Call or Text: (662) 536-5656

EMAIL
Text
CALL

Mississippi Courts Grapple with Developments in Massive Technology Fight

by Leave a Comment

Eaton Corp., a big technology company based in Ohio, recently announced that it would fire two attorneys as the company faces continued scrutiny from a Mississippi judge about controversial emails in a trade-secrets case that showed up years after they were supposed to have been produced.

The two attorneys let go were relatively high up, Vic Leo, vice president and chief litigation counsel, and Sharon O’Flaherty, litigation counsel. Oddly, a company spokesperson wouldn’t comment on whether their firings were connected with a long running legal battle in Mississippi. The fight started in 2004 when Eaton sued a rival, Frisby Aerospace claiming that five engineers stole company secrets when they defected Eaton for Frisby. [Read more…]

Northern Mississippi residents have reason to fear fake cop may be interstate shooter

by Leave a Comment

Law enforcement officials in Mississippi are warning drivers about a possible fake police officer who may be pulling drivers over and then shooting them dead. Such reports have Mississippi drivers fearful after two drivers were found shot and killed in two separate incidents in northern Mississippi last week.

“The concern is that someone is posing as a law enforcement officer, and that is how these vehicles end up on the side of the road,” the director of the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said earlier this week.

The MBI is warning drivers to be wary if an officer attempts to pull them over, and suggests two courses of action if a driver is suspicious about a traffic stop in Mississippi: [Read more…]

North Mississippi Personal Injury Law Update: Circuit Judge Rules Caps on Non-economic Damages Unconstitutional

by Leave a Comment

A recent ruling by a Mississippi circuit court could upend law regarding personal injury damage caps. The mother of a young boy who died due to smoke inhalation in an apartment that was lacking in basic fire protection might be able to collect $6 million from the apartment building’s owners. The decision runs counter to the lawsuit damage caps that are in place in the Mississippi and, as such, will surely receive significant judicial scrutiny from higher courts.

In his recent ruling, Coahoma County Circuit Judge Charles Webster said that Mississippi’s cap on noneconomic damages violates that state’s constitution. Since 2004 the state has limited the amount of non-economic damages a plaintiff could recover to $1 million. [Read more…]

Mississippi 18-wheeler accident claims life of school librarian

by Leave a Comment

Authorities have said that a school librarian was killed when her car hit an 18-wheeler. The Clarion-Ledger reports 44-year-old Laura Ellis, a librarian at the Canton School of Arts and Sciences, died at the scene of the accident which took place early Thursday. Police say truck driver Igor Kovalchuk, of Woodbridge, Ill., was not injured.

Canton Police Chief Vickie McNeill told reporters that the accident happened in the eastbound lanes of Mississippi 22 under the I-55 bridge at 7:15 a.m. McNeill says the victim apparently did not see the back of the truck when she crashed into it.

In an abundance of caution Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland has ordered an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death. [Read more…]

Mississippi Supreme Court to hear case involving car accident with horse

by Leave a Comment

The Mississippi Supreme Court recently decided to hear a George County case concerning a car accident involving a horse.

The personal-injury case involved a 2008 automobile collision between Diana Ladnier and Diego, a horse owned by Joseph Hester. In the lower court, a George County judge ruled in favor Hester. The state Court of Appeals upheld the trial judge’s decision just this past year.

The details of the accident are undisputed, the issue is over who is at fault. The accident occurred shortly after midnight on January 2, 2008, near Lucedale. According to court records, Ladnier was driving her car when three horses ran across the darkened street. [Read more…]

Southaven, Mississippi, store clerk run over twice in one day

by Leave a Comment

According to an article in the DeSoto Times Tribune, a terribly unlucky employee of Schnucks was run over twice one afternoon while attempting to retrieve unpaid for items from customers of the store.

Three females brought two cartons of cigarettes and one package of toilet paper to the cashier where they were bagged and one of the women took them from the store on Goodman Road in Southaven.

When the credit card used to purchase the items was declined, one of the women still in the store said she would have to go to the car to get the items or another form of payment. [Read more…]

Older Mississippi Drivers and Road Safety

by Leave a Comment

As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, one thing is certain–the roads will be increasingly filled with older drivers. Currently, thirteen percent, or 34 million Americans, are over sixty-five years of age. That number is expected to increase by 60% over the next fifteen years. Based on these numbers, it is projected that one in five drivers will be 65 or older by 2025.

While the older drivers may have more experience on the road, they are also responsible for a disproportionate number of accidents. A report released by TRIP states that although drivers over 65 account for 8% of all miles driven, they are involved in at least 17% of all reported crashes. [Read more…]

Mississippi Criminal Gives New Meaning to “Under Cover” Operation

by Leave a Comment

A six-month-long run from the law became an “under cover” operation when fugitive Gilbert Thanh Le was found Feb. 17 under a pile of blankets in Biloxi, Miss., reports the Sun Herald of Biloxi-Gulfport.

Le, 20, was wanted on a charge of failure to appear in court on a felony charge of possession of stolen firearms. He’d been on the run since a warrant was issued for his arrest Aug. 24.

“Despite his six-month run from the law and his best efforts to avoid arrest today, Le was ultimately found hiding under a pile of blankets in another family member’s bed. Now he will have a bed of his own at the Harrison County jail,” said Marshals Service Supervisory Inspector Justin Vickers in the newspaper report. [Read more…]

Southaven, MS Growth Means More Workers Comp Injuries

by Leave a Comment

According to a recent article in the Desoto Times Tribune, the 2010 data from the U.S. Census ranks Southaven, MS as a booming city. From 2000 to 2010, Southaven’s population grew 64% from approximately 21,000 to 45,000, making it the 5th largest city in the state of Mississippi. Despite the enormous growth, however, 10% of families still live below the poverty line, with the median household income for residents over 25 yrs. old just over $34,000.00 per year.

The workforce in Southaven is primarily in the educational services (schools) and healthcare industries. Secondary to these areas (about 15% of the labor force) is engaged in transportation services and industrial labor (warehouse and utility jobs). With such a large percentage of the workforce performing manual labor and warehouse work, there are a large number of work related injuries (workers compensation claims) that occur. [Read more…]

DeSoto County, MS School District-MS largest and still growing

by Leave a Comment

As students flood to the more than 40 county schools in Southaven, Olive Branch, Horn Lake, and Hernando this year, they can still say that they attend the largest school district in the State of Mississippi. This is in large part due to the fact that while the public schools in Jackson, MS have declined in enrollment, the DeSoto County schools have continued to grow. The reason behind the increase in enrollment is the quality of the education and the recent location of numerous new industries like Soladigm of Olive Branch that have made DeSoto County, MS home. [Read more…]