This is the second installment of our firm newsletter. 

We last mentioned we had orally argued an appeal before the Mississippi Supreme Court in a case called Baggett Transportation v. Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association (MIGA).  We are proud to report that the appeal was affirmed per curiam.

The trial court ruled that the Mississippi Insurance Guaranty Association statutes were not generally available to non-residents of Mississippi.  The Mississipppi Supreme Court affirmed the decision in favor of MIGA.

We successfully won a case on appeal styled Hudson v. Palmer, which may be found on Westlaw at 2007 wl 2472559 (Mississippi Court of Appeals, September 4, 2007).  We represented a business owner sued by a former customer who alleged the business caused damage to his vehicle while under repair.  The customer alleged numerous other torts, and we successfully won the case at the trial level and on appeal with the Mississippi Court of Appeals.

We want to remind you again of the three year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on August 29, 2008.  A number of persons around the state and Gulf South area have potential claims which have not been pursued.  There are various statutes of limitations, but the general three-year statute of limitations expires this August.  If you are interested in pursuing a claim, you should move quickly and immediately consult with an attorney.

One of our associates, the Honorable Grant Bennett, was recently elected to be on the Board of Directors of the statewide Mississippi Young Lawyers Association. 

We have had a number of calls regarding disputes with contractors.  We have handled a number of construction cases and related litigation, and we would be happy to discuss your rights with you.

We continue to see a decrease in court filings due to the passage of tort reform in Mississippi.  This is good news not only for business but for all persons, as there is no need for unmeritorious lawsuits in our system.

Most disputes, in Mississippi courts, are decided through the jury system.  When and if you ever receive a summons to serve on a jury, we hope that you will respond to the summons and not try to avoid jury duty.  A common practice is for responsible citizens to find an excuse to not serve on a jury.  This is not good for the system, because those persons in court want a jury of their peers who represent a cross-section of society.  We believe that if you sit on a jury, you will find that you can learn much about the system and have a good time in the process.

We wish you well in 2008.