A contingency attorney takes on cases that they believe in. Their faith in the outcome of a case extends beyond the number of wins alone. They put their salary on the line to bring justice to their clients and community. Devoting 150% of their time and experience to winning that case to bring justice where it is deserved.
Nelson Cameron is a dedicated attorney in the Western District of Louisiana who stands tall on the mountain of contingency law. Nelson's 43 years of experience proved his high ranking among contingency attorneys as he fights for justice for his clients.
One specific client, a 57-year-old, lost his life on November 14, 2015, as a result of the negligence, physical battery, and excessive force while in the custody of a Correctional Center in Monroe, Louisiana, and under the watchful eye of guards employed by a third-party management company.
In our current social climate, some members of the general public will read this report, and their thoughts will immediately go to the fact that Nelson's client was just an inmate. Nelson saw beyond that and fought for the raw truth. He fought to open the eyes of the general public and our justice system to the truth about his client, the Plaintiff. The truth is that the Plaintiff was a father, husband, grandfather, brother, and friend to so many. The truth is that sometimes the bad people in this world come disguised as government authority. Nelson's courage, experience, and dedication speak to why he is one of the few outstanding attorneys who can stand on that mountain of success, unmasking the disguises that these bad people hide behind.
The Plaintiff was arrested for a misdemeanor of disturbing the peace on October 12, 2015. This charge was a result of a simple allegation of having a mental episode at a doughnut shop. The Plaintiff did not have a criminal history. While in isolation lockdown that night, guards placed another mentally agitated man in the same cell as the Plaintiff. The guards' professional experience should have kept them from combining two emotionally charged men in the same isolation cell, alone. Within the first 36 hours of the Plaintiff's detention, he was pepper-sprayed at least 8 times, in addition to forceful physical altercations with the guards. Most of which was captured on security cameras.
These physical altercations and the negligence of the guards to provide the urgent medical attention the Plaintiff desperately needed resulted in his death. The federal jury found the third-party management company liable. The Judge ordered both the third-party management company and the correctional facility to pay a total of $42.75M ($23.25M punitive and $19.5M compensatory) to the Plaintiff's three adult children.
According to The Guardian, Jay Aronson, a Carnegie Mellon University Professor, is quoted as saying that "this is the largest compensatory damage award he has ever heard of." The Plaintiff's children are quoted saying, "This trial has shined [sic] light where there was darkness. It has brought our family truth, justice, and peace."
Nelson also works closely with Public Justice. Through their support, Nelson and his team's diligence and hard work, the Plaintiff's family can receive peace knowing their father received justice. Additionally, Nelson's efforts with this case prompted the need to reform the prison systems within the State of Louisiana. Advocate Capital is proud to be part of Nelson's team and affiliated with Public Justice, celebrating his outstanding efforts on behalf of his clients and the community.
