Man Accused, Arrested of Causing Fatal I-20 Crash in 2020

deadly car accident in shreveport

According to booking information on the WPSO inmate roster, 61-year-old Rickey Darden has been arrested and jailed in Webster Parish. Darden has been accused of causing the 2020 crash that led to the death of Shreveport native Kim Cannon on I-20. According to previous reporting by KTAL news, Darden was allegedly operating a 2000 International…

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Driver Injured Following School Bus Crash on Hwy 478

school bus broken down on the side of the road

In the afternoon on Monday 13 March 2023, a Natchitoches Parish school bus and a passenger car collided on Highway 478 just west of I-49 outside of Natchitoches. Multiple agencies responded to the crash, including the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center EMS, and others. Along with the bus driver,…

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If You Have a Tire Blowout You Should Take These 5 Steps

car accident from tire blow out

A tire blowout can be a frightening experience. One minute you’re driving on the open road and the next you suddenly hear a loud explosion and the car starts shaking uncontrollably. Not only is a situation like this stressful but it also can be very scary.  So, what causes tires to blow out? Many things…

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CPSO Issues Warrant for Driver That Caused Major Crash on I-49

wrecked cars shot at night time

KTAL reports that an arrest warrant was issued on February 24, 2023, for a Shreveport woman who allegedly caused a major crash on I-49, seriously injuring other drivers. 25-year-old Gorgette Riley is alleged to have caused a major crash involving herself and three other vehicles when she drove her car the wrong way on I-49…

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Louisiana Tree Service Crane Falls on House in Shreveport

Tree service worker cutting branches off tree while leaning too far over crane bucket

On Saturday, around 9 a.m., a Louisiana tree service company’s crane vehicle experienced a significant accident in Shreveport. The incident, which occurred at a residence on Bruce Avenue in Broadmoor, resulted in the crane toppling over and smashing into a nearby home, causing extensive damage to the property and power lines. The Shreveport Fire Department…

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How is Louisiana Law Different from Other States?

downtown New Orleans Louisiana Mardi Gras Decoration

There are a lot of things Louisiana is known for: its delicious food, the party atmosphere, its French influence, and oddly enough, its legal system. While every other state uses Common Law, derived from English law, Louisiana uses French Civil Law, which is derived from the Napoleonic Code. Legal theory and the role of legal…

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What is Tailgating and Why is it Dangerous?

Under Louisiana law, tailgating is defined as a motor vehicle following another more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicle and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway (LA RS 32:81). Tailgating can lead to rear-end collisions, which according to the National Highway Transportation Safety…

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10 Steps to Take After Being in a Motorcycle Accident

Nobody expects a motorcycle crash to happen to them, and yet thousands happen every year in the state of Louisiana. If you’ve been the victim of a motorcycle crash, you could be seriously injured, in physical pain, and unsure of what to do next. All too often at , we hear our clients saying that…

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Important Warning Signs & Symptoms of a Head Injury After an Accident

patient with head injury due to recent accident

If you’ve hit your head, it’s likely you’re in pain and annoyed. However, if you’re experiencing other symptoms, even if it’s a few hours or days after your accident, you could have experienced a concussion or another brain injury. Even though concussions are frequently described as “mild traumatic brain injury” (mTBI), there’s nothing mild about…

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Hit and Run Accidents in Louisiana: What evidence do you need for a case?

Traffic accidents are some of the worst experiences you can have—even if no one is hurt, you could be saddled with hundreds or thousands of dollars in repair costs, increased insurance premiums, and more. Of course, if you’re less lucky, you could be facing thousands in medical bills, ongoing physical therapy, lost wages, permanent disability,…

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Injured On Vacation? | Gordon McKernan Billboards

Injured On Vacation? You may have seen our latest creative billboard while driving around the state of Louisiana. To continue our trend of pushing out billboards inspired by well-known movies, we decided to create a National Lampoon’s-inspired billboard. Vacations often lead to an increased risk of accidents and injuries. With this in mind, a team…

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Motorcycle Safety Tips and Requirements

Riding a motorcycle can be one of life’s most enjoyable experiences. Motorcyclists enjoy the thrill of the open road, the feel of the wind, and the greater freedom that comes with riding on two wheels instead of four. However, riding a bike comes with its fair share of dangers and considerations too. Motorcyclists are much…

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How Many Wrong Way Driving Accidents Happen in Louisiana?

Wrong-way driving accidents are fairly rare—but they’re some of the deadliest crashes you can experience. Wrong-way drivers are a leading cause of head-on collisions, which accounted for 10.5% of fatal crashes in the US between 2019 and 2020. This is despite the fact that head-on collisions were less than 1% of all motor vehicle collisions…

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Louisiana Car Crashes Expected to be Up in 2022

2022 is shaping up to be a record year for fatal crashes on Louisiana interstates. Even though the number of deadly crashes this year has so far been low, experts predict that the number will continue to grow through the end of the year. One of the main reasons behind fatal crashes is drunk driving.…

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The Difference Between Wrongful Death & Personal Injury

gavel next to justice statue and book

The main difference between personal injury and wrongful death claims is who is able to bring the case. If the victim survives the accident, they can file a personal injury claim in Louisiana themselves. However, if the victim succumbs to their injuries and passes away, their family or estate can file a wrongful death action…

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Louisiana Car Traffic Deaths Up in 2021

According to our car accident experts who studied a report from the Louisiana Department of Transportation (DOTD), a staggering 997 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2021. This tragic toll breaks the record previously set in 2007, and is over a hundred more people than died last year in crashes. The Governor of Louisiana,…

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5 Tips to Stay Safe After a Hurricane

Hurricane season is here again in Louisiana, and this year is slated to be a big one. So big, you might need a hurricane claim attorney. Scientists predict that there will be up to 20 named storms in 2022, with 10 hurricanes and 5 major hurricanes. While we can’t be sure where they’ll hit, Louisiana…

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Damages in a Wrongful Death Case

Document with title Wrongful Death o a wooden surface.

When filing a Louisiana wrongful death case, the types of damages plaintiffs can seek usually fall into two main categories: those generated by the victim before their death, and those suffered by their surviving family because of  their death.  These damages can include economic damages, with measurable losses, as well as non-economic damages, or subjective…

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T Bone Car Accidents in Louisiana

T-bone crashes, also known as side-impact collisions or broadsides, are some of the most deadly crashes on Louisiana roads and highways. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), T-bone accidents account for nearly 20% of fatal collisions—more deadly than any other collision type. What exactly is a T-bone accident, and how common are…

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Client Sprayed by a Dangerous Chemical, Due to Fractured Pump Casing

It seemed to be just another normal day for a Louisiana worker, until it turned into a real life nightmare. This southerner was focused and working hard, whenever an accident occurred. Unfortunately, our client was exposed to a chemical, TiCI4, causing severe burns and a wrongful death later. At Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys, our team…

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Plaquemine Chlorine Outbreak Sends Two Dozen to Hospital

On the night of April 18, a fire in the Dow chemical plant in Plaquemine lead to a chemical leak of one of the most dangerous, most-used industrial chemicals in modern industry: chlorine. Chlorine is used in a variety of manufacturing processes, as well as common household products from plastics to bleach.

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Accidents on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge

Every day, over 30,000 people travel on the Atchafalaya Basin Bridge between Lafayette and Baton Rouge. The bridge—also called the Louisiana Airborne Memorial Bridge—was the longest bridge in the country when it was finished in 1973. Its 18 miles is now the 3rd longest in the country, and 14th longest in the world. Tragically, the…

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How to Choose a Wrongful Death Attorney

According to the National Vital Statistics System, the fourth most common cause of death in 2020 was unintentional injuries, which killed nearly 60 Americans per 100,000 people. It may be impossible to predict when a tragic event will take the life of a loved one, but when it does, you need to have a reputable…

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Most Common Types of Distracted Driving in Louisiana

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the team at Gordon McKernan Injury Attorneys are here to help raise awareness about this increasing problem on our Louisiana roadways. But just what is distracted driving, and why is it so dangerous? What are the most common types of distracted driving in Louisiana? In this blog, we’ll…

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Tips to Avoid Distracted Driving in Louisiana

In our increasingly-connected world, there’s more pressure than ever before to stay constantly in-touch with family, friends, coworkers, and everyone else in our lives. This can present certain dangers when combined with the amount most Americans drive—according to a survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the average American spent nearly an hour a…

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Several Injured in the Marathon Plant Explosion

This past Monday, February 21, 2022, workers at Marathon refinery in Garyville were impacted by an on-site explosion at about 9:30 am, which led to a fire. Luckily, the fire was quickly extinguished and all employees and contract workers were accounted for, but six employees were mildly injured by the blast and resulting blaze. In…

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