not have a complete guard on the fan.

Bleacher Collapse $152,657.00 Jury Verdict

The client was at the ballpark sitting on the bleachers when they collapsed. The plaintiff suffered injuries including fractured vertebrae.

Improper Brake Repairs Judgment for $263,150.00

The plaintiff was rear-ended by a vehicle that recently had a complete brake repair job. The rear-ending driver claimed his brakes failed. Broussard and Hart conducted extensive discovery and proved that the automotive repair shop failed to properly repair the brakes, resulting in brake failure. The plaintiff suffered injuries to the nerves in her right arm and hand.

Fatal Helicopter Crash Case Settled During Trial Just Before Closing Argument for $3,075,000

Client's husband, an offshore oil worker, was killed when the helicopter in which he was riding crashed during take off from offshore oil platform. A forensic investigation and a crash reconstruction showed that the helicopter's landing skid had become entangled with a hatch handle on the offshore platform's helideck. This entanglement caused the helicopter's pilot to loose control of the aircraft as he attempted lift-off. This case was tried twice in Federal Court. During the first trial, the jury returned a defense verdict. Broussard and Hart was able to convince the trial court that the jury's verdict was against the great weight of the evidence, and the new trial was granted. Just before the end of the second trial, the defendant finally met the plaintiff's reasonable settlement demand.