A 2016 Louisiana appellate court ruling that rejected expansive readings of aircraft liability policies and endorsements therein remains the seminal case on the issue. Specifically, in King v. Old Republic Ins. Co., the Louisiana Fourth Circuit held an aviation policy does not afford coverage where the aircraft at issue: (1) is not listed on a …
A plaintiff cannot simultaneously pursue a negligence cause of action against an employee and a direct negligent training and supervision cause of action against the employer, if the employee was in the course and scope of employment, according to a Louisiana federal district court. The plaintiff was injured when the driver of a Greyhound …
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal recently provided the first ever Louisiana interpretation of certain provisions of an aircraft liability policy. In King v. Old Republic Ins. Co., 2016-0170 (La. App. 1 Cir. 9/7/16); 200 So. 3d 989, the plaintiff’s minor child was killed in the crash of a gyrocopter, an experimental amateur-built aircraft. The …
Defense costs may be prorated among insurers and the insured in long-latency disease cases, according to a recent decision by the Louisiana Supreme Court. This rule only applies in long-latency disease cases, the Court instructed, and was grounded in the language of the particular insurance policy at issue. The case arose in the long-running Arceneaux …
A Louisiana federal judge recently rebuffed a plaintiff’s attempt to extend the range of available damages to include an award for “financial management” damages in a Jones Act claim. The opinion contains little factual information, but the plaintiff apparently was 27 years old at the time of the injury and had reached maximum medical improvement …
As of January 1, 2016, a number of revisions came into effect regarding Louisiana Code of Civil Procedure Art. 966. The purpose of these changes is to revise and clarify the procedure for motions for summary judgment. Despite these changes, it is important to note that the legal standard for granting a Motion for Summary …
The Louisiana Supreme Court recently announced a “bright-line” rule that a write-off from a medical provider, negotiated by the plaintiff’s attorney, is not covered by the collateral source rule and cannot be recovered by the plaintiff. In Hoffman v. 21st Century North America Ins. Co., 2014-2279 (10/2/2015), the Court considered a case with clear evidence …
Social media websites, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, offer significant information which may provide valuable impeachment evidence in lawsuits filed by personal injury plaintiffs. This information includes references to a plaintiff’s physical condition and injuries both prior and subsequent to a subject accident, daily activities, and the subject accident itself. However, information from the …
The Louisiana Supreme Court recently reigned in the remedies available against a party that inadvertently loses or destroys evidence. In Reynolds v. Bordelon, 2014–C–2362, issued on June 30, 2015, the Court held that Louisiana does not recognize the tort of negligent spoliation of evidence. In Reynolds, the plaintiff alleged that the defendant auto insurer and …