Injury & Accident Law

Nonlawyer accused of running law offices and $1.6M in thefts faces bankruptcy and tax charges

A Texas man who reportedly not only served as a law firm runner but allegedly was allowed by San Antonio attorneys, in exchange for a monthly flat fee, to settle cases on clients’ behalf was federally indicted Tuesday and is being held without bail. However, the claimed unauthorized practice of…

May 7, 2015 12:05 PM CDT

Law prof who alleged injury from a colleague’s shoulder squeeze is allowed to pursue assault suit

A law professor who alleges he was bullied by colleagues and injured when a professor grabbed and squeezed his shoulder may pursue claims of assault and battery, but not intentional infliction of emotional distress, a federal judge has ruled. In an April 30 opinion (PDF), U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary…

May 7, 2015 5:45 AM CDT

Airline crash occurred in Europe, but attorneys are pondering possible US lawsuit

A co-pilot’s intentional crash of a Germanwings flight last month, killing all 150 aboard, occurred in the French Alps. However, attorneys are considering bring a lawsuit seeking damages in the United States, because American law, unlike German law, provides for compensation for loss of future earnings and the emotional impact…

Apr 28, 2015 3:30 PM CDT

80-year-old lawyer won biggest case of his career last year

If you think success has eluded you, take heart: There’s still time to succeed. That’s the lesson in this Desert Sun story about an 80-year old California lawyer who last year won a $10.4 million judgment in a medical malpractice case, the biggest award of his career. The Palm Springs…

Apr 27, 2015 11:44 AM CDT

Permanently injured Cirque performers make do with workers’ comp

Athletes who perform with Cirque du Soleil risk their physical health for their performances, but they are usually treated like ordinary workers when they are injured. An analysis by the Wall Street Journal found that Cirque’s Ka show in Las Vegas ranked 79th in a list of 52,000 most dangerous…

Apr 24, 2015 10:57 AM CDT

Masked gunman in surprise ‘active shooter’ school drill traumatized teacher, federal lawsuit says

A surprise “active shooter” drill at a charter school in a rural Oregon community in 2013 was intended to help staff make better preparations to deflect real bullets, if such a situation ever occurs. No students were present on the in-service day when two masked, hooded, armed men appeared in…

Apr 21, 2015 11:35 AM CDT

GM bankruptcy filing in 2009 blocks economic loss claims in ignition-switch cases, judge rules

General Motors Co. is protected by its 2009 bankruptcy filing from being held liable for claims that arose prior to that date, a Manhattan bankruptcy judge ruled on Wednesday. The decision in the Chapter 11 case is expected to affect primarily vehicle owners claiming economic loss due to the diminished…

Apr 16, 2015 9:00 AM CDT

Window washer who survived 11-story fall is sued by driver whose car he struck

A news story about the miraculous survival of a window washer who fell from the roof of an 11-story building in San Francisco’s financial district last year credits a passing motorist with saving his life. Instead of hitting the pavement on California Street after he fell from a scaffold, Pedro…

Apr 14, 2015 9:05 AM CDT

Injured woman’s suit blames ‘zombies’ near Comic-Con, San Diego and driver

A pedestrian injured in an auto accident last year is blaming not only the driver but the walking dead and the city of San Diego. In a recent lawsuit, Cynthia Campbell says the city failed to properly permit and plan for Zombie Walk: San Diego. As a result, driver Matthew…

Apr 7, 2015 11:25 AM CDT

Appeals court ruling reviving $40M courthouse-renovation asbestos suit will go to state’s top court

Survivors of a woman who worked for 27 years at a Missouri courthouse before dying of mesothelioma settled her case against U.S. Engineering several years ago for a record $10.4 million. But a related class-action is still ongoing. It seeks a $40 million medical monitoring for other former employees and…

Apr 6, 2015 3:05 PM CDT

Jury awards $150M against Fiat Chrysler in fiery death of boy, 4, after Jeep is rear-ended

A jury in rural Georgia on Thursday awarded $150 million against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV in the death of a four-year-old boy in a fiery rear-end crash. It found the automaker 99 percent responsible, due to the position of the gas tank in the 1999 Jeep Grand Cherokee., for the…

Apr 3, 2015 8:00 AM CDT

Judge calls $600K legal fee in fast-track $1.5M settlement for woman punched by cop ‘unconscionable’

Noting that it took only about three months for a California lawyer to get a $1.5 million settlement concerning police conduct videotaped by a passing motorist, a federal judge last week described the attorney’s fee of over $600,000 charged by lawyer Caree Harper as “unconscionable.” However, although U.S. District Judge…

Mar 24, 2015 10:40 AM CDT

Lawyer and wife win $26M jury verdict; defendant cab company immediately files bankruptcy

A former Chicago lawyer who was left brain damaged by a 2005 taxicab accident on an Illinois highway was awarded nearly $26 million, along with his wife, in a Tuesday evening jury verdict in Cook County Circuit Court. But within hours the defendant in the case, Yellow Cab Affiliation, had…

Mar 18, 2015 4:20 PM CDT

Documents show GM knew of ignition-switch issue, says plaintiff’s lawyer in leading case

Following a settlement last week in a high-profile ignition-switch case that sparked a massive General Motors recall, plaintiff’s lawyers involved in the case are saying that documents obtained in discovery show the company was involved in a cover-up. An internal report by Jenner & Block partner Anton Valukas found “a…

Mar 16, 2015 3:25 PM CDT

Families of some Sandy Hook victims file suit against estate of shooter’s mom and town

Last year, families of 9 victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting filed suit against the maker of the Bushmaster AR-15 rifle that Adam Lanza used in the massacre. This year, many of the same families also sued the estate of Lanza’s mother and the school, reports the Hartford…

Mar 16, 2015 11:05 AM CDT