Kentucky Injury Lawyer Blog

The American Association of Justice (AAJ) New Lawyers Division recently appointed Louisville, Kentucky Injury Lawyer Will Nefzger to its Board of Governors. AAJ is a private professional organization whose membership is made up of trial lawyers. AAJ is committed to the promotion of a fair and effective justice system, and in doing so advocates for consumer protection and safety and against immunity for careless and reckless conduct.

The New Lawyers Division is open to AAJ members who have been in practice 10 years or less. Its purpose is to stimulate the interest and commitment of new lawyers in the AAJ's objectives. Will looks forward to serving on the New Lawyer Division's Board of Governors and helping to pursue the AAJ's mission and goals for Kentucky's and all American citizens.

Louisville attorney John A. Bahe, Jr. co-hosted an open discussion forum for a group of approximately sixty women at the Louisville based Healing Place. Mr. Bahe is a founding member of Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones, PLC concentrating his practice in the area of plaintiff’s side personal injury, insurance law and bad faith and criminal defense.

Mr. Bahe volunteered his time through a civic outreach program sponsored by the Louisville Bar Association. For a few hours on last Tuesday Mr. Bahe, along with another speaker, were available to women at the Healing Place to answer legal questions on issues in the areas of probate, criminal and family law. Interested parties were then encouraged to stay after the formal discussion forum to ask more detailed questions of the attorneys. The afternoon was a great success with high turnout and a broad range of topic questions.

The Louisville Bar Association does a commendable job of organizing forums such as this one in order to educate the community at large as to the legal process and the attorney's role in it.

Louisville Attorney Brent Ackerson, a partner at Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones PLC, was recentlyelected to Louisville Metro Council’s 26th District. Brent’s district includes the cities of St. Matthews, Wellington, Kingsley, Meadowview Estates, St. Regis Park, Lincolnshire, Cambridge and Norbourne Estates, and the Avondale, Bon Air and Hikes Point neighborhoods.

A Kentucky family has sued the principal of Allen Central Middle School in Floyd County, Kentucky, and school district officials for the bullycide of their 13-year old son. Stephen Lawrence Patton, an 8th grader at Allen Central Middle School, died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head on November 28, 2007. The parents, Sheila and Lawrence Patton, allege that the school knew or should have known about the repeated and systematic harassment and bullying of their son, but did not alert them and did nothing to stop it.

“There was no excuse why we weren’t told this was going on with our child,” Sheila Patton said. “When we send our children to school, we believe they are going to be taken care of. If they allowed this to happen to my child, it could happen to others.”

According to the Pattons, they only learned of the harassment and bullying Stephen was subjected to after his death when students and teachers told them about Stephen’s treatment by bullies. Stephen was unusually tall for his age, spoke with a stutter, and wore black cowboy boots to school each day, all of which, the Pattons were told, made Stephen a target. Students also told the Pattons that bullies took Stephen’s lunch almost every day.

The Pattons’ attorneys, Vanessa Cantley and Jasper D. Ward of the firm Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones, PLC (www.bccjlaw.com) filed a Complaint in Floyd County Circuit Court on June 2, 2008, naming Allen Central Middle School Principal Davida Bickford, a Floyd County Superintendent, and multiple unknown teachers and staff of Allen County Middle School who may be liable.

“What happened to Stephen and to Sheila and Lawrence Patton is a tragedy, and it could have been prevented,” Cantley said. “The school simply did not follow their own policies and procedures designed to prevent harassment, abuse, hazing and bullying.”

Cantley and Ward also represent families who have filed bullying lawsuits in Meade County and Oldham County, Kentucky.

Louisville personal injury attorney Lawrence L. Jones II was recently re-appointed to the Louisville Bar Association’s Judicial Integrity and Independence Committee by the President of the Louisville Bar Association. The committee is comprised of past and present leaders in the Louisville legal community, including several past presidents of the Louisville Bar Association. The committee was formed to ensure that judicial candidates engage in fair campaigns.

Larry is the past Chair of the Louisville Bar Association’s Litigation Section and the Louisville Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Section. Larry also served three terms on the Louisville Bar Association’s Board of Directors and chaired the Louisville Bar Association’s Continuing Legal Education Committee for two years.

The Louisiville Bar Association’s Public Service Committee recently announced that personal injury attorney Will Nefzger, a partner with Bahe Cook Cantley & Jones PLC, has been appointed to serve as Chair of the committee. The appointment is for a two-year term. The Public Service Committee is dedicated to providing LBA members with opportunities to volunteer their time and services in public service projects throughout the Greater Louisville area.

Will has been a member of the Public Service Committee for eight years and chaired a number of projects. He is excited to have the opportunity to lead the committee for the next two years and work to provide Louisville-area communities with the volunteer efforts of the LBA’s members.