Maritime law governs activities on navigable waters and includes the Jones Act, a sector specifically created to protect seamen. The Jones Act federally regulates maritime commerce in the United States and, although originally intended to protect seamen, its effectiveness has eroded over the years due to various factors. Today, seamen face a perilous landscape if ..read more

At first glance, “tort” may sound like a strange word, but it is an essential term to understand in the legal space. In the legal realm, a “tort” refers to any wrong or injury imposed by one person or entity onto another. A tort is classified as a civil wrong (as opposed to criminal) that can be inflicted intentionally or unintentionally. Examples include assault or a car accident due to negligence. Personal injury law is a subcategory of tort law where a person is injured due to another’s unintentional actions or negligence. Other subcategories of tort include automobile accidents, medical ma ..read more

Personal injury cases arise in many different shapes, sizes, and kinds. Whether it be a small injury from a simple car accident or life-altering damage from a plane crash, negligence may be found and recovery necessary. But not matter the type of case, all claims have one thing in common: a time limit for how long you can bring your case to court. When a plaintiff fails to bring their claim within this time period, the court will refuse to hear the case and a settlement cannot be made. So, how much time do you have to file your claim? Under Louisiana Civil Code Article 3492, an action for pers ..read more

On September 12, 2022, the Department of Interior announced a new proposed rule to ensure offshore oil and gas operations on the Outer Continental Shelf are conducted with the utmost safety and oversight standards. This proposed rule builds on reformed instituted by the Department since the Deepwater Horizon tragedy that killed 11 offshore workers and caused billions of dollars of damages. Following the Deepwater Horizon incident in 2010, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement adopted several recommendations from multiple investigative teams to improve the overall safety of offshor ..read more

Best Lawyers® is the leading peer-review-based guide for lawyers across America, recognizing professional excellence in 150 practice areas. Those nominated are submitted for consideration by their peers and are then vetted by the country’s top 5.3% of legal talent. Candidates are nominated by currently recognized lawyers of the same practice area & geographic region. The rigorous selection process along with the element of being a purely peer-reviewed methodology is what makes appearing on the list highly sought offer. Broussard & David is pleased to announce that Blake David was recen ..read more

On Sunday, August 9, 2021, a party barge reportedly operated by a Lafayette resident hit a group of children on an inner tube on False River. The children ranged in age from 8 to 14. The boater(s) reportedly fled the scene of the accident. Investigators say that the driver of the boat went home and refused to take a sobriety test.  The Department of Wildlife and Fisheries is investigating the incident.  Although there were no fatalities, one of the children was airlifted to a Baton Rouge hospital and may face prolonged recovery time. Broussard & David reminds boaters an ..read more

Late last month, a tank owned by Texas Petroleum exploded on Catfish Lake near Golden Meadow. The United States Coast Guard responded to a call by sending a helicopter and a locally stationed unit. Local Firefighters and state hazardous materials units also responded, successfully dousing the fire. During an evacuation, one person was injured, suffering burns to his body. The person was transported to Terrebonne General Hospital where he was stabilized. Authorities established a three quarters of a mile perimeter around the explosion, but put out the fire before any residents were threatened ..read more

Six of the nineteen people onboard a 129-foot commercial lift boat that capsized off the Louisiana coast Tuesday afternoon have been rescued so far. The vessel, the Seacor Power, had left port less than two hours before the accident and encountered rugged seas on its way out to the Gulf of Mexico. The Coast Guard was on the scene within 30 minutes and several other good Samaritan vessels have been assisting the Coast Guard in the search and rescue operation. Broussard & David offers their thoughts and prayers to family and friends of the missing crewmembers in this difficult time and hope ..read more

ST. MARTINVILLE, LA – November 11, 2019 A Jones Act seaman was injured on January 29, 2016, when his coworker was piloting an Oceaneering survey vessel at high speeds while on his phone and slammed into a piling in the Empire Canal (Plaquemines Parish). The plaintiff was on the back deck of the vessel, an admittedly common practice at Oceaneering at the time, and he was slammed into the cab upon impact injuring his back. Oceaneering contested liability arguing that the plaintiff should not have been on the back deck of the vessel while traveling at high speeds. Plaintiff successfully recovered ..read more

A wrongful death suit has been filed against Royal Caribbean Cruises, LTD following a zipline incident wherein a 27-year-old woman was seriously injured and her newlywed husband was killed. The incident occurred as a part of a shore excursion in Roatan during the journey of the Allure of the Seas, though the excursion was operated by an independent contractor, Extreme Caribe Zip Line Tour. The 24-year-old husband, Igal Tyszman, did not survive his injuries after his wife, Shir Frenkel, became stuck halfway down the zipline, and he had already begun his descent. Tyszman had no way of stopping o ..read more