Michael Carroll News
Tort reform has yet to lower Louisiana auto insurance rates, new data suggests
An insurance industry critic says a 2020 tort reform measure has given consumers a false hope of auto insurance rate reductions in the wake of a new study predicting rising premium rates this year in Louisiana.
Edwards issues posthumous pardon to plaintiff in landmark 1896 Supreme Court case
The plaintiff in the landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson has been pardoned by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards in what he said was a symbolic step toward equality and justice.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office settles 2018 wrongful death lawsuit for more than $300,000
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the family of a 22-year-old Orleans Parish resident who died in 2018 after sustaining neck injuries during an arrest by undercover officers have settled a federal lawsuit for just over $300,000.
Louisiana Supreme Court affirms Ochsner Health's COVID-19 vaccine mandate
The Louisiana Supreme Court has upheld the COVID-19 vaccine mandate Ochsner Health has imposed on health care workers at its Louisiana medical facilities, concluding the mandate does not violate privacy rights in the state constitution.
Parish tax officials seek dismissal of federal lawsuit challenging Louisiana sales tax system
Several local tax officials in Louisiana have asked a federal judge to dismiss a potentially far-reaching lawsuit that challenges the state’s parish-based sales and use tax system as unconstitutionally burdensome to out-of-state businesses.
Landry files suit over federal masking rule for Head Start toddlers
Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry has launched a multistate legal challenge of a Biden administration masking mandate for toddlers enrolled in Head Start programs and a vaccine mandate for Head Start staff and volunteers.
Federal lawsuit alleges oil firm was negligent in oil tank blast that killed Louisiana teen
The family of a Beauregard Parish teen who was killed in an oil field tank battery explosion that hurled her body hundreds of yards from the tank site is suing a Texas oil company and the company’s insurer for negligence.
Administrative judge to decide if State Farm will have to pay hurricane evacuation costs
A quasi-judicial Louisiana panel will decide whether State Farm will be required to pay evacuation costs for policyholders fleeing the path of Hurricane Ida even when no local evacuation order was given.
Louisiana appeals court orders land transfer for levee project
A Louisiana appeals court has cleared the way for the transfer of private land for a hurricane levee project designed to protect tens of thousands of people in St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and St. James parishes from storm surges.
Amazon found not liable in sale of laptop battery that caught fire, injured buyer
Amazon.com is not liable for the injuries suffered by a Louisiana State University graduate student after a laptop battery she purchased using the online marketplace ignited in 2016 and set her bedding on fire, an appeals court ruled.
Louisiana civil rights attorney suspended for six months over client communication issues
The Louisiana Supreme Court has suspended a high-profile civil rights attorney after an investigation into charges that Ronald S. Haley Jr. failed to respond to client requests and inappropriately tried to resolve a malpractice claim.
Lafayette City Court judge disqualified after viral video showed she made racial slurs
The state Supreme Court has temporarily disqualified a Lafayette City Court judge after a video indicated that Judge Michelle Odinet made racial slurs in the wake of a burglary attempt at her home.
Election critic subpoenaed by Jan. 6 Committee testified before Louisiana election panel
A former Army colonel who has been subpoenaed by the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the nation’s Capitol testified for over an hour before a Louisiana panel looking into how to upgrade the state’s voting machines.
St. Bernard residents sue to stop proposed container ship terminal
St. Bernard residents and community groups have filed a lawsuit challenging plans to build a $1.5 billion container ship terminal in the parish, alleging the project would devastate the region’s quality of life, destroy wetlands and lead to choking traffic.
St. Tammany Parish residents defeat waterfront casino project at the polls
St. Tammany Parish voters have overwhelmingly turned down a $325 million waterfront casino gambling project that has been the target of litigation contending the electoral process violated the state constitution.
Louisiana congressman authors bill to make staging of vehicle accidents a crime
A Baton Rouge congressman has introduced legislation that would make staging vehicle collisions a federal crime in the wake of investigators uncovering an extensive accident-staging ring in New Orleans.
State lawsuit challenges Edwards' moves to mandate COVID-19 vaccine for schoolchildren
Gov. John Bel Edwards this week overruled a legislative committee’s rejection of a rule requiring K-12 students to get the COVID-19 vaccine during the 2022-23 school year, prompting other state officials to file a lawsuit in East Baton Rouge.
Louisiana judges facing disciplinary hearings could now be on the hook for more court costs
The Louisiana Supreme Court has approved rule changes requiring judges who are convicted of crimes or who resign during the course of judicial discipline proceedings to foot the bill for investigation and court costs.
Louisiana must reform rules governing occupational licensing, new study says.
Louisiana needs to reform its stringent occupational licensing system to improve economic mobility for low- and moderate-income residents and expand job opportunities, according to a new Pelican Institute for Public Policy report.
Appeals court revives veteran's claims against New Orleans, former officers
A federal appeals court has breathed new life into an Iraq War veteran’s lawsuit against the city of New Orleans and two former police officers who allegedly pummeled the Latino veteran into unconsciousness after calling him a “fake American.”