Anonymous Plaintiffs v. Anonymous Tire Manufacture and Anonymous Automobile Manufacturer

Total settlement of $16,000,000 (Etowah County). Plaintiffs were members of a church near Gadsden, Alabama who were traveling to a retreat in Florida when their van overturned due a design defect in the tires as well as with the van.

Gilliland v. Asplundh Tree Expert Co.

Settlement of $4,400,000 (Autauga County). An Asplundh truck hit and killed Mr. Gilliland. The investigation revealed that the driver's employer, Asplundh, failed to do any background investigation of the driver's previous employment despite regulations requiring such background checks.

Sue Ryan v. Hayes

$1,106,141.50 (Limestone County). Sue Ryan was victimized by assault and rape by an escaped convict from the Limestone Correctional Facility operated by the State of Alabama Department of Corrections. The inmate should never have been allowed to work on a chain gang due to his poor disciplinary record, but the prison reclassification officer failed to act on the inmate's reclassification for more than thirty days -----allowing the paperwork to sit on his desk. While out on a work detail, the inmate shook off his leg irons and escaped from the prison guard. Suit was brought against the leg iron manufacturer from Birmingham, England as well as the state prison officials responsible. The trial judge initially ruled that the case could not proceed due to existing Alabama law, but this ruling was appealed to the Alabama Supreme Court. In this reported decision, the Alabama Supreme Court reversed the trial judge and allowed the case to proceed. The leg iron manufacturer initially settled and then the Alabama Department of Risk Management eventually paid the limits available to the plaintiff and certain others injured by the inmate although none as badly as Mrs. Ryan.

Betty Wright v. Anonymous Insurance Company

Settlement of $700,000 (Lawrence County). Plaintiff purchased health insurance and developed breast cancer later. The insurance company more than doubled her premiums after learning of the condition.

Bonnie Clements v. Anonymous Battery Charger Manufacturer

$350,000(Blount County). Plaintiff was the widow of a man who was electrocuted while attempting to charge his daughter's automobile battery. A claim was also made against the anonymous automobile manufacturer.


2001 Case Summaries