Find Lawyers in New Orleans, Louisiana for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants
Practice Area Overview
It is important for a defendant not to ignore the deadline to answer the complaint, because doing so can lead a court to decide in favor of the plaintiff and award money damages. Many times, a defendant will have insurance that covers any allegations being made in a complaint. For example, if you are being sued for an auto accident, you probably have car insurance. If someone was injured on your property, you probably have homeowner’s insurance. If you believe you have insurance for the claims being made against you, immediately contact your insurance agent to report the claim and to provide information about the complaint. Failing to do this could result in an insurance company refusing to pay for any money damages awarded in the lawsuit. If you do not have insurance for the claims being made against you, it is important to contact an attorney so that they can protect your interests in court.
When you are a defendant in a civil lawsuit (a matter not involving a crime) you need to consult with a civil defense attorney who specializes in litigation (i.e., matters pending in court). Civil defense attorneys tend to specialize in a specific area. Some examples include: auto claims, homeowner claims, business/contract claims, property disputes, etc. Before hiring a lawyer, you should determine if a particular lawyer has experience in the subject matter relevant to the complaint. If you have insurance that covers a specific claim, your insurance company will typically hire and pay the lawyer for you.
Mr. Alford represents public utilities and other clients in a variety of matters, including commercial and tort litigation, regulatory proceedings, and contract and property issues. Representative cases include construction disputes, securities actions, antitrust and unfair trade practice claims, medical licensing, and consumer litigation. Mr. Alford also counsels clients concerning regulatory compliance, employment, and general business issues. Mr. Alford graduated from Louisiana State Unive...
Brad Belsome handles matters involving transportation law, specifically within the Rail Industry. He has represented a Class I Carrier in actions brought in the State and Federal courts of Louisiana, as well as before the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, Court of Federal Claims, Office of Administrative Law Judges, OSHA, including: claims prosecuted pursuant to the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA), 45 U.S.C. § 51 et seq. (1908), the Federal Rail Safety Act (FRS...
David Bienvenu has extensive litigation experience in state and federal courts throughout Louisiana, representing clients in general casualty, insurance and commercial litigation. He enjoys an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale Hubbell, a testament to the fact that his peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence. He has also been named a Louisiana Super Lawyer in Civil Litigation Defense and is recognized in Best Lawyers in Commercial, Casualty, and Insurance Litigation. ...
Bill Bradley represents health care providers and other professionals in court, on appeal and before regulatory agencies. His practice consists principally of the defense of medical malpractice actions in the Louisiana state and federal courts. He also has an extensive appellate practice. Through 2023, Bill has tried at least 42 jury trials and 37 bench trials.
Bert M. Cass Jr., is a jury trial litigator concentrating in the defense of bodily injury and death cases particularly in marine and offshore litigation claims. His practice focuses on representing vessel owners, oil and gas producers, exploration and drilling companies, facility operators, distributors, and offshore service contractors and their insurers against personal injury, wrongful death and survival claims. He is also experienced in energy-related claims, including interpretation of i...
With more than 25 years’ experience counseling, representing, and advocating for employer and contractor clients, Kathleen Charvet’s knowledge of the intricacies of the laws and regulations governing her clients enables her to quickly determine the best strategies for defending their interests. Kathleen engages in a collaborative practice with clients; medical, engineering, safety, and vocational expert witnesses; mediators; the bench; and other attorneys to attain optimum results...
Mr. Cherry represents clients in serious personal injury, property damage and wrongful death claims arising from aviation, oil and gas activities, products liability and chemical exposures. He defends under professional E&O coverage (legal, insurance broker, accounting). Darrell has handled insurance coverage litigation involving aviation and CGL coverages, as well as business and contractual disputes. He has an appellate practice in the above areas of law and has participated in complex ...
Thomas Louis Colletta, Jr. he concentrates his practice on varied areas of casualty litigation in New Orleans and Lake Charles. Mr. Colletta worked as an executive assistant to United States Congressman Jimmy Hayes of Louisiana’s seventh congressional district during and after college. Following law school at Tulane School of Law, Mr. Colletta served as a law clerk for the Honorable Gene Thibodeaux, Chief Judge of the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal. Upon completion of his clerk...
Mark Dodart is a partner in the litigation group of Phelps Dunbar who practices primarily in the areas of general litigation, insurance coverage and tort litigation. He counsels clients, manages disputes and tries cases involving personal injury, products liability, class actions, toxic tort exposure, premises liability, and property damage. Mr. Dodart also serves as local, regional and national coverage counsel for domestic insurance companies in matters arising from bad faith, construction ...
Tim Eagan enjoys a diverse legal practice concentrating on complex commercial litigation in the trial and appellate courts in both the state and federal court systems. He has represented business clients in a range of industries including energy, securities, exploration, health care, banking and construction. Tim has served as lead counsel in national and state class actions, multidistrict litigation, regulatory actions, antitrust, RICO, securities fraud, shareholder disputes, corporate dispu...
Darryl primarily practices in areas of toxic tort and environmental law, representing defendants in asbestos litigation in Louisiana and other states. He also practices general insurance defense, particularly first party claims for disability and life insurance benefits. Darryl has successfully obtained multiple defense jury verdicts in favor of Monsanto, including a six week jury trial involving six plaintiffs claiming asbestos related disease from working in a paper mill, and a trial of nei...
Mr. Garner, a Member of the firm is a trial lawyer specializing in commercial and complex litigation. He has been lead counsel in cases in New Mexico, California, West Virginia, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas, involving complex and class action litigation ranging from asbestos exposure, benzene exposure, mass closings of big box retailers, noise pollution, commercial, banking, bankruptcy and financial litigation. He is admitted to practice before the fede...
John Jerry Glas is the Chair of the Civil Litigation Department at Deutsch Kerrigan and a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has tried 114 civil or criminal trials, including 76 jury trials and 38 judge trials. Jerry has been admitted pro hac vice in 11 different states and had success on both sides of the aisle. In 2021, as lead trial counsel for the plaintiff (Lindale Pipeline, LLC), Jerry obtained a $26 million verdict in Houston. In 2012, as lead trial counsel for the def...
David Groome represents corporate clients, insurance companies and their insureds in litigation matters involving professional liability, product liability, property loss, and personal injury. When faced with pending litigation, David’s clients look to his industry specific knowledge to help reach an end result quickly and efficiently. For more intransigent matters, he focuses on quickly understanding the industry specific issues pertinent to the pending litigation and providing his cli...
Bill Harrison's practice is litigation-oriented in the areas of toxic tort, personal injury and insurance defense, including general aviation, litigation, premises liability, automotive and products liability. His defense clients include local and national automotive, aviation, and insurance companies. In addition to his law degree, Bill holds a degree in Respiratory Therapy, which includes instructing at The Charity School of Nursing, Tulane Medical School's Paramedic Program, LSU Medical Sc...
Grady Hurley is a partner in and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team and co-chair of the Energy, Environmental & Natural Resources Industry Team. Since 1979, he has focused on maritime, oilfield, and energy litigation. Grady has broad-ranging dispute resolution and transactional experience at the intersection of energy and maritime law, including in areas such as offshore energy exploration, production, and distribution, where a range of complex ...
Josh Keller is a New Orleans native and Partner in the firm’s Civil Litigation section. His practice focuses mainly on personal injury defense and products liability matters. Josh primarily defends high net worth individuals through private client group insurers and publicly traded companies through Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurers. Most of the cases he defends involve multi-million dollar claims. Josh handles matters involving auto accidents, premises liability, insurance co...
Robert Kerrigan gives careful consideration and personal attention to his clients and their problems. After an exhaustive review of case materials, he counsels clients to set forth a plan of action in order to get to a resolution point in a case. He defends personal injury claims, including certified class actions and cases involving catastrophic events. He has experience defending cases involving industrial explosions and accidents, toxic exposure claims, product defect allegations, and avia...
Ms. Kohn serves as the firm’s managing partner and leads SPS&R’s toxic tort team. A native of Albany, New York and alumnus of the University of Maryland, Ms. Kohn made her way to New Orleans in the early 1980’s and attended law school at Loyola University. Her more than 30 years of trial experience has led to a practice currently focused on products liability and toxic tort litigation, including asbestos and other toxic exposure cases. Because of her extensive and accomp...
David W. Leefe is a shareholder in the New Orleans office of Liskow & Lewis and Chair of the firm’s Maritime, Oilfield and Insurance practice group. His practice includes a wide variety of litigation, including personal injury, property damage, insurance coverage, and contractual disputes, with a primary emphasis on maritime and oilfield matters. He obtained his undergraduate degree from Louisiana State University in 1978 and his Juris Doctorate degree, cum laude, from Loyola Univer...
Mr. Lee is Chair of the firm's Commercial Litigation Practice Group. For the last 15 years, his practice has included a concentration in insurance and insurance class action lawsuits. He has experience in handling coverage issues, bad faith claims, mold claims, regulatory issues and class action claims with a myriad of substantial issues. Mr. Lee joined Stone Pigman, and was admitted to the Louisiana Bar, in 1974.
A partner of Montgomery Barnett Daniel Lund has been engaged in general civil practice since 1963, with a concentration in trial and appellate practice in a variety of fields. These include antitrust and trade regulation, banking, business, contract, construction, environmental, executive employment, insurance defense, labor, legal malpractice, oil and gas, product liability, securities, trade secrets, transportation, and tort. Mr. Lund also has extensive experience in agency and private arbi...
Walter Maestri is a maritime attorney working in the offshore fields representing companies that have contracts with oil and gas interests in the Gulf of Mexico. Whether representing the actual platform owner or the service industries that provide support to the oil and gas industry, he defends those companies against personal injury actions, property damage loss, lost oil and gas revenues, or other claims that may arise from operations in the Gulf. Working in partnerships with his clients, W...
Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America for Personal Injury Litigation - Defendants since 2011 Practice Concentration & Experience Summary: Ms. Mahoney has over ten years litigation experience in Louisiana state and federal courts. She is known for excellent client service through cost-effective means. Other Professional Experience: Attorney and Partner, Krebs Farley & Pelleteri, LLC, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2001 - 2006 Attorney, McGlinchey Stafford, PLC, Admiralty Secti...
Mr. McReynolds is a passionate writer of state and federal appeal briefs. He is experienced in alternative dispute resolution methods and is certified by the American Arbitration Association as an arbitrator and mediator.In his professional liability practice, Mr. McReynolds defends architects, engineers, lawyers and insurance agents against coverage disputes, malpractice, and construction claims. He also has an active products liability practice.
Sean Mount defends corporate clients and insurance companies in a variety of litigation claims that can arise as a result of today’s competitive legal environment. With a special interest in defense litigation, Sean Mount enjoys addressing client problems and crafting a solution that is best suitable for their business. Building upon his extensive courtroom experience, he has successfully litigated a variety of matters in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas for various corporate and insur...
Howard L. Murphy joined Deutsch Kerrigan in 1980, after spending seven years as a broadcast journalist working as a news reporter for television stations in New Orleans, Louisiana and San Antonio, Texas. The skills he developed as a news reporter he has brought to the courtroom. Mr. Murphy engages in a diversified practice that includes the routine representation of clients in the areas of commercial transportation, casualty litigation, products liability with an emphasis on oil and gas equip...
Trey is a founding member of the firm and practices in the New Orleans office in the litigation section. He maintains an active civil litigation focus, where his principal areas of practice are products liability, complex toxic tort and occupational exposure, and insurance litigation matters. He also has experience in medical malpractice, professional liability and commercial litigation. His experience includes both trial and appellate court experience in the Louisiana state and the Federal c...
M. Davis Ready represents businesses in a variety of litigation, business, and employment matters. His clients include several Fortune 500 companies; large self-insureds; and excess insurers for retail, transportation, product liability and other claims. He also serves as regional counsel for several large companies for matters throughout Louisiana and neighboring jurisdictions. Davis’s practice involves the defense and tendering of contractual defense and indemnification. He provides r...
David Redmann’s practice consists principally of the defense of toxic tort, products liability, occupational injury and disease, and class action claims; technically-oriented commercial litigation. He also engages in appellate practice in the Louisiana state and federal courts. David represents several Fortune 500 companies in occupational disease litigation. He has been the co-author (with Dwight “Trey” Paulsen) of the last three editions of the Louisiana chapter of the Def...
Kermit Tre’ Roux works extensively with insureds, claims adjusters, third-party administrators, and underwriters in the development of strategy and defense of all insurance related matters from the time of the accident through the ultimate resolution of the case. He is experienced in all facets of civil litigation with an emphasis on insurance coverage related litigation work from initial case analysis and strategy formation to trial/arbitrations and Writ applications/Appeals.
Seth’s practice areas focus on the representation and counseling of insurance companies in liability coverage and property coverage disputes in both Louisiana and Texas. He strives to provide his insurer clients with a focused and innovative solution to the most complex of issues. Seth has argued before the Louisiana Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, the state appellate courts, and state and federal district courts on behalf of his insurer clients....
Bill Schwartz moved down from St. Louis to New Orleans in 1972 to attend Tulane University. After graduating cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in history, he attended Tulane School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctor in 1979. Since then, Bill has practiced law with the same firm for more than 35 years. Bill’s practice consists primarily of litigation with a focus on admiralty and maritime matters. These range from personal injury defense, collision, charter parties, offsho...
Kelly Theard is a construction lawyer representing general contractors, subcontractors, architects, engineers, program managers and material suppliers in a variety of construction related litigation including construction defect, design and professional liability, and third-party injury claims. She also assists her clients in contract negotiations and pre-claim disputes. Ms. Theard currently serves as the firm's Managing Partner as well as Head of the Construction Practice Group. While Ms. Th...
Jeff Tillery is a partner in the Maritime Practice Group and co-leader of the maritime litigation, arbitration, and dispute resolution team. He helps maritime and marine industry clients prevent and resolve a broad range of disputes. For more than 35 years, Jeff has advised and represented clients in maritime personal injury and collision matters, commercial litigation, longshore matters, and marine insurance coverage disputes, and has tried, as lead counsel, complex marine multi-party casual...
Kristopher T. Wilson’s practice focuses on first-party and liability insurance coverage. His insurance coverage work includes toxic tort litigation, construction defect liability, personal and advertising injury liability, automobile liability, marine liability, oil-and-gas liability, and employer’s liability. Kris’ work also includes bad faith claims litigation, defense obligation disputes, insurance fraud investigation, and uninsured/underinsured coverage. Further, he has ...
Mr. Wittmann concentrates his practice in commercial litigation, class actions, toxic tort litigation, products liability and antitrust matters. He has extensive trial experience, maintains an active litigation practice and is a frequent lecturer. He also has an active family law practice. Mr. Wittmann joined Stone Pigman in 1961.
Marc Yellin represented Pan American World Airways and the United States Government in multi-district litigation of approximately 200 wrongful death, personal injury, psychic injury and property damage suits arising out of the crash of Pan Am Flight 759. In his practice, Mr. Yellin defends insurers, businesses, private and commercial transportation carriers. He represents trucking companies, airlines, and trucking and product manufacturers. In addition to his transportation-related claims, Mr...
Sloan defends insurers, trucking companies and corporate clients, as well as realtors, insurance agents, physicians and other professionals in matters involving trucking & auto negligence, professional negligence, medical malpractice, premises liability, property damage and coverage disputes. He believes consistent communication, along with outcome-driven litigation tactics, are key to developing and executing a defense strategy that is best suited to meet the needs and desired outcome of...
Sara Kuebel is an associate in the Jones Walker Maritime Practice Group. Sara advises clients in a broad range of disputes, with a concentration in maritime litigation, including allisions and collisions and claims under General Maritime Law, the Jones Act, the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, and the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Sara has experience litigating various matters, having assisted with numerous bench and jury trials in both federal and state court. She h...
Destinee is a magna cum laude graduate of Tulane University Law School, where she was elected to Order of the Coif and was Senior Managing Editor of the Tulane Maritime Law Journal. While at Tulane, Destinee earned a Certificate in Maritime Law and was awarded the Charles Kohlmeyer Jr. Award for outstanding J.D. graduate in maritime law. While in law school, she also interned for Chief Magistrate Judge Joseph C. Wilkinson, Jr. She completed her undergraduate degree at Louisiana State Universi...
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