COURTS OF LAW
Louis R. Koerner, Jr. is admitted to practice in the State of Louisiana as well as the United States District Court for the eastern, western and middle districts of Louisiana, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals and the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. He is admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of Louisiana and the United States Supreme Court.
Appellate Practice
Effective appellate advocacy demands a distinct skill set that includes solid research, legal analysis, effective oral argument, and exceptional brief-writing abilities. Koerner Law Firm provides its nationally recognized services to lawyers with appeals pending before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, all Louisiana Courts of Appeal and the Louisiana Supreme Court.
Maritime and Admiralty
We work tirelessly to vindicate the rights of injured seamen, partnering with acclaimed experts to establish liability. We are honored to represent hard-working men and women and make it our priority to attain the best possible outcome for each client. Often, the first step is establishing seaman status for an employee whose duties contribute to the mission of a vessel.
JONES ACT
For nearly a century, a federal statute known as the Jones Act has given seamen the right to bring claims in either state or federal courts against their maritime employers. The Jones Act protects seafarers against the many perils they encounter at sea. Failure to properly train a vessel’s crew, failure to have in place appropriate safety procedures, failure to provide a safe place to work, errors in navigation, requiring the crew to work excessive hours, violation of safety codes and statutes, and sailing in known unsafe weather conditions are but a few examples of Jones Act negligence.
UNSEAWORTHINESS
Under federal maritime law, vessel owners owe the duty and obligation to provide a seaworthy vessel. Failure to provide a seaworthy vessel subjects the vessel owner to the maritime claim of unseaworthiness. Under the strict liability claim of unseaworthiness, a vessel owner has a non-delegable duty to assure that all aspects of the vessel, including the vessel’s hull, machinery, crew, gear and appurtenances, are fit for their intended purpose and are working properly. In a proven case of maritime injury caused by unseaworthiness, the seaman may be entitled to recover past lost wages, future lost wages, loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering and medical expenses.
CATASTROPHIC INJURY
We have successfully undertaken representation of injured victims and their families in all manner of catastrophic injuries. The large-scale damages caused by these types of accidents may involve bringing suit against multiple defendants, including individuals, companies and insurers. Koerner Law Firm has extensive experience litigating catastrophic injury cases.
FLOOD DAMAGE CLAIMS
As we all know, Louisiana suffers from dangerous amounts of precipitation, hurricanes and destructive storms, but often what might be considered “acts of God” are really the result of drainage problems caused by developers and abetted by governmental authorities. No one has the right to change a natural pattern of drainage causing flood water or sewage to inundate your property. Find out whether you have a claim for your damage or inconvenience.