Verdicts & Settlements

Verdicts or settlements are intended to be reflections of the severity of injury and the nature and extent of any disabilities resulting from an injury. A victim of negligence should expect his attorneys best efforts to recover all that he is entitled to but proper settlements and verdicts vary greatly depending on the severity of the injury and whether the victim is left with long term or permanent disabilities and limitations. While recoveries in past cases do not indicate what a different victim will recover, it is usually comforting to a victim to know that his counsel has historically demonstrated the ability to identify and prosecute cases requiring significant compensation. For that reason we include the following general information and actual case examples.

AVERAGE RECOVERIES IN CERTAIN TYPES OF CASES

CONFIDENTIAL SETTLEMENTS

Often defendants and insurance companies insist that the amount of settlements remain confidential and often times an injured party agrees to do so in order to secure a settlement. A number of our cases have settled with such conditions. We cannot violate our agreement to keep the specific amounts of a particular settlement confidential. However, our clients average gross recovery in such cases exceeds $5.5 million dollars.

CASES INVOLVING SEMI TRUCK ACCIDENTS

Semi trucks are obviously large and in some circumstances difficult to control. The result is that when a collision occurs the results can be catastrophic to the people involved. Our average gross recovery in semi truck accident has been $1,630,000. Because such collisions rarely result in minor injury, our smallest recovery in semi truck accidents has been approximately $600,000.

WRONGFUL DEATH

Wrongful death cases are statutory actions whereby the survivors of a person who is killed by the wrongful act of another recovers damages for their loss. The damages recoverable and the person entitled to recover vary from state to state. The primary damages are usually emotional more than those involving monetary outlay. While each case varies widely, our clients average gross recovery has been approximately $2,000,000.

AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS

It would be impossible to estimate the average recovery in traffic accidents. Some injuries are relatively minor and others are catastrophic and the range of recoveries achieved reflect those differences.

SOME SPECIFIC EXAMPLES

Guest at a hotel is injured when workers replacing carpet pull the carpet on which she was walking. Guest falls to the floor and suffers a serious jaw injury involving her TMJ (Temporo-Mandibular Joint). Case settled on the eve of trial for $650,000.

Semi rig enters the highway at a slow speed and is struck in the rear by another semi which was unable to change lanes because it was occupied by a family sedan. The driver of the trailing rig suffered lumbar injury requiring surgery. Jury returned a verdict in favor of the injured trucker in excess of $600,000.

Semi rig runs into the rear of a family pick-up which slowed for traffic resulting in minor injury to mother and child and three level lumbar disc injury to father. Settled for more $635,000.

Semi rig loses the rear duel wheels off of a trailer while traveling down an interstate and the wheels strike a family vehicle. The most serious injury was a severe lower limb fracture suffered by a passenger. One other passenger suffered significant injury. The settlement was reached for an amount that must remain confidential at the insistence of the defendant and its carrier.

Case involved death of 30 year old electrician who fell into a storage tank from which all oxygen had been removed. Deceased left a 30 year old widow, three children between 3 years old and 12 years old, and two surviving parents. This case went to jury trial in which verdict of $4,000,000 was returned. The case settled for $4,500,000 after trial.

Semi truck attempting to enter interstate highway runs off the entry ramp in a snow storm. Rather than stop, driver continues across grass and onto interstate colliding with family vehicle. Eleven year old child died within hours without regaining consciousness. Parents recovered entire liability policy of $1,000,000 and personal contribution from truck owner by settlement.

Landowner hired bulldozer company to build a dam on his property. When first major storm came through the dam failed and flooded the roadway below the dam. Grandparents with five grandchildren caught in the resulting flood and three grandchildren drowned. Parents of the children recovered $485,000 by settlement out of policy limits of $500,000.

Elderly woman strikes jackknifed semi truck, skidding under trailer. Plaintiff suffered soft tissue injury to elbow, $1,600 in medical bills. Jury trial in which verdict of $85,000 was returned. This case settled for $120,000 after trial.

Driver of panel truck was passing another vehicle pulling a back-hoe on a trailer at an intersection when lead vehicle unexpectedly turned left into the path of the passing vehicle. Driver of panel truck died at the scene. Investigating officer found deceased driver at fault for passing at an intersection. Accident reconstruction found lead truck at least partially at fault. This case settled for $255,000 prior to trial.

Operator of “Cherry Picker” truck fractured ankle when truck turned over during cherry picker operation. Plaintiff sued on Products Liability theory for improper design of out-rigger system. This case settled prior to trial for $225,000.