There are still a lot of interstate guardrails in need of repairs in Lake Charles, some of which were damaged during Hurricanes Laura and Delta. Does the DOTD have plans to repair them or is this a FEMA issue?

Guardrail repairs are typically performed using in-house maintenance forces as well as a contractor workforce via an annual retainer contract within the five-parish limits of District 7, said John Guidroz, Louisiana Department of Transportation public information officer for the region.

The annual retainer has a contracted amount of $250,000 and about 40-60 percent of those funds are used each year for repairs along Interstate 10 in Calcasieu and Jeff Davis parishes and Interstate 210 in Lake Charles.

“We have contract documentation (estimates, photos, and invoices) on file related to these repairs under our retainer contract,” Guidroz said. “Additionally, DOTD has parish maintenance superintendents who regularly ride these routes and advise district personnel when corrective action or further investigation is necessary.

“Because of this, the majority (if not all) of the damaged locations along I-10 and I-210 that were a result of Hurricanes Laura and Delta have been addressed,” Guidroz said.

Property repairs

We know that if, during a named storm/hurricane, a tree is blown from property A onto the house on property B, the homeowners’ insurance from property B will pay for damages. But what if it is not a named storm/hurricane, and merely an ordinary summer storm? Then which property owners insurance would be liable?

If your neighbor has a rotting, dying tree in their yard — and they know about it and choose to do nothing — and it falls on your property then they are likely liable for it, according to Louisiana Civil Code Article 1317.1.

But Louisiana law requires you to prove the neighbor failed to take care of the tree.

If the tree falls due to a hurricane, tornado, etc., and was perfectly healthy, then it likely won’t be their fault because that is classified as an “act of God,” and their insurance probably won’t pay for that.

Grand juries

How many jurors comprise a federal grand jury? Is a unanimous vote required to return a true bill of indictment?

A grand jury consists of 16 to 23 members who serve for a period of up to 18 months.

Members of the grand jury are selected at random from the list of prospective jurors from which trial jurors are also chosen.

In contrast to a trial jury — which is asked to reach a verdict based on evidence presented during a civil or criminal trial — a grand jury meets in secret to consider whether there is sufficient evidence to justify a formal criminal charge against someone, according to the Department of Justice.

At least 12 jurors must concur in order to issue an indictment.

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Informer is written by Crystal Stevenson, American Press executive editor. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.