Louisiana lawmakers spar over attorney penalties in proposed insurance bill

BATON ROUGE, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – Business owners and legislators testified before the Louisiana Legislature’s Civil Law and Procedure Committee in support of several bills related to vehicle crash litigation.

The bills introduced in committee covered many proposed changes to present law that would favor claimants and business owners in civil actions related to crash settlements and lawsuits in Louisiana.

Representative Troy Hebert shared a personal story about a minor crash involving his daughter and another driver. During testimony, Hebert said nearly a year after the accident, he was notified that the other driver had filed a lawsuit. He also shared that his insurer had advised him that the woman had received a personal injury settlement that year.

Hebert’s bill HB439 would put a 10% cap on contingency fees that can be charged by an attorney. The discourse between Hebert and many of the lawmakers became a little contentious as they discussed the portion of the proposed law that would subject attorneys to sanctions and disciplinary review.