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Louisiana first banned texting while driving in 2008 and has since taken additional steps to strengthen that ban. While this may seem a logical step in keeping our roads safer, New Orleans drivers should be aware that a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute calls into question the effectiveness of such bans. The Highway Loss Data Institute is a non-profit organization that conducts scientific studies of insurance data. It compared insurance claims for vehicles damaged in crashes before and after a full texting ban was instituted in four different states, including Louisiana. Data was also collected from nearby states, where the texting law had not changed, for use as a comparison and to control for other factors. The study found that – contrary to the expected result – crashes increased following the implementation of a texting ban for all drivers in three of the four states studied, including Louisiana.…Read More

The outcome of all New Orleans personal injury lawsuits will ultimately be determined by the evidence available, including the evidence of the degree of injury caused by the accident. While you may have been badly hurt, your case will have serious challenges if you do not have the medical evidence needed to corroborate the injury. The truth often does not matter if you cannot prove it to the judge or jury. In personal injury lawsuits, the need for proof can be especially important when it comes to medical treatment. The defense in such a lawsuit often will be looking for holes in the treatment record – such as lapses in treatment or apparent failures to report certain conditions – that could be used to argue that your injuries are not as serious as you claim. As a result, it is extremely important to be truthful with your medical providers and…Read More

Yes, there is a link between veterans of all branches of the armed forces and mesothelioma, here in New Orleans, Louisiana and across the country as well. Because asbestos is so resistant to heat and such an excellent fireproofing material, the military came to rely on it in a wide array of applications – from tanks and trucks to ships and airplanes to housing and offices. Veterans who served prior to approximately 1980 are likely to have had the most exposure during their service, but the problem of asbestos exposure for veterans doesn’t end there. The military excels at training individuals to perform highly skilled work, and when service members left to return to the civilian workforce, they applied those skills to earn their living. There are a number of military jobs that have an especially strong link to mesothelioma because exposure to asbestos continued for many people throughout their civilian career.…Read More

In many cases, Avondale Industries Shipyard in Westwego, Louisiana, has been held liable for the injuries that workers and retirees have sustained after exposure to asbestos while under the company’s employ. There is a long record demonstrating that industries like shipbuilding were generally aware of the dangers posed by asbestos to workers like pipefitters, electricians, and others who constructed ships, but took inadequate steps to protect them and their families from contamination. In the types of enclosed spaces you would find at Avondale Industries Shipyard in Westwego, Louisiana, the installation of asbestos would result in airborne dust that nearby workers would inhale during the course of their duties. Lawsuit Compensation And Benefits For Workers Of Avondale Industries Shipyard Who Have Been Diagnosed With Or Died From Mesothelioma It wasn’t just the installers who were at risk, but everyone working in proximity to a contaminated area of the ship. In addition,…Read More

It is possible that your mesothelioma can be traced back to your time as an employee at Avondale Shipyards in Algiers, Louisiana. Unfortunately, the shipbuilding industry as a whole has been a primary user of asbestos, which is the only known cause of mesothelioma. If you worked in building or retrofitting ships, or in many other capacities at the facility, you may have experienced a chronic exposure to the small fibers of asbestos that can infiltrate the lungs and capillaries of the body, where they can provoke nearby cells to become cancerous over a period of many years. When mesothelioma is diagnosed, it is usually attributable to workplace exposure, either directly, or through second-hand exposure of family members to asbestos-coated work clothes. Because Avondale Shipyards is one of the largest shipbuilding facilities in the United States, and because it works on a number of military vessels, the Algiers facility likely…Read More

Asbestos exposure at Avondale Shipyards in New Orleans is a likely, but not certain, event. Shipyards like Avondale made extensive use of asbestos over many decades to protect vessels from catching fire at sea. Boilers, pipes, and interior walls were insulated with a variety of asbestos forms, and components like floor and ceiling tiles, gaskets, and furniture were made with asbestos-containing materials. While regulations in more recent decades have decreased the danger of asbestos exposure at shipyards, both through reduced use and better safety equipment and education for workers. If you spent part or all of your career at New Orleans’s Avondale Shipyards, there is a good chance that you experienced asbestos exposure. Lawsuit Compensation And Benefits For Employees And Families Who Have Been Exposed To Asbestos Due To Employment At The Avondale Shipyards People who built ships for a living often worked in close quarters with specialists performing other…Read More