Products Liability, Personal Injury - Complex case involving three defendants in which the plaintiff fell through an unguarded hole in the floor of a modular home that was under assembly. Issues included manufacturer's control over contractor, manufacturer's own negligence, contractor's liability, contributory negligence by plaintiff. After mediation, this case settled for $3,050,000.
Business - Business Divorce. Client and defendant were partners in a number of restaurants. Defendant locked client out and took over without basis, claiming client was incompetent and that the businesses had little if any value. Settled for $1,750,000.
Business - Interference With Business. Multi-million dollar international company targeted the customers of our small business client. Engaged in various dirty tricks. Client sued. Defendant counterclaimed that client had improperly hired one of his employees during non-compete period. After a five day trial, verdict for $1,300,000.
Personal Injury - Automobile Accident. Client forced off road by defendant and suffered serious injuries. Client was driving without license. Defendant contended he was contributorily negligent. Case settled for $1,250,000.
Medical Malpractice - Delayed Diagnosis of Breast Cancer. Client found lump in her breast. OB failed to examine her properly, failed to detect lump, and sent her for the wrong follow-up test. Radiologist failed to perform the proper test and failed to detect the lump on the test they did perform. Hospital's unwritten policy prevented performance of the proper test given the OB's order for the wrong test. The cancer was detected a year later when the appropriate tests were conducted. It had more than doubled in size. Client had to have mastectomy and reconstruction instead of a simple lumpectomy, as well as more serious radiation and chemo therapy. Case settled for $1,000,000.
Business - Theft of Trade Secrets. The defendant terminated a joint venture with our client and misappropriated software the client created for the venture. The client alleged that the software was novel and would have been enormously successful but for the defendant's failure to support and market it properly. The defendant alleged that it did not steal the software and that the product failed in the market because it was not effective. The case settled for $900,000.
Nursing Home - Alarm Failure, Death. The client's husband had been moved to the nursing home approximately one month before he was found on the floor of his room. The alarm on his person was inoperative. The facility contended that it had done nothing wrong and that any error it may have committed did not cause the client's husband's death. The case settled for $800,000.
Personal Injury - Truck Accident (NC). Client was injured when the defendant ran a red light north of Charlotte. Client had serious back and shoulder issues and chronic pain. The defendant claimed the issues pre-existed the accident and were not caused by it. On the first day of trial, before testimony began, this case settled for $700,000.
Employment - Breach of Employment Contract. Client, the CEO of a public company, was terminated by new investors who took over the company. The company refused to honor his employment contract which provided for various benefits and payments on termination, and refused to pay him bonus that he would be to if a proposed merger went through. The case settled for approximately $550,000.
Employment - Theft of Trade Secrets, Failure to Pay Wages. Client was employed by defendant as a chief scientist. Defendant, when downsizing, promised Client a bonus after a period of time if he did not leave. Later Defendant cut his whole department so that he had no work. He left then for a competitor. Defendant, which did not have a non-compete agreement with him, refused to pay the bonus and sued him, alleging he had taken trade secrets. This case settled shortly before trial. Defendant dropped the claims against client and paid the bonus and attorney's fees, approximately $160,000.
Personal Injury - Automobile Accident (NC). Client collided with a bull on a country road in NC. Farmer denied liability, said client was contributorily negligent, and dispute her injuries. On the eve of trial, the case settled for $140,000.
