Josh Palmintier filed a suit against the state of Louisiana and 21 contractors on behalf of two cities (Walker and Denham Springs) and two parish residents, claiming that the construction of Interstate 12 caused severe flooding. According to the lawsuit, a 19-mile concrete barrier was constructed in the “Geaux Wider” project that essentially acted as a man-made dam. Palmintier hired a Rice University hydrologist who confirmed that the constructed barrier wall was a substantial cause for the severe flooding. 100,000 homes were estimated to have been affected by the flooding, running upwards of “tens of millions to hundreds of millions” in damages. Since the expansion project was a “design-build” project, the private contractors are responsible for the design and construction, making them liable for the payout. Palmintier also revealed that the flooding “could mean the death of entire communities because the wall will cause the same disaster to happen again and again.” The lawsuit is seeking economic compensatory damages in amounts to be determined at trial.
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