Legal Updates

Congratulations to National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Robert Sumwalt on his well-earned retirement from government service. “The NTSB’s role is extremely important: by conducting thorough investigations, our work helps prevent accidents and crashes, reduces injuries, and saves lives,” said Sumwalt. “I’ve been honored to be part of this great agency and to have served with the dedicated men and women …

The National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”) issued an alert adding Railroad Worker Safety to its Top -10 list of Most Wanted Improvements. The NTSB’s focus on Railroad Worker Safety follows on the heels of Union Pacific and CSXT executives’ comments that worker safety “is not a problem.” https://www.bmwe.org/secondary.aspx?id=535

Today, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued its Preliminary Report on the fatal Seacor Power capsizing on April 13, 2021 near Port Fourchon, Louisiana.  According to the NTSB:  “Investigators learned that at about 3:30 p.m., as the Seacor Power transited the open waters of the Gulf, a squall passed over the liftboat.  With visibility dropping and winds increasing significantly, the crew decided to …

Practice Point: Early on, after one of our prospective clients has been injured, it is commonplace for them to ask us at the consultation meeting: “Do I really need a lawyer right now?” It’s a reasonable question, especially considering that the client may be unfamiliar with the laws that apply to the claim, if they simply have not dealt with …

Founding partner of Davis, Saunders & Miller Law Firm, Ben Saunders, was interviewed this month by New Orleans Biz Magazine regarding the status of the courts reopening.  To view Ben’s comments on the effect the pandemic has had on the courts, see page 26 of Biz Magazine: https://issuu.com/renaissancepublishing/docs/biz_april_new?fr=sNGZjNzIzNzExMjI

The gears of the Justice System in Louisiana are spinning back to life.  On March 12, 2021, the Louisiana Supreme Court entered an Order that the moratorium on jury trials will expire on March 31, 2021.   “It is imperative that members of the public feel safe in returning to our courthouses for jury duty.  Serving as a juror is one of …

Last week, Rail Labor achieved a significant favorable decision in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  The case centered on the validity of the Federal Railroad Administration’s [“FRA”] regulations that would “cancel” or preempt state laws mandating a minimum of two person operating crews on freight trains.  The Court ruled that the FRA violated the Administrative Procedures Act when it did …

On February 3, 2021, the United States Supreme Court ruled in favor of a railroad worker appealing the denial of disability benefits by the U.S. Railroad Retirement Board [“Board”].  In a 6-3 decision in which Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kavanaugh joined the more liberal Justices, the Court held that when the Board refuses to re-open a previous benefits determination, …