Prior Settlements and Verdicts
Here are a few examples of cases we've handled:
Crime Victim's Rights
Molestation - Insurance Policy Limits - Victim was molested by her father for years and the Court issued a restraining order against him. While her grandfather was babysitting her, the grandfather allowed the father to see his daughter. During this visit, the father again molested his daughter. We recovered the grandfather's entire homeowner's policy for the victim.
Molestation - Insurance Policy Limits - Victim was molested by her friend's father. The friends grandparents also lived with them. Although Florida case law generally does not permit a claim against other adults in the house when one adult molests a child, we successfully proved that the molester had a prior molestation charge and the grandparents were aware of this. Since the grandparents knew their son was a sexual predator, we showed that they had a greater duty to warn our client.
Molestation - Insurance Policy Limits - Victim was 7 years old and severely autistic when she was molested in a private school by the janitor. Our client was not able to testify in the criminal trial or communicate the abuse and the janitor was released in the criminal case. After being retained, our investigation revealed a 911 call where a teacher called and reported that she found the janitor in the closet with the child with his hands down her pants. After reviewing the 911 tape, the insurance company for the school tendered their entire policy limit.
Sexual Assault - $confidential - Our client was sexually assaulted by a used car salesman while the salesman took her out for a test drive. Our investigation revealed a prior criminal complaint against the same car salesman one year prior for assaulting another car customer. Most shocking was that this prior assault occurred at the same car dealership and the dealership did nothing to prevent this from happening again.
Molestation - $confidential - 6 year old victim was molested by a pastor from her Church. The church officials then tried to pay off the victim's father, but Florida law requires Court approval for minor settlements and made their attempted pay-off invalid.
Molestation - $250,000.00 - Victim was molested by her neighbor at a trailer park. The trailer park company claimed to have done background checks on all residents prior to the incident, but failed to actually implement their background check program until after this incident. A prior check revealed a prior molestation charge against the neighbor, as well as a listing of over 5 other registered sex offenders living in the same community.
Shooting - $confidential - Victim was shot in the face and killed while sitting in a gas station.
Shooting - $confidential - Young high school student was shot in the face and became partially blind.
Shooting - Insurance Policy Limits from two companies - Our client was shot and killed after an acquaintance was playing with a gun and it discharged.
Drunk Driving Victims
$confidential - Client sustained neck and pain injuries after a drunk driver struck her vehicle. The drunk driver was driving a company vehicle at the time. Under Florida law, there are some cases in which an insurance company will have to pay for punitive damages.
$confidential - Client underwent epidural injections for a herniated disc after a drunk driver struck her vehicle. She was also covered under her underinsured motorist carrier.
$confidential - Young girl sustained a fractured arm after a drunk driver cut her off and slammed into the side of her vehicle.
$250,000.00 - Male sustained back injuries after he was rear-ended by a drunk driver. The drunk driver was killed on impact.
$100,000.00 (Policy Limit) - Client sustained soft tissue injuries to her back after being struck by a hit and run driver. The driver was caught and the police arrested her for DUI and hit and run.
Wrongful Death
$confidential - Father was killed after he was run over by three vehicles. He left behind a wife and several children.
Insurance Policy Limits from four companies - Mother of two was killed while crossing the street after she was run over by several vehicles.
Insurance Policy Limits from three companies - Young child was killed after he was burned in a fire. Two fire departments gave conflicted causes of the fire. We were able to prove that the fire was caused by the negligence of the home owner and the tenant. We recovered the policy limits from the renter's insurance, the homeowner's insurance and the homeowner's excess insurance.
$1,200,000.00 - Young girl was killed after her car was rear-ended by a truck.
$1,050,000.00 (Insurance Policy Limits) - Teenage girl was killed after the car that she was in struck a wall. She was not wearing her seat belt and struck her head after the impact.
Dram Shop Act - $confidential - Our client was 19 years old when he was served alcohol at a bar. When he left the bar, his impaired judgment put him in a car with a drunk driver. The drunk driver flipped the vehicle and our client was ejected. He died on impact.
Dram Shop Act - $confidential - 20 year old student was killed after he was served alcohol at a bar.
Car Accidents
$confidential - Client had multiple rib fractures after being rear-ended by a careless driver.
$confidential - Female passenger was injured when another driver lost control and struck her. She sustained scars on her arm.
$385,000.00 - Settlement for client who underwent a discectomy after a car accident.
$150,000.00 - Client had an aggravation of pre-existing back pain and had a minor back surgery after a car accident.
$100,000.00 (Policy Limits) - Client underwent epidural injections after she was injured when a car failed to stop at a red light and struck her vehicle.
$100,000.00 (Policy Limits) - Young girl underwent spinal injections for disc bulging after her car was rear-ended.
$100,000.00 (Policy Limits) - Settlement for a woman who sustained ununoperated disc herniation.
Cruise Ship Injuries
$confidential - Woman underwent multiple mouth surgeries after drinking a blended drink that the bartender accidentally blended with broken glass.
$confidential - Female passenger broke her knee after slipping on water near the pool area.
$confidential - Male cruise passenger was burned on a heat lamp as he reached for food on the buffet line.
$confidential - Woman was injured when she slipped and fell on food that was not cleaned up on the Lido deck.
$100,000.00 - Man sustained knee injuries after he slipped and fell on an oily buildup by the pool area while on a cruise.
Slip and Falls
$175,000.00 - Woman who slipped and fell down stairs at a hotel in Miami and injured her knee. She alleged that the carpet was frayed and caused her to lose her footing.
$confidential - Publix customer was injured when she slipped and fell on water near the ice machine. Inspection of the machine revealed leaking which was not properly cleaned.
$confidential - Client slipped and fell on lotion on the floor at Walmart and injured her back.
$confidential - Client tripped and fell on a box in the aisle of Walgreens and injured her back.
$confidential - Our client underwent shoulder surgery after a display chair fell off a rack and struck her at a Central Florida Walgreens store.
Insurance Bad Faith
$confidential - We received over 400x the insurance policy limit after our client sustained several fractures following a car accident. We successfully argued that the insurance company failed to property and timely tender their insured's policy limit.
$confidential - After the insurance company failed to tender their policy limit in a drunk driving crash where our client sustained soft tissue injuries, we filed suit. We recovered an excess judgment against the insurance company within a week of trial.