Attorney Michael S. Fawer of Covington recently filed suit against two of his former staffers due to suspected theft and fraud.

According to the May 3 lawsuit, defendants Hailey Lawton and Regina Lawton allegedly stole funds from their boss. The complaint revealed that Fawer became aware of Regina Lawton taking funds from his account without his permission. She was also suspected of padding her paychecks and issuing checks to Hailey Lawton for unearned hours of work. Regina Lawton was also suspected of transferring Fawer’s funds to her personal account, the suit alleged. Fawer is expecting to recover all of his losses, including legal costs, from the two defendants.

Facing fraud allegations can be a frustrating situation, especially if you are being threatened with prolonged imprisonment and hefty fines. However, working with a skilled attorney can ensure that your rights are protected through every step of litigation. Find out how an attorney at the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm may tirelessly work for you in Baton Rouge by calling (225) 650-7400.

According to the The Advocate, an 80-year-old man, a resident of Baton Rouge and a bicyclist, was killed at the scene of an accident when an 18-wheeler truck hit him on March 17. The accident occurred in the 4700 block of Plank Road in Baton Rouge at around 10:30 a.m. East Baton Rouge Parish coroner William Clark said that the death was due to multisystem trauma caused by the truck accident.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Don A. Coppola stated that the man was riding his bicycle northbound on Plank Road’s southbound lanes. The 18-wheeler that struck him turned onto Plank Road and came from Byron Street. Additionally, Coppola revealed that there are no charges filed against the driver of the truck.

Mika Torkkola, a Baton Rouge bicycle safety advocate, said that riding the wrong way is illegal and unsafe for the rider, but that this is actually extremely common among people from Baton Rouge, who believe that this is the safe and correct way to ride their bike. 

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.

Attorney Donald Cazayoux of the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm was recently named a 2016 Super Lawyer for Criminal Defense. The Super Lawyers designation is given to those attorneys who demonstrate excellence in practice, and are chosen through a selective review process. At the Cazayoux Ewing Law Firm, we are dedicated to representing those who have been accused of committing white collar crimes and those who have suffered catastrophic injuries caused by the negligence of another party. To find out what our team of experienced attorneys can do to help you with your legal concerns, contact us today at (225) 650-7400.

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.