Taylor Hale

TAYLOR HALE

Trial Lawyer

Taylor is a seasoned and creative litigator who began his legal career over fifteen years ago working as an insurance defense attorney in New Orleans for Phelps Dunbar LLP, one of the largest and oldest insurance defense law firms in the Gulf Coast region, where he gained extensive litigation experience representing large insurance companies in the defense of injury cases filed against maritime companies.  

After practicing with Phelps Dunbar, LLP, Taylor returned to his hometown of Lake Charles to join his father in practice. Since joining the firm, Taylor has devoted his entire practice to helping those injured through the carelessness of another receive the compensation they deserve.  

As a former insurance defense attorney, Taylor is able to use that knowledge and experience to provide his clients with valuable insight into the insurance company’s tactics and how his opponents and insurance companies value and defend certain claims.  Every case taken by Taylor is prepared as if it is going to trial.  Taylor attributes his success to his attention to detail, outworking his opponent, grit, and determination to see his cases through.  

Taylor has recovered millions of dollars in damages through settlement and trial for clients injured in maritime, offshore, Jones Act, automobile, 18-wheeler, commercial vehicle, and workplace accidents.  Taylor has worked on cases that resulted in a recovery in excess of $10,000,000.00 and over five cases involving verdicts or settlements in excess of $1,500,000.00.

Taylor spends time building a relationship of trust and respect with each of his clients.  He understands and empathizes with the trauma his clients have suffered and sees a path to compensation.

Taylor’s practice focuses exclusively on personal injury cases.  His caseload is focused on serious personal injury, car accidents, big truck accidents, maritime and offshore injury cases, wrongful death cases, workplace accidents, and all other serious injury cases.  In his maritime practice, he has handled numerous cases involving the Jones Act, OCSLA, LHWCA, DOHSA, and the general maritime law.  

Taylor has successfully litigated hundreds of cases throughout the State of Louisiana, acquiring extensive experience. He has represented clients in all phases of the litigation process from inception through resolution in motion practice, mediation, and bench and jury trials in state and federal court. In addition to his Louisiana state court experience, Taylor has litigated a multitude of cases at the federal level within the State of Louisiana and across the Federal Fifth Circuit.

Taylor has experience conducting maritime shipboard investigations involving personal injuries, vessel collisions, and cargo damage, requiring him to liaise with insurers, vessel crewmembers, government actors, and response professionals.

Taylor was born and raised in Lake Charles, Louisiana.  Taylor earned his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in New Orleans, where he was elected to serve on the Editorial Board of the Loyola Law Review as Articles Editor and graduated at the top of his class.  Taylor’s law review comment, A Critical Misdiagnosis: Re-Evaluating Louisiana Medical Malpractice Act, was selected for publication in the Fall 2007 edition of the Loyola Law Review.  During his time at Loyola, he was the recipient of the Lemle & Kelleher, LLP Law Firm Scholarship award for academic excellence. Taylor graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School, attended Louisiana State University and earned his B.S., cum laude, from McNeese State University.  

Taylor is a Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, which requires a settlement or verdict over one million dollars on behalf of his clients for membership.   

Taylor was voted by his attorney peers as a Louisiana Super Lawyer Rising Star in the area of Plaintiff’s personal injury in 2015 – 2022. This recognition is conferred upon no more than 2.5% of attorneys in Louisiana that have practiced 10 years or less.
 
Taylor was voted by his attorney peers as a Top Lawyer in Acadiana in the practice area of Personal Injury Litigation in 2019, 2021 and 2024. Each year, Acadiana Profile publishes its Top Lawyers list.  The voting to determine the top attorneys for Acadiana Profile magazine is open to all licensed attorneys in the Acadiana, Louisiana market area.  Each attorney is asked which attorney, other than himself or herself, they would recommend in the Acadiana area.

Taylor was named a Top Trial Lawyer in America in 2012.  He was named a member of The National Trial Lawyer’s Top 40 under 40 for the State of Louisiana in 2017.

Taylor is admitted to practice in all of the state and federal district and appellate courts of Louisiana and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. 

Taylor is an active member in his local community, and serves as an officer on the Board of Trustees for Bishop Noland Episcopal Day School. Taylor has served as Treasurer of the Young Lawyer’s Section of the Southwest Louisiana Bar Association and as co-chairman of Holiday Helping Hands.  Taylor has served in a leadership role in the fight against cancer by participating in the Real Men Wear Pink campaign during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

He is a member of the American Bar Association, Louisiana State Bar Association, Southwest Louisiana Bar Association, Louisiana Association for Justice, American Association for Justice, Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Louisiana Super Lawyers Rising Stars The National Trial Lawyers Top 40 under 40 for the State of Louisiana, and the Southeastern Admiralty Law Institute (“SEALI”), a forum for the discussion of admiralty and maritime law and its practice and administration among practitioners in the ports of the Southeastern United States.

In his spare time, he enjoys being outdoors, spending time at the gym, tennis, travelling, grilling outdoors, fishing, hunting, and spending time with family and friends.