Verdicts & Settlements

3 Deaths When Boat Sank

3 fathers/husbands approx. 30 years of age

3 Deaths When Boat Sank

14’ bass boat manufactured by Champion Boats Inc. had insufficient flotation foam and did not meet U.S. Coast Guard standards. When it sank, all three men died of hypothermia/drowning.

3 Deaths When Boat Sank

Shawnee County, Kansas District Court. Lead counsel was Topeka attorney John J. Bryan.

Murder in Veterans Hospital by Nurse

Honorably discharged WWII veteran, Purple Heart winner, husband and father

Murder in Veterans Hospital by Nurse

Nurse murdered the patient within 17 hours of hospital admission. Registered nurse at VA Hospital in Columbia, Missouri had been negligently retained in his position.

Murder in Veterans Hospital by Nurse

United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri  204 F. 3d 815 (8^th Cir. 2000)

Police Raid of Wrong House

46 year-old husband and father of three

Police Raid of Wrong House

Man was at home asleep with his wife and daughter when raid by three law enforcement agencies (25 officers) in middle of night led to his being shot and killed.

Police Raid of Wrong House

United States District Court for the District of Kansas

Seven Deaths in House Fire

2 mothers, 4 children & friend

Seven Deaths in House Fire

Two mothers, four children, and a guest all died due to smoke inhalation in a re-worked duplex. Worst house fire in history of Kansas City.

Seven Deaths in House Fire

Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court

Severed Catheter of Dialysis Patient

74 year-old WWII veteran

Severed Catheter of Dialysis Patient

Dialysis nurse severed the patient’s Tessio catheter causing major blood loss, brain stem infarct, Code 1 unresponsiveness, seizures, prolonged hospitalization, and permanent life changes.

Severed Catheter of Dialysis Patient

Jackson County, Missouri, Circuit Court

Buried Penis Due to Circumcision

6 year-old boy

Buried Penis Due to Circumcision

Circumcision of infant boy led to retraction of penis into his body. He was left with no external penis. This is known to result from negligently performed circumcisions.

Buried Penis Due to Circumcision

Saline County, Kansas District Court

Surgery-Caused Paralysis

45 year-old husband and father

Surgery-Caused Paralysis

Patient walked into hospital for odontoid surgery. During surgery, impact was made with spinal cord. At that moment, he became a quadriplegic for life.

Surgery-Caused Paralysis

Jackson County, Missouri  Circuit Court

Unsafe Nursing Home Equipment 

Widow and daughter

Unsafe Nursing Home Equipment 

nursing home resident Patient was placed into a bed with defective bed rail. This led to a fractured hip which, in turn, led to death.

Unsafe Nursing Home Equipment

Wyandotte County, Kansas District Court

Excessive Force Death of Teenager

Plaintiff is mother of 17-year old deceased son

Excessive Force Death of Teenager

Police officers chased scared teenager fleeing in handcuffs after shoplifting arrest. Officer put knee on heart and hand on neck, causing death.

Excessive Force Death of Teenager

United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri

Child Dies in Bullying Incident

Mother and father of deceased teenage son

Child Dies in Bullying Incident

School District and teenage assailants were sued after high school student was killed in bullying incident.

Child Dies in Bullying Incident

Johnson County, Kansas  District Court

Retaliation for Reporting Misconduct

Municipal Police Officer

Retaliation for Reporting Misconduct

Police officer was terminated by city after disclosing misconduct of police chief and other city officials, specifically including the falsification of police documents.

Retaliation for Reporting Misconduct

United States District Court for Western District of Missouri

False Arrest and Race Discrimination

25 year-old man, former Capt. of Kansas State Wildcat Football Team

False Arrest and Race Discrimination

African-American man entered bank to conduct business. Police were summoned to detain him in the parking lot. United States District Judge condemned this as race discrimination in a 39-page opinion.

False Arrest and Race Discrimination

United States District Court for the District of Kansas

Severe Injuries in Fall From Scaffolding

54 year-old husband and father

Severe Injuries in Fall From Scaffolding

Platform on scaffolding was inadequately secured at corners, causing collapse of platform with,severe leg injuries to man who had multiple ,surgeries and changed life. Lawsuit was against manufacturer and the seller of the product.

Severe Injuries in Fall From Scaffolding

Shawnee County, Kansas  District Court

Wrongful Death in Forklift Tip-Over

43 year-old husband and father

Wrongful Death in Forklift Tip-Over

During dismantling of silo, forklift with telescoping boom tipped over, resulting in death of man working in the basket. Lawsuit was against the manufacturer and the rental company.

Wrongful Death in Forklift Tip-Over

Shawnee County, Kansas  District Court

Amputation of Foot and Ankle

22 year-old man

Amputation of Foot and Ankle

Paver equipment caused young man to lose his lower leg through traumatic amputation by auger. Lawsuit was against manufacturer.

Amputation of Foot and Ankle

Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court

Amputation of Leg Above Knee

35 year-old husband and father

Amputation of Leg Above Knee

Grain elevator worker lost leg in below-floor auger. Lawsuit was against manufacturer of product as well as installers.

Amputation of Leg Above Knee

Kansas State Court

Defective Catwalk

Husband and father

Defective Catwalk

Man suffered back fractures due to defective catwalk. In particular, the safety chain was improperly fastened. Lawsuit was against engineer, contractor and fabricator.

Defective Catwalk

Atchison County, Kansas District Court

Misrepresentation About Flooding History

Mother and father and children

Misrepresentation About Flooding History

Home sellers misrepresented flooding nature  of area and home. Children almost drowned during flood.

Misrepresentation About Flooding History

Johnson County, Kansas District Court

Bondsman’s Seizing Wrong Person

Young Cuban immigrant

Bondsman’s Seizing Wrong Person

Bonding company took brother of bonded person into custody, despite protestations as to true identity. The first trial yielded a favorable 3 S.W. 3d 891 (Mo. App. verdict for actual damages. The Missouri W.D. 1999) Court of Appeals ordered a second trial on punitive damages only, and those were awarded.

Bondsman’s Seizing Wrong Person

Jackson County, Missouri Circuit Court

Bondsman Framed Sheriff’s Deputies

2 deputy sheriffs

Bondsman Framed Sheriff’s Deputies

Criminal accused deputies of beating him, but later admitted that bondsman had done it. Bondsman told the criminal that he needed to say the police beat him.

Bondsman Framed Sheriff’s Deputies

Cass County, Missouri  Circuit Court

False Accusations Toward Nurse

Professional woman and mother

False Accusations Toward Nurse

Nurse was subjected to arrest warrant despite fact that insufficient funds check had been paid. She was taken into custody, transferred between law enforcement agencies, and given a court date before case was eventually dismissed.

False Accusations Toward Nurse

Pettis County, Missouri Circuit Court