handley and howard v. devi, llc, et al.

Judgment of $4,500,000.00 (Calhoun County Circuit Court).  A Calhoun County jury awarded a combined $4,500,000 judgment in a case stemming from hot tub contamination that led to the contraction of Legionnaire’s disease.  The trial, which took place before Calhoun County Circuit Judge Malcolm Street, Jr., began November 15th and lasted four days.  The jury in this case took only approximately 50 minutes to return a verdict.  The lawsuit, was filed against DEVI, LLC., who owns and operates two hotels in Oxford, Alabama, and arose from an incident involving a hot tub contaminated with Legionella bacteria.  The incident occurred in May of 2008 at the Wingate Inn in the Anniston/Oxford area of Alabama.  The Plaintiffs were sent by their employer to Heflin, Alabama to assist with a debris removal project following a tornado in the area and were staying at the Wingate Inn during this project.  While staying at the Wingate Inn, the men used the hotel’s hot tub which is provided for use to hotel guests.  As a result of the use of this hot tub, both men developed Legionnaire’s disease and had to be hospitalized.  Legionnaire’s disease is an acute pneumonia caused by the Legionella bacteria that can exist in dirty or stagnant water.  Legionnaire’s disease can first present itself with flu-like symptoms, but these symptoms can get increasingly worse and eventually be fatal.  Both Plaintiffs were hospitalized in Intensive Care Units where they were placed on respirators. 

HOLLOWAY AND MEADOWS V. TOWN OF WOODLAND, ALABAMA, et al.

Judgment of $3,990,000.00 (Troup County Circuit Court, Georgia).  Morris, Haynes & Hornsby Partners Larry Morris and Randy Haynes represented Mrs. Holloway and Mrs. Meadows, two senior citizens from Randolph County, Alabama, who were injured in a one-vehicle van accident in LaGrange, Georgia in November of 2009.  On the way back from a Woodland Senior Center trip to Calloway Gardens, the van’s driver missed a curve on Highway 27 just outside of LaGrange, causing the van to run off the road and down a steep embankment.  As a result, Mrs. Holloway was rendered a quadriplegic and eventually passed away as a result of these injuries.  Mrs. Meadow’s injuries were less severe but she underwent surgery on her knee after suffering a right tibial fracture.  The lawsuit was brought against the Town of Woodland and the driver of the van, Billie Vernon Edmondson.  The case was tried in November of 2010 in Troup County, Georgia.  Defendants argued that the Georgia Department of Transportation was responsible for the accident due to the dangerous curve of the roadway.  However, the jury returned a verdict of $2,400,000 to the Estate of Jeanette Holloway for her injuries and suffering from the date of the accident until the date of her death one month before trial.  The jury also awarded $1,250,000 to Mrs. Holloway’s surviving child due to her wrongful death.  Mrs. Meadows was awarded $340,000.  Firm Attorney Emily Nelson, who also represented the Plaintiffs, is a member of the Georgia State Bar.  This case was tried pursuant to Georgia law.

Anonymous v. Anonymous TRUCKING COMPANy

Settlement of $990,000.00 (United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Eastern Division).  A wrongful death case was settled against a confidential defendant.  The lawsuit stemmed from an automobile wreck that occurred when the defendant’s tractor trailer failed to stop with traffic on the interstate.  The tractor trailer was traveling at such a velocity that it completely ran over the plaintiff’s vehicle causing his death.

anonymous v. anonymous

Settlement of $712,500.00 (Chambers County Circuit Court).  In this medical negligence wrongful death case, MHH represented the widower of a woman who had a seizure and died shortly after an epidural pain injection that she received in her hips.  The claims were that the procedure was done negligently, or in violation of the standard of care; and that the resuscitation efforts were inadequate or negligent

holmes v. maryland marine, inc., et al.

Settlement of $550,000.00 (United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisianna)  A settlement was reached in a case where MHH represented three of four individuals killed in a maritime incident that took place on Wilson Lake near Killen, AL.  In March of 2008, these individuals were riding on a pleasure craft on Wilson Lake when a barge and tow collided with their vessel.  This collision caused the pleasure craft to sink, killing all on board.  The case was originally filed in Colbert County, Alabama, but the Defendants filed a limitation action under maritime law which moved the case to District Court in Louisianna. 

anonymous v. anonymous

Settlement of over $500,000.00.  A wrongful death case was settled that involved an incident where a prison inmate died while in jail as the result of guard negligence.

anonymous v. anonymous TRUCKING COMPANY

Settlement of $450,000.00 (United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, Eastern Division).  This personal injury lawsuit was the result of a collision between two tractor trailers that occurred in July of 2009.  The plaintiff was driving a tractor trailer truck in the southbound lane of Interstate 85 in Lee County, Alabama. The driver of the defendant’s tractor trailer had illegally parked his rig in the right lane of the highway and was standing in the road. He did not comply with the rules of the road regarding the number of warning triangles he had behind his vehicle to alert oncoming traffic to his presence or the presence of his tractor trailer. The negligent parking of the defendant’s rig and the position of the driver himself caused the plaintiff to collide with his rig, which resulted in severe, permanent and debilitating injuries to the plaintiff.

 

2009 Case Summaries


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