Our Proven Track Record
General
Griff Oliver v. Parish of Jefferson. Griff Oliver was driving southbound on Causeway Blvd. As Mr. Oliver navigated the hook ramp overpass to get onto Jefferson Highway, his car drifted into the wrong lane and struck the guard rail causing permanent brain damage. Suit was filed against the Parish of Jefferson and State of Louisiana. A night vision expert testified that a driver’s eyes could not adjust from the lighted portion of the Causeway onto the darkened hook ramp overpass. A highway expert was also employed to testify about design defects. Although there were lights on that section of the roadway they were burned out and not properly maintained. The case was tried before a judge in Jefferson Parish. After appeals to the Louisiana Supreme Court, the plaintiff was awarded over 1.7 million dollars.
James Drum. James Drum was instructed by his employer to go to a business across the street to collect money. He entered the business warehouse where trucks parked at the end of the day and was knocked down by a truck traveling in reverse. This was a jury trial where the jury found in favor of Drum in the amount of $353,000 but awarded him only 50% of his damages because it felt he was contributorily negligent in walking where he should not have walked. The case was appealed to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and maintained that a pedestrian could not be contributorily negligent in an accident where a driver of a vehicle was negligent. The court agreed and held that Mr. Drum was entitled to 100% of his damages or $353,000.
Because this case involved an issue of whether or not a pedestrian could be contributorily negligent (since Louisiana passed a comparative negligence law), the defendants applied for and were granted a writ of certiorari to the Louisiana Supreme Court. After a hearing before the Louisiana Supreme Court, the court felt that the Fourth Circuit was correct in awarding Mr. Drum 100% of his damages and affirmed the judgment in favor of Mr. Drum.
Brooks v. Eason. The client's husband was shot and killed by the owner of the Sugar Bowl Motel on Airline Highway, who claimed to have fired in self defense. Forensic evidence, and the fact the the shooter threw his gun in the river, suggested otherwise. FBI and Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office crime lab reports showed that the bullet passed through a closed, locked wooden gate, proving that the victim posed no threat. P&B sued for wrongful death.
Despite over ten years in which the defendant tried every trick in the book to avoid paying, including bankruptcy, P&B stayed the course. In trial in Jefferson Parish, the court awarded judgment in excess of 2.9 million dollars. P&B set about the difficult task of collecting the money. The owner refused to pay so P&B had the Bankruptcy Court seize and sell the Sugar Bowl Motel and pay the proceeds to the client.
Clients A & B v. Nursing Home Doe. Both clients had relatives at the nursing home. One suffered a severe brain injury and died after a careless nurse's aide allowed him to fall to the floor. The other died from deep, infected bedsores because the nursing staff did not take adequate care to prevent or treat the sores. Even though the nursing home filed for bankruptcy, P&B was able to collect in excess of $250,000 for each client.
King v. City of New Orleans. After a terrible car crash at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Prytania Street in New Orleans, both motorists swore that the light was green in both directions. P&B sued the City of New Orleans for negligence in failing to maintain, repair or warn motorists about the defective traffic signal. The City engineers claimed that the traffic signals were incapable of showing green in both directions. P&B took the case to trial. Using the City engineer's own testimony, P&B proved that the lights were in fact green in both directions. The Court awarded the plaintiff all of his damages.
Client Name Withheld. Client developed mesothelioma, an incurable cancer, that is usually the result of asbestos exposure. It was necessary to prove the facts against the National Gypsum Corporation which maintained a dumpsite where client played as a youngster. The neighborhood was canvassed to locate people who remembered client playing on the dumpsite. The case was settled for over $150,000 for his widow.
Client v. Dr. Doe. P&B sued a cardiologist who performed an unauthorized and unwarranted “catheterization procedure” which resulted in the patient's death. The case settled on behalf of the patient's husband and children for $450,000. The legislative cap on medical malpractice cases is $500,000.
Client v. Francis Drilling Fluids. Client was involved in a serious accident with an 18 wheeler. The liability was contested but P&B still managed to settle the case for $400,000.
Offshore Case. The surviving widow of an engineer who was a passenger on board a crewboat brought a claim when a load of drill pipes shifted and jammed the engineer against the side of the boat. He died two weeks later from massive blood clotting. The case was eventually settled (very difficult to prove, medically speaking) for over $100,000.
Joshua Lunsford. Mr. Lunsford was riding a bicycle the wrong way against traffic on Veterans Blvd. when he was hit by a vehicle attempting to turn onto Jefferson Hwy. Despite the fact that Jefferson Parish juries are notoriously conservative, P&B was able to convince the jury that the automobile was a greater threat than a boy on a bicycle. Mr. Lunsford was consequently awarded close to $100,000 although his recovery was diminished by 50%.
Client v. Avondale Industries. Client was a highly specialized worker brought in by Avondale to work on the drive gear of a vessel being repaired. P&B convinced the defendants that Avondale should pay client $150,000 for a low back injury, without surgery, because his job status did not fit that of an employee which would have limited his recovery to worker’s compensation.
Uninsured Motorist Case. Client was the wife of a man who was killed while riding a bicycle in Lafourche Parish. Client and the deceased lived with her daughter who had an uninsured motorist policy. Unfortunately, the UM carrier did not want to pay her even though it should cover members of the same household. P&B settled the case for the policy limits of about $50,000.
National Gypsum Corporation. P&B represented a group of 25 National Gypsum workers in their actions against National Gypsum and various mask manufacturers who supplied masks to them when they worked around National Gypsum products which contained asbestos. P&B obtained approximately $18,000-$25,000 per worker in settling the case.
Criminal
State v. Calvin. Calvin was charged with second degree murder. An eyewitness identified him and another individual as the shooter of the victim. The trial lasted a week and the jury deliberated for 3 1/2 hours before returning a “not guilty” verdict.
State v. Errol. Errol was convicted in 1975 of murdering Vernon Joseph. Although his testimony at trial was that he acted in self defense, Errol was convicted of second degree murder and received a life sentence. In 1990 Errol’s family retained P&B to review the conviction and obtain whatever evidence it could to reverse the conviction. P&B found the evidence that led to Errol’s reversed conviction. He was released from prison after 15 years.
State v. Darrel. In 1984 Darrel was charged by the NOPD with second degree and attempted murder. The DA’s office ultimately charged him with manslaughter and attempted manslaughter. Darrel’s family and Darrel himself were threatened by the deceased. Darrel shot and killed the deceased and wounded another who was with the deceased. Darrel was acquitted after the jury found that he acted in self defense.
State of Louisiana v. Harold. Harold was charged by members of the NOPD with possession of cocaine, attempted murder and being a convicted felon in possession of a fireman. Harold was in a vehicle being chased by N.O. police officers when the vehicle carrying Harold was stopped. He then fled with several others. The police claimed he fired multiple gun shots as they gave chase. Harold alleged that he was “passed out” in the vehicle and when it came to a stop others told him to run. When he did run he was tackled by police who claimed he had a gun and cocaine on him. The case was tried and after a lengthy trial the jury returned a verdict of “not guilty” on all counts against Harold.
Civil Rights
Eric v. City of New Orleans. Eric was the victim of New Orleans police brutality. A police officer claimed that Eric jumped over a fence and fell on his face which resulted in multiple facial fractures. Eric sued the officer alleging that he had been pistol whipped by him following a foot chase. Prior to the trial the city of New Orleans settled its case with Eric for $90,000.
Brent v. State of Louisiana through the Crescent City Connection Police Department. In 1999 Brent was stopped for speeding and suspicion of drunk driving. He alleged that after he was stopped he was brutally beaten by a police officer of the CCCPD. Several officers with the CCCPD testified that Brent sustained the serious injuries to his face when he fell at the police station. P&B convinced the federal judge that Brent was both the victim of a conspiracy to deprive him of his civil rights and police brutality. The judge found that the defendants had conspired with one another to lie and deprive Brent of his civil rights and therefore awarded him over $150,000 in damages.
