PRACTICE AREAS

Aviation

• The firm has represented numerous individual claimants involved in aviation related personal injury and death claims for fixed wing aircraft and helicopter operations. Additionally, we have handled a case involving brain damage injury incurred during the testing of the external fuel tank of the Space Shuttle Program at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. We have represented pilots, passengers, and the survivors of passenger-victims of fixed wing aircraft and helicopter crashes, on land and offshore, primarily in the Gulf of Mexico. Those claims involved actions against Petroleum Helicopters, Inc., Air Logistics, Bell Helicopter, Aerospeciale and Eurocopter, as well as other owners, operators, and aircraft manufacturers and heliport owners and designers. The firm’s senior partner, Hugh P. Lambert, Esq.’s educational background in engineering, as well as his training and experience as a professionally trained pilot, give him a unique advantage when handling aviation disasters. As a result, the firm of Lambert and Nelson has acted as lead counsel in several multiple party claims, with the primary responsibility for liability and causation analysis and proof. Those claims have resulted in resolutions, many of which are in the multi-million dollar range. The litigation involving the external fuel tank of the space shuttle is just one example of the firm’s ability to pursue a claim involving unique factual circumstances, without precedent, resulting in a favorable resolution for their client.

Hugh P. Lambert, Esquire and others during an offshore inspection

Maritime

• The firm of Lambert and Nelson has, since the late 1970's, successfully resolved literally hundreds, possibly thousands, of maritime claims involving offshore drilling activities in the Gulf of Mexico and worldwide. These include commercial and sport diving injury and death claims, claims on behalf of Blue Water Seamen who suffered injuries and/or death on the high seas, as well as claims involving personal injuries and deaths resulting from offshore drilling operations, including jack-up rigs, semi-submersibles, drilling platforms, crew lift boats, living quarters, cryogenic platforms, lay barges, and other special purpose vessels and operating platforms. Several notable claims include an ARCO cryogenic platform explosion in the early 90's which involved a SONAT sub-sea pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. The firm of Lambert and Nelson acted as lead counsel regarding the liability and causation issues in that multiple party claim. The firm was instrumental in resolving that claim on behalf of injured workers, as well as the survivors of deceased victims of that offshore tragedy. That claim was resolved for multi-million dollars in damage awards within approximately one year of the date of the incident. It is a priority of the firm to seek full justice for its clients with particular emphasis on expeditious resolution of claims. We firmly believe in the principal that justice delayed is justice denied.

ARCO Platform fire taken from the escape capsule (lifeboat).

The aftermath of the fire and explosion of the ARCO Platform/Cryogenic Plant.

The firm has represented numerous commercial divers and/or their survivors in decompression injuries, and other mechanics of injury and death resulting from underwater activities throughout the world.



A diver later represented by Lambert & Nelson, PLC engaged in pipeline construction work.

Lambert and Nelson also acted as lead counsel in the Penrod 62 Jack-Up Rig collapse disaster which occurred during a hurricane in the mid 80's. In that case the firm acted again as lead counsel in the analysis of circumstances which led to the collapse of the MODU (mobile offshore drilling unit). Additionally, in the maritime field, Lambert and Nelson has acted as lead counsel regarding liability and other issues for the M/V Mandan disaster on the Mississippi River which involved a collision between an ocean going vessel and a living quarters vessel occupied by crews working with the Corp of Engineers. That complex multi-party litigation was successfully resolved for multi-million dollars in the 1990's. The firm also represented multiple parties and acted as lead counsel on issues of liability and causation in the case against Union Oil in California, and Unocal/Thailand which disaster took place in the Gulf of Thailand. Members of the firm traveled to Thailand on numerous occasions to develop evidence on behalf of U.S. victims of that drill ship capsize which involved the deaths of over a hundred individuals. Again Lambert and Nelson acted as lead counsel on liability and causation issues which involved complex side-scan sonar analysis of anchor and debris patterns, meteorological data, vessel stability calibrations, and complex time line evidence for a successful resolution of those claims on behalf the surviving families of that disaster.

More recently, the firm of Lambert and Nelson was appointed by then Chief Judge Morey Sear of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana to act as liaison counsel for the mass tort claim resulting from the allision of the M/V Brightfield with the Riverwalk Mall and Dock along the Mississippi Riverbank in New Orleans, Louisiana. The firm of Lambert and Nelson continues to be involved in maritime matters in many active ongoing cases.



Semi-submersible rig in the Gulf of Mexico.




Lift Boat in the Gulf of Mexico

 

Chemical Plant Disasters/Toxic Torts and Groundwater Contamination Claims

• In the late 80's and early 90's, the firm of Lambert and Nelson was involved in two of the earlier damage claims involving contamination from industrial plant operations. In Tennessee, the firm acted as lead counsel in a class action against Unisys Corporation, formerly known as Sperry/Univac, on behalf of property owners and residents who were affected by improper waste disposal practices. In the same time frame, the firm was acting in a lead role involving liability issues from operations in Columbia, Mississippi by the Reichhold Chemical Company. In the late 90's, the firm acted as lead counsel on liability issues regarding contamination caused by the Thompson-Hayward Chemical Company in New Orleans, Louisiana. That claim was resolved by settlement which was approved in proceedings which took place in the Louisiana Superdome due to the large number of claimants involved in the Fairness Hearing and allocation process following class certification. The Supreme Court of the State of Louisiana declared the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans a courthouse for the period of approximately two weeks during which hearings were held before the Honorable Judge Frank Zaccaria who was appointed by the Supreme Court to specifically preside over that class action. Lambert and Nelson’s role as co-lead counsel regarding liability issues resulted in a successful resolution of the claim for multi-millions of dollars.

In another chemical plant disaster, the firm of Lambert and Nelson was instrumental in the successful resolution of a mass tort claim involving hundreds of individuals exposed to mustard gas and other chemicals released from the Georgia Gulf Facility in Plaquemine, Louisiana. Following the resolution of the individuals’ claims represented by the firm of Lambert and Nelson, the firm’s senior partner, Hugh P. Lambert, was selected to act as a mediator for a resolution of the certain other claims still pending in that litigation. His efforts resulted in a successful resolution of those claims. The firm has ongoing litigation on behalf of individuals and class members in numerous jurisdictions around the country involving chemical contamination caused by manufacturing plant operations, as well as other storage and/or disposal site sources. The firm’s senior partner, Hugh P. Lambert, had first hand experience with plant production processes having worked as a production process engineer in the late 60's prior to becoming an attorney.

Product Liability Claims

• The firm of Lambert and Nelson has handled numerous product liability claims involving defective equipment and/or products including automobile, truck and vehicle tire litigation. The firm acted as co-lead counsel in a nationwide class action involving Cooper Tire & Rubber Company, with the firm having ultimate responsibility for liability and causation issues in that case. That litigation resulted in a resolution valued by the Court in excess of one billion dollars in benefits for consumers.

The firm is currently involved in class actions throughout the United States regarding defective electrical receptacles manufactured by three defendant corporations. The firm’s expertise, as well as years of experience in technically related litigation matters, provides unique qualifications for the pursuit of product liability based litigation.

Railroad litigation

• The firm of Lambert and Nelson has represented numerous individuals involved in railroad related injuries to railroad workers, as well as, those injured or killed in railroad crossing catastrophes. The firm has developed expert testimony regarding highway and railroad crossing issues resulting in favorable awards to victims and/or the families of deceased victims involved in vehicle/railroad train collisions. In addition, the firm has represented railroad employees and their families for injuries and death caused by negligent operations.

Complex litigation

• In addition to the outline of cases above, the firm has represented individuals in pharmaceutical drug liability claims, securities litigation, and consumer fraud litigation. In general, the firm of Lambert and Nelson specializes in litigating complex issues in a diversity of specific circumstances which result in serious personal injury or death.

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