Member Firm Trial Successes

Recent Successful Verdicts

The following is a sampling of the successful recent USLAW member law firm verdicts

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC partners Steve Bullington and Cory Tyszka obtained a unanimous defense verdict for a medical malpractice case. This wrongful death case involved allegations of medical malpractice arising from a radiologist’s report of no deep venous thrombosis (“DVT”) on review of a 49-year-old patient’s venous Doppler ultrasound after she presented to the emergency department with calf pain and swelling following a foot fracture. Almost three weeks later, the patient suddenly collapsed and died,… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith Miami partner Jaime Baca and associate Danielle Carlsen were awarded a complete defense verdict in September while representing a major retailer in a slip and fall case. The plaintiff alleged to have incurred five different herniated disks from a forward fall onto her knee and arm, ultimately undergoing a 2-level lumbar fusion, several injections, and a right shoulder arthroscopy. Plaintiff had $280,000 in past medical bills and asked the jury for a total… Continue Reading

Williams Kastner attorneys Rodney L. Umberger and Eddy Silverman, with the help of Seattle paralegal Tristan Pirak, recently obtained a defense verdict in a $50 million premises liability/product liability case following a three-week in-person trial in King County, Washington, with Superior Court Judge Chad Allred presiding. The case, Strout v. Walmart, arose out of allegations that Walmart and others were at fault for paraplegia injuries the plaintiff sustained as a result of a fall out of a second-story… Continue Reading

On Friday, January 19, 2024, Amundsen Davis partners Dennis Cotter and Jack Sanker successfully obtained a not-guilty defense jury verdict in favor of a major Chicago-area rail carrier in a Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA) case. The plaintiff was represented by one of the leading plaintiff FELA firms in Chicago. The case was tried in Cook County (IL) Circuit Court, traditionally considered one of the nation's most plaintiff-friendly jurisdictions. The plaintiff’s claimed damages included disability, disfigurement,… Continue Reading

Moran Reeves & Conn attorneys Shyrell A. Reed, Taylor D. Brewer, and Sophia M. Brasseux obtained a dismissal of a wrongful death case against a hospital in Virginia two months before trial. The case involved the failure to diagnose and treat a sacral pressure ulcer. Just after Reed deposed plaintiff’s causation and damages expert, plaintiff’s counsel took a non-suit. Continue Reading

On December 12, 2022, attorneys Ted Martin and Shereen McDaniel obtained a defense verdict in a medical professional liability case in the Circuit Court of Harrison County, West Virginia. Plaintiffs (husband and wife) alleged that a diagnostic radiologist deviated from the standard of care in the work-up of a palpable breast mass, which delayed the diagnosis of breast cancer. Plaintiffs sought damages for past medical expenses and the maximum amount of noneconomic damages recoverable under… Continue Reading

Baird Holm’s Creditors’ Rights team, led by partner Jeremy Hollembeak, obtained a favorable decision from the New York Bankruptcy Court last week. The Court held that litigation brought by the firm’s client against a non-debtor party that sold it bankruptcy claims under false pretenses was not barred by a previously confirmed Chapter 11 plan and would be allowed to proceed in state court. This decision is a must-read for those staying current on the evolving… Continue Reading

After successfully representing Encompass Health in its Certificate of Need Application to establish a 50-bed Rehabilitation Hospital Center in Johnston, Rhode Island, before the Rhode Island Department of Health, Adler Pollock & Sheehan (AP&S) defended the objectors’ appeals of that CON approval ending all legal challenges.  On August 26, 2020, the Director of the Rhode Island Department of Health, Nicole Alexander-Scott, M.D., MPH, issued her decision approving the Application; however, following the objectors’ administrative appeal,… Continue Reading

Max Gershenoff, Janice DiGennaro, and Yonatan Bernstein successfully defended Wigdor LLP, a prominent Manhattan law firm that specializes in cases involving sexual harassment and misconduct, against claims that it engaged in supposed wrongdoing while representing one of its clients. In Black v. Ganieva, et al., S.D.N.Y. Case No. 1:21-cv-08824-PAE, billionaire plaintiff Leon Black had alleged in federal court that Wigdor made defamatory statements and committed RICO violations while representing its client in connection with a… Continue Reading

Rivkin Radler's partners David Grill and David Gise won a critical victory to usher in 2024 for a major New York City restaurateur from Hon. Arthur F. Engoron of the New York Supreme Court related to a complex but important dispute over the right of a lienor to file multiple mechanic’s liens when the initial lien had been dismissed with prejudice. Following service of demand for an itemized statement of a mechanic’s lien filed by… Continue Reading

Michael Sirignano, Steve Henesy and Garin Scollan of Rivkin Radler LLP in Uniondale, New York, secured an important summary judgment victory in a Civil RICO action in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The case involved allegations of a wide-ranging fraudulent scheme to pay kickbacks in exchange for patient referrals. Continue Reading

Wicker Smith (South Florida) Wicker Smith Miami Partner Jaime Baca and Associate Alina Gonzalez obtained a defense verdict in an automobile negligence case on behalf of United Automobile Insurance Company in Miami-Dade County in February. This was an admitted liability case resulting from a minor motor vehicle accident. Plaintiff claimed injuries to her neck and back, but mostly focused on injuries to her right shoulder, for which she underwent an arthroscopic procedure. The medical bills… Continue Reading

On October 5, 2023, a litigation team led by Hanson Bridgett partner Alexandra Atencio secured the dismissal of a putative class-action lawsuit on behalf of long-time clients the Golden Gate Bridge Highway &  Transportation District (District) and the Bay Area Toll Authority (BATA). “The dismissal is a testament to the collaboration and resilience that so many of our attorneys put forth throughout the lengthy duration of this case,” said Atencio. “We are thrilled about this… Continue Reading

On January 13, 2023, the Nebraska Supreme Court confirmed dismissal of an alleged personal injury claim against Baird Holm’s client, Concordia University. This is an important win for businesses and educational institutions because it solidified that these entities may take reasonable steps to protect themselves against personal injury claims. David Kennison was lead counsel for Concordia University and argued the case before the Nebraska Supreme Court. Continue Reading

Bovis Kyle attorneys Christina Gulas and Edward “Ward” Pankowski obtained a defense verdict following a three-day jury trial in Gwinnett County, Georgia. The trial was the culmination of a lawsuit that stemmed from a December 26, 2015, fall at the defendant’s used car lot. During closing arguments, plaintiff’s counsel asked the jury to award $640,000 to the plaintiff in damages. The defense focused on the plaintiff’s history of slip and falls dating back to 1991,… Continue Reading

On July 15, 2022, Sweeney & Sheehan Partner Michael Kunsch won a unanimous defense verdict in a product liability case following a 4-day jury trial in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The plaintiff sustained injuries after falling from a steel rolling tower scaffold in the course of his employment as a union carpenter. In a significant pretrial ruling, District Judge Mark Kearney predicted that the Pennsylvania Supreme Court will overrule its longstanding categorical preclusion of… Continue Reading

With the help of the client’s industry contacts, the Rivkin Radler team, consisting of Jeffrey Rust, Michael Cannata and Frank Misiti, was able to track down the New York headquarters of an international counterfeiting operation whose reach extended all the way to the shores of Dubai. Specifically, the Rivkin Radler team was able to identify not only the shell corporations behind the illicit scheme, but also the individual responsible for spearheading its operation which sought… Continue Reading

Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC attorneys Sam Fox and Morgan Villers obtained an award of summary judgment for their client in the Circuit Court  of Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The client, a Greenbrier County physician, had been sued for alleged medical negligence involving the interpretation and analysis of a tissue specimen obtained through a needle biopsy. The Court granted summary judgment on the basis that the plaintiff had failed to prove that the physician had proximately… Continue Reading

Attorney Mark J. McGhee of Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso PLLC obtained a dismissal of all claims against seven current or former employees of the City of Parkersburg, including the mayor, fire chief, and former chief of police. The City of Parkersburg employees were sued for alleged civil rights violations related to the enforcement of zoning ordinances and the arrest of the Plaintiff. Plaintiff claimed that his 1st, 4th, and 14th Amendment rights were violated. The case… Continue Reading

New York’s Appellate Division, First Department handed Century 21 another critical and decisive legal victory in the ongoing dispute over the fate of the famed department store. Century 21’s longstanding right to remain in its flagship store in lower Manhattan was fiercely challenged by its landlord who claimed that Century 21’s leasehold interest had been effectively terminated in January 2022.  Rivkin Radler’s team, led by Managing Partner Evan Krinick and Partners David Grill and Evan… Continue Reading

Casey Murphy, Greg Mann, and Brian Feld of Rivkin Radler LLP in Uniondale, New York, obtained a summary judgment award in the Southern District of New York of over half a million dollars for the firm’s client. The case was brought on behalf of a high-end jeweler against the professional boxer, Gervonta Davis, for failure to pay for three pieces of merchandise. In December 2019, Rivkin Radler’s client delivered a diamond-encrusted charm with Davis’ nickname, “Tank,”… Continue Reading

After a two-week in-person jury trial in Kleberg County (Kingsville, Texas), Mike Magee and Brian Armstrong, MehaffyWeber shareholders received a complete defense verdict in a negligence/death case for their client, Hunter Industries, Ltd. (“Hunter”). In February 2017, two young men were driving together on a clear afternoon in Refugio County on US 77 when their vehicle ran off the road and vaulted into the San Antonio River. Tragically, both young men drowned. The families of… Continue Reading

Patrick E. Foppe, member of Lashly & Baer, P.C. in St. Louis, Missouri, recently obtained summary judgment for American Millenium Insurance Company (AMIC). Zurich and Amazon had sued AMIC in an insurance dispute seeking more than $10 million in damages. The United States  district Court for the Western District of Missouri found that AMIC owed no legal duties to Zurich and Amazon in AMIC’s handling of an underlying wrongful death trucking accident case. Amazon Logistics,… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith Orlando partners Kurt Spengler and Melissa Woodward and associate Jacqueline Bourdon recently obtained a defense verdict in a general liability case in Osceola County, Florida. Plaintiff in this case alleged that while she was dining at a popular national restaurant chain, a single arm of a paddle fan unexpectedly fell and struck her, causing injuries to her neck, back and left shoulder. She underwent neck surgery under a letter of protection and claimed… Continue Reading

A team from Hanson Bridgett LLP successfully defended Leprino Foods Company, the world’s largest mozzarella cheese maker and top producer of whey protein and dairy ingredients, in a class action in which the plaintiffs sought more than $100 million for alleged non-compliant meal and rest breaks at the company's largest plant in Lemoore, California. After a four-week jury trial in federal court in Fresno, California, the jury returned a unanimous defense verdict after just over an… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith Orlando shareholders Richards Ford and Patrick Mixson recently obtained a defense verdict following an eight-day medical malpractice trial in Hernando County, Florida. They represented the hospital in a case involving the alleged failure to diagnose a bowel perforation following a laparoscopic gynecological surgery performed on the day before the first of three straight days of presentation to the ER. Plaintiff claimed that the co-defendant surgeon negligently perforated her bowel during the surgery and failed to recognize it,… Continue Reading

Sweeney & Sheehan Partner Robyn Farrell McGrath recently represented a commercial property owner and received a compulsory non-suit at the end of the plaintiff’s case in a premises liability action tried in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas. The 51-year-old plaintiff had suffered bilateral lower extremity fractures after falling from a 16’ extension ladder and was claiming permanent disability because of his injuries. Plaintiff sued both a tenant and the property owner, arguing that… Continue Reading

Hinckley Allen attorneys successfully represented two Connecticut media companies in their efforts to access information regarding a highly publicized Connecticut State Police ticketing scandal. The Connecticut State Police Union sought an injunction in state court seeking to block the Connecticut State Police, in response to media inquiries, from releasing the names of 130 state troopers allegedly implicated in falsifying traffic tickets to skew racial profiling data. Hinckley Allen attorneys, representing two local publications, The Connecticut… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith Orlando partners Richards Ford and Patrick Mixson obtained a defense verdict following a seven-day wrongful death medical malpractice case in Osceola County, Florida. The plaintiff, the estate of the deceased, claimed on behalf of his surviving spouse that the 57-year-old decedent died from a pulmonary embolism two days after an arthroscopic meniscectomy surgery performed by the firm’s client, an orthopedic surgeon, in December 2014. The plaintiff claimed that the firm’s client improperly failed… Continue Reading

Warren Wise and Michele Smith of MehaffyWeber in Houston recently obtained summary judgment in a multi-million-dollar, on-the-job personal injury lawsuit pending in the 129th Judicial District Court of Harris County, Texas. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff alleged he fell off the second floor of a home during construction and, as a result, brought negligence and gross negligence claims against the general contractor on the project, seeking in excess of $8 million in past and future… Continue Reading

Rivkin Radler’s expertise was on full display in a series of appellate victories on behalf of a commercial real estate client. The team of Erez Glambosky, Jeremy Honig and Henry Mascia, all partners in the firm, worked on behalf of a client, a commercial tenant operating a parking garage in Manhattan. The client faced an onslaught of eviction attempts by its landlord, who alleged that our client failed to repair a parking garage as required… Continue Reading

Moran Reeves & Conn’s healthcare team attorneys Shyrell A. Reed and Sophia Brasseux recently obtained a dismissal with prejudice in a wrongful death case for a hospital in Virginia several months before the trial date. The matter involved the alleged failure by the hospital to appropriately staff its emergency department and to provide appropriate care and treatment of a two-year-old who presented with flu-like symptoms. Plaintiffs alleged that the hospital was negligent in discharging the child… Continue Reading

Jones, Skelton & Hochuli, PLC Partners Steve Bullington and Cory Tyzska obtained a unanimous defense verdict for a medical malpractice case.  This case involved allegations of medical malpractice arising from a neurologist’s workup of a patient’s complaints of left-sided symptoms of weakness, shaking, and loss of control.  Six weeks after the workup, the patient suffered a stroke and has residual permanent injuries. Plaintiff alleged that the neurologist was negligent for failing to order vascular imaging,… Continue Reading

In this trucking lawsuit, Mike Magee and Mark Appling of MehaffyWeber represented the involved tractor-trailer driver (Greg Nava), the roadway construction company that employed him (Curran Contracting Company), and the construction company’s parent company (Curran Group). Thomas J. Henry represents Plaintiff, David Gonzales. Nava rear-ended Plaintiff after making a wide left turn from a highway access road onto Rigsby Avenue in San Antonio. The involved drivers’ accounts differed as to events leading up to the… Continue Reading

After six years of litigation and a week in trial, a dismissal with prejudice was entered for defendant Louisville Ladder Company due to impeachment evidence against plaintiff Richard Skinner. Friedrich W. Seitz and Kelsey L. Maxwell represented the defendant. The case began on May 6, 2016, when the plaintiff sued Louisville Ladder Company because of a fall from a ladder on May 18, 2014, which shattered his left calcaneus. On the eve of trial, the court granted the defendant’s… Continue Reading

Partners Kevin Crews and Ashley Withers and associate Lindsey Grossman of Wicker Smith’s Naples office, obtained a defense verdict in a medical malpractice case in Collier County, Florida. This case arose from an alleged missed diagnosis of an epidural abscess, leading to initial paralysis and then long-term upper and lower extremity deficits. Wicker Smith represented the hospital, the hospitalist who ordered the imaging, the infectious disease physician and a physician’s assistant, but not the radiologist… Continue Reading

On September 29, 2022, Jones Skelton & Hochuli partners Michael Ludwig and Jack Klecan obtained a defense verdict in a premises liability case following a four-day trial in Maricopa County Superior Court. The plaintiff sustained permanent injuries to her face and back following a fall at a business center which defendants landscaped. Plaintiff asked for $1.2 million in damages during closing. The defense maintained it did not breach the standard of care.  After deliberating for two hours,… Continue Reading

Wicker Smith (Central Florida) Wicker Smith Orlando Partner Michael D’Lugo and Naples Partners Kevin Crews and Heidi Panepinto, recently prevailed in an appellate matter heard by the Florida Sixth District Court of Appeal. The underlying matter involved injuries allegedly sustained in a dog bite incident that occurred on a Naples boat dock in April 2017. Plaintiff claimed that he suffered injuries to his hip, back, and neck, as a result of the incident; and, over… Continue Reading

Pion Law attorneys John Pion, Jim Girman and Jordan Hettrich recently obtained a defense verdict following a week-long trial in Federal Court in Erie, Pennsylvania. The case, Robert Repa and Jean Repa v. Frank Napierkowski and Hilltrux Tank Lines, Inc., stemmed from a May 2, 2018, incident in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania. Plaintiffs alleged that on the night of the incident, Frank Napierkowski, a driver for Hilltrux Tank Lines, Inc., struck Robert Repa as Mr. Repa,… Continue Reading

After more than 10-plus years of litigation, including three appeals to the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, Flaherty Sensabaugh Bonasso attorneys Timothy L. Mayo and Jason Proctor were successful on behalf of the City of Charleston, West Virginia, in securing the termination of a law enforcement officer who had exhibited a pattern and practice of misconduct in the discharge of his official duties. The years of misconduct led to a need to remove the… Continue Reading

This case arose from a fatal crash near Jackson, Mississippi. Carolyn Crechale, age 81, was driving a Cadillac sedan when she changed lanes on the interstate and collided with another vehicle. This initial accident was a “fender bender.” Crechale remained stopped in the interstate while the other vehicle moved to the shoulder. She remained stopped for approximately 10-15 minutes and spent 8 and a half minutes on her phone. David Brooks was operating a tractor-trailer… Continue Reading

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