After a hard fought jury trial, an appeal can be expected. But, what cannot be anticipated is a transcribing error by the court that renders the judgment as invalid and makes any appeal impossible. Excellent attorneys can catch errors by other parties and avoid multiple extra steps before a lawsuit…
Articles Posted in Civil Matter
How Does a Court Interpret the Terms of a Settlement Agreement?
If you and the opposing party in your lawsuit reach a settlement agreement, it might seem like your legal battle is over. However, trouble can arise if the other party does not do what they promised to do. This is the situation Cheri Gardner found herself in following a car…
What are Legitimate, Nondiscriminatory Reasons for Hiring Decisions in a Gender Discrimination Lawsuit?
Employment discrimination can take many forms. One common form is gender discrimination. However, an employer may be able to avoid liability if they can provide legitimate and nondiscriminatory reasons why they decided to hire someone else that are not based on the candidate’s gender. Tensas Parish School Board (“TPSB”) needed…
Blue Cliff College Overcomes Claim of Racial Discrimination
Generally, terminating an employee on the basis of race is a violation of the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law, which is similar to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. La. R.S.23:301; 42 U.S.C.A. § 2000. Generally, to establish a case of racial discrimination under the Louisiana Employment Discrimination…
$13.4 Million Jefferson Davis Parish Oil Wells Lawsuit Reviewed by Louisiana Supreme Court
Often times during a lawsuit, cases involve a classic “battle of experts,” where each side presents an expert with an opinion which differs from their respective opponent’s side. The recent Jefferson Davis Parish case involved this exact situation. Hayes Fund for the First United Methodist Church of Welsh, L.L.C. and…
Marksville Fender Bender Case Shows What Happens When One Party Denies Accident Occurred
The “burden of proof” may be a familiar concept to everyone, even those inexperienced with the courts. The idea is that the party in a lawsuit holding the “burden of proof” is tasked with providing evidence that reaches the level of proof required to meet the burden. In car accidents,…
Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Affirms Lower Court’s Decision in Home Damage Lawsuit
In Louisiana, if someone does work to your home and you find the work to have been completed unsatisfactorily, you have a one-year prescription period to bring the issue to court. However, what does one do if problems from this work do not appear right away? Considering the statute that…
Court of Appeal Overturns Arbitration Award of Legal Fees for East Baton Rouge Man
Arbitration is a matter of contract. Parties to an arbitration agreement contract on matters they agree to submit to arbitration. That agreement defines the extent to which the parties are subject to the authority of arbitrator, and such authority corresponds to the boundaries set in the agreement. This case is…
Can You Appeal If You Don’t Get Enough Damages?
What would it take for an appellate court to overturn an award of damages? According to the Louisiana 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal, the bar is set high and very rarely does an award for damages get overturned as long as it’s reasonable. Lafayette Motors employed Mr. Menard as a…
Eunice Police Chief Comments about Business Owners Found Defamatory
Running a small business is a challenging endeavor that can prove even more difficult if someone publishes false information about your company. This is situation is exactly what happened to husband and wife Robbie and Susan Arnaud, owners of Robbie’s Wrecker Service, a towing business located just outside Eunice, Louisiana.…