Will Your Business Interruption Insurance Cover Your COVID-19 Losses? As businesses continue to shut down across Louisiana and the nation in response to city and state “stay at home” orders, business owners are worried about whether this public health disaster is covered under their business interruption insurance protection plans. If they listen to their insurance agents or the many media articles on the topic, they probably think they are out of luck. However, business owners have nothing to lose by filing a claim to test the waters, and if that claim is denied they always have the option to file
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What Should I do After a Car Accident? 1. Stay at the scene: Never leave the scene of an accident, no matter how minor it seems. 2. Protect the scene: Put your vehicle in park, turn off the engine, and turn on your hazard lights. If you have them, use cones, flares, or reflectors to warn other drivers of your presence. If the wreck is minor, meaning there is little damage and no injuries, move the vehicles out of the way of traffic, especially if you are on the interstate. 3. Check for injuries: Check yourself, your passengers, and the
Social Security Grid Rules: The Social Security Administration (SSA) and the Administrative Law Judges (ALJ) that decide social security disability cases at the hearing level frequently use a grid of the Medical-Vocational Rules to determine if a claimant is disabled or not. If the “grid rules” indicate a finding of disabled, then it is referred to as “gridding out” and the analysis essentially stops in the claimant’s favor. On the other hand, if the grids indicate a finding of not-disabled, it is still possible that you can be found disabled if your functional capacity is further eroded by other limitations
Five-Star Review! “We are very grateful to the Bowes Law Firm for their representation through false claims of defective construction. They have represented and guided us in our business for 14 years. They are compassionate and thorough. They have tremendously helped to make us the success that we are today.“ Louisiana Construction Law Attorneys: We are a Gretna law firm that has served the New Orleans area since 1980. Our business law lawyers are highly experienced at handling construction law cases. We take pride in offering a personal and trusted experience. Call us today for a free consultation and find
What is the Louisiana Direct Action Statute? Louisiana is a “direct action” state, meaning a plaintiff may name an insurer in a lawsuit. In most other states, if you bring a personal injury lawsuit, you cannot name the insurance carrier in that lawsuit. Louisiana on the other hand was one of the first to enact a direct action statute. It expresses Louisiana’s long public policy that “an insurance policy against liability is not issued primarily for the protection of the insured but for the protection of the public.” Davies v. Consolidated Underwriters , (La. 1942). La. R.S. 22:1269 does not create
What is Comparative Fault? The term “comparative fault” refers to a system of apportioning damages between negligent parties based on their proportionate shares of fault. Under a comparative fault system, a plaintiff’s negligence will not completely bar recovery like states that employ the harsh contributory negligence rule, but it will reduce the amount of damages the plaintiff can recover based on the plaintiff’s percentage of fault. The “pure comparative fault rule” allows a damaged party to recover even if it is 99% at fault, although the recovery is reduced by the damaged party’s degree of fault. Louisiana’s comparative fault law
Five-Star Review! “I have elderly parents and a sibling that can be irresponsible. The Bowes Law Firm had a great solution and provided my parents with the estate planning that they needed to put them at peace and to know that their affairs are in order.“ Louisiana Estate Planning Attorneys: We are a Gretna law firm that has served the New Orleans area since 1980. Our estate planning lawyers are highly experienced at drafting wills, powers of attorney, living wills, trusts, and donations. We take pride in offering a personal and trusted experience. Call us today for a free consultation and
What is the Defense Base Act? The Defense Base Act (DBA), enacted in 1941, is an extension of the Longshore Act and primarily extends benefits to defense contractors injured at overseas military bases. This means that the same benefits afforded to longshoremen are also available to injured defense contractors, including compensation for lost wages, loss of earning capacity, past and future medical expenses, vocational rehabilitation, death benefits, and more. The difference is that a DBA claimant need not be a longshoreman or offshore worker. Rather, a DBA claimant is one who is working for a private company that is contracted by
What is the Longshore Act? The Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act (LHWCA), often referred to as the “Longshore Act”, provides a federal workers’ comp remedy for injured longshoremen. Benefits are administered by the Division of Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation (DLHWC), a division of the Office of Workers Compensation Programs (OWCP) within the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). If the dispute is not resolved by informal hearing with the OWCP, the District Director will refer the matter to the Office of Administrative Law Judges (OALJ) for adjudication by and ALJ. Appeals from the OALJ are taken to the Benefits
Admiralty and Maritime Law: The maritime industry is of critical importance to Louisiana and the Gulf South, supporting thousands of jobs and providing businesses access to markets the globe. Admiralty and maritime law is a unique legal field that covers activities that occur on or adjacent to navigable waters including the high seas, rivers, and lakes that can be used for interstate and international commerce. Due to the complexity of maritime law, it is critically important that you have a well-versed maritime attorney fighting to ensure that you recover all that you are entitled to under the law. Unseaworthiness: Under the general maritime