Results
Defective Product, $1,250,000
69-year old man received flash burns that covered 90% of his body which required massive skin grafts to his legs. The accident happened due to a faulty valve in the propane heater. A major hurdle in this case was that the victim himself was being accused of damaging the valve that leaked the propane.
Medical Malpractice, $1,300,000
Doctors failed to cure a small foot ulcer in a 76-year old woman. As a result, she had to have foot, knee and hip-level amputations. She eventually died due to complications of a forced sedentary lifestyle that made her susceptible to the conditions which resulted in her death. A serious challenge in this case was that the victim was obese, diabetic and needed a walker to get around before the malpractice occurred so the insurance company argued that she was going to die soon anyway.
Dog Bite, $325,000 from a landlord whose rottweilers escaped and mauled a small boy.
Auto Accident, $100,000 for Mrs. H who was injured while riding in a taxi that was involved in a car accident.
Auto Accident Settlement, $400,000
The plaintiff was in her car when the defendant failed to yield the right of way and rammed into her vehicle. As a result of accident, the plaintiff suffered a serious neck injury for which she had to undergo neck surgery which was a complete success. The defense was that she was also at fault for the accident.
Pedestrian Trip and Fall on Sidewalk, $120,000
The plaintiff received bodily injuries after she trip and fell on a risen sidewalk section and fractured her left wrist. She had a good recovery. The defect in the sidewalk was clearly fault of city for creating a dangerous condition and then failing to fix it. The defense was that the accident was in broad daylight and she should have been watching where she was walking.
Auto Accident, $90,000
A reckless SUV driver was speeding and lost control and drove head on in to the car being driven by my client. The impact was so forceful that my client’s vehicle flipped over. Fortunately my client only suffered cervical neck and back sprains and had a full recovery. His injuries were not severe because he was wearing his seat belt.
Pedestrian Trip and Fall in Crosswalk, $80,000
65-year old woman tripped and fell in a crosswalk when her foot got caught in a large rut. As a result, she suffered bruises on her hands, knees, abdominal region and chest area. Liability clearly rested with the city for failing to repair this dangerous condition. The defense was that she should have been watching where she was walking and that her injuries were not very severe.
Pharmaceutical Malpractice, $65,000
62-year old African American woman was a victim of prescription error. She was given four times the dosage of a powerful pain patch which caused her to become dizzy and fall down her stairs at home. She suffered head and knee pain that lasted for a year. The liability clearly rested with the pharmacy who tried to defend the case by saying that plaintiff’s injuries were not very severe.
Golf Cart v. Pedestrian, $160,000
30-year old man got off the ferry and a golf cart drove up onto the back of his heel causing his ankle to get caught under the golf cart. He damaged his Achilles tendon but the damage was not severe enough to require surgery. The defense was that his injuries were not very severe.
Auto Accident Settlement, $500,000
80-year old female was crossing in the crosswalk and an inattentive driver (on his cell phone) made a left turn and hit the woman who suffered a serious head injury. Through complicated negotiations, Mr. Barry was able to get 90% of the medical bills waived for his client.
Automobile Accident, $150,000
50-year old African American was in the cross walk on his way to work when he was hit by an SUV and thrown onto the curb and suffered injuries, including but not limited to a serious wrist fracture. He returned to work shortly after the accident. The defense was that his injuries were not very severe.
Mechanical Bull Injury $85,000
The mechanical bull was 5 feet tall. My client was 4 feet tall which made it very difficult for her to mount it. The mechanical bull operators just sat in their seats 20 feet away and watched my client try three times to get up onto the bull. Later we learned from their boss that the riders were supposed to be assisted up onto the bull because many people have trouble climbing on. On my client’s fourth attempt, she failed again and when she fell back onto the inflated pads around the bull, her foot went into a crack between the two pads and broke her ankle! We also learned later from the bull owner that the pads had not been strapped together as was the usual rule (in order to keep them from spreading and becoming a danger for people to fall in between). My client’s ankle was still painful a year later but what made this case so difficult was that the law holds that when people engage in such inherently dangerous activities they assume the risk of being injured. We won a very good settlement by showing that the bull operators violated two of their own most important rules which would have prevented her from being injured.