Jefferson Parish Found Negligent in Hurricane Katrina Flood Case

A jury has found Jefferson Parish government negligent in the way it drafted and enacted a plan that evacuated drainage pump operators on the eve of Hurricane Katrina’s landfall but ruled the parish was not responsible for subsequent flooding and that former parish President Aaron Broussard’s actions did not rise to the level of willful misconduct.

The complex class-action civil verdict Wednesday night came after 71/2 hours of deliberation.

Plaintiffs’ attorneys have estimated that 40,000 properties flooded in Jefferson Parish during Katrina.

The Times-Picayune reports the verdict means the question of monetary damages must be addressed. It’s unclear how the case will move forward, but attorneys say several trials, called “flights,” would likely be held, each with separate juries that would decide damages in batches.