Proven Results
Our Clients’ Wins Are Our Wins
With over 50 years of combined personal injury practice experience, the team at Saunders & Chabert has a successful record of collecting millions for clients injured in various types of accidents. Review some of our most impactful cases below.
One of the most satisfying aspects of our job is reaching a successful resolution. Meet Louis. He worked as an oiler on a crane barge in the Gulf of Mexico. Due to a communication failure, he was struck in the face by a large piece of steel resulting in catastrophic injuries. He nearly died in the emergency room but was able to pull through. He then had to undergo multiple surgeries, and his injuries had a lifelong negative impact on his income earning capacity. Our senior partner, Henri Saunders, a maritime law specialist, took the case. After years of intense litigation against the responsible company and its insurance carrier, Henri was able to secure a multi-million dollar settlement for our client. The company has also increased its safety measures to ensure this type of accident will not happen again. Louis and his family now have peace of mind, and we have gained not only another satisfied client, but also a friend for life.
- Kelvin Dunn v. Marquette Transportation Company, (EDLA, Case No. 16-CV-13545).
- Plaintiff, Kelvin Dunn served Marquette as a boat captain for years, until he was severely injured in the engine room of a Marquette vessel that had been negligently maintained. Mr. Dunn was attempting to address an emergent diesel leak when he slipped and fell, resulting in a broken femur and back injury. Rather than take responsibility for its unseaworthy vessel, Marquette attempted to blame Mr. Dunn for the accident.
- This Jones Act case was tried in federal court in New Orleans, where the presiding judge found Marquette solely responsible for the accident and awarded Mr. Dunn over $3,400,000.00 in damages. This judgment was affirmed at the appellate court, and the U.S. Supreme Court refused to take up the case, after which the defendant paid the Judgment.
- The plaintiff was a welder on his way home from work when he was rear-ended at a high rate of speed in Livingston Parish. He suffered injuries to his lower back and SI joint and underwent two surgeries. Rather than accept responsibility for this rear-end collision, the insurance company attempted to blame the plaintiff’s vehicle for stopping too quickly prior to the collision. The insurance company offered $250,000 to settle the case at mediation and Saunders & Chabert rejected this offer. Following trial in the 21st Judicial District Court, the jury awarded approximately $1.1 million, including judicial interest.
- The plaintiff was an eighteen-year-old deckhand working on the Mississippi River. He was instructed by the captain to remove a face wire from a barge cavel, but when he attempted to do so, the boat shifted and pinched his hand, resulting in the partial amputation of his ring and pinky fingers. As a Jones Act seaman, his employer had a duty to provide him with a safe place to work. Through the course of our discovery, we established that the plaintiff was not properly trained or supervised to perform the particular task at hand. Furthermore, the boat captain did not release a sufficient amount of slack with the winch which would have allowed the plaintiff to successfully remove the face wire. We retained the appropriate experts in order to establish fault on the part of the boat company, as well as the vocational barriers and the medical needs the plaintiff will face in the future. This case work-up resulted in the defendant’s desire to pay a substantial settlement rather than face the risks associated with a jury trial.
- The plaintiff was a deckhand for a boat company working on the Mississippi River. He was attempting to utilize a ratchet in order to tighten a line when the ratchet broke causing the plaintiff to fall backward and strike a metal object with his back. He eventually underwent surgery and had a spinal cord stimulator implanted. The injury greatly affected the plaintiff’s ability to earn a living for his family. Our team established these details by coordinating with a vocational rehabilitation expert and economist. This Jones Act case was settled inside the courthouse just before the trial was set to begin.
- The plaintiff, an Ascension Parish resident, was on her way home from the feed store on a Sunday morning when she was struck head-on by a drunk driver who had been out all night partying. The plaintiff suffered injuries to her neck and back and eventually underwent surgery for both. Early in the case, we offered to settle for the minimum policy limits (at the time only $10,000) covering the defendant driver. This settlement proposal was refused by the insurance company.
- Saunders & Chabert then took the position that the insurance company did not act in good faith in failing to accept our offer, thereby exposing its insured to the certainty of an excess judgment, and thus it would be responsible for the total judgment to be awarded at trial. Rather than take this risk, at mediation, the insurance company agreed to pay the plaintiff $1.2 million, and we secured an additional $50,000 in underinsured (“UIM”) coverage for our client.
- The plaintiffs were injured in Iberville Parish as a result of a negligent farmhand who drove a tractor into the path of the plaintiff’s vehicle and caused it to veer into a ditch. There were multiple injuries, the most significant of which was a closed head injury suffered by a minor child. After months of litigation, the farm’s insurance company agreed to pay its policy limits plus judicial interest and court costs, resulting in a settlement above $1.6 million. We also secured additional funds from the plaintiff’s “UIM” car insurance carrier.
- The plaintiff was a laborer and part-owner of a farm when he was injured due to a defective condition of a farm tractor. The plaintiff fell approximately 15 feet to the ground when a handrail broke, resulting in the need for several extensive surgeries. In our coordination with mechanical engineering and safety experts, we were able to establish the handrail system was not designed properly. We also established that plaintiff suffered substantial lost earnings and earning capacity. By way of mediation, we secured a settlement in the amount of $4 million for the plaintiff and his family.
- Saunders & Chabert secured a $1,200,000.00 settlement from the United States of America due to a terrible “head-on” motor vehicle accident with a federal vehicle in the state of Mississippi. Our client spent 26 days in the hospital and incurred over $400,000.00 in medical bills.
- Three plaintiffs were injured when an actuator exploded along the Mississippi Corridor after being pressurized, causing spinal and brain injuries. In our discovery, Saunders & Chabert established the wrong actuator was sent to the job site by the supplier. Through mediation, and just before trial, our firm secured a global settlement for these three men and their families for over $4,000,000.00 and reimbursement of all court costs.
- We secured a settlement of $649,500.00 for the family of a young man killed due to a defective highway in Pointe Coupee Parish. The State had numerous prior complaints and accidents at this crossing but failed to remedy the defect due to budget and scheduling.
- The plaintiff suffered spine injuries as a result of a high-impact, rear-end collision caused by a school bus driver. The plaintiff had extensive medical treatment, including the implantation of a spinal cord stimulator. Prior to the jury trial in East Baton Rouge Parish, we secured a settlement in the amount of $1,000,000.00 for the plaintiff and his family.
- After being rear-ended by a cement truck, we secured a settlement in the amount of $943,624.50 for a young man that required neck surgery as a result of the accident.
- Our client suffered multiple injuries after being rear-ended by an 18-wheeler truck in Livingston Parish. Saunders & Chabert secured a settlement in the amount of $950,000.00 which included pain and suffering, medical expenses, and loss of earning capacity.
- Saunders & Chabert secured a settlement of $1,000,000.00, the maximum Mississippi Damage Cap Award for nonpecuniary damages, plus lost wages for the deceased’s five minor children. The plaintiff’s vehicle was on the side of the highway with caution lights on when an inattentive 18-wheeler with an oil tank trailer collided into her vehicle, causing her vehicle to catch on fire and killing her.
- Our client, an insurance agent, suffered multiple orthopedic injuries as a result of a sidewalk construction defect that caused her to fall just outside a hotel. By coordinating with safety and architectural experts, we established that a change in sidewalk elevation was not detectible at certain angles because the contractor did not use differing colors and materials. Rather than risk trial, the defendants agreed to pay the plaintiff $1,525,000.00 to compensate her for her injuries and substantial lost earning capacity.
- An LSU student was injured when he was struck on his scooter by a vehicle that did not obey a traffic signal. After a multitude of oral and facial procedures, this firm recovered $500,000.00 for our client.
- After an 18-wheeler rear-ended our client on I-10 in Baton Rouge, resulting in spinal injuries, we secured a settlement in the amount of $550,000.00 for him and his family.
- A police officer suffered multiple injuries when a negligent driver ran a stop sign and struck the officer while he was on his patrol motorcycle. We secured $275,000.00 in damages for our client.
- Saunders & Chabert represented a young woman who suffered a lumbar spine injury after she was rear-ended by a negligent driver in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Due to ongoing pain, her injuries prevented her from sitting at her desk for long periods of time. We secured $252,000 in damages to help her recover financially.
- The plaintiff suffered a severe wrist injury when she fell in a Target parking lot which had been constructed just a few months prior to her accident. Through the course of our discovery, we learned that a contractor involved in the construction of the parking lot failed to backfill a hole in the subsurface. When the asphalt was laid, this resulted in the formation of a “sinkhole” or uneven surface in the parking lot. The plaintiff was unable to see the defective condition as a car was parked next to it.
- The plaintiff underwent multiple surgeries, including a total wrist replacement. We took on multiple large and powerful insurance companies and corporations on behalf of our client. Rather than face the risks of trial, the defendants agreed to pay the plaintiff $900,000.00 to compensate her for her injuries.
- Saunders & Chabert secured a $175,000 workers’ compensation settlement for a client who suffered injuries to her neck, back, and knees after a fall sustained while working as a chaplain for a hospital.
- Our client was a cargo inspector for the USDA. Her duties required her to board large vessels on the Mississippi River in order to inspect soybeans and other commodities loaded and transported by way of cargo ships. At the time of her accident, she was attempting to descend a gangway in order to board a transport vessel and return to the dock. However, the plaintiff slipped and almost fell into the Mississippi due to a very slippery gangway caused by the buildup of soybean meal dust combined with humidity. Occupants aboard the transport vessel were able to dislodge the plaintiff from the gangway and bring her to the dock. She suffered injuries to her leg and lower back. Fortunately, the plaintiff did not need surgical intervention for her orthopedic injuries, but she did have ongoing psychological issues as a result of her near-death experience. Following mediation with a federal magistrate judge, the case settled for $500,000.
- The plaintiff was employed as a dredge operator at a sand/gravel business adjacent to the Mississippi River. While operating a dredge barge in the river, the plaintiff’s vessel was struck by one of six loaded barges being pushed by a tugboat upriver by a captain working for the defendant boat company. The captain claimed he lost control of the tug and tow after encountering an eddy in the river. The plaintiff suffered injuries to his cervical and lumbar spine, and he eventually received a spinal cord stimulator implantation. We retained the appropriate experts to establish fault on the part of the boat company and to explain to the court the extent of the plaintiff’s loss of earning capacity. Following mediation, the case settled for $1,500,000.00.
- The plaintiff was a deckhand on an inland push-boat owned and operated by the defendant. While operating on the Vermillion River, the captain instructed the plaintiff to debark the vessel to go purchase cigarettes for the captain at a nearby store. In order to debark the vessel, the plaintiff had to jump down to the bank from the second level of the boat. When he landed on the bank, he fell forward, resulting in a collar bone fracture and neck injury. He ultimately had surgery on both his collar bone and cervical spine. After many months of intense litigation, the defendants paid $800,000 to settle the case. This sum does not include the medical expenses and wage benefits we also recovered for our client.
Client Testimonials
At Saunders & Chabert, we get to know our clients and care about helping them recover the compensation they deserve after being injured due to the negligence and recklessness of others. Read our testimonials to see what clients have to say about working with our experienced team of personal injury attorneys.
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Injured in an accident? Schedule a free consultation with Saunders & Chabert’s personal injury lawyers to understand your legal options and start working toward fair compensation. Call (225) 771-8100 or fill out the contact form.