Peirce A. Hammond, II
Hammond Law Firm, LLC
650 Poydras Street
Suite 1400
New Orleans, LA 70130
Map
Phone: (504) 299-3458 | Fax: (504) 299-3491
http://www.louisianainjuryattorney.com
Louisiana Injury Attorney and Accident Lawyer
Legal Topic
Personal Injury
Preferred New Clients
Automobile accidents, personal injury, product liability, premises liability, negligence, malpractice, trucking, and maritime cases.
Sub-Topics
Accidents & Personal Injury
- Construction Site Injuries
- Jones Act
- Petrochemical Accidents
- Slip & Fall
- Sports Injuries
Car Accident
- Auto Accident
- Whiplash
Character Injury
- Defamation
- Invasion of Privacy
- Libel
- Slander
Dangerous Property
Financial Injuries
- False Charities
- Frauds, Scams, Hoaxes
- Identity Theft
- Pyramid Schemes
- Telemarketing
Intentional Injuries
- Assault & Battery
- Child Abuse
- Dog Bites & Animal Attacks
- Domestic Violence
- Police Misconduct
- Sexual Assault
Mass Accidents
- Airplanes
- Buildings
- Mass Transit - Bus, Train, Subway
- Ships & Boats
Medical Malpractice
- Anesthesia Malpractice
- Birth Injuries and Defects
- Cosmetic Surgery
- Dental Malpractice
- Elder and Nursing Home Abuse
- Emergency Room Errors
- HMO Managed Case
- Lasik Eye Surgery
- Medication Malpractice
- Nursing Home Negligence
- Optometry Malpractice
- Prescription/Drug Malpractice
- Psychiatric Malpractice
- Spinal Cord Injury
- Surgical Errors
- Wrong Diagnosis or Misdiagnosis
Motorcycle Accident
Personal Injury - Defense
Personal Injury Mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR)
Serious/Catastrophic Injuries
- Amputation
- Birth Injury
- Burn Injury
- Head/Brain Injury
- Paralysis
Toxic Tort
- Chemicals & Cosmetics
- Dangerous Drugs & Products
- Hazardous Waste
- Medical Products & Devices
- Mesothelioma
- Pesticides
- Radiation & Electromagnetic Energy
- Tobacco
- Toxic Mold
Truck Accident
Wrongful Death
Bar Admissions
LA, Sep 1987
Bar Number: 646144
Other Court Admissions
• U.S. District Court, Eastern district of Louisiana
• U.S. District Court, Middle district of Louisiana
• U.S. District Court, Western district of LA
• US 5th Circuit Court of Appeal
Association Memberships
Louisiana Bar Association and American Bar Association
Continuing Education
I always meet or exceed the continuing legal education requirements by attending or teaching seminars on personal injury litigation related subjects.
Papers and Publications
Seminar Paper - Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist Coverage in Louisiana
Example Cases
Joseph v. Hospital Service Dist. No. 2 et al
939 So.2d 1206, (La. 2006) - I argued this case to the Louisiana Supreme Court and was successful in having the court find a contract did not include a stipulation pour autrui.
Daigle v. Authement
691 So.2d 1213, (La., 1997) - Successful in having the Louisiana Supreme Court find that an uninsured motorist insurance policy waiver was valid and enforceable.
State vs. Dion Varmal
539 So.2d 45 (LA 1989) - Was successful in having the Louisiana Supreme Court decide that a person who was released from prison due to speedy trial issues could be re-arrested after an indictment was filed on the same charges.
Education
Tulane Law School
Juris Doctor
New Orleans
LA
1987
University of Alabama
Bachelor of Arts
Tuscaloosa
AL
1984
Number of Attorneys
1
State Licensed In
Louisiana
Firm Focus and History
The firm was established in 2008 and focuses on personal injury litigation.
Previous Employment Summary
• Partner at Leake & Andersson, LLP P 2002—2008
• Partner at Baus, Hammond & Daly, LLP 1995—2002
• Associate at Woodley, Williams, Fenet, Boudreaux, Norman & Brown 1993—1995
• Associate at Hebert, Mouledoux & Bland 1990—1993
• Head of Economic Crime Unit, Senior Trial Attorney at Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office
Activities and Awards
AV Rated by Martindale Hubbell
What is your opinion regarding clients educating themselves on legal issues?
People should always do all they can to understand their case by talking with their lawyer and getting their lawyer to recommend pertinent reference materials for additional information. The lawyer should be able to guide them to the best sources to educate themselves on the issues in their case. Without that guidance, one can become lost in the maze of legal discussions. However, some legal matters are simple enough to be handled by an individual on their own with the proper resources and reference material.
Are you willing to review documents prepared by clients?
We are always willing to help clients achieve the most cost effective solution to preparing legal documents by giving advice on whether the documents they have prepared should be formally reviewed by an attorney.
Are you willing to coach clients who want to represent themselves?
We have to follow strict bar association rules on assisting non-lawyers to represent themselves.
Why did you decide to be a lawyer?
I was raised in a family of lawyers and grew up working in law firms as a helper, runner and a law clerk. My father, sister, uncles, cousins, grandfathers and great grandfathers were lawyers in New Orleans and other parts of Louisiana. We have several judges in the family on both the federal bench and state bench. So, I became exposed to and interested in the practice of law at an early age.
What work experience and education helps you be a better lawyer?
Besides my upbringing in the legal community, I have several life experiences that make me a better lawyer. My legal career started as a prosecutor, so I gained invaluable trial experience right after leaving law school. As a prosecutor in New Orleans, I was in court every day for two years trying cases and arguing motions. When I was out of court, I had to investigate the facts of cases and prepare for the next day's docket. The experience of trying over 100 jury trials in a two year period can only be compared to learning to be a doctor by being in a MASH unit during war. Its trial by fire and you either sink or swim. I swam and became a Senior Trial Attorney and then Head of the Economic Crime Unit. My record as a prosecutor was very strong, including my writ and appellate work. I won writs in the Louisiana Supreme Court and the Louisiana Fourth Circuit Court of Appeal as a prosecutor.
After Leaving the D.A.'s office I then began my training in civil litigation by joining a Maritime, Personal Injury and Insurance Defense Law Firm representing major corporations and insurance companies. These companies included underwriters at Lloyds of London and major domestic and foreign insurance companies. It also included, tugboat, barge, riverboat, crew boat, work boat, drilling rig, oil services and other maritime related companies. I worked with fabrication yards, catering companies, pogie boat companies, deep water drilling companies, platform fabrication companies, and platform operators. This high end defense litigation taught me the motion practice and procedure and how to respond to them in a way that is critical to handling litigation. Defendants in litigation will rely on technicalities, summary judgment procedures, defects in pleadings and other methods to defeat a case before getting to a trial. So, while the D.A.'s office taught me how to prepare a case and take a case to trial, my subsequent experience working with defense firms taught me how to anticipate and respond to pre-trial discovery, tactics and motions so that you don't lose a case before getting to trial. This includes appellate and writ practice which requires on to have a trial court's legal rulings challenged if they are wrong and detrimental to your case. My success on the appellate level is bolstered by my firm foundation in trial and pre-trial issues.
After 18 years of litigation experience with law firms and representing business, several things changed the course of my practice. In 2003, my father was killed in an accident with an eighteen wheeler. I then became a plaintiff in a wrongful death lawsuit against a trucking company. That company did all they could to avoid responsibility and hid evidence of their drivers drug problems as well as other evidence. I had previously represented plaintiffs in personal injury litigation but it was about 25% of my practice. This experience gave me a new appreciation for representing victims in personal injury litigation and gave me more satisfaction helping people who were really harmed by someone else's fault. So in 2003, I began to focus more on the rights of individuals. I also appreciate when a company is being sued frivolously and therefore represent individuals who have a legitimate case or who are being treated poorly by unsympathetic or jaded companies. So, my focus came to representing parties whose case I believed in and who I believe I can help.
In 2005 Katrina hit and we were all victims. Some insurance companies treated people fairly and others treated their insureds with contempt. Some individuals were trying to take advantage and profit from the loss while others with legitimate claims were being punished for those persons' bad behavior. I represented individuals and insurance companies for losses from Katrina and was able to reach fair and reasonable results for both sides.
1n 2008, I started my own solo practice representing individuals in personal injury litigation of all types. My primary experience in personal injury litigation from 1990 through 2008 had been in automobile accidents, premises liability, slip and falls, dog bites, defective walkways, dangerous conditions in premises, professional malpractice, products liability, defective drugs, defective devices, maritime personal injuries on drilling rigs, crew boats, river boats, platforms, trucking accidents, injuries and restaurants, bars and hotels, injuries on the workplace, workers compensation, Jones Act, Longshore Harbor Workers Compensation Act, Death on the High Seas Act and other accident and injury cases. My current practice continues in these areas by representing individuals hurt by the fault of another.
Another major event that drew me into my present practice was the BP Oil Spill. Being an avid outdoorsman, saltwater angler and duck hunter, I cherished the marshes of south Louisiana and the surrounding gulf coast islands and beaches. It is truly an amazing and unique ecosystem that was threatened and still is. It also affected the people I had come to know who made their living on the water and in the seafood industry and related commerce. So, it struck a chord that made me further committed to helping people who have been harmed through no fault of their own and due to the fault of others.
Why did you decide on your primary area of practice?
I chose litigation and personal injury litigation as my primary area of practice because it allowed me to use my strengths of being able to evaluate and analyze legal problems, and investigate and prepare the nuts and bolts of a case to bring it to trial. I am also able to negotiate with insurance companies and businesses knowing how they perceived the strengths and weaknesses of the case and use my strong personal and professional judgment and belief of what is right.
What do you like best about your career?
I like best that I can help someone who is being victimized and abused by the legal process. Also I like to help companies reach a just result to an often abused legal system.
Tell us about your law firm:
I am a solo practitioner with an outstanding legal assistant, secretary and office administrator.
What are your strengths and style?
Compassion, Perception, Knowledge, Experience and Integrity
Personal Interests:
I have various hobbies and personal interests but none more important than my family, friends and clients.
Office Manager/Assistant
Anne Eichin
Fax
(504) 299-3491
Office Hours
Monday through Friday
8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and will meet any time after hours by appointment.
Emergency After Hours
Yes
Fixed-Price Services and Fees
Alternative and fixed fee arrangements are negotiable.
Hourly Rates
$200
Free Initial Consultation?
Yes
Typical Retainer
$5,000
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