Original post: Louisiana Record on March 10, 2017 by Michael Abella

LAFAYETTE – A Lafayette Parish resident alleges she was injured in a motor vehicle accident with a federal employee.

Crystal Gerard filed a complaint on March 3 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division against the United States of America alleging that the government entity failed to perform its obligations.

According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that on Jan. 29, 2015, she filed a Federal Tort Claim Act claim against defendant due to an injury she allegedly sustained in a vehicular accident caused by Robert Bannon, an employee of defendant’s Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. As a result of the accident, she alleges she has suffered physical and mental pain, lost wages and medical expenses.

The plaintiff holds United States of America responsible because on Sept. 26, 2016, the Office of the General Counsel for the Department of Agriculture allegedly denied to pay her claim.

The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against defendant in an amount which is just and reasonable in the premises, plus interest, all costs of these proceedings and all other relief that may be just and equitable. She is represented by Donald J. Cazayoux Jr. and J. Lane Ewing Jr. of Cazayoux Ewing LLC in Baton Rouge and Yul D. Lorio and Kevin P. Tauzin of Tauzin & Lorio, Attorney at Law in Lafayette.

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana, Lafayette Division Case number 6:17-cv-00348

The Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm is currently handling the case of a father who is searching for the identity of an 18-wheeler driver who, according to witnesses, ran his 18-year-old daughter off the road in an accident that ultimately took the girl’s life. According to various accounts, Madison Welch was traveling home after a hunting trip when her parents received a troubling phone call from one of Madison’s friends. The friend said that she had been talking to Madison on the phone when she said, “Oh God, this truck,” and then her phone started directing straight to voicemail.

Shortly after, officers arrived at Madison’s home informing her family that there had been an accident. A witness to the event said that an 18-wheeler swerved into Madison’s lane, causing her pickup truck to flip into the median.

Madison’s parents are now searching for any information they can get their hands on that might help them identify the driver of the 18-wheeler that they believe ran Madison off the road. You can read more about this story by clicking here.