Medical Expenses

The Year Of Living Dangerously

December 14, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

F Troop officers erected thirty-five human silhouette cutouts near their headquarters on State Highway 594, one for each fatal car crash victim in the group’s twelve parish area in 2016.
Troopers lament that there will probably be more victims before year’s end, because there are usually several fatal car crashes in December. The figures include a child-size cutout to represent an infant victim, and two that wear badges, representing law enforcement officers from Winnsboro and Sterlington who died this year in car crashes. Typically, the officers erect a similar display inside the building, but they felt it might have more of an impact in a more visible location.
“There’s 35 families that are missing a family member because of a fatal car crash,” observed Troop F information director Michael Reichardt. [Read more…] about The Year Of Living Dangerously

Common Insurance Company Defenses

November 14, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

Part of being an aggressive and effective advocate for victims means working hard to develop a winning case. Since the plaintiff has the burden of proof, a successful case is built with solid evidence. An attorney must also have a clear theory of the personal injury case, and be able to explain the applicable law to the jury.

At the same time, an attorney must also anticipate the arguments that the other side will make. Despite what TV commercial jingles often imply, the insurance company is not “on your side.” In fact, insurance company lawyers are committed to minimum compensation for victims, because insurance companies lose money when they pay personal injury claims. What are some common tactics to reduce or deny recovery? [Read more…] about Common Insurance Company Defenses

I Wish I Could Hear You…

October 5, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

22 million American workers suffer partial or total permanent hearing loss on the job each year, making this condition the most common workplace injury claim.
The number of claims – which come largely from construction, manufacturing, and mining operations – cost an estimated $242 million per year, according to the Department of Labor. In response, the government has launched an aggressive educational campaign designed to help employers know about available noise-reduction technologies. However, critics say that poor regulation, and not technological underutilization, is to blame. They want the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to update its maximum noise-exposure workplace injury rules to more accurately reflect current conditions and also account for exposure to non-work noise that adds to the cumulative exposure risk. OSHA says that it is considering such actions. [Read more…] about I Wish I Could Hear You…

Driver Charged With Fourth DUI After Injury Collision

September 30, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

A Leesville man is in the Beauregard Parish Jail because he was allegedly intoxicated when he rammed into a woman and two children on U.S. Highway 171.
According to Louisiana State Police, 48-year-old Brian Hayes was southbound 171’s right lane near the Louisiana 112 intersection when he illegally changed lanes and sideswiped a vehicle waiting in the turn lane. The impact seriously injured 29-year-old Erica Fowler, of DeRidder, and two children whose names were not released. All three were rushed to a nearby hospital, while authorities took Mr. Hayes into custody at the scene.
Investigators suspect that Mr. Hayes, who had three prior DUI convictions on his record, was once again driving while impaired. [Read more…] about Driver Charged With Fourth DUI After Injury Collision

Could A Few Extra Pounds Cost A Few Extra Dollars?

September 26, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

Researchers from the University of Texas at Austin believe they found a direct link between employee obesity and workers’ compensation costs.
The researchers examined 2,300 Louisiana cases to form their conclusion. They found that 75 percent of workers’ compensation claimants were either overweight (a Body Mass Index of at least 25) or obese (a BMI of 30 or more); most of the claimed injuries were torn tendons and broken bones. The study also looked at costs for major injuries, and found that the major-injury costs for non-overweight/obese workers ($180,000 per incident) were significantly lower than similar costs for overweight ($270,000) and obese ($470,000) workers.
The study found no correlation between weight and less severe injuries, or weight and recovery time. [Read more…] about Could A Few Extra Pounds Cost A Few Extra Dollars?

Two Dead And Many Injured After Serious Bus Crash

September 9, 2016 by Lee Hoffoss

A bus driver who did not have a commercial drivers’ license caused a horrific crash in southern Louisiana.
According to state troopers, 37-year-old Denis Yasmir Amaya Rodriguez, a Honduran national, was ferrying flood relief recovery workers in an inter-city bus when he failed to slow down for a fire truck and other first responders that had responded to the scene of an earlier accident. Mr. Rodriguez apparently rear-ended a disabled Toyota Camry, killing 21-year-old Jermaine Starr, of Moss Point, Miss., who was in the rear seat. The force of the bus crash collision propelled the Toyota into a fire truck. St. John the Baptist Parish Fire Chief Spencer Chauvin was thrown off an elevated portion of Interstate 10 and plunged to his death. Several dozen other individuals, including several firefighters and most of the tour bus passengers, were seriously injured.
Investigators are trying to determine the identity of the bus owner and/or Mr. Rodriguez’s employer. Police arrested him and charged him with a number of offenses, including two counts of negligent homicide. [Read more…] about Two Dead And Many Injured After Serious Bus Crash