AKD has mobilized its attorneys and office staff to work remotely away from our office location during this crisis. This action enables us to safely continue to represent our clients and push forward their cases. All clients are being sent e-mails and being called with updates during this period of government quarantine.
Clients who have not provided us with email addresses or have new ones should call or email our office and provide those, as well as communicate any questions, concerns or updates. Your calls will be distributed to your attorney and paralegal and returned.
GOVERNMENT/COURT ACTIONS
The Governor, Mayor and Courts have suspended most court activities and deadlines until mid April. However, we are still working on your cases anyway.
They have also closed or limited some businesses — especially, restaurants, bars, casinos, movie theaters, bowling alleys, etc. See below if this has impacted you and how we may be able to help.
MEDICAL TREATMENT
Injured clients should CALL YOUR DOCTOR’s offices immediately to continue to treat or to at least REPORT the medical details of your ongoing injuries. THIS SHOULD CONTINUE AS LONG AS YOU REMAIN HURT. Most facilities are continuing to see patients or are doing telephone appointments to treat patients and document their ongoing conditions. Please call them now. IF YOU FAIL TO CALL AND/OR TREAT, the insurance company may/will deny/ignore your damages after the last appointment you went to.
NEW CLAIMS
If you have had an injury or other need for our services, please CALL US NOW at 504-200-0000. We will speak with you and get to work. It is important that you do not delay, because critical actions should be taken by you and your lawyer immediately.
NEW COVID-19 RELATED CLAIMS — BUSINESS INTERRUPTION
If your business or the business that you work for has been closed or limited by the COVID-19 crisis — or by the government’s or public’s response to it — we may be ABLE TO HELP make a claim for the business and/or you. While insurance agents have been telling business owners that this crisis is not covered under their BUSINESS INTERRUPTION COVERAGE, this may not be true.
AKD WAS A MAJOR LEGAL PLAYER IN KATRINA BUSINESS INTERRUPTION AND BP OIL SPILL CLAIMS AND HAS ALREADY BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN COVID-19
Due to the scientific research showing that the virus taints the property which it lands on, with the input of AKD and their own research, the GOVERNOR and MAYOR have stated in their LEGAL ORDERS that the governmental limitations and closures of businesses are linked to this temporary taint/damage to business property which could spread the virus if patrons and workers were in contact with it. As a result of this fact — and it’s basis in the closure ORDERS, AKD will argue that BUSINESS INTERRUPTION INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR COVID-19 SHOULD BE COVERED AND PAID.
Unfortunately, based on what has already been demonstrated, the insurance companies most likely will not honor these claims without a fight. Therefore, please call us if your business or employer has been impacted.
Employees may also be aided by their employer’s pursuit of these insurance claims, as employers are more likely to pay employees while the employee is not working if they can recover those losses from their insurer. Additionally, AKD is monitoring federal government actions which may assist employees. The details of these potential programs will develop in the days ahead.
STAY SAFE
We are lawyers, not doctors. However, the advise we have been given from doctors is: to continue to observe social distancing and hygiene instructions, such as frequent hand washings with soap for 20 seconds or hand sanitizer, as well as, sanitizing frequently used surfaces which may be tainted with droplets containing the COVID-19 virus. Try as best as possible to avoid touching your face with your hands. If you are age 60 or over, you should consider staying home until the prevalence of the virus diminishes.