Attorneys Don Cazayoux and Lane Ewing of the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm recently volunteered at Louisiana State Bar Association’s “Lawyers in Libraries,” an event in which lawyers seek to help the public become aware of options available to them when they cannot afford an attorney. As a part of Louisiana’s “National Celebrate Pro Bono Week,” the program is designed to deliver information about pro bono attorneys through the city’s public libraries. Volunteers and the Legal Education & Assistance Program that help coordinate the event also work to provide online and print resources that are available to the public year-round. Click here to read more about this important event.

WDSU reported on January 5 that a 28-year-old man passed away after a hit-and-run collision in New Orleans occurred at around 3:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Reports showed that the victim was dragged by the vehicle from the French Quarter up to the Westbank. He was identified by the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office as a 28-year-old man formerly from Omaha. He was waiting for an Uber ride near the French Quarter before the accident, a family of the victim told KETV NewsWatch 7.

The victim was struck by a black sedan on the corner of Decatur Street and Dumaine Street. Investigators revealed that his body was discovered by a motorist near Algers, which was approximately six miles from where the accident initially occurred.

The driver of the black sedan, which has four doors and tinted windows, is still at large. Police officials are doing everything they can to track down the driver in order to determine the cause of this horrible accident.

A recent article in The Washington Post details the alarming process by which prosecutors and court officials redefined a legal term in order to penalize a politician for engaging in previously non-criminal activities normally associated with politics.

Robert F. McDonnell, former governor of Virginia, has been sentenced to two years in prison after a court found him guilty of accepting gifts from one Richmond businessman in exchange for political favors and acts. While the Supreme Court has officially defined an “official act” of a government official as “the actual exercise of government power,” prosecutors submitted a new definition that considers “official acts” to be any type of “behavior that could have some attenuated connection to a potential government decision later.”

This new definition was held up by an appellate court and endorsed by the judge presiding over McDonnell’s trial, who told jury members to consider the new definition when making their decision.

As was pointed out by the author of the Post piece as well as briefs written by “31 current governors; 60 former state attorneys general (six from Virginia filed their own); 13 former federal officials, including two former U.S. attorneys general and former legal counsels to every president starting with Ronald Reagan; and three law professors, from Harvard University and the University of Virginia,” the steps taken in this trial represent massive contortion of “the understanding of quid pro quo corruption.”

At around 11:00 p.m. on December 24, a single-vehicle crash on Lousiana Highway 308 in Lafourche Parish killed a 34-year-old woman from Raceland. According to the investigation, a 2002 Lincoln LS, driven by a 33-year-old Raceland man, was traveling north on the highway when it drove off the right side of the road and onto Rodriguez Drive, where the vehicle struck a driveway. Apparently, the angle of the crash led the vehicle to become airborne before striking two utility poles.

The driver was thrown out of the vehicle and was brought to Terrebonne General Medical Center after sustaining non-life threatening injuries. His passenger, the 34-year-old woman, sustained serious injuries and was taken to St. Anne Hospital for treatment. She was set to be transferred to University Medical Center in New Orleans due to the serious nature of her injuries, but she died on the way.

It is unknown whether the driver was intoxicated at the time of the accident, but he submitted to a blood test and results are pending at the Louisiana State Police Crime Lab.

According to a report by the New Orleans Advocate, a former New Orleans policeman and investigator died on December 5 following a two-vehicle crash on Interstate 12 east of La. 1088.

The investigators of the accident said that the 69-year-old former police officer, who was a resident of Covington, was driving westbound when his pickup truck was hit from behind by a Toyota Corolla driven by Sloan, New York resident John Joseph Gold. The former policeman’s vehicle drove off the right side of the road, overturned, and struck several trees. The officer was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident and was thrown from the vehicle. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Gold’s vehicle hit a cable barrier, but he was uninjured. He submitted to a breath test, but no trace of alcohol was found. He was cited for careless operation, and further investigation into the circumstances of the collision is ongoing.

You may still be able to recover partial compensation for your pain and suffering if you were found to be partially at fault for the accident. Since Louisiana determines liability under a pure comparative system, you may recover compensation from any other party that was found to be responsible for the accident; however, the amount of compensation you will be able to recover will be reduced by the amount of responsibility a judge determines you to share for the accident. In more practical terms, you would only be able to recover 60% of the total damages awarded for your claim if you were found to be 40% responsible for the accident.

If you or a loved one was injured in a catastrophic accident, you should consult with a Baton Rouge personal injury attorney at the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm about the amount of compensation you may be able to recover for your pain and suffering, even if you were found to be partially at fault for the accident. To speak with a personal injury attorney in Baton Rouge about the particulars of your accident, please call our offices at (225) 650-7400 today.

A two-vehicle accident on Interstate 10 near Bluebonnet Boulevard in Baton Rouge took the life of a young couple and their infant son at around 3:00 in the morning on November 28. The authorities said that the 56-year-old driver of a Freightliner box truck was traveling west on I-10 when he pulled onto the right shoulder of the interstate to make a phone call.

Upon re-entering the right traffic lane, he was struck from behind by a Ford F-150 driven by a 20-year-old man. The passenger of the Ford, a 22-year-old woman, suffered critical injuries and died at the scene. Their 2-month-old son, who was in a child seat facing rear, was brought to Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center after sustaining serious injuries. He died later of his injuries.

The 56-year-old box truck driver suffered minor injuries and voluntarily took a breath test. No trace of alcohol was found.

The accident is still under investigation.

Attorney Lane Ewing of the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm was recently featured in the Greater Baton Rouge Business Report. Lane shared the best advice he ever received with the publication, stating “Father Steve Newton, my rector at Notre Dame, often reminded us to ‘honor the spirit of the rule.’ Instead of looking at things in black and white, he encouraged you to understand the rationale behind a rule.”

You can read Lane’s feature in its entirety by clicking here.

On Monday, November 23rd, attorney Don Cazayoux of the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm once again appeared on The Jim Engster Show. This week, he discussed the Louisiana Gubernatorial elections, and specifically, candidate John Bel Edwards. You can listen to this episode and Don Cazayoux’s appearance by clicking here.

The financial burdens that often come to be associated with catastrophic accidents can quickly become overwhelming for victims and their families. While it may be possible for victims to recover compensation from the party responsible for the accident, these claims can hinge upon the victim’s ability to establish that some negligent action or inaction caused the accident itself. Bearing that in mind, it will be necessary to establish that the following basic aspects were true of the party believed to be responsible for the accident:

• That the party had some duty to fulfill —for instance, not to drive while under the influence;
• That this duty was disregarded—for instance, he or she drove while drunk;
• That this breach of duty actually led to the accident—for instance, the wreck was caused by impairment;
• That the accident should have been an obvious consequence of breaching this duty—for instance, it would be obvious that impairment could cause an accident; and
• That this breach of duty resulted in actual harm—for instance, you or a loved one was hurt by a drunk driver.

If you believe that your catastrophic injury was the result of another’s negligence, you should consult with a Baton Rouge personal injury attorney at the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm about what legal action may now be available to you and your family. To speak with a Baton Rouge personal injury attorney about the particulars of your circumstances, please call our Baton Rouge offices at (225) 650-7400 today.