Hard Rock Hotel collapse Archives - Ron Austin Law • Harvey, LA

What is a Class Action Lawsuit?

A class action is a type of lawsuit where one of the represented parties is a group of people who are represented as a whole by one member of that group. Members of class action lawsuits must have all been harmed in the same way by a defective product or other some other actionable offense.

Featured Class Action Lawsuits

Drugs & Supplements

When drug companies release dangerous and defective drugs to the public, patients who are injured because of it may be able to take legal action and may be entitled to compensation.

Xarelto
Valsartan
Proton Pump Inhibitors – PPI
TDF Drugs – Truvada, Viread, Atripla, Complera, Stribild

Medical Devices

When a medical device company is negligent in making sure its products are free from defects, those injured after using those products may be entitled to compensation.

Defective Products

When a company sells a defective product, those who bought the product may be able to file a class action lawsuit against the manufacturer for the cost of the product and any damage the product may have caused to the consumer and the consumer’s property.

3M Military Earplugs

Environmental Hazards

People who were diagnosed with cancer or other serious illness after being exposed to asbestos or any other environmental hazard may be able to take legal action.

Mesothelioma
Roundup Weed Killer

4 things you should know

Class action lawsuits are filed on behalf of a group of people who believe they have suffered from the companies’ actions. Here are 6 things you should know:

Joining the class means waiving the right to file separately.

Joining a class action lawsuit means you are eligible for compensation but you can no longer file a separate lawsuit against the company. If you think you have been harmed more than everyone else in your class action suit, then consult with a lawyer before deciding not to join the class action lawsuit.

Strength in numbers.

There should be enough plaintiffs in a class that will make it difficult to bring them before the courts individually. According to most, a class of 40 plaintiffs is a good number for having a class action lawsuit.

Settlements can take a while.

People and organizations have multiple opportunities to object to or appeal a settlement and then the settlement has to receive approval from the court. Once the settlement is approved and there are no further appeals, class members will begin receiving their portion of the settlement.

Not everyone will get the same amount.

Class action lawsuit settlements typically reach millions of dollars but that does not mean the plaintiff will get a large amount of the settlement. Since there are so many plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit, the individual settlements can seem relatively small considering it total settlement has to be divided among the class.

The success of the overall lawsuit and the amount awarded to the plaintiff depends on the knowledge and experience of the attorney representing them. The experienced and dedicated attorneys at Ron Austin Law are here to help anyone who has suffered from defective drugs, medical devices, products, and environmental hazards. We have successfully fought hard for our class action clients and have a proven record of getting results. Call us today at 504-227-8100 or send us an email at info@ronaustinlaw.com and an attorney will be available to assist you immediately. Our mission at Ron Austin Law is to get our clients the best results possible.

Big Win Against Brad Pitt & Make It Right in Wake of Hard Rock Collapse

Louisiana State Court Judge Rachael Johnson ruled on Thursday, October 17 that homeowners could move forward with their lawsuit against the Make It Right Foundation and its officers and directors, including founder and actor Brad Pitt for defectively constructed homes just days after Hard Rock Hotel collapsed for possible construction defect.

Defective Construction of Make It Right Homes

Plaintiffs purchased their homes from the Make It Right Foundation from 2008 through 2016 and say that their homes are riddled with defects and are virtually worthless.

Ron Austin Law filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of homeowners in 2018 against Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation and others alleging the “Make It Right” homes were built with defective materials, designs, and construction.

Plaintiffs also alleged the Foundation was insolvent and the Officers and Directors, including the founder Brad Pitt, committed fraud by suppressing knowledge of the defective conditions from the homeowners. The Make It Right Foundation did not reveal the systemic defects in the development until September 2018 when it filed suit against John Williams, the chief architect, alleging damages estimated at $20 Million dollars.

In a statement to the New York Post in February, Attorney Ron Austin said, “Every time there’s been good press, Mr. Pitt has been smiling, shining for the cameras, taking credit, continuing to say he’s not abandoning the project. But the reality is his legal team is doing everything they can to have him removed from this lawsuit. If he gets out of it, residents of Make It Right will be stuck in homes of disrepair with no recourse.”

The Officers and Directors, including Brad Pitt, sought to be removed from the lawsuit claiming, among other things, that they did not personally participate in events complained of by the homeowners.

Plaintiffs argued that Brad Pitt and the Make It Right Foundation were “builders” under the law, and owed a duty to divulge known defective conditions to the homeowners. The Judge ruled on October 17th that the Plaintiffs sufficiently stated a right of action and a cause of action to proceed with their lawsuit.

The Judge’s ruling in court that plaintiffs could move forward with the lawsuit against Make It Right and Brad Pitt is a big win for the homeowners.

Ron Austin and his legal team are proud to seek justice for the homeowners in the Ninth Ward community and anyone else in our community who has been affected by defective construction.

Defective Construction in New Orleans Still Affecting Our Community

Defective construction can result in serious consequences, including building collapse and injury.

As of late, our community has been affected by another possible defective construction incident resulting in tragedy.

On Saturday, October 12th, the under-construction Hard Rock Hotel collapsed on Canal Street in New Orleans — killing 3 and injuring 30 people. The devastating event was captured by witnesses as it happened.

As rescue operations took place, accounts from construction workers and video footage of, what is speculated to be, defective construction in the structure has begun to circulate. The video is currently under investigation for authenticity and whether it portrays structural problems prior to the devastating collapse.

Demolition has begun on the remaining Hard Rock Hotel structure — allegedly costing the city of New Orleans $400k a day. New Orleans Mayor, Latoya Cantrell said during a news conference that the amount being spent to clean up the site and make the area safer does not include the impact on the city’s economy and the city intends to seek reimbursement from the responsible party.

The collapse has not only affected many lives but also surrounding businesses that had to close for being in close proximity to the collapse and some are now even seeking damages.

The Saenger Theatre is currently pursuing a class-action suit against the Hard Rock Hotel developers for interrupted business by the catastrophe. Other businesses like Ruby Slipper Cafe have also been affected by the collapse — which is looking at $40k to $60k in lost revenue only 2 days after the collapse.

Tag: Hard Rock Hotel collapse