Practice Areas
These are a few examples of the kinds of cases we have litigated in the past:
Oregon Federal District Court Case No. CV01-1348-HU
Fifty construction workers were exposed to a toxic chemical while constructing a chemical weapons incinerator. They were working within a few hundred yards of a large stockpile of aging chemical weapons, some of which were known to be leaking. However, the workers were told that there was no danger of exposure. After the event air monitoring indicated detections of chemical agent in the building where they were working. The case against the corporate defendants settled for a confidential amount.
Oregon Federal District Court Case No. CV06-1603-KI
Four salesmen at a local automobile dealership were repeatedly exposed to racial discrimination by co-workers and managers while their employer failed to adequately respond to repeated complaints. The employer allowed the behavior to continue and actually promoted one individual who had made racist remarks. The case was tried in federal court where a jury returned a unanimous verdict for $19 million, in large part to punish the company and prevent it from continuing this conduct in the future.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0612-12662
A woman was critically injured and suffered a brain injury when a piece of industrial equipment caused a massive vehicle collision. The equipment had not been fixed or taken out of service after the manufacturer and the owner of the learned of the dangerous defect. Instead, it continued to be operated on a public roadway in a condition known to be dangerous. The case settled for a confidential amount.
Unfiled Motor Vehicle Crash Claim
A young man was standing on the side of a road when he was hit by a drunk driver. He was partially paralyzed and unable to work for an extended period of time. The case settled before a lawsuit was filed for $1,370,000.00. This money was used to pay his large amount of medical bills and the remainder was placed into a trust fund to support him and his family to allow him to get training for a job that he is physically capable of doing.
Unfiled Automobile Insurance Coverage Case
A young woman was seriously injured in an automobile crash. Her insurance coverage involved five different companies in separate states. Through negotiation, she received a waiver of over $700,000.00 in medical insurance reimbursement and obtained $600,000.00 in insurance proceeds that were placed into a trust fund to pay for her future medical needs and cover her lost wages.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0403‑02830
An overhead cable technician was injured when his employer sent him to work on a line that had been attached to a telephone pole in a dangerous manner that violated state and federal safety standards. He was not warned of the dangerous condition. The worker suffered a permanent injury when the cable detached from the pole, causing the worker to fall and badly break his hip. He required surgery and was unable to return to work for an extended period. At trial, the jury returned a verdict for $618,000.00. As a result, the worker was able to pay his medical bills, obtain training for a new job that he was physically capable of doing, and care for his family.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0502-01565
A woman fell over a portion of partially destroyed sidewalk in front of a business located by a bus stop. The danger was not visible to pedestrians walking from a bus stop. The woman suffered a badly broken arm and a torn rotator cuff in her shoulder that required surgery. As a result, she couldn't return to her job as a housekeeper in an assisted living facility so that she could support her family. The case settled before trial for $175,000.00 in insurance proceeds, allowing the woman to pay her medical bills and make up for her lost income.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0612-12535
A woman’s hip was broken and required surgery when she fell off of an unmarked step at the dark entrance of a local restaurant where there was no handrail. She incurred substantial medical bills and was forced into assisted living for a time when she was caring for her ill husband. During the three years prior to this injury at least three other people had fallen and been injured because of the dangerous step. In spite of this, the restaurant chain failed to simply fix the step to make it safer. The case settled before trial for $105,000.00 in insurance proceeds. It wasn't until after this lawsuit was filed, and after yet another patron was injured, that the step was finally corrected to make it safe for employees and customers.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0501-00708
A woman was injured when a driver fell asleep at the wheel and crashed into her car. The at-fault driver had a documented history of chronic sleepiness and ignored advice against driving tired. The case settled for the insurance policy limits of $100,000.00.
Multnomah County Circuit Court Case No. 0702-01849
A young woman suffered a broken femur because of a vehicle crash caused by another person. She required surgery and was unable to work for several months. Her insurance company, however, was unwilling to pay her the full limits of her insurance policy so that she could pay her medical bills and recover her lost wages. Through a pre-trial settlement she recovered over $75,000.00 in insurance benefits that had been denied by her insurance company.