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Carl J. Giffin, Jr.

giffinc@bcedlaw.com

OVERVIEW:

Mr. Giffin is a partner with the firm and has practiced at the firm since 1984.  His practice concentrates on complex product liability and insurance defense matters. He has been involved in successfully defending numerous matters for major manufacturers and insurance carriers, both at trial and in motion practice. 

He has more than 31 years of experience before State and Federal Courts including cases involving automobile crash-worthiness, brakes, air bag deployment and non-deployment issues, seat belts, roof crush, rollover, fork trucks, handheld and stationary power tools, industrial cooking equipment, motorcycles and material handling equipment.  His combination of zeal and litigation experience has resulted in his being peer review rated by Martindale Hubbell as AV Preeminent since 1996.

  • »Admissions/Affiliations:
  • Mr. Giffin is admitted to practice before the Louisiana (1984), Federal (Eastern, Middle and Western Districts), 5th Circuit - 1987 and U.S. Supreme Court 1992
  • »Education:
  • University of New Orleans B.S. 1981, Tulane University J.D. 1984.
  • »Memberships:
  • Louisiana Association of Defense Counsel | Louisiana State Bar Association | Jefferson Parish Bar Association | International Association of Defense Counsel
  • »Reported Cases:

  • Townsend v. Nova Casualty/Subway
  • 24th Judicial District Court, Parish of Jefferson.
  • Motion for Summary Judgment granted November 2014 - slip and fall accident.  Plaintiff did not 
  • introduce any competent expert testimony.

  • Stanley v. T.H. Cochrane/Hanover
  • 23rd Judicial District Court, Parish of Ascension. 
  • Exception of lack of personal jurisdiction granted.

  • Lucas v. General Motors LLC
  • USDC Western District of Louisiana, Alexandria Division
  • August 2014
  • Motion for summary judgment granted in favor of General Motors - air bag non-deployment case.

  • Branstetter v. Ford Motor Company
  • 19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge
  • July 2014
  • Motion for summary judgment granted in favor of Ford in this transmission defect case.

  • Vickers v. Hyundai
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana,
  • Shreveport Division, May 2014  
  • Motion for summary judgment granted in favor of Hyundai - brake case.

  • Jimmie Jones v. Continental Tire The Americas
  • April 2014
  • Motion for summary judgment granted in favor of Continental Tire - tire deflation case.
  • Betty Kean v Ford Motor Company, et al
    •
  • 19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge, No. 541852
  • Unanimous Defense Verdict after 7 day trial
    • 2015
  • Recent Defense Win Featured in January 30, 2013 issue of The Voice, DRI's weekly newsletter
  • David Edwards, et al v. Winnebago Industries, et al
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, No. 09-826
  • Defense verdict in a product warranty claim.
  • Chiropractic Strategies v. Juneau Odenwald
  • AAA Case No. 69 110E005469
  • Defense decision - Hurricane Gustav negligent construction - roof wind damage
  • Kelly McGee v. Julian Mutter, Jr., et al
    •
  • 67 So.3d 517 (La.App. 4th Cir. 5/12/11), writ denied
    •
  • La. S.Ct. 211-C-1240 (9/23/11)
  • Summary judgment granted on behalf of property owner in connection with
    •
  • suit brought by trapeze student who was injured when she fell from a
    •
  • stationary trapeze. The Court found that there was no vice or defect in the
  • premises which caused student to fall, and property owner had no duty to
  • warn trapeze student of the danger of taking trapeze lessons, of the height of
  • the trapeze, or the lack of a safety net under the trapeze since the danger of

  • using a trapeze high off the ground was open and obvious

  • Catlin v Keating
  • Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana
  • Civil Action No. 07-5446
  • October 2010
  • Unanimous jury defense verdict - product liability - commercial electric fryer fire.
  • Hoffpauir v. Linde Lift Truck
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of LA
  • September 2009
  • Trial - jury defense verdict - forklift product liability crashworthiness / seat belts
  • Palermo v. General Motors Corporation
    •
  • Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
  • March 2009
  • Trial - defense jury verdict in favor of GM - product liability Silverado
  • pickup truck
  • Doyle v. General Motors Corporation
    •
  • 9th Judicial District Court, Parish of Rapides, Louisiana
    •
  • Civil Action No. 215,916
    •
  • March 2009
    •
  • Trial - defense directed verdict in favor of GM - air bag non-deployment case
  • Green-Johnson v. Enterprise Rent-A-Car and General Motors
    •
  • Corporation
    •
  • 2008 Westlaw 941708 (E.D. La. 2008)
    •
  • Summary judgment in favor of GM - air bag non-deployment
  •
  • Lowery v. General Motors Corporation
    •
  • 2007 Westlaw 4374291 (W.D La. 2007)
    •
  • Summary judgment in favor of GM - air bag non-deployment product liability
    •
  • claim
  • Caboni v. General Motors Corporation
    •
  • 398 F.3d 357 (5th Cir. 2005)
    •
  • Defense decision in favor of GM - air bag non-deployment claim/enhanced
    •
  • injury
  • Walker v. General Motors Corporation
    •
  • 353 F.Supp. 2d 729 (E.D. La. 2004)
    •
  • Motion for summary judgment in favor of GM granted in product liability
    •
  • transmission case
  • Dardar v. Bridgestone/Firestone, Inc.
    •
  • 879 So.2d 735 (La.App. 1st Cir. 2004)
    •
  • May 2004
    •
  • Affirmation of grant of summary judgment in favor of Nissan North America
    •
  • in product liability tire blowout case.
  • Pamela Peterson v. General Motors Corporation
    •
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
    •
  • No. 97-0996
    •
  • December 20, 2001
    •
  • Products liability case - Jury verdict for GM - plaintiff alleged defective seat
    •
  • belts and crashworthiness
  • Shandron Jackson v. GM
    •
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana
    •
  • No. 98-297-D
    •
  • April 2001
    •
  • Jury verdict in favor of GM - tire mismatch case resulting in amputation of
    •
  • leg
  • Batiste v. General Motors Corporation
    •
  • 802 So.2d 686 (La.App. 4th Cir. 2001)
    •
  • Motion for summary judgment granted in favor of GM in air bag nondeployment
    •
  • case - doctrine of res ipsa loquitur inapplicable
  • Tierney v. GM
    •
  • No. 93-1810
    •
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana
    •
  • Crashworthiness case - jury verdict in favor of GM
    •
  • Affirmed on Appeal - 174 F.3d 199 (5th Cir. 1999)
  • McCant v. Nissan Motor Corporation in U.S.A.
    •
  • Civil Action No.
    • 98-10394
  • 22nd Judicial District Court
    •
  • Parish of St. Tammany, Louisiana
    •
  • April 1998
    •
  • Jury verdict in favor of Nissan North America - products liability steering
    •
  • gear case
  • Albert James Teekel, et al v. General Motors Corporation, et al
    •
  • No. 338-543, Division “M”
    •
  • 19th Judicial District Court, Parish of East Baton Rouge
    •
  • Trial - 1997
    •
  • Jury verdict in favor of GM - S10 Blazer rollover/ejection case
  • Ferruzzi, USA, Inc. v. R.J. Trichon Company, Inc.
    •
  • 645 So.2d 685 (La.App. 4th Cir. 1994)
    •
  • Products liability - directed verdict in favor of defendant manufacturer in
    •
  • conveyor design case
  • Kelly McGee v. Julian Mutter, Jr., et al
    •
  • 67 So.3d 517 (La.App. 4th Cir. 5/12/11), writ denied
    •
  • La. S.Ct. 211-C-1240 (9/23/11)
    •
  • Summary judgment granted on behalf of property owner in connection with
    •
  • suit brought by trapeze student who was injured when she fell from a
    •
  • stationary trapeze. The Court found that there was no vice or defect in the
    •
  • premises which caused student to fall, and property owner had no duty to
    •
  • warn trapeze student of the danger of taking trapeze lessons, of the height of
    •
  • the trapeze, or the lack of a safety net under the trapeze since the danger of

  • using a trapeze high off the ground was open and obvious

  • »Honors / Awards:
  • Martindale Hubbell AV rated since 1996
  • »Activities:
  • Eucharistic Minister St. Clement of Rome Parish