A verdict of $30 million won on behalf of a teenager who was severely injured when a 17 year old driver decided to flee police after running a stop sign. A separate settlement was reached with the insurer for two policemen involved in the chase in the amount of $905,000. While the policemen denied ramming the chased vehicle, thereby causing it to crash, I was able to find enough evidence that gave my client and his family a chance to convince a jury that the policemen used excessive force.
A verdict of $5 million was delivered on behalf of the mother of a deceased teenage daughter who had been murdered by another student who was receiving special education services at McClure North High School in St. Louis. A separate confidential settlement was reached with the insurers for the Special School District of St. Louis County, Ferguson Florissant School District and several teachers of those districts. After a long legal battle, it was determined that the special-ed student had committed violent acts at one school in the District and was then transferred to McClure North for a “change of scenery” but the receiving teachers were completely unaware of his previous violent history. This case resulted in the Safe Schools Act passed by the Missouri legislature, which requires that students' violent behavior records follow them from school to school.
A $520,000 settlement was reached on behalf of an elderly female who had been taking the diet drug Phen-Fen for a period of time. My client was diagnosed with heart valve problems.
A $420,000 settlement was reached on behalf of a 50 year old man whose bladder was negligently damaged during routine surgery. He now has permanent medical issues.
A $290,000 settlement was reached on behalf of an adult male client that was a passenger in a boat on Mark Twain Lake. The passengers and boat driver had been drinking when the driver ran into the shore at a high rate of speed, ejecting the passengers. My client had knee and shoulder surgery.
A $200,000 settlement was reached when a young female was thrown off the back of a golf cart striking her head on the pavement. A claim was made against the driver of the golf cart and her insurer resisted payment, claiming that my client was at fault.
A $200,000 settlement was reached on behalf of my client who was the driver of a pick up truck in Madison County, Illinois heading to St. Louis on Highway 55. A tailpipe on his truck fell off and he pulled over to the side of the highway. A truck driver coming over the hill left the paved portion of the highway and sideswiped the rear of my client’s pick up, causing extensive damage. My client initially had neck and back injuries that gradually worsened. This eventually led to surgery but the insurer questioned whether this was related to the highway incident.
A $325,000 settlement was reached when a bicyclist encountered a truck on the Great Rivers Greenway Bike Trail near the Arch in downtown St. Louis. This Trail is supposed to be for cyclists but it runs through an industrial area in downtown. Parts of the Trail are lined with chain link fence on both sides so the Trail narrows, allowing little space for people going both ways. There is no regulation for trucks in the industrial area through which the Trail runs and when a trucker saw a cyclist approaching from the opposite direction, he failed to take evasive action, such as stopping. The cyclist fell off the bike and a truck tire ran over his foot, causing extensive surgery.
My client was a construction worker performing pipe work when he fell into a hole on the job site. This resulted in cervical spinal surgery and left shoulder surgery. Although he was able to eventually perform some work after his surgeries, because of the limitations placed by doctors, the vocation rehabilitation expert I retained rendered the opinion that it would be very difficult for him to find employment. This case was settled on the basis of permanent total liability for $250,000.
