Recent Case Results
The description of fairly recent cases listed below sets forth some, but not all of the cases that the law firm has handled successfully on behalf of clients.
Plaintiff Personal Injury Cases:
1) $800,000.00 personal injury settlement. A 59 year old man was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. He suffered non-surgical disc herniations in his neck, a tear in the left shoulder requiring arthroscopic surgery and a closed head injury.
2). $750,000 personal injury settlement. A 52-year-old gentleman slipped and fell on ice while taking out the trash in an apartment complex. He suffered a fracture of the wrist which resulted in surgery that involved the insertion of a plate and screws. Due to a non-union of the fracture, the claimant underwent an additional surgery which left him with a permanent disability of the left hand and wrist.
3). $550,000 personal injury settlement. Prior to this accident, the client was previously declared totally disabled from an earlier motor vehicle accident that required a cervical fusion. This accident caused an aggravation that resulted in a one-level fusion below the level where the prior fusion was performed. The client's MRI was virtually unchanged when compared with an MRI from the prior accident, but she did suffer an aggravation resulting in the fusion surgery. The defendants strongly disputed causation and the need for the surgery.
4). $500,000 personal injury settlement. The client, a 43-year-old gentleman was involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in two cervical disc herniations requiring a cervical fusion at two levels. Prior to commencing trial, the case settled for the defendant’s liability policy limits.
5). $400,000 personal injury settlement. The client, a 26-year-old gentleman was involved in a motor vehicle accident that resulted in a small disc protrusion in the cervical spine (non-surgical), a mild concussion and a questionable fracture of a rib. The client underwent extensive physical therapy and his orthopedic surgeon opined that he would need surgery for the cervical spine in the future.
6). $350,000.00 personal injury settlement. The client, a 28 year old male suffered a low back injury while merging his vehicle with other traffic at low speed after exiting a toll on the NJ Turnpike. After conservative treatment failed, he underwent a lumbar discectomy and laminectomy at one level.
7) $295,000 personal injury settlement. The client, a 48 year old gentleman suffered a fracture of the left scaphoid bone in the wrist necessitating therapy and ultimately, surgery to repair a non-union of the fracture. The client also suffered a lumbar sprain. The case settled for the defendant's liability limits of $200,000 (combined PD and BI coverage). The client's UIM claim settled for an additional $95,000 with his automobile insurance carrier.
8). $250,000 personal injury settlement. The client, a 57-year-old gentleman was involved in a motor vehicle accident causing injuries to his cervical spine. Client had significant pre-existing degenerative disease in the spine which was aggravated from the trauma in the accident. The client underwent a cervical fusion. The case settled with the tortfeasor’s insurance carrier for $100,000, the available liability policy limits. The client’s UIM claim settled for an additional $150,000, which represented the full amount of UIM benefits available under the client’s policy.
9). $250,000 personal injury settlement. The client, a 38-year-old gentleman was a passenger in a motor vehicle accident that caused injuries to his cervical and lumbar spine. The client underwent a cervical fusion. The client did not own a motor vehicle and did not have motor vehicle insurance. The case settled with the tortfeasor’s insurance carrier for $100,000, the available liability policy limits. The client’s UIM claim settled for an additional $150,000, which amount represented the full UIM coverage available under the host policy to cover the vehicle the client was riding in at the time of the accident.
10). $150,000 personal injury jury verdict. The client, an elderly woman in her early 70’s was walking through a parking lot to go into a commercial building. A parking gate activated and bumped her on the head, causing her to suffer vascular headaches due to spasm. In total, she attended approximately five visits to a neurologist. An MRI of the brain was negative. The defendants “no-paid” the case. At the conclusion of trial, the jury returned a verdict of $150,000 in favor of the plaintiff as pain and suffering for chronic headaches resulting from the accident.
11) $150,000 personal injury settlement. The client suffered an injury to her lumbar spine that required surgical procedure. The client has significant pre-existing pathology at the same level which raised a significant dispute as to causation.
12). $150,000 personal injury jury verdict. An elderly woman walking through a parking lot to visit a friend in a hospital suffered injury when a parking lot gate activated and moved downward and struck her head as she walked past the lot's toll area. She received minor treatment for headaches which she testified were debilitating and adversely affected her lifestyle.
Civil Rights Cases:
1). $250,000.00 civil rights settlement. The client, a petite female, pulled her vehicle off of the roadway. After getting out of her car, a police officer who was substantially larger in stature than her, pulled up behind her and advised her she was driving erratically, which she disputed. He directed her to get into her car and provide the officer with her credentials. She complied. As the client was getting into her vehicle, the officer closed the door on her foot. The client responded, "I'll close my own door, thank you." The officer became irate, demanded that she get out of the vehicle, cursed at the client and pulled the door open. Without sufficient probable cause, the officer grabbed the client’s left arm, put a handcuff on her and pulled her from the vehicle and dragged her to the ground. After a scuffle, the officer handcuffed the client and detained her in his car, and thereafter transported her to police headquarters for processing. The client suffered minor injuries to her neck and back, plus psychological injuries.
Employment Cases:
1). $90,000 settlement, employment case. This case involved a wrongful termination from employment after the client pursued a worker's compensation claim due to a minor injury suffered in the course of her employment. The employer refused to permit the client to pursue a worker's compensation claim and terminated the client for making that claim. The client experienced some emotional distress and had minimal treatment and no lost wage claim.
2). $225,000 settlement of employment case based on a hostile work environment resulting from disparate treatment in retaliation by superiors.
3). $125,000 settlement employment case arising from the discharge of a Vice Principal by a local school board, arising from alleged violations of CEPA and the NJ Law against Discrimination.
Plaintiff Construction Cases:
1). $565,946.91 judgment against defendant contractor in a construction case. The law firm obtained the judgment for the client against an unlicensed and unregistered home-improvement contractor that performed shoddy and incomplete construction work in violation of the Contractor's Registration Act, the Consumer Fraud Act and the administrative regulations governing home-improvement contractors.
2). $545,680.00 judgment against defendant contractor in a construction case. The law firm obtained the judgment for the client against an unlicensed and unregistered home-improvement contractor that took substantial monies from the client at the inception of the job, only to destroy her property and perform none of the contracted for renovation work. The judgment was based upon violations of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act, and the Court awarded the client treble damages, legal fees and costs of suit.
3) $293,694.14 judgment against defendant contractor in a construction case. The law firm obtained the judgment for the client against a pool installation contractor who performed shoddy workmanship and violated the Contractor's Registration Act, the Consumer Fraud Act and the administrative regulations governing home-improvement contractors.
4). $114,257.40 judgment obtained against defendant contractor in a construction case. The law firm obtained the judgment for the client against an unlicensed and unregistered home-improvement contractor that failed to properly install an asphalt driveway and performed shoddy workmanship installing exterior hardscaping work in violation of the Contractor's Registration Act, the Consumer Fraud Act and the administrative regulations governing home-improvement contractors.
5). $250,000 settlement, civil rights case. This case involved a woman who had pulled off a roadway to check her tire. A police officer pulled up behind her vehicle. The officer directed the client to get into her vehicle and give him her credentials, to which she complied. After a brief exchange of words, the officer became irate, opened her door and slapped a handcuff on her left wrist. The officer dragged her out of the car and threw her to the ground, using excessive force to ultimately arrest her without probable cause. The client suffered some physical injuries requiring medical treatment and emotional distress from the incident.
Other Defense Cases:
1). Dismissal of Plaintiff’s Case on Summary Judgment. Plaintiff sued the Dover Township Fire Department and several firefighters for damage to a commercial store on Route 46 in Dover, New Jersey. Following extensive litigation that included depositions of numerous fact and expert witnesses, defendants moved for Summary Judgment. After oral argument, the Court dismissed plaintiff’s lawsuit with prejudice, finding that defendants were entitled to Summary Judgment.
2). Dismissal of Plaintiff's slip and fall case on Summary Judgment. Plaintiff, a minor who slipped and fell in the Hawthorne Township Fire Department, brought suit against the Borough of Hawthorne and the Fire Department to recover for personal injuries. After extensive litigation, defendants filed for Summary Judgment. Following oral argument on the motion, the Court granted Summary Judgment in favor of the Borough of Hawthorne and the Fire Department, finding that plaintiff’s claim was barred by the New Jersey Tort Claims Act. Consequently, plaintiff’s lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.
3). Jury Verdict - No Cause for Action Dismissing Plaintiff’s Lawsuit. The plaintiff, a gentleman and his 50’s, filed suit to recover personal injuries arising from a motor vehicle accident. Plaintiff asserted that he suffered serious injuries to his cervical and lumbar spine which necessitated surgery. During final settlement discussions and just prior to starting trial, plaintiff demanded $300,000. Defendants rejected the demand. After a lengthy jury trial, the jury returned a verdict of no cause for action against the plaintiff, finding that the plaintiff was more than 50% at fault for causing the accident. Plaintiff received no recovery and his lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.
4). Jury Verdict - No Cause for Action Dismissing Plaintiff’s Lawsuit. The plaintiff, a gentleman and his 40’s, filed suit against his neighbor (the client) based upon an assault with a snow shovel. Plaintiff and the client had a long-standing feud between them. Defendant was shoveling snow off of his driveway and threw some snow near, but not on the plaintiff’s property. Plaintiff came out of his home and confronted the client. After words were exchanged, the plaintiff lunged toward the defendant, who raised the snow shovel over his head and moved it downward to protect himself from the plaintiff’s attack. The snow shovel struck the plaintiff in the forehead, causing a deep laceration requiring sutures. At trial, the plaintiff claimed he suffered chronic headaches, a deep laceration to his head and had permanent scarring on his forehead. After a jury trial, the jury returned a verdict of no cause for action against the plaintiff, finding that the plaintiff was more than 50% at fault for causing the incident. The jury also found that the defendant did not intentionally assault the plaintiff. Plaintiff received no recovery and his lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.
5). Minor settlement of $14,000 during trial. Plaintiff, a former employee of a private healthcare company, filed suit against the company, its management and several limited partners, seeking damages in excess of $500,000 for breach of contract, retaliation and violations of CEPA and the NJ LAD. After settlement negotiations failed, the case proceeded to jury trial in Passaic County. After extensive cross-examination of plaintiff was completed, during a break in the proceedings the case settled for $14,000, which amount represented a nuisance value paid at the urging of the trial judge to conclude the case.