Covington Personal Injury Blog

Artificial stone linked to fatal silicosis

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, October 2, 2019.

Many are well-aware of the dangers of operating heavy equipment, working in the heat and breathing toxic chemicals at work. We can now add dust from manufacturing and working with artificial stone to the list of causes of serious lung injury and death. Known as engineered stone, this popular material is commonly used for counter tops in kitchens and bathrooms.

Doctors now find that workers who handle this mineral silica-based material inhale silica dust into their lungs, causing an incurable lung disease called silicosis. The dust is often generated by cutting, polishing or grinding this popular material, which is cut to order in shops around the world. According to workers, dust is omnipresent in these shops, getting into hair, nose, ears as well as clothes. Workers will often leave footprints on the floor because of the dust.

Most dangerous occupations in Louisiana

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, September 25, 2019.

Louisiana has a variety of industries that make up its economy, and some of them have jobs that require long hours and heavy manual labor. While these trades help put food on the table for numerous Louisianans, they happen to be some of the most dangerous in the country -- according to the Census of Fatal Occupational injuries, Louisiana has a higher rate of workplace injuries than many other states across the U.S. with 6.3 injuries per 100,000 workers.

Dangerous jobs in Louisiana

Do you need to boost your company's security?

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC on Tuesday, September 24, 2019.

Whether you conduct your business in an office, in a retail establishment, food services or other industry, you have many things that require your attention. In addition to meeting the needs of your employees, creditors and customers, you may be feeling the growing need to improve your security.

Even if the neighborhood where you work seems comfortable and attractive, that does not mean it will stay that way. As a business owner, you are responsible for keeping your customers and clients safe. This is not always easy, but there are steps you can take to reduce the risk your visitors may take when they come to your place of business.

How to lower the risks of getting in a car accident

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Wednesday, September 18, 2019.

No matter how long anyone has been driving, they have likely been in an accident. In America, car crashes are a lot more common than you’d think. According to a noted driving statistics website, 6 million car crashes occur in the United States every year. This adds up to 2 million injuries and 32,850 fatalities each year.

Even for those with clean records and safe driving habits, some accidents can come out of nowhere, whether it is the reckless actions of another driver, poorly designed or maintained roads or some other factor out of the control of the victim.

Police ramp up efforts to catch distracted drivers

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, September 12, 2019.

Everyone has been guilty at some point of checking their phone, doing their makeup or eating behind the wheel. However, any glances or diversions off the road can cause an accident. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), nine people a day are killed on U.S. roads due to the negligence of distracted drivers. In many states, authorities often find themselves cracking down more on distracted driving than drunk driving.

How is distracted driving defined?

Slip and fall fraud costs businesses money

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Premises Liability on Thursday, September 5, 2019.

You want to think most of your employees and customers are reasonable people and wouldn’t want to cause any harm. However, that’s not always the case. Just take a look at this man in New Jersey, who faked slipping on some ice to get insurance money. Luckily, security footage shows the man staged the fall by throwing the bag of ice on the floor before he “fell over.”

They say a slip and fall is one of the oldest methods in the book for fraudsters and plenty of people still do it. Factoring in medical bills, treatments and potentially lost wages, the property owner and their insurance company are looking paying $40,000 or more.

Sharing the road with motorcycles

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Sunday, August 25, 2019.

The recent crash outside of Walker made the local news for a good reason. A rider on a Harley Davidson traveling westbound on LA Hwy 1024 East of Hwy. 449 crashed head-on into a Chevrolet Tahoe that was traveling east. According to news reports, the driver of the SUV crossed over the center line, causing fatal injuries in the rider but no harm to himself. The crash occurred at 5 p.m. and the driver was checked for impairment but did not appear to be intoxicated at the time of the accident. The results of the test have not been announced.

In light of this tragic death, we thought it would be an excellent time to remind drivers of cars and trucks that they need to be especially careful around motorcyclist. It is important to remember that motorcycles are smaller, more maneuverable and generally faster than cars or trucks. Their relative size and speed also make them difficult to read, so they often appear farther away than they are.

Protecting your tenants from apartment fires

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC on Friday, August 23, 2019.

Owning rental properties like apartment buildings is a fine way to bring in extra income or even sustain yourself financially. You may be a hands-off landlord, entrusting the care and upkeep of your apartments to people you hire, or you may be personally involved in the daily operations of your properties. Either way, you have many responsibilities toward your tenants.

A primary right of your tenants is to live in an apartment that is safe. You may do all you can to provide that safety, including installing adequate lighting and, perhaps, cameras or secure entrance systems. In this way, you do your part to keep danger out. However, it is not always easy to protect your residents from hazards that come from inside their own units, especially the danger of fire.

Steps bicyclists should take after a car-bike accident

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Motor Vehicle Accidents on Thursday, August 22, 2019.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports 783 bicyclists were killed in crashes with motor vehicles in 2017. The agency’s most recent data shows those deaths accounted for 2.1% of all traffic deaths, and 75% of those fatal crashes occurred in urban areas.

The agency reports that over the past 10 years, the average age of bicyclists killed in Louisiana and elsewhere has increased from 41 to 47 years old while men are eight times more likely to be the victims of fatal crashes than women.

You can fight city hall

On behalf of The Truitt Law Firm, LLC posted in Catastrophic Injuries on Monday, August 19, 2019.

The term “You can’t fight city hall” implied that citizens were not allowed to sue a municipality, parish or government agency because they had sovereign immunity. If there were egregious errors on their part, they would occasionally consent to be sued so suitable reparations could be made. However, this is no longer the case.

Now municipalities and agencies can be held accountable in a court of law if the potential lawsuit involving personal injury, premises liability, or other circumstances. This is at the federal level as well as here in Louisiana – the Louisiana Government Claims Act outlines the rules, exceptions and requirements necessary.